Roundup seems to combine with metals in the soil (present in some regions) to cause kidney damage to farm workers.

Uri Avnery on Palestinians' expulsion from Israel and their right to return.

Obama has allowed medical insurance plans to limit what they will pay for a procedure, dumping the rest of the cost on the patient.

US hospitals regularly gouge patients, and the only thing that limits what they charge is that insurance companies push the prices down. If this decision means that insurance companies won't do that, the result is that most Americans will be gouged, losing the biggest part of the benefit of medical coverage.

The US announced plans to increase shipments of arms to the "moderate Syrian opposition".

Whatever kind of arms they get, a fraction will fall into the hands of al-Qa'ida groups that will either buy them (they are funded by Sa'udi Arabia!) or steal them. There is no way to support a just outcome in Syria by arming rebels.

Assad, evil as he is, is the lesser evil in Syria today. He is also winning, so opposing him means prolonging the war.

For the sake of the future, we should investigate whether the US helped or allowed Sa'udi Arabia to foment war in Syria, back when Syrians were doing peaceful protests for human rights.

ABC News in the US presented a "debate" about Snowden, with two guests that agreed in supporting massive surveillance and lying about Snowden.