The Starting Point is a snapshot of the news stories that occurred overnight. Look for updates throughout the day on Yahoo! News and in the news box on Yahoo.com.
Top story overnight: Iran’s Supreme Leader announced today that the government will not give in to pressure over the disputed presidential election, The Associated Press reported. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and his many supporters claim that hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the June 12 election through massive fraud, and want to hold a new election. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei effectively closed the door to any sort of compromise with the opposition, saying “neither the system nor the people will give in to pressures at any price.” During a press conference yesterday, President Barack Obama condemned Iran’s violent crackdown on opposition protesters, calling the threats, beatings and arrests “unjust.”
In other news: Afghan and coalition forces killed 23 suspected Taliban militants during clashes in southern Afghanistan. According to The AP, Mullah Ismail, a Taliban commander in the region, was among those killed in the battle.
Former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett died from an accidental drug overdose, a coroner ruled yesterday. Toxicology tests showed the 45-year-old musician took an overdose of fentanyl on May 24, The AP reported. While several companies have recalled fentanyl patches for leaking and causing possible overdoses, there was no indication that Bennett had used a recalled patch.
Finally, Conan O’Brien paid tribute to the late Ed McMahon on “The Tonight Show” last night. McMahon played second banana to former “Tonight” host Johnny Carson for 30 years. McMahon died early Tuesday at the age of 86. Click here to watch O’Brien’s farewell.
Most-read stories overnight: “View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is being sued for plagiarism. Cape Cod author Susan Hassett claims Hasselbeck published word-for-word regurgitations of her book “Living With Celiac Disease” in the bestseller “The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide.” Hasselbeck called the allegations baseless.
Readers were also interested in this AP story about a hoarding incident. An animal control officer in New Mexico found 334 bunnies living in one couple’s yard. Nancy Haseman said she and her husband began rescuing unwanted rabbits, and the situation just got “out of control.” Haseman was cited under a local ordinance that allows just five pets per household.
Looking ahead: President Obama will meet with a bipartisan group of governors and hold a town hall meeting today on health care issues. And Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, will urge lawmakers to set up a new government agency to protect consumers from “tricks and traps” set by banks.
Today’s poll: June 24 is World UFO Day. Do you believe there are alien civilizations living on other planets? Click here to vote.
Yesterday’s poll: Should the U.S. government acknowledge Ahmadinejad as the winner of the election? Sixty percent of respondents said the U.S. must remain neutral until Iran solves this political crisis. Twenty-seven percent said the U.S. should actively support the opposition, and 8 percent said the U.S. should acknowledge Ahmadinejad’s disputed win.
Today in history: In 1807, a grand jury indicted former Vice President Aaron Burr on charges of treason and high misdemeanor. He was later acquitted.
Birthdays: Actress Minka Kelly, 29. Actress Sherry Stringfield, 42. Musician Curt Smith (Tears for Fears), 48. Singer Astro (UB40), 52. Musician John Illsley (Dire Straits), 60. Actor Peter Weller, 62. Musician Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), 62. Former N.Y. Governor George Pataki, 64. Musician Jeff Beck, 65. Actress Michele Lee, 67. Actor Al Molinaro, 90.