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

The FTC's action is the latest blow to VW, which also faces more than $20 billion in potential fines for violating U.S. clean air regulations. "For years Volkswagen's ads touted the company's 'Clean Diesel' cars even though it now appears Volkswagen rigged the cars with devices designed to defeat emissions tests," said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. "Our lawsuit seeks compensation for the consumers who bought affected cars based on Volkswagen's deceptive and unfair practices."   read more

Attorneys general in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Massachusetts are investigating whether Exxon Mobil deceived the public about the effects of climate change. The investigations came as nearly two dozen state attorneys general said they'd formed a coalition to explore legal ways to combat global warming by filing lawsuits and briefs or by opening environmental, consumer or financial probes. Former VP Al Gore likened the approach to how states took on the tobacco industry decades ago.   read more

The years of delays have come as supermarkets, convenience stores and other retailers that never wanted to be part of the law have fiercely lobbied against them. The move will leave the final step to a new president, despite the Obama administration's staunch support of menu labeling and other food policy to help Americans eat more healthfully. And it will give opponents more time to gather support for legislation that would roll back some of the requirements.   read more

A recent study commissioned by the county concluded that Turkey Point’s old cooling canal system was leaking polluted water into Biscayne Bay. This has raised alarm among county officials and environmentalists that the plant, which sits on the coastline, is polluting the bay’s surface waters and its fragile ecosystem. Samples of the water at various depths and sites around the power plant showed elevated levels of salt, ammonia, phosphorous and tritium, a radioactive isotope.   read more

The law appeared to be aimed at Planned Parenthood, which said on Friday that it could mean the end of birth control, cancer screenings, tests for diseases and other services for thousands of low-income women in Florida. Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement that the new law seemed “designed to rip health care away from those most at risk.”   read more

In a letter to the heads of the Dept of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Peter Welch and Sen. Bernie Sanders urged the agencies to step in to cut prices for Xtandi, saying it costs four times more in the U.S. than in some other developed countries. They want the NIH to consider overriding Xtandi's patent, which would allow for Xtandi's price to be reduced.   read more

Republicans' bid to defund Planned Parenthood was vetoed by President Obama, but anti-abortion politicians are achieving their goal with an aggressive state-by-state strategy. Funding cutbacks are forcing Planned Parenthood to drop health screenings serving thousands of low-income women. "It's been a non-stop assault — with devastating consequences," said the group's VP, Dawn Laguens. "At what point do you hit a tipping point where it has same impact as if a federal bill had passed?"   read more

Federal inspectors found violations that exposed children to potential electrocution, poisoning and other injuries. Examples included kitchen knives and cleaning chemicals left in places where children could get them; peeling paint; a leaking ceiling; a blocked emergency exit; a broken toilet seat; and an unlocked gate allowing children access to a high-voltage circuit box. Many facilities also lacked required paperwork showing that employees had been screened for criminal records.   read more

The systems collect data on high-risk drugs that can be viewed by doctors and officials to spot suspicious patterns. The aim is to stop "doctor shopping," where patients rack up multiple prescriptions from different doctors, either to satisfy their own drug addiction or to sell on the black market. The White House has sent letters to all 50 U.S. governors recommending that they require doctors to check the databases and require pharmacists to upload drug dispensing data on a daily basis.   read more

The recent terrorist attacks have pushed many Europeans to favor greater powers for law enforcement over privacy. But opponents say such measures should not undermine the region’s tough data protection rules. Major countries in the region have landed on opposite sides of the debate. A series of European proposals, if approved, would give intelligence agencies renewed powers to compel the likes of Apple, Google and Facebook to hand over encrypted information.   read more

Colorado, New Mexico and Utah joined with the Navajo and Ute Mountain tribes — whose land is crossed by the rivers — to compile a plan to monitor the waterways. They will also test the sediment in the delta where the San Juan empties into Lake Powell. They will share their data and will train first-responders and water users about what to do in the event of a flood or other emergency. Separately, the EPA released an updated plan for its own water-quality monitoring.   read more

The sheer number of restrictions in Indiana’s legislation made it distinct. It holds doctors liable if a woman has an abortion solely because of objections to the fetus’ race, sex or a disability. It also restricts fetal tissue donation and requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital or to have an agreement with a doctor who does. Law professor Dawn Johnsen said the legislation was “a clear attempt to interfere and harm and chill doctors’ willingness to perform abortions.”   read more

The likely consequences would include killer storms stronger than any in modern times, the disintegration of large parts of the polar ice sheets, and a sea level rise sufficient to begin drowning the world’s coastal cities before the end of this century. Scientist James Hansen argues that society is in such grave peril that he feels morally compelled to sound a clear warning.“We’re in danger of handing young people a situation that’s out of their control,” he said.   read more

For the last 13 years, the NFL has stood by its research. But confidential data shows that more than 100 diagnosed concussions were omitted from the studies. The committee calculated the rates of concussions using the incomplete data, making them appear less frequent than they actually were. These discoveries raise new questions about the committee’s findings, held up by the league as scientific evidence that brain injuries did not cause long-term harm to its players.   read more

During procedures like sandblasting and fracking, large quantities of silica particles can be released into the air. They can lodge deep in the lung, setting off processes that can lead to lung cancer as well as kidney disease, in addition to silicosis. Companies will be required, among other measures, to keep records of employee exposure to silica and to provide a medical exam every three years to each worker whose level of exposure is high enough to require wearing a protective respirator.   read more

In a complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday, the Gila River Indian Community claims the department owes them for health care provided to veterans going back to March 2010. Under Obama's health care law, the VA must reimburse Indian tribes for health care services to veterans who seek care from tribal clinics or hospitals instead of a VA facility. Gila officials say they have tried for years to negotiate with the VA and even sent a delegation to meet with officials in Washington, D.C.   read more