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 *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY VISITS PALESTINIAN CITY OF RAMALLAH IN A BID TO REVIVE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE TALKS *

KERRY IS ON HIS FOURTH TRIP TO THE REGION SINCE BECOMING SECY OF STATE FOUR MONTHS AGO *

NEGOTIATIONS BROKE DOWN IN LATE 2010 *

ISLAMIST HOMICIDE BOMBERS STRIKE AN ARMY BARRACKS AND FRENCH-RUN URANIUM MINE IN NIGER, KILLING 20 AND WOUNDING DOZENS *

MILITANT GROUP KNOWN AS MUJWA CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COORDINATED ASSAULTS AT AREVA'S MINE AT ARLIT AND THE MILITARY BASE IN AGADEZ *

MUJWA AND AL QAEDA'S NORTH AFRICAN WING PLEDGED TO STRIKE AT FRENCH INTERESTS ACROSS THE REGION AFTER PARIS LAUNCHED A GROUND AND AIR CAMPAIGN TO OUST TERRORISTS FROM PARTS OF MALI EARLIER THIS YR *

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 *

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL SAYS PART OF INTERSTATE 5 BRIDGE OVER SKAGIT RIVER AT MOUNT VERNON HAS COLLAPSED *

THERE ARE REPORTEDLY SEVERAL VEHICLES AND PEOPLE IN THE WATER *

NO WORD ON ANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES, OR WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FOUR-LANE BRIDGE TO COLLAPSE *

A SHERIFF'S OFFICE RESCUE BOAT WAS REPORTEDLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE IN THE WATER *

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*