American Atheists Sue Over World Trade Center Cross

By RESHMA KIRPALANI

An atheist group is suing over the inclusion of cross-shaped steel beams, dubbed the "World Trade Center Cross," in the exhibit at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum.

Jane Everhart, who is part of the atheist's suit, derided the cross as nothing more than "ugly piece of wreckage" that "does not represent anything … but horror and death."

Last weekend the 17-foot cross, discovered in the rubble of 9/11, was given a "ceremonial blessing" by the Rev. Brian Jordan, removed from it's temporary post near St. Peter's Church and lowered 70 feet into its permanent home inside the museum.

But a group identified as American Atheists filed a lawsuit today claiming the inclusion of the cross-shaped steel beams promotes Christianity over all other religions on public property and diminishes the civil rights of non-Christians.

"The Christian community found a piece of rubble that looked like an icon and they deified it. But really 9/11 had nothing to do with Christianity," said American Atheists president Dave Silverman. "They want a monopoly and we don't want that to happen."

 "It just so happens that the WTC was made out of T-joints and they found a T-joint," Silverman said. "They put it in the church, kept in the church for years, prayed over it, blessed it. You don't get to do that just in the coincidence that your icon looks like a T-joint."

Wedding ring is in for repairs?????????????

Another piece falls into place.

In a press conference last week Obama was not wearing his wedding ring nor was he wearing his watch

When noticed, his staff said his ring was out for repairs. No reason was given for the missing watch.

So it's just a coincidence that Muslims are forbidden from wearing jewelry during the month of Ramadan.

We know he's a committed Christian "cause he said so during he campaign!" ...........

And I've got a bridge to nowhere to sell you also.

This is the same president that spent the Christmas holidays in Hawaii to avoid religious obligations as PRESIDENT at the White House. His children do not receive Christmas presents.

Let's just face the facts and quit trying to tell the truth, we have a muslim for president in the White House, and he has no knowledge of American history.

Fan may owe taxes on rewards for Jeter’s 3,000th

By Ian Casselberry

Christian Lopez might end up wishing he kept that baseball after all.

Lopez became more than a footnote to the spectacle of Derek Jeter(notes) getting his 3,000th hit on Saturday at Yankee Stadium by returning the milestone baseball to the New York Yankees shortstop rather than cash it in for a likely six-figure payday. That touched off a debate still raging among fans days later: Would you have given the ball back or sold it to the highest bidder for a payday that was rumored as high as $250,000?

For his gesture, Lopez was rewarded by the Yankees with luxury box tickets for the rest of the season (including postseason), along with signed baseballs, bats and jerseys from Jeter. In addition, Lopez received four premium front-row seats to last Sunday's Yankees-Rays game.

Nice haul, right? Sure, but with those generous gifts comes tax liability. As George Harrison once sang for the Beatles, "Let me tell you how it will be; There's one for you, nineteen for me. 'Cause I'm the Taxman."

The IRS will likely consider Lopez's gratuities from the Yankees as income, and if so, he could end up having to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $13,000 in taxes, according to the New York Daily News. The New York Times, meanwhile, says the face value of the tickets to the remaining 32 regular-season games at Yankee Stadium are worth anywhere between $44,800 and $73,600. The paper's conservative estimate puts Lopez's tax bill at $14,000.

Lopez, however, seems unfazed by these revelations.

If the IRS comes calling, he says he'll pay those taxes:

"Worse comes to worse, I'll have to pay the taxes," he told the Daily News on Monday. "I'm not going to return the seats. I have a lot of family and friends who will help me out if need be.

"The IRS has a job to do, so I'm not going to hold it against them, but it would be cool if they helped me out a little on this."

It's unclear from the quote whether the "they" Lopez refers to means the IRS or the Yankees. The IRS could obviously help him out by considering the items he was rewarded as gifts, rather than income. Then he wouldn't owe as much in taxes.

But could Derek Jeter or the Yankees also step in and pay the taxes for Lopez? One tax expert the Daily News spoke to made that very suggestion.

What a buzzkill. Lopez expressed hope that his parents would help him out with whatever taxes he might owe. But they could rightfully point out that some of that memorabilia — not to mention many of those tickets — could be sold off to cover his expenses. (Lopez might have to do that anyway, telling reporters that he still owes more than $100,000 in student loans.)

Lopez being essentially punished for what so many saw as a good deed and selfless act makes for a troubling epilogue to a nice story.

But maybe there's still a happy ending to come.