Iraq Crisis: TheUS has dropped 500-pound bombs on Sunni militant positions outside Erbil to stop ISIS forces from threatening American diplomats and military advisers and to protect a population of Christians that could be the target of genocide.

  Navy jets hit artillery that was shelling Kurdish forces. Transport planes dropped food and water to thousands of Christians who took refuge on a mountain after ISIS told them they must convert to Islam or die. Some of them were already beginning to die in the heat.

  President Obama said last night he had to respond to the Iraqi government’s call for help, but he would not re-enter the war and “there’s no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq.” 

  ISIS has consolidated control of Iraq’s largest dam outside Mosul and carved out chunks of both Iraq and Syria to establish an Islamic “Caliphate.” In a brutal campaign, ISIS has slaughtered its way through Iraq, even crucifying eight of its own fighters who were considered too moderate. It’s a 7^th Century religious fanatic army with a Twitter feed.

It’s On Again: Hamas started firing rockets today just one minute after the expiration of a 72-hour ceasefire and Israel hit back. Israel pulled its delegation from peace talks in Cairo.

Professional Sports: The NCAA approved relaxed rules yesterday that might thwart efforts to professionalize big time college sports or actually speed them up. The new rules allow the five richest athletic conferences and their 65 universities to enrich scholarships, feed the athletes, improve healthcare, and allow players to consult with agents.

  The theory is that if you give them a little they won’t ask for a lot.

  Some athletes have pushed for a more professional status because the universities profit from their performances and the use of their image, just like the pros. A few athletes have said they don’t have enough money to eat during the off-season while the coaches make millions and the universities build athletic palaces.

  While new rules are intended to defuse the push for professional status, they could also be interpreted as establishing the principle of payment for athletic performance. If 75 universities disapprove in the next 60 days, the NCAA will have to reconsider.

Over and Out: Montana’s Democratic Sen. John Walsh has pulled out of the race for re-election after allegations that he plagiarized a paper at the Army War College crippled his chances. The former Army officer has served only since February when Sen. Max Baucus was made US Ambassador to China. Walsh said he will finish his term serving the people of Montana, blah, blah, blah, but his exit increases the likelihood he will be replaced by a Republican as they try to wrest control of the Senate

Shotgun News: A suburban Detroit man who claimed self-defense after killing an unarmed drunk woman on his front porch has been convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter. After crashing her car a half-mile away Renisha McBride, knocked on the front door of Theodore Wafer. But instead of helping her, he blasted her with his shotgun. Wafer, 55, said he was frightened by the pounding on his door and ‘‘I wasn’t going to cower in my house.’’ He faces up to life in prison.

Aloha: Tropical storm Iselle is lashing Hawaii’s big island with high winds and heavy rains. It’s expected to hit the other islands later today.

Transformers: Scientists have created a self-assembling paper robot that starts out flat then folds itself into a body with legs and walks away. The battery-powered robot relies upon Shrinky Dinks, plastic sheets sold as a toy that shrink when heated. The idea was based in part on the intricate Japanese art of paper folding known as Origami. From this simple robot, scientists hope to create more complex machines that can be packed flat then assembled without human help. It’s headed for the planets, and probably the movies.

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