MH17: President Obama this morning challenged Russia and its President Vladimir Putin to allow an investigation of the crash site of Malaysian airlines Flight 17, and the proper handling of bodies. In stern terms, Obama repeatedly referred to “Russian backed separatists” who control the area and said Russia has the influence to allow investigators into the area.

The president said, “The burden now is on Russia to insist that separatists stop tampering with the crash site.”

Ukraine says 272 bodies have been recovered from the crash site of the downed Malaysian Airlines jet, but pro-Russian rebels are still holding them in refrigerated rail cars. Dutch investigators were allowed to examine bodies yesterday, but there’s no word on when or how there will be a formal process of identification and release to home countries. There is still no formal investigation of the crash site inside rebel-held territory where Ukraine is pressing its assault to re-take the city of Donetsk.

Putin today blamed Ukraine for the shoot down of the passenger jet. “I can say with confidence that if on June 28 combat activities in eastern Ukraine had not been resumed,  this tragedy most likely would not have happened,” he said.

Gaza: Sunday was the deadliest day so far in the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with at least 100 Palestinians reported killed and 13 Israeli soldiers. Sixty Palestinians died in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza where Israeli fire rained down on civilians as well as Hamas fighters.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the attack on Shejaiya “an atrocious action.” With the number of Palestinians dead at about 500, President Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in three days to express his concern about the bloodshed. But in a televised address Netanyahu said, “We will continue to operate as long as necessary.” Secy. of State John Kerry is on the way to Cairo to discuss how Egypt might broker a peace.

No Nukes: Iran has converted all of its nearly bomb-grade uranium into a less dangerous form, according to the United Nations. The conversion was part of an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear weapons development and as a result the US says it will free $2.8 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Iran always said it was producing enriched uranium for nuclear power, not bombs.

Trouble in Tripoli: The international airport in Tripoli has been the site of a weeklong battle between rival Libyan militias fighting for control. At least 47 people were reported killed in the fighting just yesterday. It’s the worst fighting in Libya since the country’s ruler Muammar Gaddaffi was deposed in 2011.

Remember the Alamo: Texas Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce today that he wants to activate 1,000 members of the National Guard to bolster the border against an influx of illegal immigrants. The tough-talking Texan said in Iowa on Sunday, “If the federal government does not do its constitutional duty to secure the Southern border of the United States, the state of Texas will do it.” This is interesting on several levels. Perry was in Iowa, where politicians try to convince voters to nominate them for president. And he’s trying to handle the immigration problem by executive action, even though Republicans hate it when President Obama does that.

Snakes in a Lake: This sounds like a summer fright movie, but evidently it’s real. Authorities in New Jersey are looking for a big snake seen in and around Lake Hopatcong. It’s a big snake, a really big snake. It’s a 15-foot green anaconda. And despite what you might think of New Jersey, it’s not a native species. It could be worse, though. Anacondas grow to 30 feet.

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