In the Obama administration’s latest step to ensure equal treatment for same-sex married couples following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday that President Obama has directed the Executive Branch to take steps allowing for same-sex spouses of military veterans to collect federal benefits.

“We’re pleased that the court has issued an order supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to address Apple’s illegal price fixing conduct. Consumers will continue to benefit from lower e-books prices as a result of the department’s enforcement action to restore competition in this important industry," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.

Attorney General Eric Holder met with Mexican Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam today to discuss the release by the Mexican government of Rafael Caro Quintero, who was convicted of murdering Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in February 1985.

Our updated guidance also makes one overarching point clear: the Department of Justice expects that states and local governments that have enacted laws authorizing marijuana-related conduct will implement effective regulatory and enforcement systems to protect federal priorities and the health and safety of every citizen.

It is an honor to join so many friends and colleagues for today’s observance – as we mark the twelfth anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever carried out against the United States; remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people whose lives were lost; and pay tribute to the 72 brave law enforcement officers who were called, on that beautiful autumn morning, to make the ultimate sacrifice.

We come together today because we’re still striving, as they once did, to realize the dream that Dr. King shared with us 50 years ago last month – on the steps of a memorial to America’s Great Emancipator – when he spoke of an Alabama where children of all races and backgrounds would be able to play together, to learn together, and to grow together.

The Attorney General issued the following statement today in the wake of the tragedy at the Washington Navy Yard.

It is our hope – it’s definitely our belief – that these resources will offer public safety agencies here in Oakland and throughout California some much-needed assistance to address major issues like homicides, gang crimes, youth violence, and crimes against children.

Every U.S. Attorney with jurisdiction in Indian country has now appointed at least one tribal liaison, and we’ve designated a Native American Issues Coordinator to provide advice and assistance to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices on legal and policy issues.

It’s a pleasure to stand with you – and to help welcome so many colleagues and distinguished guests to the Great Hall – as we recognize the achievements, and celebrate the contributions, of the 39 accomplished LEAP graduates who make up our Class of 2013.

America’s criminal justice system is in need of targeted reform. Throughout this country, too many Americans are trapped – and too many communities are weakened – by a vicious cycle of poverty, criminality, and incarceration. Too many people go to too many prisons for far too long – and for no truly good law enforcement reason. The U.S. prison population has grown at an astonishing rate over the last three decades – by almost 800 percent since 1980, despite the fact that America’s overall population has increased by only about a third.

It was nearly half a century ago when President Lyndon Johnson signed the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law – in order to preserve what he called “the dignity of man, and the decency of democracy.” Near the height of the Civil Rights Era, he reaffirmed his commitment to President Kennedy’s ambitious agenda by joining countless Americans – seemingly ordinary, but all extraordinary – in rejecting the forces of bigotry and injustice.

Good morning everyone, and thank you for being here today as we announce the latest law enforcement action in our ongoing, criminal investigation of the manipulation of LIBOR, a critical benchmark interest rate used by banks around the world. I am joined here today by our close partners – David Meister, the head of enforcement for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Timothy Gallagher, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.

Clearly, the consequences of inaction in the face of such trauma would be too great to ignore. And the associated costs – in human, moral, and even economic terms – are far too much to bear. In fact, the cost of failing to intervene in the life of a young person who’s at risk of becoming delinquent could add up to more than $3 million over the course of his or her lifetime.

The impact of this violence, and of our acquiescence, is greater than it appears on the surface. We can see the immediate physical damage it does, and we know it causes emotional trauma in the kids it touches.

There were more than a dozen separate conspiracies each operating independently but all targeting the U.S. automotive industry. Some of the price-fixing conspiracies lasted for a decade or longer, and many car models were fitted with multiple parts that were fixed by the auto parts suppliers.

Today, we are announcing that nine Japan-based companies and two executives have agreed to plead guilty – and to pay a total of more than $740 million in criminal fines – for their roles in separate conspiracies to fix the prices of more than 30 different products sold to U.S. car manufacturers and installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere.

Justice Department officials along with other senior officials from the Administration yesterday convened the third annual National Summit on Preventing Youth Violence to share strategies on how to prevent and reduce violence and gang activity and improve opportunities for young people.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will provide $150,000 in Fiscal Year 2013 funding to Newtown, Conn., to fund two positions to ensure school safety, such as school resource officers.

Today, I am pleased to be in Detroit to announce that – in addition to our ongoing enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws – as part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to supporting the City of Detroit, the Justice Department will take a variety of actions to provide direct assistance to city leaders and local law enforcement authorities in order to improve public safety throughout the metropolitan area.

We are here to announce that the Justice Department will file suit today against the State of North Carolina to challenge portions of the State’s highly restrictive new voting law.

The following message from the Attorney General was emailed to Justice Department employees on October 1, 2013.

The following message from the Attorney General was emailed to Justice Department employees on October 10, 2013.

The following message from the Attorney General was emailed to Justice Department employees on October 17, 2013.

The reality is that police don’t always have the luxury of time to get their most highly-trained, best-equipped officers on the scene. To save lives, the first officers to arrive must sometimes be the ones to directly engage an active shooter. That’s why all law enforcement officers must have the best equipment and most up-to-date training to confront these situations. We owe these officers nothing less.

Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole and Panamanian Attorney General Ana Belfon today signed an agreement in Panama City, Panama, to share more than $36 million in forfeited criminal assets with the Government of Panama.

We come together this year at a time of reflection and renewal – in a moment of progress and possibility; of challenge as well as opportunity. It was 14 years ago, in Washington, D.C., when then-Vice President of the United States Al Gore convened the very first Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity – an initiative that reflected a growing international willingness to acknowledge corruption as a problem that every country must face. Since that time, international leaders have repeatedly come together – in a variety of ways – to foster widespread consensus on the need for collective action in the face of shared challenges. And our nations have together accomplished a great deal.

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced a total of $6.7 million in grants to state and local criminal and civil legal services organizations across the country that provide legal defense services for the poor.

We are here to announce that Johnson & and that they paid kickbacks to both physicians and pharmacies for prescribing and promoting these drugs.

There are kids and younger people who are going to be looking at you all and who are going to learn from you, from your example. You have a unique opportunity and I think a responsibility to give something back and to make better the lives of those youngsters who will be looking up to you.

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced Ronald L. Davis as the director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

No one understood this better than Gerardo Hernandez – a passionate public servant who stood on the front lines of our struggle to prevent terrorism. But what made Gerardo Hernandez a hero was not only how he died – in the line of duty, becoming the first member of the Transportation Security Administration to lose his life in service of his country.

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the first public hearing of a new task force to examine the impact of exposure to violence on American Indian and Alaska Native children. Joining President Obama and other officials at the Department of the Interior for the White House Tribal Nations Conference, Attorney General Holder shared the announcement with leaders from the 566 federally recognized tribes and emphasized the Justice Department’s long-standing collaboration with leaders in American Indian and Alaska Native communities to improve public safety.

As we gather for this year’s Tribal Nations Conference – here in our nation’s capital, during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month – it’s appropriate that we celebrate these and other momentous achievements.

For at-risk young people—and particularly those affected by violence—the services provided by the Affordable Care Act represent more than an insurance policy; they are a lifeline. They are the tools of prevention and reorientation that can mean the difference between a life of fulfillment, and one that perpetuates a cycle of trauma and violence.

Attorney General Eric Holder today endorsed the reauthorization of the Second Chance Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy and Rob Portman and its companion legislation by Representatives Danny Davis and F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. that provides resources and support to people reintegrating into their communities after being incarcerated.

Now perpetrators of domestic and dating violence will be held accountable, whether they’re Indian or non-Indian, and countless Indian women will enjoy safer lives as a result. Section 904 of VAWA 2013 recognizes the inherent power of “participating tribes” to exercise “special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction” over certain defendants, regardless of their Indian or non-Indian status, who commit acts of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders in Indian country.

Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer and FBI Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko testify on cartel prosecution before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights

Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Coburn, and distinguished Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today to discuss the Department of Justice’s work regarding virtual currencies.

As all of you know, banking and financial services play a vital role in our country. They spawn growth, spread risk, facilitate the creation of jobs, and generally drive our economy. Without it, much of the prosperity that allows for our freedoms and our power in the world would not exist.

"Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today to discuss the Department of Justice’s work regarding virtual currencies. I am honored to represent the Department at this hearing and to describe for you our approach to virtual currencies"

The Honorable Karol V. Mason delivers remarks highlighting the importance of mentoring programs for young people in the Metro Atlanta Area.

"In nascent democracies, however, public corruption can undermine the very existence of the types of democratic institutions that we take for granted," said Deputy Attorney General Cole

As all of us know too well, domestic violence inflicts severe harm on our society. So many women, men and children in our country – of every background, ethnicity, age, disability and sexual orientation – are damaged by this devastating crime. According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 3 women in the United States will experience rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner at some time in their lives.

Together, we can grow smarter on crime by implementing reforms and enacting legislation that ensures fairness in sentencing; by focusing scarce resources on incarcerating only those who pose the greatest threats; and by providing safe and productive paths forward for those who have paid their debts to society.

Support for the sciences and emphasis on evidence comes from the very top of the Obama Administration. The President has set a management agenda that calls for a “smarter, more innovative, and more accountable government.” The Office of Management and Budget has emphasized the use of evidence to support budget requests by all federal agencies.

Attorney General Eric Holder recognizes 270 Justice Department employees for their distinguished public service today as part of the 61st Annual Attorney General Awards program. In addition, 53 other individuals, including federal employees and civilians, are also honored for their work. These annual awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice¡¦s mission.

Over the course of a remarkable and highly-varied career – spanning more than two decades of service to the legal profession – Zach Fardon has demonstrated his commitment to the cause of justice, and to the highest ideals of America’s legal system.

It’s a great privilege to join you in congratulating our 2013 Civil Division award recipients. And it’s an honor to help welcome all of the proud family members, friends, and distinguished guests who have taken the time to be here in the Great Hall, and whose support – and sacrifices – have been essential to everything that our awardees have accomplished. Make no mistake: every one of you shares in the recognitions that we are about to bestow.

I join President Obama in expressing my heartfelt condolences to the people of South Africa, and the entire Mandela family, on the passing of Nelson Mandela.