US Drops News Corp Phone-Hacking Inquiry

In the UK, the inquiry centered on News Corp's phone hacking has resulted in prosecutions—but in the US, it looks like Rupert Murdoch's company is off the hook. The US has announced that it won't prosecute News Corp, the BBC reports. Federal investigators had eyed News Corp "regarding possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act concerning bribes allegedly paid for news leads," but that investigation is over, barring the emergence of new information, the US says. News Corp's general counsel applauded the "fairness and professionalism of the Justice department" in the matter. But a lawyer for 9/11 victims' relatives, who believe they may have been hacking victims, raised concerns, saying that DOJ had promised to meet with his clients before releasing "any statement," the Guardian reports. (More News Corp stories.)