When Pope John Paul II visited Damascus in May 2001, Bashar used his welcoming speech to denounce the Jews, saying, “They tried to kill the principles of all religions with the same mentality in which they betrayed Jesus Christ and the same way they tried to betray and kill the Prophet Muhammad.”   read more

Drugmakers have been enduring withering criticism over the rising cost of drugs. It does not seem to be working. They've raised prices on brand-name drugs by double-digit percentages since the start of the year, and list prices increased more than 12%, in line with the trend over the five previous years. One of the cruelties of drug pricing is that the burden falls most heavily on those least able to pay it. Uninsured patients often must pay the list price of a drug.   read more

Evidence of compliance is plain to see on most pay stubs, but state and federal laws don't require employers to routinely provide this crucial detail to the government. Without this data, wage enforcers who are empowered to investigate generally wait until a worker complains. And many workers — especially those in precarious situations — fear they'll be fired if they speak up. "It's pretty shocking how common the violations are," said Donna Levitt, a labor enforcement director in San Francisco.   read more

De Jaray says she was "collateral damage" in Canada's attempt to curry favor with the U.S. "Canada began targeting its own citizens in order to create the perception that Canada was 'tough on crime' and, in particular, terrorism, to win favor with the United States and secure contracts for military goods and services," the complaint states. "Ms. De Jaray lost her home, her business, her savings, her health... Ms. de Jaray's life was destroyed...without evidence and without reason."   read more

The letters from the defense officials, Rep. Tsongas said, "demonstrate that arguments to halt this progress are not actually about military readiness but instead are an attempt to interfere with management of our nation's public lands and undermine the Endangered Species Act." Rep. Grijalva said the "letters put to bed once and for all the silly speculation that a few birds could hamstring the greatest fighting force in the history of the world."   read more

The method has been widely condemned as inhumane. State officials in New York and Massachusetts for years have tried to force the center to abandon using shocks as multiple complaints about them surfaced. The devices can cause both physical and psychological harm, the FDA wrote, including risks of pain, burns, tissue damage, depression, fear and aggression. They may even have led a resident to enter a catatonic state, the agency said. The shocks can worsen the symptoms it purportedly treats.   read more

"Texans don't generally expect a lot of their politicians," said political scientist Cal Jillson. "Politicians often get off because the laws they are accused of violating are so poorly written. They have holes in them big enough to drive a truck through ... They'd rather have this guy who agrees with their politics, under indictment than someone else who is not beholden to them. What that says about Texas is that the state is currently run by [Republicans]."   read more

Dostum’s ascent to power in Afghanistan exemplifies a central U.S. failure in the war. The U.S. has built and paid for a government that is filled with warlords and power brokers whom U.S. officials say pose as much of a threat to the stability of Afghanistan as the insurgents. Now the U.S. had to deny a visa to the No. 2 official, an alleged war criminal, in a government whose survival depends on the presence of nearly 10,000 U.S. troops and tens of billions of dollars a year in assistance.   read more

Dept of Children and Families had proposed rules that would have prohibited anti-LGBT bullying and discrimination, as well as banning conversion therapies aimed at changing children's sexual orientation. But after at least two religious groups objected, the state abruptly backtracked from putting the new protections in place. At Friday's hearing, many shared personal stories about foster children who have been mistreated because they identify as LGBT.   read more

Neal's lawsuit said the problem is systemic, caused in part by the 2011 "Dear Colleague" letter from Education Dept's Russlyn Ali. The student claimed the letter encourages universities to mete out harsh punishments to young men without due process. The letter "aggressively dictated" how colleges "handle sexual assault [on campus]...causing schools to brand more students 'rapists' based on the excessively low 'preponderance of the evidence' burden of proof..." the complaint states.   read more

Critics vowed to appeal the ruling and charged that the legislature sought to eliminate tools that made it easier for everyone, particularly minority voters, to get to the polls. “By meticulously targeting measures that were most used by people of color — in addition to imposing a restrictive photo ID requirement — the Legislature sought to disturb the levers of power in North Carolina, ensuring only a select few could participate in the democratic process,” said Penda Hair.   read more

In their years as top national security officials, Michael Hayden and Michael Chertoff were fierce advocates of using spying powers to pry into intelligence data. But today, their jobs have changed, and so, apparently, have their views on privacy. Both now work with tech companies and back Apple — not the FBI. They and other prominent former officials now support Apple and the impenetrable “end-to-end encryption” during a furious national debate over the balance between privacy and security.   read more

One in five Americans still struggle to pay a medical bill, even after the health law. But studies show the number has declined as insurance coverage has expanded. Also, the lower debt burden for the newly insured indirectly helps others. Insurance coverage means more bills are paid to doctors and hospitals — but also to banks, utilities and landlords. That receives less attention than the health law’s more obvious effects on access to health care. But they're an important effect of the law.   read more

The store owners, all first- and second-generation immigrants, say they felt entrapped and then strong-armed into signing settlements with steep fines and onerous conditions. The stipulations often allow for sweeping surveillance, such as warrantless searches and unbridled police access to video cameras. They also permit the NYPD to automatically fine and padlock a store should another allegation arise — all without giving merchants the opportunity to defend themselves in court.   read more

Both states have been hit by hotel cancellations from tourists who spend a combined tens of billions of dollars annually. Local hotels, tourist boards, industry associations and government officials fear that a boycott will continue to dampen business. Making matters tougher for the businesses, the Foreign Office in Britain has issued an advisory for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender travelers going to the two states based on the laws.   read more

Clinton Cook Sr. tells Anchorage television KTUU he was on a boat that found one of the heavy, hard plastic containers. They were going to pass it, but noticed the unusual shape, about 8-feet by 2-feet. Troopers say an explosives ordinance team helped determine the boxes were "void of their original contents."   read more

He often brags that he is paying for his campaign, saying, “I don’t need anybody’s money.” But Donald Trump’s disregard for fundraising by email, building lists of small donors and assembling a digital operation could hamstring him as a general-election candidate and do lasting damage to the Republican Party, strategists say. Trump has emailed no mass requests for contributions. Rather, he has passively harvested the contact information of his website visitors and merchandise customers.   read more