PRES OBAMA GIVES A SPEECH ON NATL SECURITY *

THE PRES DEFENDED HIS USE OF DRONES, SAYING THE PROGRAM IS LEGAL AND THAT STRIKES HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN FIGHTING TERRORISTS WHO LAUNCHED THE 2001 9/11 ATTACKS *

HE SAYS THE END OF THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN AND U.S. SUCCESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST AL QAEDA ARE LIKELY TO REDUCE THE USE OF DRONES *

THE PRES ALSO RENEWED HIS CALL TO CLOSE THE DETENTION CENTER IN GUANTANAMO BAY *

OBAMA SAYS THERE'S "NO JUSTIFICATION BEYOND POLITICS FOR CONGRESS TO PREVENT US FROM CLOSING" GITMO *

IRS REPLACES LOIS LERNER A DAY AFTER SHE PLEADED THE FIFTH AT A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING... *

LERNER WAS DIR OF THE AGENCY'S DIVISION THAT OVERSAW EMPLOYEES WHO TARGETED TEA PARTY AND OTHER CONSERVATIVE GROUPS *

SHE WILL BE REPLACED BY KEN CORBIN, CURRENTLY DEPUTY DIR OF SUBMISSION PROCESSING IN THE WAGE AND INVESTMENT DIVISION *

A CONGRESSIONAL AIDE SAID LERNER HAS BEEN PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE *

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA'S NATL COUNCIL VOTES TO EASE LONG-STANDING BAN AND ALLOW OPENLY GAY BOYS TO BE ACCEPTED INTO THE ORG *

MORE THAN 60% OF SCOUT LEADERS VOTED IN FAVOR OF EASING THE BAN AT THEIR ANNUAL MEETING IN TX *

GAY ADULTS REMAIN BARRED FROM SERVING AS SCOUT LEADERS *

JURY STILL DEADLOCKED ON WHETHER CONVICTED MURDERER JODI ARIAS SHOULD GET THE DEATH PENALTY, PROMPTING A RETRIAL *

THE JUDGE SCHEDULED THE RETRIAL FOR JULY 18 IN THE SENTENCING PHASE OF THE 32-YR-OLD'S TRIAL *

ARIAS WAS FOUND GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE 2008 DEATH OF HER EX-BOYFRIEND *

REP JO BONNER (R-AL) IS RESIGNING FROM CONGRESS TO TAKE A JOB WITH THE UNIV OF ALABAMA *

BONNER IS SIX-TERM MEMBER OF THE HOUSE AND A MEMBER OF THE APPROPRIATIONS CMTE *

HE REPRESENTS A SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE STATE THAT INCLUDES MOBILE *

5.7 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES NEAR CANYONDAM, CA *

THE AREA IS SURROUNDED BY VAST PARK SPACE, AND THE NEAREST MAJOR CITIES ARE RENO AND CARSON CITY, NV *

THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS OF INJURIES *

BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN NW WASHINGTON SENDS VEHICLES AND PEOPLE INTO THE WATER *

THE FOUR LANE I-5 BRIDGE OVER THE SKAGIT RIVER AT MOUNT VERNON REPORTEDLY CRUMBLED AROUND 7 PM *

WA STATE AUTHORITIES SAY THERE ARE NO FATALITIES *

DEADLY PARKING GARAGE COLLAPSE AT MALL OUTSIDE D.C. *

ONE CONSTRUCTION WORKER KILLED, ANOTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED *

THE SURVIVING WORKER WAS TRAPPED FOR NEARLY FOUR HOURS BENEATH A 40-FOOT SECTION OF CONCRETE *

NO WORD ON WHAT CAUSED THE COLLAPSE *

TWO MORE ARRESTS IN CONNECTION WITH HACKING DEATH OF BRITISH SOLDIER *

COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICERS TAKING INTO CUSTODY A MAN AND A WOMAN, BOTH 29-YRS-OLD, ON SUSPICION OF CONSPIRACY TO MURDER *

MEANWHILE, THE TWO MEN WHO WERE SHOT AND ARRESTED AT THE SCENE REMAIN HOSPITALIZED IN STABLE CONDITION *

THEY'RE BELIEVED TO HAVE HACKED A BRITISH SOLDIER TO DEATH ON A SOUTH LONDON STREET WHILE SHOUTING JIHADIST RHETORIC *

THE MURDERED SOLDIER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS 25-YR-OLD LEE RIGBY *

BRITAIN'S MILITARY SAYS RIGBY WAS A POPULAR DRUMMER AND MACHINE GUNNER, AS WELL AS THE FATHER OF A 2-YR-OLD BOY *

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