Links To Start The Long Weekend

The Memorial Day weekend, one of those "anchors" on the calendar, has just started.  This coming Monday, Americans will pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free.  Today, here are some things recently in the news:

From the New York Post, a homeless teenage girl living near Atlanta has just become her high school's valedictorian.

From Fox News, the Boy Scouts of America have voted to accept openly gay members.

From Breitbart's Big Hollywood, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gets into a confrontation with Jersey Shore cast member Snooki.

From Biz Pac Review, polling expert Scott Rasmussen says that the recent scandals are bringing bad news for President Obama.  (Isn't that what scandals normally do to a president?)

CNS News reports on Obama's commencement speech as the U.S. Naval Academy, where he blamed the "misconduct of a few" for eroding the public's trust in the government.

From CBN News, an American missionary in Africa has gone missing.

From NBC News, the Department of Justice confirms that the search warrant for Fox News reporter James Rosen's e-mails was approved "at the highest levels".  One writer at National Review suggests that reporters "should just CC Eric Holder" from now on.

From The Hill, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) says that the "Gang of Eight" immigration bill does not have the votes to pass the Senate.

From the Washington Examiner, a former president of Guatemala has been extradited to the United States to face money-laundering charges.

Reason gives us three reasons, other than Lois Lerner, to fear the IRS.

From CNN, yesterday's collapse of a section of the Skagit River bridge on Interstate 5 in Washington state is believed to have been caused by an 18-wheeler hitting an overhead tress (and not from GOP obstruction, as reported by Mediaite).

And from Wired, on the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, 30 things you didn't know about the movie.

Maryland To Get Mega-Mosque

The government of Turkey is building a mosque estimated to cost $100 million on 15 acres of land in Lanham, Maryland.  The complex will include five buildings and an underground parking garage.  On May 15th, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan visited the site and gave a speech, in which he expressed his desire to return in 2014 for the opening ceremonies.

Read more at the Clarion Project, Last Resistance and Muslim Link.

Music Break - A Few More Old Favorites

To continue where I left off last month, here are some more old favorites of mine, some well-known, some not so much.

Aerosmith's 1974 Toys In the Attic album featured the hits Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion, but the cut I liked the most was Adam's Apple.

IRS To Pro-Lifers: Tell Us About Your Prayers

Two pro-life organizations seeking tax-exempt status were allegedly asked by the IRS about the content of their prayers, according to the Thomas Moore Society, whose help both groups had sought.  The Coalition for Life of Iowa received a letter asking such questions in June 2009.  The other group was Christian Voices for Life of Fort Bend County, Texas.

Read more at Yahoo News and Fox News.

Thursday News And Links

A few stories out there:

From ABC News, the IRS official in charge of the division that deals with tax-exempt organizations when Tea Party groups were targeted for extra scrutiny now runs their Affordable Care Act office.

From the American Thinker, a lawsuit against the IRS accuses it of seizing the medical records of 10 million people.

From the Associated Press, an arrest warrant has been issued for former NFL player Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson.

From The Corner at National Review, the Speaker accuses President Obama and his administration of "remarkable arrogance".

From Fox News, the manager of the Fort Campbell sexual assault prevention program has been arrested for allegedly violating an order of protection against his ex-wife.

From the Washington Post, an investigation finds that terrorists who had entered the witness protection program and were given new identities were allowed to board airplanes in the United States.

From the Washington Examiner, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has signed legislation passed by the state legislature that has "some of the toughest new gun restrictions in the nation".

The Daily Caller asks if the IRS gave presidential candidate Mitt Romney's tax returns to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

From Newsmax, Catholic League director Bill Donohue claims that his organization was targeted by the IRS.

From Gateway Pundit, the IRS granted applications for tax-exempt status much more quickly for Muslim groups than for Christian or Jewish groups.

From Politico, a second federal court has ruled that President Obama's NLRB appointments were unconstitutional.

From The Guardian, Venezuela has been experiencing a shortage of toilet paper.

Continuing with the British media, a study reported by the Mail Online claims that strong men tend to have rightwing political views.

And from the International Business Times, Canada appears to be the place to watch for UFOs.

Virginia Tech President To Retire

Dr. Charles W. Steger Jr., who has served as Virginia Tech's president since 2000, has announced his intention to retire, but will remain at his position until a replacement is named.  He had also served as Dean of the school's College of Architecture before becoming university president.  Dr. Steger is a self-described "three-time graduate" of Virginia Tech, after earning three degrees in the architecture disciplines.

Read more at the Roanoke Times and Virginia Tech News.

Saudi Man With Pressure Cooker Arrested At Airport

A Saudi Arabian man named Hussain Al Kwawahir flew to Detroit from Amsterdam, after making an unfortunate choice in deciding what to bring into the United States.  He was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for altering his passport, and for lying about why he had a pressure cooker in his luggage.

Read the story at NBC News, CBS News, the Washington Post, News Daily and Detroit News.

Archaeologists Find 1500-Year-Old Mosaic In Israel

From Haaretz:

Archaeologists working near Kibbutz Beit Kama in southern Israel have discovered a building with water channels, pipes, water pools, and a "magnificent 1,500-year-old mosaic floor".  The building was part of a village that also included a church, a water cistern, storerooms and homes.  The village "thrived  from the 4th through 6th centuries C.E.", during which the area was under Roman and then Byzantine rule.

Read the full story.

Gunmen Attack Mother's Day Parade

As many as 19 people were shot and wounded while marching in a "second line" Mother's Day parade in New Orleans.  Police suspect that three gunmen, and two different types of guns, may have been involved.  So far, no fatalities have been reported.

Read more at NOLA(dot)com, NBC News, Fox News and USA Today.  According to NBC News, a "second line" is a group of people following a brass band marching down a street, a common occurrence in New Orleans.

The Wheel Reinvented

I would certainly like to get my grubby hands - and my big feet - on one of these, just to try it out.  British inventor Sam Pearce has replaced the spokes of a normal bicycle wheel with large springs, which give the wheel its own internal suspension.  The "Loopwheel", as he calls it, can be used on existing bikes.

Read more at the Mail Online, and watch their video: