Midday Roundup: Obama reminds Americans of soldiers still in Afghanistan

Remembering those still fighting: After laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, President Barack Obama, in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., asked American to not forget those still fighting in Afghanistan: “Regardless of reason, this truth cannot be ignored that today most Americans are not directly touched by war. As a consequence, not all Americans may always see or fully grasp the depths of sacrifice, the profound costs that are made in our name, right now, as we speak, everyday.”

Tornado recovery. It has been one week since a massive tornado ripped through Moore, Okla. Last night, thousands gathered at First Baptist Church in Moore for a memorial and prayer service. Earlier in the day, President Obama visited the town and said, “It’s going to take a long time for this community to rebuild, so I want to urge every American to step up,” urging them to make donations to the American Red Cross.

More chemical evidence. France’s Le Monde reports that Syrian forces aligned with President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons on rebel fighters in Damascus. The newspaper said its reporter and photographer have witnessed such attacks and have confirmed them in talking to doctors and other witnesses afterward. Le Monde said its photographer had blurred vision and breathing difficulties four days after an attack in April.

Fast times. In addition to honoring our fallen military heroes, Memorial Day weekend is known for speed, with the running of the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Coca-Cola 600. In Monaco, Nico Rosberg won the crash-filled event, the second victory of his Formula 1 career. At Indy, veteran driver Tony Kanaan, after 12 years of coming close but falling short, finally won in a race that saw the lead change hands 68 times, doubling the race record set only a year ago. At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick made a late-race pass after a restart to win NASCAR’s longest event of the year, a race that was stopped early on when a cable holding a Fox Sports camera fell into the stands and across the track, injuring 10 fans and causing damage to several cars.