Midday Roundup: Obama admits Clinton made mistake with email server

Kinda guilty. In an interview that aired on 60 Minutes last night, President Barack Obama said Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state was a mistake, but not a risk to national security. “I think she’d be the first to acknowledge that maybe she could have handled the original decision better and the disclosures more quickly,” Obama said, adding that the controversy had been “ginned up” by Republicans. Obama also took a swipe at Donald Trump, front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, calling him a classic reality TV character. But, Obama said, “He has tapped into something that exists in the Republican Party that’s real. … I think there is genuine anti-immigrant sentiment in the large portion of at least Republican primary voters.”

Sham justice. Iranian television has reported that Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian has been convicted in Iran, where he has been imprisoned for more than a year. Rezaian, who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Iran, underwent a secret trial on four charges related to espionage, though it’s unclear of which charges he was found guilty. The Iranian Revolutionary Court did not allow Rezaian’s mother and wife to attend the trial, nor was he allowed to present witnesses in his defense, the Post reported. The charges could carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.

Still standing. A sign that says “God bless the military” will remain in place at a U.S. Marine base in Hawaii despite a request it be removed. The request came from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, led by Mikey Weinstein. Commander Col. Sean C. Killeen said no service members have complained about the sign, which was erected after 9/11. But Weinstein said workers on base are afraid to request the sign’s removal. He argued the sign amounted to state support for a particular religion and asked the Marines either to remove it or put up other religious signs with slogans such as “Goddess bless.”

Run, Ryan. With House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., bowing out of the race to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Republicans are pressing Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to take the gavel. Late last month, Ryan said he was not interested in running for speaker. But many on Capitol Hill now see the former vice-presidential nominee as the best bet to unite House Republicans, and they’re urging him to reconsider. “My hope is he comes back to Washington, D.C., next week and says, ‘I’m ready to take on the speakership job,’” Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Calif., said.

Prime suspect. Turkey’s prime minister said the government suspects Islamic State (ISIS) is responsible for a deadly bombing at a peace rally in the city of Ankara. Protesters at the rally called for resolution of the conflict between the Turkish government and a Kurdish worker’s party. Turkey has supported U.S. airstrikes on ISIS in neighboring Syria. “We investigate Daesh [ISIS] as our No. 1 priority. There [has] been good progress toward identifying a name. That name points to an organization,” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

WORLD Radio’s Kent Covington contributed to this report.