Iraq: The US conducted more air strikes yesterday against the ISIS fighters in Iraq to try to prevent the takeover of an important dam on the Euphrates River. The Haditha dam is about 175 miles from Baghdad.

Ukraine: Artillery fire broke out outside the city of Donetsk today, following heavy shelling outside Mariupol yesterday. The ceasefire is holding on by its fingernails. Red Cross aid trucks bound for Luhansk turned back because of the shelling.

Fenced In: In a concession to Senate Democrats worried about holding control of the senate this fall, President Obama has delayed taking executive action on immigration reform. The president had previously said he would take action soon after the end of summer. But Obama and his advisors decided that taking action before the mid-term elections will mobilize angry Republicans and cost the Democrats control of the Senate.

Plaidland: The London Sunday Times reports that a recent poll gives Scottish independence a slight lead in a vote to be held Sept. 18. The poll gives the independence vote 51 percent, with the unionists at 49 percent. The unionists had a 22-point lead only a month ago.

Scotland has been joined with England for 307 years. If the independence vote wins, Scotland and Britain will have to sort out currency, national debt, and who controls North Sea oil, among a variety of messy issues.

Small Screen: NBC’s Chuck Todd makes his debut today as host of Meet the Press following the forced departure of David Gregory. MTP fell from first place to third among the Sunday political talkers while Gregory was in the chair. At 42, Todd is a child of the Internet who hopes his fast fingers and familiarity with social media will bring the show back to the top.

But it is a television show, not a tweet.

>ABC’s The View got two new co-hosts this week with the addition of actress Rosie Perez and Republican politico Nicolle Wallace. Perez tends to play the urban Spanish girl in television and movie roles. Wallace had the unenviable task of handling Sarah Palin for the McCain-Palin presidential campaign.

Texas: Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis reveals in her memoir to be published Tuesday that she had two abortions when she was younger. One was medically necessary and the other she had because the fetus showed signs of brain damage. Davis, a Democrat, came to national attention filibustering in the state senate to block a restrictive new abortion law. Davis trails her Republican opponent by about 12 points.

Big Business: China’s Internet commerce giant Alibaba is looking to raise $24.3 billion in a stock offering later this month, which would be the biggest lump ever raised in an initial public offering. Alibaba says it has 279 million active customers, many of whom use cellphones and tablets to buy stuff rather than desktop computers. Investors think that’s the future.

Court #1: Japan’s Kei Nishikori upset No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic at the US Open yesterday to become the first man from Asia to reach a grand slam singles tennis final. In a day of upsets, Marin Cilic of Croatia beat Switzerland’s Roger Federer, taking away his chance to win his 18^th Grand Slam.

Serena Williams plays Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark today in the women’s final.

Seating Pitch: After a spate of territorial fights on airliners, the 538 Blog reports that 41 percent of airline passengers think it’s rude for the person in front to lean back their seat. So lean back, enjoy the flight, but don’t relax.

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