BEIJING (Reuters) - China's growth could slow further after data released on Sunday showed subdued activity right across the economy in May in the face of sustained global weakness, raising the possibility of interest rate cuts.

Evidence has mounted in recent weeks that China's economy is fast losing growth momentum, with sluggish domestic demand failing to make up for lethargic export sales as the country's main trading partners wrestle with their own slowdowns.

A raft of figures over the weekend added to that evidence, with exports in May posting the lowest growth in almost a year, inflation, growth in bank lending and investment below expectations and factory output and retail sales growing only about the same pace as in previous months.

"(The) activity numbers indicate continued expansion but growth remains unconvincing and the momentum seems to have lost pace in May," Louis Kuijs, an economist at RBS, said in a note.

"The short term growth outlook remains subject to risks and we may well end up revising down our growth forecast for 2013 further."

China's consumer inflation slowed to 2.1 percent, the lowest in three months, while producer prices fell 2.9 percent, the lowest since September. A Reuters poll had put inflation at 2.5 percent and factory-gate prices down 2.5 percent.

"The inflation data showed China's economic growth continued to slow down. Q2 growth is probably even slower than Q1. In particular, the PPI data showed very weak demand," said Jianguang Shen, chief China economist at Mizuho Securities Asia in Hong Kong.

Separate central bank data showed that Chinese banks lent 667.4 billion yuan ($109 billion) in new loans in May, missing market expectations of 850 billion yuan and lower than April's 792.9 billion yuan.

M2 money supply rose 15.8 percent from a year earlier, slightly below a median forecast of 15.9 percent, while total social financing, a broad measure of liquidity, was 1.19 trillion yuan versus 1.75 trillion yuan in April.

Meanwhile, growth in retail sales, fixed-asset investment and industrial output met expectations at 12.9 percent, 20.4 percent and 9.2 percent respectively, but the figures were little changed from the previous month.

On Saturday, official data showed that China's exports posted their lowest growth rate in almost a year in May while imports unexpectedly fell.

RATES AND OTHER REMEDIES

China's economy grew at its slowest pace for 13 years in 2012, and it has so far surprised on the downside, bringing warnings from some economists that the country could miss its growth target of 7.5 percent for this year.

The weak data will enable China to keep an easy monetary stance and some see the possibility that the People's Bank of China could cut rates later this year to reduce financing costs for struggling Chinese firms, provided that housing inflation does not flare up.

"We had expected an L-shaped economic recovery in China and that the growth would stabilize at around 7.9 percent," said Jian Chang, China economist for Barclays in Hong Kong.

"Now industrial and other data showed slower growth rate in Q2 than in Q1 and ... we now think China's growth will stabilize at around 7.6 percent (this year). The possibility for the central bank to cut interest rates is now rising," Chang said.

However, government economists from top think-tanks in Beijing told Reuters this week that the new leadership of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will tolerate quarterly growth to slip as far as 7 percent before looking to lift the economy.

Li had struck a more upbeat note on Saturday and was quoted by state television as saying that China's economy was generally stable, growth was within a "relatively high and reasonable range" and the employment situation was stable.

Moreover, the central bank is in a dilemma when it comes to interest rates, since property prices continue to rise, and cutting rates could refuel a bubble the central bank has been working to contain in recent months.

"Property prices will jump if it cuts rates as recent government cooling measures have not achieved desired results," said Tang Jianwei, senior economist at Bank of Communications in Shanghai.

"And cutting rates may not be effective in slowing speculative money inflows, which are mainly driven by expectations of yuan appreciation."

Most economists agree however that the government will not be looking to a fresh stimulus package along the lines of its 4 trillion yuan one unleashed during the global crisis in 2008.

That package sparked a lending boom that fuelled a property bubble and left local governments under a pile of debt.

The new leadership is keen to push reform of the economic structure rather than just throw money at the existing one.

Sources had told Reuters in May that a consensus had been reached among top leaders that reforms would be the only way to put the world's second-largest economy on a more sustainable footing.

(Additional reporting by Kevin Yao; Editing by Ron Popeski and Jeremy Laurence)

[More from BGR: ]

BBM is by far the most compelling wireless experience and wireless social-networking environment,Lazaridis said. Not only is BlackBerry back in a big way with BB10, [Heins is] also showing he can expand that vision to other platforms.

[More from BGR: ]

The free service is currently used by 60 million BlackBerry customers who send and receive more than 10 million messages a day, but it has experienced . BBM used to be one of the companys main selling points for its BlackBerry smartphones, and is perhaps one of the few remaining draws for the handsets.

BBMfor iPhones running iOS 6 or higher and Android smartphones sometime this summer.

This article was

"Miranda was rear-ended, but is totally fine," Kerr's spokeswoman said in a statement.

Kerr's Australian publicist Annie Kelly told media there that the model was traveling on a Los Angeles freeway on Monday when the accident occurred, and was in pain from the collision.

Kerr, 29, is also the face of Australian airline Qantas and has her own line of skin-care products.

Kerr married British actor Orlando Bloom in 2010. She gave birth to the couple's first child, a boy, in 2011.

Victoria's Secret is a subsidiary of Limited Brands Inc.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Jan Paschal)

The fossil of Aurornis xui was found last year in a museum at the Fossil and Geology Park in Yizhou, China, long after a farmer first dug it up in the Liaoning Province. The feathery specimen represents the most ancient of the avialans, the group that includes birds and their relatives since their split from nonavian dinosaurs.

The research also reconfirms the birdlike fossilas an avialan, a classification that was challenged by some recent research. []

Not everyone agrees that the new specimen is strictly a bird. "In my opinion, it's a bird," study author Pascal Godefroit, a paleontologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, told . Even so, he added, "The differences between birds and [nonavian] dinosaurs are very thin."

"Traditionally, we have defined birds as things like Archaeopteryx and closer to things like modern birds," vertebrate paleontologist Luis Chiappe of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, who was not involved in the study, told LiveScience. "If you stick to the definition, this thing is not earliest known bird," Chiappe said, but that's missing the point, he said. What matters, is that it's a very interesting animal that "still helps us understand better the origin of birds," he said.

Aurornis xui was a feathered dinosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic period about 150 million years ago, analysis shows. It was about 1.6 feet (0.5 meter) from beak tip to tail tip, and possessed small, sharp teeth and long forelimbs.

The creature probably couldn't fly, Godefroit said, but may have used its wings to glide between trees. The fossil's feathers aren't well-preserved, but the hip bones and other features strongly suggest it was a relative of modern birds, he said.

The researchers assert that Aurornis displaces Archaeopteryx as the , placing Archaeopteryx further along in the avialan lineage. Since Archaeopteryx was a flying creature, its placement among avialans means dinosaurs would have only had toonce during evolutionary history.

The new findings also classify another family of birdlike dinosaurs, known as Troodontidae, as a sister group to the avialans. This reshuffling of the bird-dinosaur family tree suggests birds and nonavian dinosaurs diverged in Asia during the Middle to Late Jurassic.

The findings are detailed in the May 30 issue of the journal Nature.

Follow Tanya Lewis on  and . Follow us ,  & . Original article on .

This is the problem troubling researchers from the National University of Colombia in Bogota. The group of forensic geophysicists is developing techniques that may help officials locate clandestine graves, including mass graves where the victims of war crimes are often buried.

The researchers plan to simulate clandestine mass graves by burying pig carcasses in eight different soils and climates throughout Colombia. They will thenusing technological methods like ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity, conductivity and magnetometry.

"Nowadays, there are thousands of missing people around the world that could have been tortured and killed and buried in clandestine graves," said Jamie Pringle of the School of Physical Sciences and Geography at Keele University in the United Kingdom.

"This is a huge problem for their families and governments that are responsible for the human rights of everybody. These people need to be found and the related crime cases need to be resolved."

Pringle, who is leading the Colombian study, has already conducted similar studies throughout his career as a forensic geophysicist. His work with simulated clandestine graves in the U.K. taught him that the detection of corpses depends greatly on understanding how the body decomposes in different soils and climates.

By monitoring soil gases and fluids, researchers are able to better understand these processes and apply them to real-life .

The Colombian study will survey eight distinct geological locations over the course of 18 months. And the scientists hope that their research will also allow them to gather clues about time of death and burial, which are important details during a murder trial.

International collaborations among forensic geophysicists have already proven helpful in locating the clandestine graves of IRA victims in Northern Ireland as well as theof mass graves in Spain that date back to that country's Civil War.

This story was provided by , a sister site to LiveScience. Email or follow her. Follow us , onor on.

"The $98 million represents another contribution from the proceeds of the State of California's Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program portfolio that was transferred to ECMC on November 2, 2010.* This year's $98 million builds on ECMC's previous contributions to the Cal Grant Program, bringing their total transfers to over $345 million since 2010," said John R. McDowell, Jr., Chairman of the California Student Aid Commission.

"It is a privilege to be able to partner with the Commission another year to provide funding for the highly successful Cal Grant program," said Richard Boyle, ECMC Foundation president and chief executive officer. "The Commission's goals align nicely with the mission of ECMC Foundation to help students realize their educational dreams."

"The Commission's partnership with ECMC is an important one," said Diana Fuentes-Michel, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission. "This $98 million translates into over 16,000 Cal Grants for students in the 2013-14 award year."

*In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education terminated California's student loan guarantee program.

SOURCE California Student Aid Commission

1. RBNY'S JEROME DE BONTIN SPEAKS OUT ON NYCFC AND ATTENDANCE

It's been mostly radio silence from the Red Bulls since the announcement that NYCFC would become New York City's second MLS franchise. But on Thursday de Bontin went on the Seeing Red podcast to discuss a variety of issues. Central among them was the club's new market competition,Lots of good stuff here, so give it a listen.

2. RED BULLS FANS HOPING FOR KAKA OR ABIDAL...DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP

It seems like the Brazilian has been linked with New York forever, and it seemed even more likely when his brother joined the Red Bulls. Does that mean he's headed to Red Bull Arena soon, especially since the club is looking around for a third Designated Player?

3. COULD GARETH BARRY BE THE FIRST MANCHESTER CITY PLAYER HEADED STATESIDE?

, but the rumor mill is already in full swing. What does that mean for the next two-plus years? It means get used to anyone and everyone wearing sky blue to be linked with their sister club across the pond.

4. SPEAKING OF MANCHESTER CITY RUMORS, CARLOS TEVEZ TO TORONTO FC?

Not. Gonna. Happen. A Brazilian publication reported the TFC were willing to break the bank to the tune of $10 million per season to land the Argentine star,

5. ROMA BECOMES FIRST-EVER MLS ALL-STAR OPPONENT TO HAIL FROM SERIE A

It was practically an open secret, but the official announcement dropped Thursday thatfor the AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 31 in Kansas City. They may not have quite the same international cache as Chelsea or Manchester United, but that's not a bad thing according to Jeff Bradley.Of course,at Sporting Park.

6. WHO HAS THE EARLY LEAD ON AN ALL-STAR SPOT OPPOSITE THE GIALLOROSSI?

MLS has been pretty darn successful against foreign competition in the All-Star game, but who might carry the banner this time around? Well, . You may well disagree. Either way, you won't want to miss these goals of ASG's past.Plus,

7. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AFFILIATES MEET MLS PARTNERS IN US OPEN CUP? WELL, IT DEPENDS

It's a conundrum we've only begun to see this season with the implementation of a partnership between MLS and USL Pro: What happens when loanees face the prospect of playing against, and perhaps knocking out, their parent club in US Open Cup play? In the case ofMeanwhile, the New England Revolution did it a bit different,for a match against their Rochester affiliate.

8. DEMPSEY HEADED NOWHERE, ALTIDORE INTEREST RAMPS UP

Clint Dempsey moved to Tottenham for a shot at the Champions League. That didn't happen in Year One, and rumors began flying that the Texan could be sold to provide funds to bolster the squad. . Meanwhile, in Holland, interest in Jozy Altidore is building. That's no surprise after a massive season for AZ Alkmaar.

9. BELGIUM WALTZED, NOW WHAT FOR US NATIONAL TEAM?

Nobody was happy with the USMNT's 4-2 loss in Cleveland on Wednesday night, but what did we learn? , thenabout the US' ability to stand toe-to-toe with top sides. They'll get another chance to prove themselves on Sunday,

10. CHELIS IS OUT, BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR CHIVAS USA?

First things first, youth academy director of socceragainst the Seattle Sounders, keeping the seat warm forThen the club will try to dig itself out of the hole that developed under theafter a seven-game skid without a win.Perhapsaround.

11. HEARTBREAK FOR TIJUANA AS COPA LIBERTADORES RUN PETERS OUT

Until the clock ticked past 90 minutes, Club Tijuana was done for in Brazil on Thursday night. The quarterfinal series with Atltico Mineiro was tied on aggregate, 3-3, but away goals meant the Brazilian powers were slated to move on. Then the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the spot in extra time, a turn of events that put Americans Edgar Castillo, Joe Corona and Greg Garza on the brink of the semis. . Duvier Riascos sent his attempt down the middle andand end TJ's Copa dreams.(VIDEO)

12. BECKHAM SITS COURTSIDE IN MIAMI, BUT PASSES ON FAN WELCOME

The rumors are starting to ramp up to fever pitch, and David Beckham isn't exactly tamping them down these days. With the concept of a ,at the Miami Heat's Eastern Conference finals matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Beckham didn't, however, meet with thein support of any potential expansion bid. Perhaps next time.

13. SWEDE'S APPARENTLY WANT SOME MLS INSIGHT, AND DAN KEAT DELIVERS

Dan Keat didn't play much for the LA Galaxy during two seasons in Southern California, but he landed on his feet at Superettan side Falkenberg FF andYou'll need the help of Google translate (unless Swedish is your second language) to read what Keat had to say about fellow All Black Ryan Nelsen, David Beckham and the level between the two leagues.

14. SPAIN'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST HEADED TO THE BIG APPLE

Don't expect La Roja manager Vicente del Bosque to bring a watered down side to New York City for June 11's friendly vs. Robbie Keane and Ireland. Far from it, in fact. Spain announced their preliminary roster for the trip on Thursday, and, well, it can only be described as stacked.

15. AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN HOPE TO REVAMP DUNDEE UNITED

This sounds good: We want to turn a 1m business into a 10m business. It's much harder to pull off, though, and that's what a group of Americans hoping to return Dundee United to the Scottish Premier League are facing.

MLSsoccer.com Musts

Enter your email address and favorite team below to sign up for The Kick-Off mailing list and get it delivered to your inbox every morning.

Concern over a shortage of a drug popular for treating Lyme disease has caused two U.S. senators to ask for federal intervention. The shortage is particularly of concern as most of the country moves into Lyme disease season.

According to the Bangor Daily News, senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have contacted the .

The drug in low supply is , which the Mayo Clinic says is a staple of treatment for early-stage Lyme disease. It's the drug of choice for adults and children older than 8 years old and is administered either by mouth or by IV.

MedlinePlus reports thatlike treating bacterial infections, anthrax after inhalation, genital and urinary conditions, skin infections, and acne. Some travelers take it to prevent malaria.

According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, most of the drug companies that produce doxycyclineor predict how long it will last. The shortage began early in 2013 and has caused prices to soar. One manufacturer says it is providing the antibiotic only to current contracted customers.

In Maine, the shortage of doxycycline pills is more acute than the IV form of the drug. A hospital pharmacist found that 50 pills would cost the facility between $197 to $270 if available. As the nationwide supply dwindles, healthcare providers are forced to switch to other drugs, depending on the specific condition needing treatment.

For example, azithromycin treats certain types of pneumonia, while doctors sometimes use amoxicillin for Lyme disease. However, the drug of choice for Lyme patients is doxycycline.

The two senators have asked the FDA to use all resources available to alleviate the shortage. This could include finding other manufacturers or importing limited quantities of the drug from other countries.

My husband takes doxycycline on a long-term basis for a decades-long bone infection in his leg. More than a year ago, he also received a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Doxycycline was the drug of choice, since it could treat both conditions.

We have a choice of purchasing a prescription as a 30-day supply at the local pharmacy or ordering a 28- to 90-day supply of a generic like doxycycline for $10 to $15 from our mail-order pharmacy.

Until a few days ago, my husband had paid only a few dollars per month for doxycycline at the local pharmacy, which always had it in stock. However, his last refill cost around $30. The pharmacist would only say that the pharmacy had changed suppliers, resulting in a huge cost increase.

Fortunately, the doctor electronically sent a cheaper, 90-day prescription to the mail-order pharmacy. Whether there will be a delay in arrival due to the shortage of this Lyme disease drug is anybody's guess.

Vonda J. Sines has published thousands of print and online health and medical articles. She specializes in diseases and other conditions that affect the quality of life.

PARIS (Reuters) - Somdev Devvarman discovered one of tennis's most brutal truths on Wednesday that after 17 grand slam titles there is little room for mercy in Roger Federer's relentless pursuit of success.

The Swiss inflicted a bruising 6-2 6-1 6-1 French Open defeat on his Indian opponent in a second round tie that lasted a little over an hour and was so one-sided that it did nothing to firm up the 2009 champion's title credentials.

Yet for 188th-ranked Devvarman, it was a painful lesson in what separates the very best from those who ply their trade on the other side of the tennis tracks.

"I felt like I was playing wheelchair tennis and he was just playing on a PlayStation," he said, showing as much sensitivity to political correctness as his groundstrokes had bite.

Not that Devvarman, who had never been past the second round of a grand slam and came through the exhausting qualifying competition, was expecting any favors.

"It is a grand slam and you just don't expect a guy to take their foot off the pedal. He was probably a little worried about the rain or the light and didn't want to spend too much time on court."

The difference between the two players stood out as soon as the pair walked out to greet fans on Roland Garros's second showpiece court, Suzanne Lenglen.

There was an authority about the way the Federer strode into the arena compared to his more diffident opponent, and when the action began, every shot he made had a bucket load of extra fizz.

He was never put under pressure and ruthlessly exploited his opponent's frailties.

The Swiss did not lose a point until the third game and took the first set in just 23 minutes with two breaks of serve.

He broke a further three times in both the second and third sets as Devvarman wilted further.

"Nobody out there is excited to see Roger on the other side of the net," was how Devvarman analyzed the occasion.

"You feel like he can really hurt you from any part of the court.

"Whenever I felt I was ahead in the point, he hits a big slice or he a forehand that you don't see coming and the next thing you know you are back on neutral terms.

"Then the guy's offense is probably the best in the game and he has no holes. His record speaks for itself and I don't think I have to boast for him."

For Federer, it was more than anything a test of concentration rather than an opportunity to iron out creases in his game.

He is expecting a tougher test against third round opponent, Julien Benneteau who beat him in Rotterdam in February and pushed him hard in a five-setter at Wimbledon last year.

"I definitely think the next match is going to be a big test for me to see exactly where I stand," the Swiss said.

"I'm happy that I have played offensive and aggressive tennis in the first two matches, because I had the opportunity.

"I didn't back off and start to play passive tennis and wait for mistakes. So I took it to my opponent, and I think that's what's good about it.

"But to be honest, I will only know more after the Benneteau match."

(Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Pritha Sarkar)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outgoing head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service angered Republican lawmakers on Friday by resisting their demands that he identify who at the tax-collection agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.

But during the first hearing into a growing IRS scandal that could preoccupy Washington for months, Republicans did learn that a top official in President Barack Obama's administration knew that the IRS was looking into targeting by the tax agency nearly a year ago.

That detail could encourage Republicans' efforts to link the scandal to the White House as the administration faces a series of setbacks that threaten to derail Obama's second-term priorities, which include revamping immigration laws and reaching a budget deal with Republicans.

Friday's hearing was dominated by lawmakers' grilling of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, who provided few clear answers while apologizing for the extensive questioning and years-long delays that many conservative groups have experienced after applying for tax-exempt status.

Miller, who was fired by Obama on Wednesday, said the overly aggressive scrutiny of such groups was the result of mismanagement, not partisan politics. His comments echoed the findings of a Treasury Department inspector general's report released this week.

"I think what happened here is that foolish mistakes were made by people trying to be more efficient," said Miller, who will leave his post next week and be replaced by Daniel Werfel, a budget specialist in the administration.

Miller said he did not know who had come up with the idea to single out groups that appeared to be politically conservative for intense reviews of whether they qualified to be tax-exempt.

He said that although the added scrutiny was wrong, he did not think that IRS employees had broken any laws.

That claim drew the ire of Republicans on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, as did Miller's shrugs when lawmakers pressed him over why he had not told Congress about the probe even though he learned about it a year ago.

"This is offensive, to hear this testimony," said Representative Tom Reed, a Republican from New York.

A LINK TO THE WHITE HOUSE?

The hearing did seem to yield some fruit for Republicans who are trying to cast the targeting of conservative "Tea Party" and "Patriot" groups as a political initiative encouraged by the Obama administration, a claim the White House rejects.

Critics have hammered the White House this week on the IRS scandal, its handling of the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, and the Justice Department's seizure of phone records of Associated Press journalists in a criminal probe into intelligence leaks.

The Treasury Department's internal watchdog, J. Russell George, told the House panel that Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin, an Obama political appointee, learned nearly a year ago that a government watchdog was looking into inappropriate targeting by the IRS.

Wolin, the No. 2 official at Treasury, is due to testify next week before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said it made the probe public last fall in an annual report that listed more than 200 other internal investigations.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew was told about the investigation when he took office in March, the department said, but neither he nor Wolin was told about its findings even as a preliminary version circulated elsewhere within the department.

Miller's often-defiant appearance on Friday was unlikely to satisfy Republicans who have accused Obama's Democratic administration of using the machinery of government to target political foes.

They also have accused Miller of misleading Congress last year.

Miller acknowledged that he learned that IRS investigators were looking into the issue a year ago, but he did not mention the probe to lawmakers until the news became public last week. He said he had not misled lawmakers by keeping quiet about the issue in prior appearances on Capitol Hill.

"I was answering the questions that I was asked" by Congress, he told the House committee.

Miller appeared to grow irritated over the course of the four-hour hearing, repeatedly interrupting questioners, flashing quizzical looks and shrugging his shoulders.

Miller said the IRS has had trouble keeping up with the flood of 70,000 tax-exempt applications it has received in recent years, and asked for money to hire more examiners.

Several Republicans responded that the IRS should instead be shrunk.

The IRS has seen the number of groups applying for 501(c)4 status nearly double in the wake of January 2010 Supreme Court decision that loosened campaign-finance rules.

That status allows groups to keep their donor lists secret while engaging in limited political activity. Political campaigns, by contrast, must make their donor lists public.

Several Democrats on the committee said the IRS needed to take a harder look at those applications to ensure that political groups do not exploit the tax code to shroud political activities in secrecy.

Miller said the IRS needs clearer guidance from Congress to determine what constitutes political activity.

FACEBOOK POSTS, BOOK LISTS

The scandal has angered lawmakers in both parties, but Miller's appearance appeared to further inflame Republicans who see it as a symptom of a federal government that has grown too large and is overly intrusive into Americans' lives.

Tea Party groups investigated by the IRS say the tax agency made unusually extensive demands, such as asking the groups to provide social-media posts and lists of books that members had read, and tell agents whether any members of the group planned to run for public office in the future.

The questioning in some cases took nearly three years, preventing some groups from participating in the 2010 and 2012 elections.

The Treasury Department report did not identify individuals in the IRS's Washington headquarters or its Cincinnati field office who were responsible for coming up with the criteria used to single out conservative groups. The watchdog is continuing its investigation.

Republicans have vowed to find out who was involved, but Miller did not provide much of a road map.

"Who is responsible for targeting these individuals?" asked Representative Kevin Brady, a Texas Republican.

"I don't have names for you," Miller responded.

Republicans accused him of dodging their questions.

"I'm hearing, 'I don't know, I don't remember, I don't recall, I don't believe,'" said Representative Dave Reichert of Washington. "You don't even know who investigated the case, but yet you say it was investigated."

Democrats seemed more inclined to accept Miller's explanation.

"I am not convinced that this is a great big political conspiracy," Democratic Representative Danny Davis said.

Two other congressional committees will hold IRS hearings next week. One of them, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, plans to question five lower-level IRS employees over whether they played a role in the targeting of conservative groups.

Wolin and Douglas Shulman, who was IRS commissioner when the targeting occurred, also are scheduled to testify.

(Additional reporting by Karey Van Hall, Patrick Temple-West and Susan Heavey; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by David Lindsey, Jackie Frank and Jim Loney)