The new Middle East

July 23, 2015 - Daily News Briefing

For better or worse, the Iran nuclear deal is a transformative moment for the Middle East.

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Saudi Arabia's King Salman and his defense minister support the Iran nuclear deal but have doubts about how effectively the historic agreement will be enforced, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. Carter spoke to reporters after meeting in Jiddah with the king and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud. "They both – the king and the minister of defense – reiterated their support" for the deal, Carter said. "The only reservations we discussed were ones that we clearly share, namely that we attend to verification of the agreement as it's implemented," and the use of a "snap-back" mechanism for quickly re-imposing sanctions on Iran if the Islamic Republic cheats on any part of the agreement to limit its nuclear program to peaceful pursuits.

Ferguson leaders introduced a new interim police chief Wednesday, tasking the black police commander from Arizona with building trust between residents of the predominantly black St. Louis suburb and its mostly white officers, nearly a year since Michael Brown's death roiled racial tensions. Andre Anderson, a 50-year-old with a quarter century in law enforcement, starts in Ferguson on Thursday, essentially on six-month loan from the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. Touted for his knack for community outreach in policing, Anderson arrives in Ferguson as it is still working to get its law enforcement house in order after a scathing U.S. Department of Justice report in March pressed for reforms.

The man accused of killing nine black church members last month in Charleston, South Carolina, was indicted Wednesday on 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, firearms violations and obstructing the practice of religion, which could include the death penalty. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the federal grand jury indictments of 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The charges have been expected since Roof was arrested following the June 17 shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek the death penalty against Roof.

The 11 million people who receive Social Security disability face steep benefit cuts next year – unless Congress acts, the government said Wednesday. The trustees that oversee Social Security said the disability trust fund will run out of money in late 2016, right in the middle of a presidential campaign. That would trigger an automatic 19 percent cut in benefits. There is an easy fix available: Congress could shift tax revenue from Social Security's much larger retirement fund, as it has done in the past. President Obama supports the move. But Republicans say they want changes in the program to reduce fraud and to encourage disabled workers to re-enter the work force. The average monthly benefit for disabled workers and their families is $1,017. That means the typical beneficiary would see their benefits reduced by $193 a month.

A Florida man who flew a gyrocopter onto the U.S. Capitol grounds has rejected two plea deals and said on Wednesday his trial would be a forum on the need for campaign finance reform. Douglas Hughes, a former mail carrier from Ruskin, Fla., said he expected two trials from his illegal flight – one in U.S. District Court and a second in public opinion as he fights lobbyists' influence in the U.S. capital. "People, if they want to have a circus, I'm going to bring an elephant," Hughes told reporters outside U.S. District court. He was arrested on April 15 after piloting the craft from Pennsylvania and landing on the west lawn of the Capitol. He was carrying a letter for each of the 535 members of Congress.

Shares fell on Wednesday, dragged down by disappointment over U.S. and European corporate earnings, most notably at Apple Inc, the world's largest company. Retrenchment and caution dominated trading in other assets, with the dollar struggling to gain ground and commodities such as gold and oil resuming their downturn. "Overnight losses in the U.S. and Asia, and the failure of the U.S. tech sector to provide earnings fireworks – of the good kind – is weighing on Europe," said Brenda Kelly, head analyst at London Capital Group.

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

To send a comment to the Editor, email editor@csmonitor.com.

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

To send a comment to the Editor, email editor@csmonitor.com.

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