Syria lets U.N. inspect gas attack site, Washington says too late  —  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria agreed on Sunday to let the United Nations inspect the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack, but a U.S. official said such an offer was “too late to be credible” and Washington was all but certain …

Colin Powell warns Republican voter ID laws will backfire  —  Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday predicted that Republican attempts to pass voter ID laws would “backfire” by energizing minorities to vote them out of office.  —  Powell took aim at efforts on the state legislature level …

Court Is ‘One of Most Activist,’ Ginsburg Says, Vowing to Stay  —  WASHINGTON — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 80, vowed in an interview to stay on the Supreme Court as long as her health and intellect remained strong, saying she was fully engaged in her work as the leader of the liberal opposition …

The end of race  —  Scan the news on any given day in America, and you will invariably find multiple stories about race, racism, ethnicity, and race relations.  We can't seem to get enough of this topic, and correspondingly, the media appetite for all things race-related is unquenchable.

Obama should express condolences for Lane's death, says governor  —  President Obama should express condolences for the Australian baseball player killed this week in Oklahoma, that state's governor said Sunday.  —  “I think it would be a nice gesture for him to do that …

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman files Donald Trump ‘University’ $40 million fraud suit  —  The AG's office accuses the billionaire's Trump University of defrauding more than 5,000 people with promises that they would get ‘hand-picked’ teachers to help them get rich in real estate.

No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”  —  Compulsory patriotism does nothing for soldiers who risk their lives — but props up those who profit from war  —  My 16-month-old son was having a bad day.  When he doesn't sleep in the car, he usually points and babbles his approval …

ObamaCare's architects reap windfall as Washington lobbyists  —  ObamaCare has become big business for an elite network of Washington lobbyists and consultants who helped shape the law from the inside.  —  More than 30 former administration officials, lawmakers and congressional staffers …

U.S. spy agency bugged U.N. headquarters: Germany's Spiegel  —  (Reuters) - The U.S. National Security Agency has bugged the United Nations' New York headquarters, Germany's Der Spiegel weekly said on Sunday in a report on U.S. spying that could further strain relations between Washington and its allies.

Film on Salinger Claims More Books Are Coming  —  LOS ANGELES — J. D. Salinger may not be done publishing after all, according to claims in a new film and book set for release next week.  —  Mr. Salinger, who died in 2010 at the age of 91, has been known for a distinguished but scant literary oeuvre …

Reindeer Games  —  WASHINGTON — ON the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech, Kerry Bentivolio, a Michigan congressman, has a dream, too: to impeach the nation's first black president.  —  “If I could write that bill and submit it, it would be a dream come true …

Porn coalition seeks moratorium after actress tests positive for HIV  —  In the midst of battle over condom law, adult industry group calls for a nationwide halt on production.  —  The adult film industry has called for a nationwide moratorium on production after an actress tested positive for HIV.

Iowa's G.O.P. Fears Its Role in Presidential Selection Is Diminishing  —  AMES, Iowa — On the surface, Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses seem healthier than ever: would-be candidates are flocking here mere months after the last White House race ended, drawing sizable crowds and ample news coverage.