WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has decided the US government will stop threatening criminal prosecution of families who try to pay ransom to win the release of American hostages held by militant groups overseas, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The White House on Wednesday will announce the results of a six-month review of how the government works with families of hostages, an administration official told Reuters on Tuesday, declining comment on the details of the review. But it reported that Obama has decided the US government can communicate and negotiate with those holding Americans.