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 …

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 …

Sydney Leathers Does Porn (For Real This Time) [NSFW]  —  Talk about a tease: Just two weeks after releasing the sex tape equivalent of a dry hump, Sydney Leathers of Anthony Weiner fame has unleashed a full-(hard)on porno to satisfy the demands of her handful of fans.

Poll: Louisiana GOPers Unsure If Katrina Response Was Obama's Fault  —  A significant chunk of Louisiana Republicans evidently believe that President Barack Obama is to blame for the poor response to the hurricane that ravaged their state more than three years before he took office.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

Slavery in the City: Death of 21-year-old intern Moritz Erhardt at Merrill Lynch sparks furore over long hours and macho culture at banks  —  Young German worked until 6am for three consecutive days before collapse at home in east London  —  Serious concerns have been raised tonight …

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.

18th woman accuses San Diego mayor  —  Businesswoman Dianne York told CNN that San Diego Mayor Bob Filner put his hands on her buttocks during this photo op after a meeting three months ago.  York said there were witnesses to what happened.  She said both her advisers and Filner's were in the room at the time.

(Credit: Michael Lionstar)  —  I can vividly remember the first time I read Camille Paglia.  I was visiting New York with my mom during college and we happened across “Vamps and Tramps” at a bookstore near our hotel.  Lying in neighboring twin beds, I read passages out loud to her.

'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.

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.

Abandoned Dogs Roam Detroit in Packs as Humans Dwindle  —  Detroit Dominated by Pitbulls as 50K Dogs Roam Free  —  As many as 50,000 stray dogs roam the streets and vacant homes of bankrupt Detroit, replacing residents, menacing humans who remain and overwhelming the city's ability to find them homes or peaceful deaths.

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 …

Bill's Turn at Bat  —  So it turns out that Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, who's campaigning for mayor on a promise to de-Bloomberg Gotham, do have something in common.  —  Both men, who grew up in the Boston area, threw caution to the wind and admitted while running for mayor of New York that they were Red Sox fans.

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.

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 …

Obama endorses Cory Booker for NJ Senate  —  President Obama has endorsed Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) for Senate in New Jersey, saying Booker would be an “important partner” in promoting his agenda if he makes it to the Senate this fall.  —  “Cory Booker has dedicated his life to the work …