Midday Roundup: Drone strike kills top ISIS commander

Losing ground. A U.S. drone strike in Mosul, Iraq, has killed a top Islamic State (ISIS) commander suspected of playing a major role in the 2012 attack on the U.S. outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. U.S. officials interviewed Ali Awni al-Harzi after he was arrested in Turkey, but he was freed in January. He was one of the top ISIS fundraisers and recruiters, specializing in finding suicide bombers. In another blow to ISIS, Kurdish-led forces in Syria captured one of the militant group’s bases and then retook a town deep in the heart of their territory. The latest advance brings the Western-allied forces to within 30 miles of Raqqa, the so-called Islamic State capital. But a spokesman for the Kurdish forces said they have no plans to move on the town at the moment. In a separate offensive, forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are gaining ground north of Palmyra, the historic city seized by the militants last month.

Cancer fight. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday he has been diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He will begin an 18-week chemotherapy regimen immediately, but does not plan to stop working. “They also tell me its gonna beat the hell out of me,” Hogan said. “Honestly, they say ‘You’re gonna go through hell and back again, but you’re gonna love it when you get back.’” Hogan, a Republican, took office in November after voters gave him a surprise victory over his Democratic opponent, Anthony Brown. He was widely praised for his handling of the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in April. Hogan told a crowd of supporters he plans to fight the cancer with all he’s got: “The odds I have of beating this are much, much better than the odds I had of beating Anthony Brown.”

Manhunt continues. Police in upstate New York found evidence of two escaped murderers at a remote cabin near the prison the men tunneled out of three weeks ago. Police would not say what evidence they found, but confirmed they sent it to a DNA lab for testing. Investigators discovered the cabin after one of its owners saw a man running from it when he drove up on an ATV. Police also have figured out how David Sweat and Richard Matt obtained the tools they used to cut through walls and a drainage pipe at the Clinton County Corrections Facility. Prison worker Joyce Mitchell smuggled the tools—a hacksaw, drill bits, a punch, and chisels—to the men hidden in packages of frozen meat. Mitchell, 51, admitted to helping them plan the details of their escape. In exchange, they were supposed to kill her husband, also a corrections officer. At the last minute, she got cold feet, staying home the day of the escape.

Eviction reprieve. International aid organization Save the Children will continue its work in Pakistan after a government official canceled orders for it to close all its offices in the country. The government ordered Save the Children to leave Pakistan on June 11, saying it had operated against the country’s “character and agenda” for years. Officials would not be more specific about what caused the problem. But Pakistani officials have looked askance at international aid organizations for decades, complaining they spread an un-Islamic ideology and spy on the country.

Justices speak. The Supreme Court handed down four rulings on Monday as it winds down its 2015 term. The first of those rulings could impact Americans’ right to privacy. In a split decision, the court struck down a Los Angeles law that allowed police to search hotel registries without a warrant. The court said the practice violates the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure because the law did not give hotel owners a chance to challenge the searches. Another ruling addressed the private property rights of Americans. In an 8-1 decision, the justices said the government must pay up when it takes a portion of a raisin farmer’s crop under a decades-old price control program. The Fifth Amendment’s takings clause requires the government to compensate property owners of both personal property and real property, a concept not previously fleshed out. Another split ruling made it easier for people awaiting trial but not yet convicted of anything to sue jailers. And a final 6-3 ruling says inventors of a Spider-Man toy whose patent expired can no longer collect royalty payments.

Ramping up. The United States is preparing to send more troops and weapons to Europe. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said America is beefing up its contribution to NATO’s rapid reaction force, in large part to keep Russia at bay. He said Moscow cannot be allowed to re-establish Soviet-era influence in Europe and elsewhere: “We do not seek cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But, make no mistake, we will defend our allies.” The U.S. military plans to ship special operations forces, intelligence and surveillance assets, missiles, and other weapons across the Atlantic. The Pentagon also could add aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, to NATO defenses.

WORLD Radio's Mary Reichard contributed to this report.