5 things you need to know this weekend
20 years later, Oklahoma City bombing left legacy for victims' rights
When Timothy McVeigh detonated the 4,800-pound fertilizer bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building's doorstep on April 19, 1995, it was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Instead of starting a revolt against what he believed was an oppressive government, the bombing that killed 168 people joined an army of survivors and victims' families in an unparalleled campaign that forever altered the landscape of victims' rights in the USA. Some of the concessions the Oklahoma City victims won served as a template for the responses to virtually every other mass casualty event since, from 9/11 to the 2011 shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz., to the Boston Marathon bombing.
Explore the great outdoors: National Parks Week kicks off with free admission
Get out your hiking boots. Saturday marks the opening weekend of National Parks Week, and entrance fees will be waived Saturday and Sunday at the 128 parks that charge admission. The annual celebration, which runs through April 26, also coincides with Earth Day, offering visitors the opportunity to volunteer at one of the nation's 407 parks. After you've spent the day exploring or volunteering, upload your photos of your visit to Your Take, and you could be featured in a national parks gallery on USA TODAY.
Green Day, Lou Reed and others inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Soulmen, bluesmen, poets, punks and feisty rockers are among the 30th class being inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday in a ceremony at Cleveland's Public Hall. The six performing acts are The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Green Day, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, and Bill Withers. Oh, and you may have heard of these guys: Paul McCartney will induct Ringo Starr, who will receive the Award for Musical Excellence. (The show airs on HBO on May 30.)
420 tourists flock to Denver for Mile High
Marijuana tourists will flock to Denver's massive 420 marijuana festival this weekend, just before the unofficial counterculture holiday celebrated, yup, on April 20 (Monday). (For the unintiated, the phrase "420" is a longtime code for marijuana users.) Last year was the first year recreational marijuana was widely and legally available for tourists visiting Colorado — but it cannot be smoked in public. Even so, festivalgoers openly consume marijuana, listen to music and sample a wide variety of munchies, sending a massive cloud of pot smoke above the city. The festival also coincides with the annual Cannabis Cup show, hosted by High Times magazine.
Academy of Country Music Awards set for Sunday
If you have trouble keeping your country-music awards shows straight, this is the one hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan — who do so this year from the stadium home of the Dallas Cowboys. This is also the 50th ACM show, and Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line and Keith Urban are among those scheduled to keep the stadium hopping, plus Christina Aguilera will debut a new song in a duet with Rascal Flatts. But the real question is: Will Garth Brooks lip-sync? He's coming off a five-concert series and is prepared to if he needs to. The show airs Sunday at 8 p.m.
Bonus: Happy Record Store Day!
Test your classic album knowledge.
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