memeorandum: 20 Things Worth Knowing About Toronto's Crack-Smoking Mayor, Rob Ford (Dan Amira/New York Magazine)

2:40 AM ET, May 19, 2013

Top Items:

Gay man shot dead in Village after gunman shouted homophobic slurs: authorities — A gay man was gunned down in Greenwich Village early today by an armed bigot who hurled homophobic slurs at him — and claimed to be the Newtown, Conn. killer before the murder, police said today.

Discussion: CBS New York, Riehl World News, Joe. My. God., Towleroad News #gay, Gawker and Gothamist

New York Times:

Killing in Greenwich Village Looks Like Hate Crime, Police Say — The violence took place just blocks from the Stonewall Inn, perhaps the most important landmark of the gay liberation struggle. A young man screamed antigay slurs at another man on a street in Greenwich Village on Friday night …

Discussion: CNN and Joe. My. God.

Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:

Darrell Issa: 'You Don't Accuse The IRS Until You've Had A Nonpartisan, Deep Look' — WASHINGTON — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said earlier this week in a little-noticed interview that he knew “approximately” what the IRS inspector general would report about selective targeting of conservative groups …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Reuters and Hot Air

Jordy Yager / The Hill:

Romney: Benghazi talking points had no bearing on presidential election — The Obama administration's talking points on the terror attack in Benghazi had no bearing on Mitt Romney's defeat last year, the former Republican presidential nominee told Jay Leno.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland

New York Times:

At I.R.S., Unprepared Office Seemed Unclear About the Rules — During the summer of 2010, the dozen or so accountants and tax agents of Group 7822 of the Internal Revenue Service office in Cincinnati got a directive from their manager. A growing number of organizations identifying themselves …

Discussion: DealBook

Washington Post:

At Cincinnati IRS office, surprise over claims of partisan villainy — CINCINNATI — The fog of scandal hangs over a boxy, modernist, 10-story building that looks like a monument to paperwork. Shrubs and chain smokers flank its front entrance here on Main Street, in the heart of downtown.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Spectacle Blog

Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:

Obama puts Marines on umbrella duty, irking conservatives — Slogging through a drizzly Rose Garden news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Obama took a break to ask for some rain protection. — “I am going to go ahead and ask folks …

Discussion: Althouse, Yahoo! News, The Impolitic, Sense of Events, No More Mister Nice Blog, Outside the Beltway, Gawker, The Hinterland Gazette, Booman Tribune, The Huffington Post and Hullabaloo

New York Times:

White House Sharpens Focus on Path Forward After Troubles — BALTIMORE — President Obama, struggling to find his footing after one of his most turbulent weeks in office, will try to push past the moment's political furor with a focus on the few pieces of legislation he believes have a chance …

Discussion: National Review, Weasel Zippers, protein wisdom and JustOneMinute

Ian Austen / New York Times:

Mountain of Petroleum Coke From Oil Sands Rises in Detroit — WINDSOR, Ontario — Assumption Park gives residents of this city lovely views of the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit skyline. Lately they've been treated to another sight: a three-story pile of petroleum coke covering …

Discussion: Gawker and Prairie Weather

Andres Jauregui / The Huffington Post:

Anastasia Adair, Colorado Woman, Dies After Assault Rifle Accidentally Discharges — A Denver-area woman died Tuesday night after an assault rifle she was handling accidentally fired and shot her in the head. — Witnesses told ABC Denver affiliate KMGH that Anastasia Adair, 22 …

Discussion: TheDenverChannel.com and The Daily Caller

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

Bobby Jindal: IRS officials deserve prison time — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will use a Saturday speech to Virginia Republicans to suggest the IRS officials who targeted conservative political organizations for scrutiny be sent to prison. — “You cannot take the freedom of law-abiding Americans …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys and CNN

BBC:

France gay marriage: Hollande signs bill into law — France's president has signed into law a controversial bill making the country the eighth in Europe, and 14th globally, to legalise gay marriage. — On Friday, the Constitutional Council rejected a challenge by the right-wing opposition …

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Outside the Beltway

Dan Amira / New York Magazine:

20 Things Worth Knowing About Toronto's Crack-Smoking Mayor, Rob Ford — The one. The only. Rob Ford. — Many Americans awoke this morning to discover that (a) the mayor of Toronto is a guy named Rob Ford, and (b) Rob Ford smokes crack. Gawker reported last night …

Discussion: Power Line, Gawker, Balloon Juice and New York Times