Syria conflict: ‘Chemical attacks’ kill hundreds  —  Chemical weapons attacks have killed hundreds on the outskirts of Damascus, Syrian opposition activists say.  —  Rockets with toxic agents were launched at the suburbs of the Ghouta region early on Wednesday as part of a major bombardment on rebel forces, they say.

Judge sentences Bradley Manning to 35 years  —  A military judge on Wednesday morning sentenced Army Pfc. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.  —  Manning, 25, was convicted last month of multiple charges …

Porno featuring Anthony Weiner's sexting pal Sydney Leathers set for release Wednesday  —  The Daily News exclusively obtained the trailer for the movie, titled ‘Weiner and Me,’ which will be released by Vivid Entertainment.  —  Sydney Leathers stars in ‘Weiner And Me,’ which will be released Wednesday.

UPS to drop 15,000 spouses from insurance, cites Obamacare  —  United Parcel Service Inc. plans to remove thousands of spouses from its medical plan because they are eligible for coverage elsewhere.  The Atlanta-based logistics company points to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare …

Egypt court orders release of Mubarak  —  You are here  —  Home » Egypt » Egypt court orders release of Mubarak  —  FILE - In this Saturday, April 13, 2013 file photo, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from behind bars as he attends a hearing in his retrial on appeal in Cairo, Egypt.

US doesn't know what Snowden took, sources say  —  HONG KONG - 2013: In this handout photo provided by The Guardian, Edward Snowden speaks during an interview in Hong Kong.  Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA, revealed details of top-secret surveillance conducted …

The price Gina Gray paid for whistleblowing  —  President Obama, in his news conference this month, said that Edward Snowden was wrong to go public with revelations about secret surveillance programs because “there were other avenues available for somebody whose conscience was stirred and thought …

How The NRA Built A Massive Secret Database Of Gun Owners  —  While the National Rifle Association publicly fights against a national gun registry, the organization has gone to incredible lengths to compile information on “tens of millions” of gun owners — without their consent.

Top Roger Ailes Adviser Fired and Escorted From Fox News Building (Exclusive)  —  UPDATED: Brian Lewis, executive vp corporate communications, was ousted after an investigation found breach of contract and “issues relating to financial irregularities,” the network says in a statement.

Hecklers confront Ted Cruz at town hall meeting  —  A Dallas town hall meeting designed to rally support for defunding President Obama's health-care law grew testy Tuesday night when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) was interrupted three separate times by hecklers.  —  The conservative senator handled …

Al Jazeera Makes Limited American Debut  —  There was ample attention in journalistic circles as Al Jazeera America had its premiere on Tuesday — particularly among those who could not watch.  —  The news channel — which replaced Current TV at 3 p.m. Eastern time — was expected to be carried …

Trump to Christie: Hiring Romney team for 2016 would be ‘disaster’  —  Donald Trump slammed Stuart Stevens, the top strategist for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, warning Gov. Chris Christie against working with him if the New Jersey Republican launches a 2016 White House bid.

'I'm Not Paranoid': Matthews Says GOP'ers Calling Obama ‘Obama’ Attempt to ‘Delegitimize’ Him  —  MSNBC host Chris Matthews went off on Tuesday about what he characterized as a variety of efforts by Republicans and conservatives to “delegitimize” President Barack Obama.

Police: Australian baseball player killed by Oklahoma teens — just because  —  (CNN) — A random act of violence has left a promising 23-year-old college baseball player dead, a family devastated and two countries half a world apart rattled.  —  Christopher Lane, who was from Australia …

The GOP Plan to Crush Silicon Valley  —  What will become of Steve Jobs's angel?  —  When Congress returns from its summer recess in early September, it will have exactly nine legislative days to agree on a budget or the government will shut down.  House Republicans are seeking far greater cuts …

Wanted: A Boring Leader for the Fed  —  MEDFORD, Mass. — THE debate over who should succeed Ben S. Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has been exceptionally personality-driven.  Supporters and opponents of the two leading contenders — Lawrence H. Summers, a former Treasury secretary …

What I Really Think About Christie's Veto  —  Due to staff error, a statement on Chris Christie's signing a bill banning all professional counseling for minors unless it is gay-affirming was issued without my consent, or knowledge.  I dislike using language that portrays gay people as …

How Democrats May Lose Their Media Edge  —  Yesterday saw a spate of stories arguing that Republicans are — quietly, off the record — a bit worried about their ability to hold the House of Representatives come 2014.  Not panicking, by any means; the electoral map still looks challenging for Democrats.

NSA story cuts into Obama's popularity with young voters  —  Controversy over the National Security Agency's surveillance programs is eroding President Obama's popularity — particularly among young voters.  —  Some polls show a double-digit drop in Obama's approval rating since Edward …

Facebook Leads an Effort to Lower Barriers to Internet Access  —  MENLO PARK, Calif. — About one of every seven people in the world uses Facebook.  Now, Mark Zuckerberg, its co-founder and chief executive, wants to make a play for the rest — including the four billion or so who lack Internet access.

William Galston: How Much Transparency Do We Really Want?  —  Nations at war do not have a responsibility to make their military strategy public.  —  The controversy over NSA surveillance raises two distinct issues—privacy and transparency—that are often conflated.