Arnold Knightly

I.R.S. Suspends Official at Center of Storm

nytimes.com — WASHINGTON - Lois Lerner, the head of the Internal Revenue Service's division on exempt organizations, was put on administrative leave Thursday, a day after she invoked the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution and declined to testify before a House committee investigating her division's targeting of conservative groups.

Boy Scouts to Admit Openly Gay Youths as Members

nytimes.com — GRAPEVINE, Tex. - The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a landmark step its chief executive called "compassionate, caring and kind." The decision, which followed years of resistance and wrenching internal debate, was widely seen as a milestone for the Boy Scouts, a symbol of traditional America.

Brian Urlacher Retires With Plenty Of Injuries Left In The Tank

theonion.com — CHICAGO-Iconic Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher officially announced his retirement from the NFL Wednesday, despite acknowledging that he still had "a lot of injuries left in the tank."

Dwight Howard Interested In Ruining Rockets

theonion.com — LOS ANGELES-Ahead of his impending free agency, Lakers center Dwight Howard told reporters Thursday that he is "very interested" in moving to Houston and completely ruining the Rockets.

Man Eating McChicken Sandwich Can Tell McDonald's Switched Up Antibiotics

theonion.com — SEATTLE-Citing "subtle notes of ethambutol and clindamycin," longtime McDonald's customer Chris Hingle reported Thursday that he could discern from the taste of his McChicken sandwich a definite change in the antibiotics the fast food giant uses in its poultry. "This tastes way less ciprofloxacin-y than the McChicken did a year ago," Hingle stated after two bites of the crispy dollar-menu item.

Best reality makeover show yet. Really.

slate.com — I feel bad for my FedEx guy. Several times a week, he climbs two flights of stairs to hand-deliver the latest emissions from the world of television. Yesterday, he brought a magnificent bounty: the season premiere of a Syfy series I'm fond of, an exciting addition to TNT's roster of...

Aleksei Balabanov, Russian Film Director, Dies at 54

nytimes.com — Aleksei Balabanov, a Russian director whose films fused grisly violence, sardonic humor and rock music to convey a darkly compelling vision of his chaotic society after Communism's collapse, died on Saturday near St. Petersburg. He was 54. Lenfilm Studios said the cause was a heart attack, the Interfax news agency reported.