DOJ: No contempt charges against Lois Lerner

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Former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner exercises her Fifth Amendment right not to speak about the IRS targeting investigation before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building March 5, 2014 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia will not seek contempt charges against former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner for her refusal to testify before Congress, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced Wednesday.

It has been nearly a year since the House voted to hold Lerner in contempt in a mostly party-line vote. At the time, the charges were referred to the local U.S. attorney. The Justice Department officially informed House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, of U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen's decision in a letter sent to Boehner's office Tuesday.

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Insisting that she's "done nothing wrong," Lois Lerner, the IRS official in charge of the division that targeted conservative nonprofit groups fo...

"A team of experienced career prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office was assigned to carefully assess the referral. After extensive analysis, the team concluded that the House Committee followed proper procedures in notifying Ms. Lerner that it had rejected her claim of a Fifth Amendment privilege and gave her an adequate opportunity to answer the Committee's questions," the Justice Department said in a statement. "However, the team also concluded that Ms. Lerner did not waive her Fifth Amendment privilege by making general claims of innocence. The Constitution would provide Ms. Lerner with an absolute defense if she were prosecuted for contempt."

Congress' contempt vote stems from Lerner's appearances before the House Oversight Committee. At the start of one hearing in 2013, Lerner made an opening statement declaring her innocence before invoking her Fifth Amendment right. Republicans charge that by delivering her opening statement, she waived her rights against self-incrimination. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and then the full House of Representatives, voted to hold Lerner in contempt for her refusal to testify on March 5, 2014.

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DOJ: No contempt charges against Lois Lerner

Federal Eye: Justice Department will not seek contempt charges against Lois Lerner

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Ex-Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner, a central figure in the IRStargeting scandal, will not face criminal contempt charges for refusing to testify about the matter before a House oversight committee last year.

Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a letter this week to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that he would not bring a criminal case against Lerner, who headed the IRSs exempt-organizations division when the agency inappropriately selected nonprofit advocacy groups for extra scrutiny based on their names and policy positions. S

The former officialacknowledged the agencys mistakes at a legal conference in May 2013, days beforethe release of a scathing inspector generals report about the issue.

[Related: Investigators probing for criminal activity with Lois Lerners missing e-mails]

The House approved a contempt resolutionagainst Lernerin May 2014, after she invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to testify during a hearing with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The panels then-chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), insisted that shewaived the right by asserting her innocence during an opening statement.

Machen disagreed with Issa, saying Lerner made only general claimsof innocence and that the Constitution would provide her withan absolute defense should she be prosecuted.

Lerners attorney, William Taylor III, applauded the decision in a statement Wednesday. Anyone who takes a serious and impartial look at this issue would conclude that Ms. Lerner did not waive her Fifth Amendment rights, he said. It is unfortunate that the majority party in the House put politics before a citizens constitutional rights. Ms. Lerner is pleased to have this matter resolved and looks forward to moving on with her life.

Josh Hicks covers the federal government and anchors the Federal Eye blog. He reported for newspapers in the Detroit and Seattle suburbs before joining the Post as a contributor to Glenn Kesslers Fact Checker blog in 2011.

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Federal Eye: Justice Department will not seek contempt charges against Lois Lerner

DOJ Wont Charge Lois Lerner for Contempt of Congress

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The Department of Justice will not charge former IRS official Lois Lerner for contempt, despite an attempt by members of the House of Representatives to charge her for refusing to testify during a hearing about whether the department unfairly targeted conservative fundraising groups.

Although the House approved a criminal contempt resolution against Lerner last year for invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a Congressional hearing a right that former Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) said that she had waived prior to the hearing Politico reports that Ronald Machen, the former former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, will not file said charges against Lerner.

According to Machen, Lerner, who said that she was innocent in a hearing ten months prior to her citing the Fifth Amendment, was still well within her rights to plead the fifth:

Machen said the Oversight Committee followed proper procedures in telling Lerner that it had rejected her claim of privilege and gave her an adequate opportunity to answer the Committees questions. IRS watchdog probing potential criminal activity in Lerner email mess

However, Machen said Justice Department lawyers determined that Lerner did not waive her Fifth Amendment right by making an opening statement on May 22, 2013, because she made only a general claims of innocence.

Machen added: Given that assessment, we have further concluded that it is not appropriate for a United States Attorney to present the matter to the grand jury for action where, as here, the Constitution prevents the witness from being prosecuted for contempt.

Lerners lawyer welcomed the results, saying that Anyone who takes a serious and impartial look at this issue would conclude that Ms. Lerner did not waive her Fifth Amendment rights, and that his client was pleased to have this matter resolved.

[Politico] [Image via screenshot/CSPAN]

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DOJ Wont Charge Lois Lerner for Contempt of Congress

Supreme Court rules GPS trackers are a form of search and seizure

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Shane McGlaun

This week the US Supreme Court clarified a law by ruling the Torrey Dale Grady v. North Carolina case that had to do with clarification of the Fourth Amendment. The case was sent back to the state high court after a unanimous opinion set down by the Justices helped to clarify how the Fourth Amendment works.

The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure. With the clarification the court set down a precedent that says if the government puts a GPS tracker on your car, you, or your belongings it counts as search and is protected by the Fourth Amendment.

After being twice convicted as a sex offender, Grady was forced to wear a GPS monitor at all times to allow authorities to monitor his location. Grady challenged the court sating that the device qualified as unreasonable search.

The highest court in North Carolina ruled the tracker wasn't considered search. The Supreme Court has decided otherwise and sets a precedent that may prevent other convicted criminals from being forced to wear GPS trackers in the future. This case will likely have implications in the state of Wisconsin as well since that state can force repeat sex offenders to wear tracking bracelets.

SOURCE: The Atlantic

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Supreme Court rules GPS trackers are a form of search and seizure

SCLC suspends Georgia Chapter President for call to bear arms

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ATLANTA - The Southern Christian Leadership Conference Wednesday suspended the president of its Georgia chapter, the day after he urged blacks to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms in response to recent police shootings of unarmed blacks.

SCLC National President and CEO Dr. Charles Steele made the announcement at a news conference.

The action comes after Georgia SCLC President Sam Mosteller Tuesday called on all African-Americans to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms.

In a statement, Dr. Steele said, We have found that his (Reverend Mosteller's) comments do not represent, not reflect the principles and position of this organization.

As a result, the national organization announced the indefinite suspension of Rev. Mosteller, ordered an internal investigation, and ordered him to undergo an internal training program.

Tuesday, Rev. Mosteller told reporters he is tired of talking and marching and of inaction at the local and federal level.

He said police and the justice system have failed blacks in cities nationwide.

Reverend Mosteller stated, "We going to have to do something in our community to let the rest of America know that we are not going to be victimized by just anybody whether it be police or folks that decide that black people are thugs and we need to control that black community. We [are] not going to allow that anymore."

But when asked if he was suggesting blacks pack weapons the reverend insisted he was being misquoted saying, "Listen, listen I didn't say that. I said the Second Amendment right? I didn't say pack weapons, I said Second Amendment. Please don't put words in my mouth, please don't do that... Do you have to carry a weapon to avail yourself of the Second Amendment the answer is no, you don't have to okay?"

In his statement, Dr. Steele said the SCLC was founded and maintains its position against violence of ANY type.

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SCLC suspends Georgia Chapter President for call to bear arms

Protecting the First Amendment and Muzzling the Marketplace of Ideas

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April 1, 2015|10:55 am

(Heritage Foundation)

Dr. Edwin Feulner is Founder of The Heritage Foundation, a Townhall.com Gold Partner, and co-author of Getting America Right: The True Conservative Values Our Nation Needs Today .

"Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech." The words of the First Amendment couldn't be plainer. Yet more than two centuries after the Bill of Rights was written, they remain the subject of fierce debate.

Actually, I should amend that (no pun intended). These words would be the subject of debate if debate were permitted. But these days, apparently, we're all so thin-skinned that we can't bear to hear an opinion that challenges our worldview.

This is even true, ironically, at our institutions of higher learning. Some colleges are far more interested in swaddling their students in a protective bubble than in teaching free speech.

Consider what happened to Omar Mahmood. The University of Michigan student last year wrote a satirical piece for the campus newspaper, the Michigan Daily, listing the ways that the pervading culture of right-handedness victimizes left-handed people.

"The biggest obstacle to equality today is our barbaric attitude toward people of left-handydnyss [sic]," he wrote. "It's a tragedy that I, a member of the left-handed community, had little to no idea of the atrocious persecution that we are dealt every day by institutions that are deeply embedded in society."

Anyone familiar with the political correctness that pervades so much of society will recognize what Mahmood was lampooning. The victim mentality is particularly acute on many campuses, with professors nursing and even inflaming cultural conflicts on every level, leaving everyone walking around on eggshells.

In such an environment, Mahmood's column could have served a valuable purpose. An actual debate -- imagine! -- could have ensued.

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Protecting the First Amendment and Muzzling the Marketplace of Ideas

For bitcoin, 'golden moment' or fool's gold?

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The BIT may also represent a smart tool for investors who don't want to risk putting their money in the hands of exchanges (some of which have suffered scandals throughout bitcoin's young history), according to trader Brian Kelly.

"If you're going to put any real money into bitcoin the last thing you want to do is put any money on an exchange," he said. "This gives you that kind of security."

But even if some investors see the appeal of the BIT, it may soon have competition.

Investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss have been pitching a bitcoin ETF for some time and are going through the regulatory process of applying through the SEC. Their fund, which would trade on the Nasdaq and have the ticker symbol "COIN," is seeking to list 1 million shares, according to a recent filing.

Read More Winklevoss twins: Bitcoin plunge a buying opp

While Kelly allowed that some traders may find the Winklevoss ETF more appealing because it does not trade on the OTC markets, he said he did not think that the added draw would be significant.

"Really, you are talking about technicalities. If you want to just buy bitcoin they are similar," he said.

For his part, Silbert was confident about the future success of BIT (and its first-mover advantage) compared to any would-be competitors. "The way we think about it is the race is already over," he said.

The "ultimate end goal" is to register BIT shares with the SEC, and trade the fund on the New York Stock Exchange, Silbert said, adding that he cannot give any assurances of what the future may hold.

Read MoreForget currency, bitcoin's tech is the revolution

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Workington Comets starlet Greaves drawn in British Under-21 semi-final

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Last updated at 10:48, Wednesday, 01 April 2015

Workington Comets starlet Nathan Greaves is set to miss Sundays Ian Thomas Shield meeting against Newcastle Diamonds after being drawn in the British Under-21 semi-final at Mildenhall.

Nathan Greaves

The 17-year-old reserve will ride at No6 in a bid to earn one of nine places up for grabs in the final at Coventry on Tuesday week.

Comets asset Paul Bowen is due to ride at number eight for Workington on Sunday in Greaves absence.

Fans got their first chance to see 25-year-old Bowen in action around the Zebra Claims Stadium, formerly known as Derwent Park, at the clubs annual press and practice day last month.

A former Moto-X rider, Bowen came to the attention of the Comets management after turning his hand to speedway and putting in several sterling performances while riding for Workington Meteors at Northside speedway training track.

He secured a place at National League side Buxton late last season and he has been signed up by the Hitmen for this year.

Comets No5 Kyle Howarth has already been seeded in the final, where his competition for the title will include ex-Workington rider Ashley Morris.

First published at 10:43, Wednesday, 01 April 2015 Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

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Workington Comets starlet Greaves drawn in British Under-21 semi-final

AbbVie's HUMIRA (Adalimumab) Approved by European Commission to Treat Children and Adolescents with Severe Chronic …

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HUMIRA is the only Biologic Approved in Europe for Children and Adolescents from Four Years of Age with Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

NORTH CHICAGO, Illinois, April 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) announced today that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for HUMIRA (adalimumab) for the treatment of severe chronic plaque psoriasis in children and adolescents from four years of age who have had an inadequate response to or are inappropriate candidates for topical therapy and phototherapies. With the EC decision, HUMIRA now has approval for use in this indication in all member states of the European Union.

"Several treatments have been shown to be effective in subgroups of patients with pediatric psoriasis. However, a limited body of supporting data is available. The approval of adalimumab is an important milestone in particular for children with severe disease because it extends the armamentarium of the physicians who are working to reduce the burden of this chronic disease in this sensitive young patient population," said Marieke M.B. Seyger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

The marketing authorization is based on the positive results of a Phase 3 study, which will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting. Since first gaining approval 12 years ago, HUMIRA has been approved in more than 87 countries. It is currently being used to treat more than 851,083 patients worldwide1 across 11 globally approved indications.2

"With the approval from the European Commission, HUMIRA is now the only biologic approved in Europe to treat children with this condition starting at four years of age, offering an important new option for physicians treating pediatric plaque psoriasis," said Michael Severino, M.D., executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "This new indication contributes to the increasingly broad spectrum of indications for HUMIRA, and supports its strong record of efficacy and safety in treating pediatric populations who are managing challenging chronic diseases."

About Pediatric Chronic Plaque PsoriasisAccording to estimates from the World Health Organization, pediatric psoriasis occurs in 0.70 percent of the pediatric population,3 with no significant difference by gender.4 The chronic autoimmune disease is characterized by the rapid and excessive accumulation of skin cells, which form thick patches of inflamed, scaly skin.5 Pediatric psoriasis has similar characteristics to adult psoriasis, but in children, the psoriatic lesions are typically smaller, thinner, and less scaly.4 Beyond the physical challenges of managing the chronic skin disorder, it is also considered to have significant emotional and psychological effects.6

HUMIRA EU Therapeutic Indications2HUMIRA is approved for use in moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, active and progressive psoriatic arthritis, moderate to severely active Crohn's Disease and moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis.HUMIRA is approved in pediatric patients for use in enthesitis-related arthritis, severe plaque psoriasis, severe Crohn's disease, and active juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients who have had inadequate response to prior therapy. See SmPC for full indication.

Important EU Safety Information2 HUMIRA is contraindicated in patients with active tuberculosis or other severe infections and in patients with moderate to severe heart failure. The use of HUMIRA increases the risk of developing serious infections which may, in rare cases, be life-threatening. Rare cases of lymphoma and leukemia have been reported in patients treated with a TNF-antagonist. On rare occasions, a severe type of cancer called hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma has been observed and often results in death. A risk for the development of malignancies in patients treated with TNF-antagonists cannot be excluded. The most frequently reported adverse events across all indications included respiratory infections, injection site reactions, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, rash and musculoskeletal pain.

(see SmPC for full details at http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/medicines/000481/human_med_000822.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001d124)

About AbbVieAbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. AbbVie employs more than 26,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit http://www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

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World's oldest person Misao Okawa dead at 117

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Misao Okawa died peacefully in her nursing home, surrounding by family Born in 1898, great-grandmother celebrated her 117th birthday on March 5 Gertrude Weaver, 116, from Arkansas, USA, now world's oldest person

By Elaine O'flynn For Mailonline and Associated Press

Published: 02:11 EST, 1 April 2015 | Updated: 12:16 EST, 1 April 2015

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The world's oldest person has died a few weeks after celebrating her 117th birthday - after saying her life seemed 'rather short'.

Misao Okawa was surrounded by her family and staff at her nursing home in Osaka, Japan, as she died of heart failure on April 1.

Born on March 5, 1898, the great-grandmother had lived through two World Wars, the invention of the television and the first successful powered aeroplane flight by the Wright Brothers.

The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa of Japan, died on April 1 aged 117. The great-grandmother had only celebrated her most recent birthday on March 5, where she said she thought her life had been 'rather short'

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World's oldest person Misao Okawa dead at 117

Oman to see 11% job growth from tourism

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(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) Oman's thrust on developing the travel and tourism sector has begun to show positive effects on the economy. The sultanate has shown impressive overall progress according to the World Travel & Tourism Council's (WTTC) 2015 Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report.

The report puts Oman higher than other GCC countries in most categories and says that the direct contribution from travel and tourism to the sultanate's employment is expected to show a real growth of 11 per cent this year the second highest of the 184 countries covered by WTTC.

The sector's contribution to GDP and in generating jobs

has been significant and forecasts see it only rising. This means that the strategy to use tourism to veer the economy away from oil-dependent revenue is on the right track. Travel and tourism's direct contribution to Oman's GDP in 2014 was RO765.1mn (2.6 per cent of the total GDP).

The report has forecast that this will rise by 5.2 per cent this year and to RO1.453bn (3.3 per cent of total GDP) in 2025.

The sector directly supported 44500 jobs (2.8 per cent of total employment) in 2014. This

includes employment by hotels travel agents airlines and other passenger transportation services (excluding commuter services). It also include the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists.

This figure has been forecast to grow by 11 per cent this year to 49500 (2.9 per cent of total employment).

By 2025 the sector will account for 72000 jobs directly an increase of 3.8 per cent annually over the next ten years the report states.

Oman is attracting good investment in the field. The last year saw RO267mn being invested (3.6 per cent of total investment).

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Oman to see 11% job growth from tourism