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

Argentina wants Stiuso handed over, and Fernandez’s government has warned the Obama administration that its lack of cooperation in the matter could jeopardize the two countries’ relationship. “We ask ourselves sometimes: ‘Is the United States ready to allow the bilateral relations between it and Argentina to worsen for a man they all say has no importance, no strategic value for the United States?’” said Anibal Fernández, Argentina’s cabinet chief of staff.   read more

The newly formed German-based Intelexit has launched a PR campaign to lure employees of the NSA and the British GCHQ “in from the cold” and to stop spying. Intelexit has put up billboards outside offices run by both agencies to let their employees know they’re here to help. Intelexit has also handed out fliers outside the NSA’s Fort Meade, Maryland, headquarters. The information will tell employees where they can get support and counseling if they choose to leave the agency.   read more

The EPA has updated the Steam Electric Power guidelines, which have not changed since 1982, to include restrictions that prevent 1.4 billion pounds of toxic metals and other pollutants from reaching waterways annually. Federal regulators are targeting 64,400 pounds of lead, which has been linked to developmental and reproductive problems, and 79,200 pounds of arsenic, a known carcinogen. EPA estimates that compliance costs for the rule will total around $480 million per plant.   read more

Four national polls have shown that the majority of Americans favor the continued federal funding of Planned Parenthood, despite attacks from conservative lawmakers in the wake of the release of phony videos about the organization’s practices. Republicans in Congress have demanded the cutoff of all funding for Planned Parenthood, and even threatened to shut down the government if they don’t get their way. Such a move would run counter to the views of most Americans.   read more

Of 400 oncologists surveyed, nearly 50% said they had been informed how to identify patients who might be prospective donors. Some doctors were even promised a cut of the action: payments if a patient made a donation. Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, said the practice of asking doctors to help raise money raises ethical issues. “Patients may be emotionally vulnerable; doctors have very close ties to their patients, which can strain asking on both sides."   read more

Boxing is responsible for about 20% of the concussions suffered by West Point cadets--97 concussions during the last three years, more than from any other sport. “No brain trauma is good brain trauma...there can still be lasting damage,” said Dr. Cantu. "Whatever benefit a cadet gains from boxing, the cost of...becoming more vulnerable to injury down range, are detrimental to military readiness,” said Brenda Fulton. “It’s possible by trying to prepare our cadets, we are making them less ready.”   read more

As presidential campaign donations have increased, so has the need for campaigns to respond quickly to donors’ needs. “Donors are demanding a lot these days, man, and they want answers and they want results, and a lot of them hit the panic button a lot,” said Republican lobbyist and Jeb Bush supporter Theresa Kostrzewa. “Donors consider a contribution like, ‘Well, wait, I just invested in you. Now I need to have my say; you need to answer to me.’”   read more

The director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, Jeff Tittel, criticized the DEP for waiting so long to test the former home of a pesticide manufacturer. “The failure to act all these years has even contributed to more contamination to spread and could lead to health problems since arsenic is a carcinogen,” said Tittel. “The DEP dropped the ball and we are glad the EPA has picked it up.” DEP spokesman Lawrence Hajna defended his agency, noting the site “was never on anybody’s radar."   read more

“The [Benghazi] committee has squandered the last 16 months and more than 4.5 million taxpayer dollars dredging up political attacks to impact the 2016 presidential election—a severe misuse of taxpayer funds..." said the committee's top Democrat, Rep, Elijah Cummings. "The committee has turned into a political punchline. Sadly, that comes at the expense of being taken seriously and being able to take effective, bipartisan actions to improve the security of our diplomats abroad.”   read more

Figures released by the FBI showed police across the country made more than 700,000 arrests on marijuana-related charges in 2014. “It’s unacceptable that police still put this many people in handcuffs for something that a growing majority of Americans think should be legal,” said Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority. “A record number of states are expected to vote on legalizing marijuana next year, so we hope and expect to see these numbers significantly dropping soon.”   read more

Alaska's rate jumped from 9.3% in 2013 to 11.2% in 2014. The state also experienced an increase in its child poverty rate, going from 12.1% to 15.8%, as did North Dakota (12% to 14.8%) and New Hampshire (10.2% to 13%). New Hampshire, however, had the lowest overall poverty rate among the 50 states at 9.2%. Mississippi did see its poverty rate decline from 24% in 2013 to 21.5% in 2014, which was “among the largest percentage-point decline of states,” according to the Census Bureau.   read more

Farms will have to post no-entry signs when fields are doused with the most toxic pesticides. Farmers also will have to maintain a 100-foot buffer zone around pesticide application equipment to protect workers from exposure and overspraying. Farm owners and their immediate families will be exempt from the rules. Between 1,800 and 3,000 people suffer from pesticide exposure each year at farm operations that will be covered by these rules.   read more

Meth lab seizures in dry jurisdictions were nearly 4 per 100,000 people, while the rate in wet counties was just over 2 per 100,000. “Our results add support to the idea that prohibiting the sale of alcohol flattens the punishment gradient, lowering the relative cost of participating in the market for illegal drugs,” according to the study. In other words, once you get used to breaking the law by smuggling booze into a dry county, it’s a short step to getting into the meth business.   read more

VA whistleblower reprisal cases filed with OSC in 2013 totaled 405. This year, they’re projected to reach 712, a 75% increase. Consequently, her small staff has been “truly overwhelmed,” Lerner testified. “The VA has a culture problem with whistleblower retaliation,” Senator Ron Johnson said during the hearing. “The most troubling aspect being that in the end, it’s the veterans who ultimately suffer when the courageous employees who expose wrongdoing are punished.”   read more

The effort to drill deep under the Arctic Ocean has long been fraught with problems, from lawsuits by environmentalists to losing a ship as a result of the rough seas and unpredictable weather. But the deciding factor for pulling the plug on its 9-year undertaking was the outcome of this summer’s exploratory drilling. The Burger J well that Shell was tapping into didn’t produce the oil it was hoping for, leading the company’s top official, CEO Ben van Beurden, to call a halt to its plans.   read more

As of this year, first-generation immigrants made up 13.9% of the U.S. population. That’s the highest rate since 1910, when it was 14.6%, the Pew Research Center reported. “There were a record 41.3 million immigrants living in the U.S. in 2013, making up 13.1% of the nation’s population,” Anna Brown and Renee Stepler reported. “This represents a fourfold increase since 1960, when only 9.7 million immigrants lived in the U.S., accounting for just 5.4% of the total U.S. population.”   read more