Over 100 people arrested in apparently organized outbreak of looting and unrest

Amid ongoing violence and looting in Chicago, over 100 people were arrested Monday after 13 police officers were injured during a night of unrest, the Washington Examiner reports. In a statement, Police Superintendent David Brown said the unrest “was not an organized protest” but “an incident of pure criminality” that reportedly began after officers shot and wounded a 20-year-old man who had opened fire on them.

Six Arab ask United Nations to extend arms embargo on Iran

Six Arab Gulf countries sided with the US in sending a letter to the United Nations Saturday, asking for a continued arms embargo on Iran, the Washington Examiner reports. The embargo was scheduled to expire once the 2015 Iran deal comes into force.

Evangelical colleges cut over 230 staff positions due to financial concerns

Citing continuing financial concerns, evangelical colleges and universities around the country have canceled over 230 faculty and staff positions as they head into the fall semester, Christianity Today reports. More than 150 positions were eliminated in the spring and dozens more were cut over the summer.

Israel closes Gaza border crossing after spike in arson balloon attacks

Following waves of explosive balloons launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory over the last few days, Israel will shut the Gaza Strip’s Kerem Shalom commercial crossing beginning Tuesday morning “until further notice,” the Israeli military liaison to the Palestinians announced.

Powerful derecho with 100mph winds causes chaos across Midwest

A rare storm packing 100 mph winds and with power similar to an inland hurricane swept across the Midwest on Monday, blowing over trees, flipping vehicles, causing widespread property damage and leaving hundreds of thousands without power as it moved through Chicago and into Indiana and Michigan.

Lebanese Christians Suffering More Misery After Deadly Beirut Blast

The Beirut blast that killed 160 people adds to the suffering of Christians who already face food shortages and social unrest due to the coronavirus crisis, aid workers say. Their warnings came shortly before the government resigned Monday amid public outcry over the explosion, triggered by ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the Beirut port. 

California pastor holds services for 1,000 people in defiance of COVID-19 court order

Defying a California court order issued amid coronavirus concerns, the leader of Godspeak Calvary Chapel, Ventura County held indoor church services for around 1,000 people on Sunday, the Washington Examiner reports. Prior to holding the services, Pastor Rob McCoy described the county rules on indoor services as “draconian” and stated that no one in his church was infected with COVID-19.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) launches campaign for mass clemency as systemic response to racist incarceration

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is launching a years-long campaign for the clemency and release of 50,000 prisoners as a means to address “decades of racist, punitive, and degrading incarceration,” Fox News reported last week. “The Redemption Campaign” will be lobbying state governors to grant mass clemency to “older incarcerated people,” “people convicted of drug distribution and possession offenses,” “people incarcerated for technical probation or parole violations,” and people who would have received a lesser sentence if convicted under current laws.

End of July jobless rate remained high, although lower than forecast

Although the number of employment claims at the end of July was over 1 million for the 20th straight week, it was also the lowest number of new claims since the US was struck by COVID-19 in March, the Washington Examiner reports. The end of July saw 1.2 million claims when economists had forecast there would be 1.42 million.

Lebanon Government Resigns After Beirut Blast Kills 160 People

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced Monday that he and his government have resigned amid public outcry over a Beirut port explosion that killed 160 people. The August 4 blast also injured 6,000 men, women, and children and left hundreds of thousands of residents homeless.

Belarus President “Wins” Bloodstained Ballot

Election officials in Belarus say the county’s longtime President Alexander Lukashenko has won his sixth consecutive term, taking over 80 percent of the vote. Monday’s announcement followed a night of riots in which dozens of people were injured, and possibly one person was killed amid mounting anger over his perceived autocratic style.

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