Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, center, says judicial independence is under attack from people who don't understand that court rulings must be based on legality instead of popularity. O'Connor, speaking at the National Governors Association meeting, urged the governors to push for improved civics instruction in public schools to help citizens appreciate the separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

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MEMPHIS — A Chinese couple regained legal custody of their 8-year-old daughter Monday after a seven-year fight to get her back from what was supposed to be temporary foster care.

Judge Curtis Person of Memphis Juvenile Court signed an order returning custody of Anna Mae He to parents Shaoqiang and Qin Luo He, Chinese citizens who came to the United States so Shaoqiang He could attend college.

The order revoked the temporary guardianship by Jerry and Louise Baker, who had tried to adopt the girl over her parents' objections.

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee will pursue criminal contempt charges against White House officials for refusing to comply with subpoenas in an investigation into last year's firings of nine U.S. attorneys.

Legal experts said the decision by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., to schedule a Wednesday committee vote to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers may be a way to exhaust legal remedies before pursuing a civil case.

President Bush has invoked executive privilege to block the release of his advisers' internal correspondence and testimony regarding the firings.

WASHINGTON — Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Monday at the Capitol for disorderly conduct, shortly after saying she would run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the California Democrat's refusal to try to impeach President Bush.

Sheehan was taken into custody inside Rep. John Conyers' office, where she had spent an hour imploring him to launch impeachment proceedings against Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Conyers, D-Mich., chairs the House Judiciary Committee, where any impeachment effort would begin.

NEW YORK — Comic Drew Carey was tapped Monday to replace silver-haired legend Bob Barker on the CBS daytime game show "The Price is Right."

The deal was set Monday shortly before a taping of CBS' "Late Show" with David Letterman, where he confirmed it.

See a story about Carey's other new assignment on E1.

A pair of federal judges said a plan by Gov. Arnold Schwarz-enegger to borrow $7.4 billion in the bond market to pay for new jail cells won't solve the state's prison overcrowding and ordered a three-judge court to determine whether some convicts should be released early.

The order is the first step toward an inmate population cap.

Overcrowding has left some 17,000 inmates sleeping in prison gyms and day rooms because there aren't enough cells.

The prison health-care system is being run by a court-appointed receiver after 34 prisoners died because of inadequate care.

MIAMI — About one in three people living in Southern coastal areas said they would ignore hurricane evacuation orders if a storm threatened their community, up from about one in four last year, a new poll says.

The survey released early today found the most common reasons for not evacuating were that people believe their homes are safe and well-built, that roads would be too crowded and that fleeing would be dangerous.

Slightly more than one in four also said they would be reluctant to leave behind a pet.

Robert Blendon, the Harvard professor who directed the survey, said the mild 2006 Atlantic hurricane season probably put more coastal residents at ease.

The poll found 78 percent felt prepared if a major hurricane struck their community in the next six months.