Iraq Crisis:In the wake of US airstrikes yesterday, the Muslim fundamentalist ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a threat addressed to “America, the defender of the cross.” He said, “Soon enough, you will be in direct confrontation — forced to do so, God willing. And the sons of Islam have prepared themselves for this day. So wait, and we will be waiting, too.”

   The US used Navy jets and drones to hit artillery and mortar positions and a seven-vehicle ISIS convoy. A story in the NY Times says one of President Obama’s major motivations was to defend the US consulate in Erbil and avoid another mess like the sacking of the Benghazi consulate.

The military situation is so serious that the Iraqi government flew supplies of ammunition to the Kurdish Peshmerga, who defend a nearly separate portion of northern Iraq and are normally at odds with the central government.

The US and Iraq are trying to save the Yazidi, a population with ancient roots that are part Christian, part Muslim. They are sometimes confused as being Zoroastrian, which only increases the danger to their lives. ISIS considers them to be apostates and worthy of death, no matter what they are.

Ebola: With the death toll in the West Africa Ebola outbreak reaching toward 1,000, the World Health Organization has declared the epidemic a global public health emergency. The organization is urging global cooperation to fight the spread of the disease, which experts say can be controlled with proper procedures.

Sunday Sports: A federal judge has ruled that the NCAA ban against student athletes receiving royalties from use of their names, images, in videogames and game footage is an illegal restraint of trade. The ruling puts college stars on the path to professional status.

Lead plaintiff Ed O’Bannon, a retired pro who played basketball for UCLA, said that for him being a college athlete was an unpaid job. “I was an athlete masquerading as a student,” he said.

The NCAA and its member schools make billions off their athletes but argued that big time college football and basketball will lose popularity if the athletes themselves are paid. The judge said the ban violates antitrust law and the athletes must share in the revenue. It’s not a complete win for the athletes. Judge Claudia Wilken said the schools can’t pay less than $5,000 a year, but they can cap the maximum. Like, say, at $5,000 a year.

Nation: The death of former press secretary James Brady has been ruled a homicide 33 years after he was shot in the head during an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. The medical examiner in Northern Virginia did not give details of the exact cause of Brady’s death on Monday, but the ruling means prosecutors can bring murder charges against John Hinckley, who shot Brady, Reagan, and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy. The most seriously wounded of the three, Brady was left with partial paralysis and impaired speech.

Tats: The FDA has issued a warning that some tattoo inks can cause an infection. They can also leave you with a purple dragon on your neck and a tramp stamp when you are 50.

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