NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Bill Passed to Keep Rights Panel Alive

In a 389-0 vote, the House approved and sent to President Bush a bill extending the life of the Civil Rights Commission for another two years. The legislation provides time to resolve conflicts that have plagued the panel, but lawmakers warned that their patience with the troubled panel was eroding. Without the bill, the commission would go out of business when its charter runs out Nov. 30. The President is expected to sign the measure, a compromise reached in negotiations between the Senate and the White House. Bush would be able to name two new commissioners, including the chairman.