IRS-POLITICAL GROUPS-RALLIES-DC
Protesters denounce IRS at agency's headquarters
WASHINGTON (AP) - A few dozen tea party activists and their supporters gathered outside the IRS headquarters in Washington on Tuesday afternoon to protest extra scrutiny of their organizations.
The protesters listened to speeches and carried signs reading "Audit the IRS" and "Don't audit me, bro."
Twenty-year-old Shoshana Weissmann, a George Washington University student who works at a political consulting firm, says she was troubled by the IRS' actions. She says if the IRS had targeted liberal groups for extra scrutiny, she would be protesting that too.
The protest was organized by Tea Party Patriots, which held similar rallies around the country. Jenny Beth Martin, a co-founder of the group, says the IRS targeting of conservative organizations has shown the American public that the tea party's concerns about government overreach are valid.
CHANDRA LEVY
Judge promises more openness in Chandra Levy case
WASHINGTON (AP) - A judge promised more openness after months of confidential post-trial proceedings in the case of murdered Washington intern Chandra Levy, disclosing for the first time the reason a key prosecution witness could be discredited.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys for convicted killer Ingmar Guandique were in court again Tuesday for a hearing in the case.
Before Tuesday's proceeding, lawyers had met several times beginning in December, and the public and press were barred from hearing all or part of those proceedings. The judge in the case had said those hearings were closed because of safety concerns.
News organizations including The Associated Press had objected to the secrecy.
On Tuesday, the judge said most of the unspecified safety concerns have been dealt with, and the majority of Tuesday's hours-long hearing was public.
STRIKE-FEDERAL BUILDINGS
Smithsonian: 2 arrested during fast-food strike
WASHINGTON (AP) - Officials at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum say the McDonald's inside the museum was not shut down during a strike involving fast-food workers employed by federal contractors.
Museum spokeswoman Claire Brown says the McDonald's remained open Tuesday, contrary to claims by strike organizers that the fast-food outlet had to close. Brown adds that two men were arrested inside the museum on charges including disorderly conduct and assault of a police officer.
Organizers say striking workers also forced four fast-food businesses to close inside the food court at the Ronald Reagan Building.
The 1-day strike was the latest in a series of strikes by fast-food workers around the country to protest low wages. Tuesday's action was meant to highlight the large number of low-wage workers employed by federal contractors.
DC-GEOGRAPHY BEE
10 young experts to compete in finals of National Geographic Bee on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ten young geography experts will field questions about history, cultures, landmarks and climates from "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek as they vie for the title of National Geographic Bee champion.
The finals of the geography bee will be contested Wednesday morning in Washington and broadcast Thursday evening on the National Geographic Channel.
The finalists will compete for a $25,000 college scholarship, a trip to the Galapagos Islands and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The field was narrowed from 54 state-level winners in Monday<s preliminary round.
The finalists include one repeat participant - 14-year-old Neelam Sandhu of Bedford, N.H. Asha Jain of Minocqua, Wis., the younger sister of last year's runner-up, also made the finals. Other states represented will be California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Virginia.
BIN LADEN PHOTOS
Court: US can keep bin Laden photos under wraps
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court is backing the U.S. government's decision not to release photos and video taken of Osama bin Laden during and after a raid in which the terrorist leader was killed by U.S. commandos.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia turned down an appeal Tuesday from Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, which had filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the images.
The court said that the CIA properly withheld publication of the images. The court concluded that the photos used to conduct facial recognition analysis of bin Laden could reveal classified intelligence methods - and that images of bin Laden's burial at sea could trigger violence against American citizens.
DOUGLASS STATUE
Douglass statue to be unveiled in Capitol in June
WASHINGTON (AP) - The District of Columbia's statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass will be unveiled inside the U.S. Capitol next month.
The House approved a resolution Tuesday that authorized the use of the Capitol's Emancipation Hall to unveil the statue next month.
All 50 states have two statues of notable figures in the Capitol, but the district has none. President Barack Obama approved a bill last year authorizing the move of the Douglass statue. It had been housed in a district government building.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents the district in Congress, had pushed for the statue to be moved. The statue will become the fourth in the Capitol to depict an African-American.
The Douglass statue will be housed in Emancipation Hall alongside 18 other statues.
GERSHWIN PRIZE-CAROLE KING
Library honors Carole King with US pop music prize
WASHINGTON (AP) - Carole King isn't done with music - not yet anyway.
The 71-year-old singer-songwriter known for such hits as "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "You've Got A Friend" was awarded the nation's highest prize for popular music Tuesday. She went to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at the Library of Congress and will be honored Wednesday by President Barack Obama at the White House.
King told The Associated Press it's a tremendous honor to be recognized at such an historic place.
Last year, King hinted she might retire. Now she plans to introduce a new song for the Gershwin Prize that she wrote with Hal David entitled "I Believe in Loving You." She plans to release it as a single next month in tribute to David.
HUMOR PRIZE-CAROL BURNETT
Carol Burnett to receive top US humor prize in DC
WASHINGTON (AP) - Carol Burnett, who became famous for playing a variety of characters in sketch comedy routines on her namesake television show, has been named the winner of the nation's top humor prize.
The Kennedy Center in Washington announced Tuesday that Burnett will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 20. A gala performance featuring top names in comedy will be broadcast nationally Oct. 30 on PBS.
In a written statement, the 80-year-old Burnett says she can't believe she is receiving the prize from the Kennedy Center. She says "it's almost impossible to be funnier than the people in Washington."
Burnett had her breakout on Broadway in "Once Upon a Mattress" in 1959. She is best known for her long-running variety show "The Carol Burnett Show." It ran from 1967 to 1978 on CBS.
Walls says 6 of the workers taken to hospitals appeared to be in relatively good condition. He says one was more seriously affected, but he is expected to survive.
NATIONALS-MATTHEUS
Nats reliever breaks pitching hand punching locker
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus has broken his pitching hand punching a locker in frustration following a rocky outing.
Washington manager Davey Johnson made the announcement after the Nationals' 8-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Monday night, one day after Mattheus was injured. The right-hander allowed five runs in one inning of Washington's 13-4 loss to San Diego on Sunday.
According to Johnson, Mattheus did not inform the team of his injury until just before Monday night's game at AT&T Park. Johnson did not specify how long Mattheus would be sidelined, only that it will be "a while."
The news came on the same night that the Giants lost starter Ryan Vogelsong to a broken pitching hand. He was injured while batting in the fifth inning.
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