From VOA Learning English,this is In the News.President Obama this week found himselfon the defensive on three different issues.Political observers say the issuescould threaten his plan of actionfor his second term as president.Critics say the most serious threat right nowto the Obama administrationinvolves the federal tax agency,the Internal Revenue Service.The IRS has admitted that agency officialstargeted conservative political groupswhich sought to become tax-exempt.Organizations that are tax-exemptdo not have to pay federal taxes.The groups targeted for special attention by the IRSoppose many of the administration's spending and tax policies.Late Wednesday, the president announcedthat Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had asked forand received the resignation of the acting director of the IRS.Mr. Obama spoke after meeting with top officialsto discuss a report from the Treasury Department inspector general."I've reviewed the Treasury Department watchdog's report,and the misconduct that it uncovered is inexcusable.It is inexcusable,and Americans are right to be angry about it,and I am angry about it."Attorney General Eric Holder has ordereda criminal investigation of the actions by the IRS.On Thursday, the president said he did not know about the abusesuntil they were described in news reports last week.The administration is also on the defensiveover the Justice Department's seizure of telephone recordsfrom the Associated Press news agency.The AP said on Monday that the government secretlyobtained two months of phone recordsfor some of its reporters and editors.Administration officials say the Justice Departmentis investigating who may have provided informationfor an AP story last year.The story described an American intelligence operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida bomb plot.On Tuesday, reporters questioned White House Press SecretaryJay Carney about the phone records.He said President Obama supportsthe constitutional right of freedom of the press."The president is committed to the press's abilityto pursue information, to defending the First Amendment.He is also, as a citizen and as commander-in-chief,committed to the proposition that we cannotallow classified information that can do harmto our national security interestsor to endanger individuals to be leaked.And that is a balance that has to be struck."Attorney General Holder said he had no direct involvementin the Justice Department's examination of the phone records.He said the seizure was part of an investigation intowhat he called a grave national security leak.President Obama said he makes "no apologies"for a criminal investigation into national security leaks.Also this week, the administration released 100 pages of e-mailsabout the attacks on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.Ambassador Chris Stephens and three other Americansdied in the attacks last September 11.Administration officials first describedthe events in Benghazi as a spontaneous attack,with no sign of a plot.But they later called it an act of terrorism.Republicans say the administration wantedto avoid admitting it was terrorismwhile Mr. Obama was seeking re-election.And that's In the News from VOA Learning English.Go to 51voa.com for more...