Nation in brief: Feds targeting sex offenders

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice released its first-ever national strategy to combat child exploitation and abuse Monday, which calls for a crackdown on the most dangerous sex offenders in the country.

The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction will assess the threats that children face – including child pornography, online enticement, child sex tourism and commercial sexual exploitation – and outline ways for the federal government to quell abuse.

“Although we’ve made meaningful progress in protecting children across the country, and although we’ve brought a record number of offenders to justice in recent years, it is time to renew our commitment to this work. It is time to intensify our efforts,” Attorney General Eric Holder said.

SAN FRANCISCO – California’s high court on Monday upheld the state’s 14-year-old law barring preferential treatment of women and minorities in public school admissions, government hiring and contracting.

In a 6-1 ruling, the state Supreme Court rejected arguments from the city of San Francisco and Attorney General Jerry Brown that the law, known as Proposition 209, violates federal equality protections.

The ruling written by Justice Kathryn Werdegar came in response to lawsuits filed by white contractors challenging San Francisco’s affirmative action program, which was suspended in 2003.

LOS ANGELES – Lindsay Lohan has been released from jail, but she’s not exactly a free woman.

The actress was discharged at 1:35 a.m. Monday after serving 14 days of a 90-day sentence for violating her probation in a 2007 drug case, a sheriff’s spokesman said. She is now required to begin a three-month stint in rehab.

A prosecutor has said that Lohan cannot be released early and will have to spend the entire time in treatment, reportedly at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.