Good morning! Here are some of the stories we’re reading as we ready ourselves to tackle the new week…

Ominous –> This morning, the Iraqi president nominated a candidate, Haider al-Adabi, to replace Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. But Maliki remained defiant, threatening legal action, as soldiers and tanks — at least some loyal to Maliki — took up positions around Baghdad. Tim Arango, Alissa Rubin and Michael Gordon report for The New York Times. MEANWHILE: With the assistance of US airstrikes, Kurdish fighters have retaken several towns from the Islamic State, and hundreds of Yazidi refugees have escaped their mountaintop refuge — though thousands remain. Matthew Weaver reports for The Guardian. ALSO: Former ambassador Peter Galbraith explains “the Obama Doctrine” at HuffPo.

Outrage –> What started as a peaceful protest over the police shooting of a young, unarmed black man in Ferguson, Missouri, on Sunday reportedly devolved into vandalism and looting.

“It’s a total disempowering of African Americans” –> At TNR, Jason Zengerle argues that the Republican wave of 2010 effectively brought an end to the civil rights era in the South. ALSO: The Nation’s Ari Berman reports that North Carolina’s new restrictions on voting will be in effect this November after a federal judge refused to block their implementation pending a full trial.

Holding –> A new three-day ceasefire began this morning in Gaza, as efforts continue to reach a longer-term agreement to halt the bloodshed. The BBC has the latest.

“Corridor of Shame” –> Kimberly Johnson reports for AJA that a verdict will finally come down in a lawsuit, first filed in 1993, charging that South Carolina fails to provide minimal education in part of the state that is overwhelmingly black and poor.

Worse that we thought? –> A new study suggests that completion of the Keystone XL pipeline could result in over four times as much greenhouse gas emissions as the State Department’s study estimated. Adam Howard reports for MSNBC.

Policing the police –> At MoJo, Jason Fagone looks at a Florida pilot program in which former detectives help poor defendants who claim to have been abused by police.

Educating a libertarian –> At Salon, James Goodman, a high school math teacher, looks at how Rand Paul’s “libertarian fantasies” about education diverge from the reality of our  school system.

Yeah, it’s torture –> So says the European Court of Justice of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Sharon Adams reports for Truthout.

Abundant –> Scientists say less polluted bays and rivers probably explain why great white sharks and humpback whales “are surging in numbers in the waters around New York City this summer.” Joanna Walters reports for The Guardian.