Nation IN BRIEF : PENNSYLVANIA : Court Opens Way for Senate Election

A U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia overturned a lower court decision that had blocked a special election to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy created by the death of Republican John Heinz. This opened the way for a November election showdown between interim Sen. Harris Wofford, a Democrat, and U.S. Atty. Gen. Dick Thornburgh. Thornburgh has not officially entered the race, but Justice Department officials said they expect him to leave office in a week or 10 days to begin campaigning. The court case was filed by a potential third candidate who contended that a state law allowing political parties to select candidates for the special election was unconstitutional.