WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is proposing a rule that would prohibit federal agencies from asking certain job applicants questions about criminal and credit history until a conditional offer of employment has been made. The administration said that early inquiries about criminal history can unnecessarily narrow the pool of qualified candidates and make it that much harder for those with criminal histories to support themselves and their families. President Barack Obama had already directed the government's personnel office to wait until later in the hiring process to ask about criminal histories.