Iraq is where US and Iranian interests align

June 17, 2014 - Daily News Briefing

The United States and Iran have a long and troubled history.

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A homeless ex-convict with a history of violence and drug abuse was arrested Monday on suspicion of killing a clergyman with a handgun that had been retrieved by another priest after he was hit with an iron rod at a Phoenix church, police said. Police say the Rev. Joseph Terra went to investigate noises in a church courtyard and was attacked by 54-year-old Gary Michael Moran with the piece of metal before the priest fled and got a .357-caliber gun from his bedroom. Moran wrestled the weapon away from the injured priest and killed Terra’s assistant, the Rev. Kenneth Walker, after he rushed to the aid of his colleague, court records show.

Israel warned Monday it would exact a heavy price from Hamas, as a massive search for three missing Jewish seminary students turned into the widest crackdown on the Islamic militant group in the West Bank in almost a decade. Israel has blamed Hamas for the apparent abductions, without providing proof, and has arrested more than 150 Palestinians since the three teens disappeared in the West Bank late Thursday.

Pakistani jets pounded targets in the country’s northwest on Monday as the military suffered its first casualties in a major offensive designed to root out safe havens in the volatile region. The airstrikes are part of a long-awaited operation against foreign and local militants in North Waziristan, an essentially lawless tribal region which has served as a training base for militants and a staging point for insurgents who attack Pakistan and NATO and Afghan troops across the border. The operation started Sunday.

Starbucks is giving its baristas a shot at an online college degree, an unusual benefit in an industry where higher education is often out of reach for workers. The coffee chain is partnering with Arizona State University to make an online undergraduate degree available at a steep discount to any of its 135,000 US employees who work at least 20 hours a week. The program underscores the predicament of many workers who earn low wages, don’t have much job security and often hold down more than one job.

After years of pressure from gay rights groups, President Obama plans to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the White House said Monday. While Obama lacks the authority to extend that protection to all Americans, the order being drafted by the White House would impact about 14 million workers whose employers or states currently do not ban workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals.

Tony Gwynn, the baseball Hall of Famer with a sweet left-handed swing who spent his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres and was one of the game’s greatest hitters, died Monday. Gwynn, a craftsman at the plate and winner of eight batting titles, was nicknamed “Mr. Padre” and was one of the most beloved athletes in San Diego.

Compiled from wire service reports

“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.

Compiled from wire service reports

“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.

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