Syria: President Obama suggested this morning during a press conference in Sweden that he might order action against Syria even if Congress does not approve it. “My credibility is not on the line, the international community’s credibility is on the line,” Obama said.

  Speaker John Boehner yesterday joined Republican Senate leaders in endorsing President Obama’s call for an attack on Syria. He was backed by House majority leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia. The word of House leaders does not guarantee that members will line up behind them. In particular, Republican leaders do not control the Tea Party wing of their own party. The White House is putting on a major push for support. Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday, “This is not the time for armchair isolationism.”

A Senate committee has passed a draft resolution limiting military action to 60 days for a “limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria”.

National: Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro, convicted in July of imprisoning three women in his house for more than 10 years, was found hanged in his prison cell last night. Castro, 53, was alone in a cell when he was found. He had served 33 days of a life sentence.

That Word: A federal jury in New York has ruled that the word “nigger” is unacceptable in a workplace even when the user considers it an endearment. The jury awarded $280,000 to Brandi Johnson, who sued claiming her boss repeatedly used the word. The boss, Rob Carmona, said he used the word in multiple contexts, but a tape recording played in court revealed that it wasn’t always to show admiration.

Hot Ice: Japan is considering a $500 million plan to control radiation leaks and clean up contamination at the ruined Fukushima nuclear power plant. Included is an idea to build an underground wall of frozen earth to contain groundwater flows of radiation.

London Without Fog: A British businessman says his parked Jaguar was melted by rays of sunlight bouncing off a new office tower. People have complained about the glare coming from the mirrored glass sides of 20 Fenchurch St., nicknamed the Walkie Talkie because of its shape. Car owner Martin Lindsay said a side panel warped, while a side mirror and the Jaguar emblem melted. He told the BBC, “On the windscreen, there was a note from the construction company saying ‘your car’s buckled, could you give us a call?'”

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