Truth: Republican inquisitors wore out their knuckles on Hillary Clinton yesterday during 11-hours of questioning about the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Clinton remained smiling and calm throughout while Democrat and Republican committee members turned on each other in heated arguments.

After a long opening statement in which committee chair Trey Gowdy lectured that the investigation is seeking “the truth,” Clinton shot back in her opening saying, “We need leadership at home to match our leadership abroad. Leadership that puts national security ahead of ideology.”

The Republicans have been accused of running the Benghazi committee with the aim of damaging Clinton’s chances for the presidency.

The primary question is why Clinton’s State Department ignored requests to beef up security at the Benghazi consulate, but little new information was revealed. Basically they bungled it and Clinton said she takes responsibility, while being slippery about the details of what happened.

But she said about the attack in which four Americans died, including the ambassador to Libya, “I would imagine I’ve thought more about what happened than all of you put together. I’ve lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been racking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done.”

The questioning went on so long that the Republicans became political bullies and Clinton came out looking like the one thing they don’t want; a woman with presidential mettle.

Permawar: An American soldier was killed in Iraq in a joint Kurdish/American commando raid that freed 70 prisoners held by the Islamic State. The identity and unit of the American has not been revealed.

It is the first US combat death and confirmation of American involvement in actual fighting since President Obama sent troops back to Iraq last year. American helicopters were used to fly Kurdish commandos and Special Operations forces joined them in what was described as a supporting role. But the Anericans joined the fight when the Kurdish commandos were pinned down by the ISIS forces. About two dozen ISIS fighters were killed in the operation.

World: The collision of a bus and a truck in southwestern France has killed at least 40 retirees in that country’s worst motor vehicle accident since 1982. The bus burst into flames after colliding with a logging truck along a dangerous curve on a country road.

Weather Report: A category 5 hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight along Mexico’s west coast in an area that includes the resort town of Puerto Vallarta. The storm has been declared “potentially catastrophic.” Winds could peak at 165 mph and heavy rain is expected to cause flash floods and mudslides. The storm is being fed by some of the highest water temperatures in the Western Hemisphere, 86 degrees.

Mr. Speaker: Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan declared himself a candidate for Speaker of the House yesterday in a letter to fellow Republicans saying, “We are not solving the country’s problems; we are only adding to them.” The 45-year-old chair of the House Ways and Means Committee is expected to be elected Speaker next week. In his letter he said, “We have an opportunity to turn the page, to start with a clean slate, and to rebuild what has been lost.”

Golden Arches: McDonald’s stock is up after a rise in quarterly growth for the first time in the past two years. The company attributes higher sales to the return of Chinese customers after a tainted meat scandal and the popularity of the new Premium Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Deluxe sandwich here in the US. We apologize for mentioning this at breakfast.