WASHINGTON
Immunity deal near for ex-Gonzales aide
The Justice Department cleared the way Monday for a limited immunity deal between House investigators and Monica Goodling, a former top Justice aide who has refused to answer questions about her role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
The move means Goodling is likely to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee on a broad range of questions about the firings that she helped coordinate, including the extent of involvement by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the White House, officials said.
Goodling, who resigned last month as Gonzales’ senior counselor and White House liaison, has invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. She worked closely with Kyle Sampson, Gonzales’ former chief of staff, on the dismissals.
WASHINGTON
Lack of notification costs seniors benefits
Some low-income seniors might have missed out on millions of dollars in federal subsidies because the government did not notify them that they could be reimbursed for past prescription drug purchases when they enrolled in Medicare’s drug benefit, a Government Accountability Office study has found.
The study, being released today, said the problem is among several that have complicated the enrollment of nearly 7 million who are “dual eligible” – those who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid.
It can take more than one month for a senior who newly qualifies for Medicaid to be enrolled in a heavily subsidized prescription drug plan offered by Medicare. But by law, the person must get coverage retroactive to when they became eligible, sometimes as long as several months before.
Medicare paid insurers $100 million last year to provide that coverage. However, until March of this year, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not inform the beneficiaries that they could seek reimbursement for drugs bought during the retroactive period, the GAO found. More than 400,000 beneficiaries could have been affected, according to congressional staffers.
JERUSALEM
Tomb of King Herod discovered in desert
An Israeli archaeologist has found the tomb of King Herod, legendary builder of ancient Jerusalem and the Holy Land, Hebrew University said late Monday.
The tomb is at Herodium, a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert.
The university had hoped to keep the find a secret until today, but the Haaretz newspaper found out about the discovery and published an article on its website.
Herod became the ruler of the Holy Land under the Romans around 74 B.C. The wall he built around the Old City of Jerusalem still stands, and he ordered big construction projects in Caesaria, Jericho, the hilltop fortress of Massada and other sites.
He died in 4 B.C. in Jericho.
