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Washington (CNN) -- New disclosures that the Internal Revenue Service targeted liberals as well as conservatives in assessing applications for tax-exempt status have reshaped perceptions of the scandal, shifting the focus away from Republican claims of political villainy. IRS targeting included liberal groups . Investigations by the FBI, congressional committees, the Treasury inspector general's office and the IRS continue, but Monday's revelations bolstered assertions by agency officials and Democrats that the problem was egregious mismanagement instead of intentional misconduct by the Obama administration. Shifting polls contradict key deposition . House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California told CNN on Tuesday that the priority now should be to ensure that laws and regulations prohibiting political groups from getting tax-exempt status are properly enforced, regardless of whether organizations are on left or right. "These groups are in some ways giving the appearance that their primary purpose is the common good, the common welfare ... when they are actively engaged in political activity, for which they shouldn't be getting a tax deduction," Pelosi said. However, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin argued too many questions remain unanswered to stop investigating whether politics played a role in the controversy. "What we still don't know is who ordered this kind of targeting, why did it take so long for them to clean it up?" Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, told CBS. Asked if the claim of political motivation now seemed less valid, he responded: "I don't know the answer to that, so we're going to let the facts take us where they take us." In particular, Ryan said he wanted more details on why conservative-oriented groups had their tax-exempt applications stalled and experienced harassing behavior by the IRS, such as having to answer inappropriate questions about the beliefs and activities of members. At the same time, he sounded like Pelosi in saying the bigger question involved the practice of targeting, rather than who specifically got targeted. CNN Poll: Did White House order IRS targeting? "We know that the IRS did target people based upon their political beliefs," Ryan said. "Who cares whether they're right or left? ... The fact that they're targeting people for harassment based upon their political beliefs should be cause enough alone for outrage." That's a big change from inferences by GOP leaders in recent weeks that the Obama administration was likely behind the targeting that started in 2010 in an effort to subdue political rivals. With no evidence to date of any such connection, it was unclear how hard congressional committees would continue pushing the issue. The GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a hearing on Thursday on an initial review of the IRS targeting by the agency's temporary leader, Daniel Werfel. President Barack Obama appointed Werfel to clean up the IRS mess last month after an inspector general's audit uncovered targeting of applications that contained conservative-themed words such as "tea party." The audit by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George only cited the targeting of conservative groups, which it said ended in May 2012. Read IRS watchdog's report . In his first substantive report on the agency, Werfel said Monday that its tax-exempt unit used multiple lists of inappropriate criteria in assessing tax-exempt applications until earlier this month, more than a year later than previously revealed. The "Be on the Lookout" or BOLO lists included liberal-themed words such as "progressives" and other politically oriented terms such as "occupy" and "medical marijuana" in alerting IRS workers to check for unacceptable political activities, according to copies made available by Democratic Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan. Werfel said he has suspended the use of BOLO lists in considering tax-exempt applications for now. A statement by Levin questioned why George's audit focused only on BOLO lists that contained conservative labels. The inspector general's report "served as the basis and impetus for a wide range of congressional investigations, and this new information shows that the foundation of those investigations is flawed in a fundamental way," Levin's statement said. A spokesperson for George later responded that the report focused only on BOLO criteria used to refer cases for extra scrutiny of potential political activity that would make groups ineligible for tax-exempt status. Republicans have claimed the controversy amounted to political retribution against enemies of the administration, an accusation denied by the White House and the IRS. McConnell: Obama administration a 'culture of intimidation' In response to Levin's statement, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp, R-Michigan, said the inclusion of "progressives" on a BOLO list did not prove that liberal groups underwent the same extra scrutiny of conservative groups cited in the inspector general's report. The release of George's audit last month ignited a political firestorm in Washington while fueling conservative mistrust of Obama's administration as an example of big government gone wild. Werfel noted Monday that his internal investigation, while still incomplete, found no evidence so far of intentional wrongdoing by IRS personnel or involvement by anyone outside the IRS. He also said no evidence had emerged that in appropriate targeting extended into other areas of the agency. Five IRS managers have been replaced, from the previous acting commissioner whom Werfel succeeded to the head of the unit based in Cincinnati that handles tax-exempt applications. In addition, Werfel created an Accountability Review Board to recommend within 60 days "any additional personnel actions necessary to hold accountable those responsible" for the targeting disclosed by the inspector general's report. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday that Obama believes Werfel's report "is an important step in ensuring accountability for any staff that acted inappropriately, identifies the failures in their systems that allowed the misconduct to happen, and takes a forward-looking systemic view at the agency's management." In his audit that disclosed the misconduct, George said there was no evidence of a political motive. However, he is continuing to investigate the matter, along with the FBI and the congressional committees. As part of his review, Werfel said 80 groups awaiting IRS action on their applications for tax exempt status for more than 120 days could self-register with the agency as long as they certified under penalty of perjury that they would comply with applicable laws and regulations. At the heart of the matter is what kind of organization can qualify for tax-exempt status. Regulations limit such status to groups primarily involved in social welfare activities, while political groups are considered ineligible. Confusion over defining what constitutes political activity versus social welfare activity contributed to the targeting by the IRS, Werfel said. An IRS statement on Monday said the "safe-harbor" option for self-certification would apply to groups that "certify they devote 60% or more of both their spending and time on activities that promote social welfare." "At the same time, they must certify that political campaign intervention involves 40% or less of both their spending and time," the statement said. Applicants meeting those thresholds would get approval within two weeks of seeking self-certification, it said. Earlier: What's a 501(c)(4)? Werfel said the IRS would continue checking on tax-exempt groups to ensure they were following the law. Separately, the House Oversight Committee, which has been aggressively investigating the IRS matter, plans to meet on Friday to consider a resolution aimed at resolving questions about whether a key agency official must testify. Lois Lerner was the director of exempt organizations when the agency filtered applications for tax exempt status. She appeared before the committee in May and said she had broken no laws or regulations and then invoked her constitutional right not to answer questions. Lerner pleads the 5th . Several committee Republicans questioned whether she waived that right by making her opening statement, and Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa said she could be called back at a later date if that were the case. CNN's Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.
Liberal and conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status got targeted .
Pelosi: The priority is stopping political groups from getting tax breaks .
Ryan: Unanswered questions require further questions .
A House committee holds the next hearing on the issue Thursday .

(CNN) -- U.S soccer star Robbie Rogers has "come out" as gay on the day he retired from the game Friday. The former Columbus Crew winger represented America on 18 occasions, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But Rogers, who was released from his deal by second-tier club Leeds United last summer before taking up a spot with third-tier Stevenage, revealed on his blog that he is homosexual and keen to seek a life away from football. "Secrets can cause so much internal damage," Rogers wrote on his blog. "People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. "Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently. "I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined. Soccer's last taboo: Why gay players stay in the closet . "I will always be thankful for my career. I will remember Beijing, The MLS Cup, and most of all my teammates. I will never forget the friends I have made a long the way and the friends that supported me once they knew my secret. "Now is my time to step away. It's time to discover myself away from football. It's 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. "Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. "Honesty is a b**** but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended." Rogers' announcement has seen former teammates flock to show their support, with U.S. international defender Oguchi Onyewu, tweeting: "Extremely proud of the courage from @robbierogers. Truth is not always easy to display, but truly strong people always find a way #RESPECT" U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden added on Twitter: "Much love and respect to my boy @robbierogers ! Proud to be your friend bro." Rogers' retirement means there are still no openly gay players participating in professional football in Europe with the exception of Swedish-based Anton Hysen. 'Brave' cricketer Davies reveals he is gay . It was hoped that Hysen's coming out, which attracted headlines the world over in March 2011, would pave the way for other gay footballers to take similar steps. But not since the tragic loss of Justin Fashanu has a top-flight league witnessed an openly gay professional football player. Fashanu, who committed suicide in 1998, became the first £1 million black player in the history of English football when he signed for Nottingham Forest in 1981. While at Forest, constant rumors and speculation surrounded his private life with concocted allegations of affairs with Conservative MPs. Thomas relief after admitting he is gay . With the rumors continuing throughout his career, he finally came out in 1990 and continued to play for a whole host of lower league clubs. "You have to understand," he said in an interview before his death, "that footballers are very narrow minded people. It's the nature of the business. When you put yourself in the firing line, you are open to attack. I know I'm there to be shot down in flames." Following his passing, one particular group of fans would recite the chant: "He's gay, he's dead, he's hanging in a shed, Fashanu, Fashanu." Expert: Use gay slurs controversy to tackle homophobia in sports . While there has been huge progress since those dark days, the presence of homophobia in football has not been extinguished. Only this week, police launched an investigation into allegations that a Blackburn Rovers footballer made homophobic gestures towards Brighton fans during an English second division match. View: Hi-res gallery of openly gay athletes . Brighton, which is situated on the south coast, has a large gay population and its fans are often targeted with homophobic chants. "I think there's a big culture shift needed within football from the grassroots to the top of the game," Louise Englefield of FootballvHomophobia told CNN . "The top of the game is a symptom of a much wider issue about lack of awareness and ignorance around the ability of gay men to participate and excel at football . "When you've got a lack of gay players at the top level, then it's easy for that environment to be quite negative. "I imagine there are players who are reticent to come out." Opinion: Why the fuss about gay marriage? While other sports have embraced their gay stars, such as John Amaechi in basketball, Martina Navratilova in tennis and Gareth Thomas in rugby, football has yet to move with the times. Off the field, the UK Parliament backed a bill to legalize gay marriage earlier this month as society continues to move forward. And while football has yet to move with the times, progress is being made. Premier League and Football League clubs in the UK have created several initiatives to combat homophobia, working alongside charities such as HvF. "Within football, people don't understand the seriousness of homophobia," added Englefield. "The things fans shout at players, they believe it's not hurting them and they don't care if they're gay or not. "Homophobia is used to put players down and it's a way of deriding players. That's cultural all the way through football and happens in other sports. "When a player gives a pass away or falls over, fans use homophobia abuse to put them down and it's that which we want to stop. "One of our key things is changing chanting in the stadium. Stop and think before you chant." Liverpool youngster Suso fined for calling teammate 'gay' A particular success story in England has been the creation of the GFSN Gay National League, where "gay friendly" teams compete on a regular basis. Rogers' story has been met with admiration from fellow gay football players, but his retirement from the game means that the community is still waiting for a player to come out and continue playing. "The great pity with Robbie is that he felt it was an 'either or choice,' " Scott Lawley, who plays for Nottingham Ball Bois in the GFSN Gay National League told CNN. "Reading his blog, it felt as if he thought he had no choice but to quit football if he wanted come out. "He could have easily retired without coming out but he's been very brave and hopefully set us in the right direction. "He hasn't forced us to the point where a gay man runs out in front of 30,000 people to play football . "And the fact that no professional player has come out in recent years means there are still issues to deal with. "But we will come to that day when we do have openly gay players in the top divisions and we're moving in the right direction."
U.S. soccer player Robbie Rogers has "come out" as gay and retired from the game .
The 25-year-old had been playing in England with third-tier Stevenage until recently .
He wrote on his blog: "Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay"
Former teammates give their support following announcement .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The world's tropical forests are disappearing, and one reason is simple economics: People, companies and governments earn more by logging, mining or farming places such as the Amazon jungle than by conserving them. Global climate change treaty, scheduled for completion in December, is designed to protect tropical forests. Efforts to halt rain forest destruction date back decades, but they so far have failed to tackle the issue on a scale commensurate with the challenge. Now there may be a remedy, and the reason is climate change. Increased awareness of the threat from global warming has prompted unprecedented international focus on how to combat it, as well as new appreciation for the vital role of tropical forests in the climate change equation. On Tuesday, world leaders gather at the United Nations for a special climate change summit, intended to build momentum for a new global climate change treaty being negotiated by almost 200 countries. The new treaty is scheduled to be completed in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. If eventually enacted, the treaty will include a revolutionary but little-known provision intended to protect remaining tropical forests. Known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in developing countries, or REDD, the provision is based on the knowledge that destroying tropical forests contributes to global warming. Rain forests absorb and store huge amounts of carbon dioxide, the most prevalent of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Burning or clearing the forests returns that stored CO2 to the atmosphere, where it can trap heat and gradually increase temperatures. Every year, tropical forests equal to an area the size of England are destroyed, contributing about 20 percent of total annual greenhouse gas emissions -- more than all the world's cars, trucks and airplanes combined. The idea of the proposed provision is to make the stored carbon dioxide in the forests a commodity that can be bought and sold on the global market. Polluters in the developing world would be able to offset their emissions by buying credits for stored forest carbon dioxide. The money from those purchases would go to developing world governments, international organizations, local communities and others involved in forest protection programs. For the first time, tropical forests would be worth money for simply existing. That could create an economic incentive to protect tropical forests, which also have biological value as the planet's richest storehouses of land species and spiritual worth as pristine natural landscapes. To longtime defenders of tropical forests, the proposal represents the final stage of a long and halting journey from the fringes of the environmental movement toward the mainstream of international policy. "Done properly, this is our No. 1 hope," said Randall Hayes, who founded the Rainforest Action Network in 1985 with the goal of halting tropical deforestation. "Other strategies have been heroic but insufficient." The system would let nations and industries that are the biggest greenhouse-gas emitters buy carbon credits in tropical forests in South and Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia and other equatorial regions. At the same time, investors could speculate on the price of carbon dioxide through credit trading. Private and public funds could invest in projects that protect forests to generate credits. Final details of the plan remain uncertain, such as how forest carbon credits would be verified and how the money paid for them would be handled and distributed. For developing countries, the idea represents a potential new revenue source. President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana, a leading proponent of the plan, has made trading carbon credits a central element of his Low-Carbon Development Strategy. The strategy "is more about development than about the environment and it will help us to accelerate infrastructural development and fill the budget gap," Jagdeo said in an August 29 speech. The World Bank and partners have set up funds to help developing countries prepare for REDD and finance forest-protection initiatives. However, both funds are not fully capitalized, pending the successful conclusion of negotiations on the new global climate change treaty. "Right now everybody is in a wait-and-see mode," said Benoit Bosquet, the World Bank's lead carbon finance specialist. "Everybody seems interested, but the level of activity is still humble." Conservationists cite the environmental benefits of saving tropical forests, which provide essential resources and services -- such as fresh water, food, flood control and many others -- on which more than a billion people depend. Now, they say, conserving forests also can contribute to sustainable development, benefiting both nature and people. Yet several steps remain before the tropical-forest provision becomes reality on a large scale. First, the U.N.-led negotiations must agree on a treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol -- the world's first global climate change agreement, which expires in 2012. The Kyoto treaty created a global carbon market -- but only the carbon storage of newly planted or replanted forests is eligible for credits. REDD also would protect standing forests, to prevent the absorbed carbon dioxide stocks from being released back into the atmosphere. Whether a new treaty will be completed in December is unclear. Negotiators have yet to set consensus targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and major disputes remain between industrialized powers such as the United States and emerging and developing economies including China and Brazil. The draft under negotiation includes REDD, but negotiations continue on how broad the policy would be. Advocates of a limited scope for REDD say areas with no history of deforestation should be excluded because protecting them won't reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In response, conservationists and developing nations warn against leaving out nations and regions -- including Jagdeo's Guyana, parts of Indonesia and Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and others -- that still have much of their tropical forest intact. They argue that halting deforestation in only some countries would cause the loggers, palm oil developers and other drivers of forest destruction to move to previously untargeted areas. "If REDD mechanisms exclude any significant group of countries, REDD will fail," Jagdeo told U.N. negotiators in December. Critics, including some environmental groups, question how such a vast and complex system can be successfully implemented. A Greenpeace report issued in March said including REDD credits in carbon markets would create a glut and drastically cut the price of carbon, resulting in industrial polluters buying cheap credits for offsets instead of reducing their emissions. The report also warned of reduced investments in renewable energy technologies due to the lack of an incentive from the cheaper carbon credits. Others question whether REDD will be another scheme generated by industrialized nations to exploit resources of the developing world, and in particular, the indigenous forest peoples. Jagdeo, the president of Guyana, has said such critics should recognize the opportunity that a new climate change treaty could present. If it includes sufficiently robust commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he argues, that would create a strong demand for carbon credits. The deforestation provision of a climate change treaty could help stem deforestation while providing "badly needed capital flows to some of the poorest countries in the world," he said. Yet even the idea's most ardent supporters recognize that it could take years for a global-scale program to become effective. While local projects exist in rain forest countries such as Madagascar, it would take time and money to expand them. "If there is a deal in Copenhagen and if there is a signaling by industrialized nations that, yes, they will make money available, then you will see developing countries scaling up their readiness," said the World Bank's Bosquet. "They will see that this is now real and it's the time to react."

World leaders gather at the United Nations for special climate change summit .
Treaty based on finding that destroying tropical forests adds to global warming .
With proposed provision, stored carbon dioxide in forests could be bought and sold .
Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation provision has critics .