WASHINGTON – A top IRS official in the division that reviews nonprofit groups will invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer questions before a House committee investigating the agency’s improper screening of conservative nonprofit groups.

Lois Lerner, the head of the exempt organizations division of the IRS, won’t answer questions about what she knew about the improper screening – or why she didn’t reveal it to Congress, according to a letter from her defense lawyer, William W. Taylor 3rd.

Lerner was [is] scheduled to appear before the House Oversight committee Wednesday. (more…)

(Via Politico) Sharyl Attkisson, the Emmy-award winning CBS News investigative reporter, says that her personal and work computers have been compromised and are under investigation.

“I can confirm that an intrusion of my computers has been under some investigation on my end for some months but I’m not prepared to make an allegation against a specific entity today as I’ve been patient and methodical about this matter,” Attkisson told POLITICO on Tuesday. “I need to check with my attorney and CBS to get their recommendations on info we make public.” (more…)

The Plaza Towers Elementary School was directly in the path of the Tornado.  The Search and Recovery efforts continue all night long.   Dozens still missing.

This is what it looked like before:

And this is what was left: (more…)

Last week someone said the Congressional IRS hearing was merely the tip of the iceberg.   Apparently, if the investigative journalists and New Media can force the legacy media to research, this is going to be one Biden-esque sized Iceberg.

(excerpt from American Spectator)  […] Is President Obama directly implicated in the IRS scandal?

Is the White House Visitors Log the trail to the smoking gun?

The stunning questions are raised by the following set of new facts. (more…)

(Dr. Krop High School – 2007) A student was arrested for possession of marijuana in the butterfly garden in November, during second lunch. [Dr. Krop High School Resource] Officer Darryl Dunn was informed by Crime Watch students and arrested him immediately.

This was the eighth case of student arrests for drug possession this year; which, according to Dunn, is a low number compared to other years.

“Last year around this time, I had about 15 to 20 arrests,” he said. (more…)

(HOUSTON TEXAS)  […]  HPD Sgt. J. Brandon said, “They confronted the homeowner, assaulted him briefly and they put him in a closet.”

They didn’t look in the closet, because that’s where he keeps his guns.  Police were told the homeowner thought the men had left after a few minutes.  He went downstairs, armed just in case.

“He actually confronted one of the suspects who was still at his home and shots were exchanged,” Sgt. Brandon said.

The homeowner wasn’t injured but one of the suspects was.  Neighbor Craig Gaddis heard the gunfire and walked outside. (more…)

(DAILY MAIL) A former Philadelphia police officer once  hailed as a hero and given a seat next to the first lady at a speech by  President Obama has been arrested and charged with rape and other  crimes.

Authorities allege that former officer  Richard DeCoatsworth left a party with two women early Thursday and took them to  another location, where they claim that he produced a handgun and ‘forced the  two females to engage in the use of narcotics and sexual acts.’

A police spokeswoman said the two called  police after he left, and 27-year-old DeCoatsworth was charged with rape, sexual  assault, terroristic threats and related offenses.

DeCoatsworth was hailed as a hero after he  was shot in the face during a traffic stop in September 2007 but still managed  to chase after his attacker, who was later sentenced to 36 to 72 years in  prison. (more…)

(Daily Mail)  The gunman who held hostage 21-year-old Hofstra University student, Andrea Rebello, who later died in the police gun battle has been identified by police as Dalton Smith – a known criminal who was wanted for absconding parole for robbery.

Police revealed the identity of Smith, 30, of Hempstead, today and revealed a warrant was put out for his arrest on April 25.

He had been found guilty of robbery in the 1st degree and had an extensive criminal background going back to 1999 with multiple convictions for theft and assault.

He also spent time in prison and was convicted again for handling contraband goods while behind bars. (more…)

(Via CST) Sneed hears President Barack Obama, who is this/close to Holder, has set his sights on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as a possible replacement “when the heat dies down on the latest hot-button scandals to hit the U.S. Justice Department,” said a top White House source.

Last year, Holder became a hot button over a congressional probe of the sale of government guns to drug cartels.

This time it’s the double whammy of an IRS scandal and the U.S. Justice Department’s seizure of Associated Press reporters’ phone records — which has caused a media uproar. (more…)