In brief: Investigations closed on interrogations

Washington – The Justice Department will not file criminal charges for the alleged CIA mistreatment of detainees during the George W. Bush administration, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Thursday, closing the last two investigations and ending a legal chapter that sparked criticism across the political spectrum.

The final investigations had focused on the deaths of two men during CIA interrogations overseas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut, who was appointed to investigate the two deaths, “declined prosecution because the admissible evidence would not be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt,” Holder said in a statement.

Intelligence officials welcomed Holder’s decision to remove the threat of prosecution for what the CIA called “enhanced interrogation techniques” used in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Many current and former CIA officials were angered by the probe. They argued that federal prosecutors who had previously examined the allegations had opted not to file charges.

Yale president announces retirement

New Haven, Conn. – Yale University President Richard C. Levin, who transformed the Ivy League school with a major building and renovation program, an expansion in financial aid and growing international ties, announced Thursday he is stepping down at the end of the academic year after 20 years.

Levin, 65, has served longer than any other president currently in the Ivy League or the 61-member Association of American Universities. His legacy extends well beyond Yale, with several of his administrators going on to lead top universities such as Duke, MIT, Oxford and Cambridge.

Yale’s endowment went from $3.2 billion when Levin was named president to $19.4 billion this year. Levin helped raise more than $7 billion during his tenure, Yale officials said.

“He transformed the university in so many ways,” said Yale trustee Indra Nooyi, chief executive of PepsiCo. “I’d say that Rick Levin will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents that Yale ever had.”