Does Syria have chemical weapons?
President Bashar Assad’s regime this week confirmed for the first time that it has chemical weapons. The Syrian government insists it will not use those weapons against its own citizens, even as it escalates military action against anti-government rebels. But Syria did threaten to unleash the weapons, believed to include mustard gas, if attacked by an outside force.
Why are some D.C. parking meters painted red?
The meters mark new handicapped parking spaces, though disabled drivers don’t have to pay to park in those spaces. The District planned to start charging disabled drivers for parking to cut down on drivers who use fraudulent handicapped placards to park for free. But advocates for the disabled complained, and so, while the meters were already in place, the city agreed that drivers wouldn’t have to pay for them, at least for now.
Why are people protesting the North Korean women’s soccer team at the Olympics?
In short: “deer musk.” The North Korean women were banned from the World Cup after five players tested positive for steroids last year, but they’re being allowed to compete in the London Olympics. North Korea said the substance, deer musk, is a traditional Chinese medical treatment and not a performance enhancer. And for what did players need treatment? They were all struck by lightening during practice, the team said.
