Border: President Obama is asking for $2 billion to deal with the flood of illegal immigrants, many of them unaccompanied children, coming across the border in Texas. Since October, more than 52,000 children have been apprehended after crossing the border on their own.

The US doesn’t have the facilities to handle them. There’s only one family detention center, and it’s in Pennsylvania. Handling the children is even more difficult. Many of the immigrants are from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and are harder to return than people from Mexico.

The influx is being fed by a rumor circulating in Latin countries that America is granting “permiso”, permission to stay, to people caught illegally coming into America.

Nation: The suspect in the Benghazi attack grabbed by US Special Operations forces in Libya is now in Washington DC where he appeared in court under tight security yesterday. His lawyer entered a plea of not guilty. Ahmed Abu Khattala was flown by helicopter from the Navy Ship New York. The Administration describes him as a “key figure” in the fatal 2011 Benghazi consulate attack and plans to try him as a criminal. But some people intelligence officers want to question him, which would not be possible if he is treated as a criminal suspect.

Iraq: Government forces have met stiff resistance and are having trouble taking back the city of Tikrit, which was captured by Sunni militants June 11. The fighting has been described as heavy with large numbers of casualties on both sides. There was heavy shelling today. The army has also encountered improvised explosive devices laid in their path, slowing their advance.

Russia has jumped in to help, delivering five attack jets that could be sent into action within several days.

India Collapse: As many as 100 people are feared trapped in a building that collapsed in Chennai, in the far south of India. At least nine people were confirmed dead in the collapse of the 12-story building that was still under construction. Just hours before, a four-story building collapsed in Delhi, killing 10 people.

Well Oiled: British Petroleum wants to rake back millions of dollars in payments to a “vast number” of businesses in the wake of the Gulf oil spill. BP says the administrator in charge approved inflated claims. In its court filing Friday, BP said the payments were a “windfall” for many businesses. The company established a $20 billion trust fund to pay claims for damage and economic loss after the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

Taps: The bankrupt city of Detroit has turned off the spigot for thousands of residents who are $150 or more behind on their water bills. They’re trying to get their customers’ attention. Half the city’s 300,000 accounts are in arrears and the water department is owed $90 million. An office of the United Nations called it a human rights violation.

Net: Top-seeded Serena Williams was upset at Wimbledon by a relative unknown who won the match 3-1. Twenty-fifth ranked Alizé Cornet lost the first set then went on to take the next two. She’s made the round of 16. The French Cornet, 24, had never gotten past the third round at Wimbledon before. Williams handled it gracefully, walking off the court together with Cornet.

Hmmmm, Hmmmm: Harley Davidson has made an electric version of its famous “Hog” called the LiveWire. It runs on batteries, not gas, and whines rather than roars. Very responsible of Harley, but we can’t imagine Marlon Brando frightening a whole town on one of these.

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