• The State Department had some harsh words for Russia for its alleged involvement in arming the Assad regime in Syria’s civil war. [Times of Israel]
• Rabbi Menachem Youlus, who gained fame for saving Holocaust-era Torah scrolls, has been sentenced to four years in jail for fraud. [Jewish Week]
• The Soda Industry announced (at 4:30 PM on a Friday) that it will sue to prevent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s initiative to ban large sodas in the city. [NYT]
• A Paris court has reportedly fined Jean-François Dérec, a French-Jewish comedian who is active in anti-racism initiatives, for uttering a racist slur against a security guard. [Forward]
• Jewcy’s Kosher Salt, an excellent monthly comic, tackles not eating pork despite loving cheeseburger. [Jewcy]
Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.