The scandal involves Evangelical Willow Creek Community Church founder Bill Hybels, who resigned four months ago amid misconduct accusations that dates back decades. The accusations include suggestive comments, hugs, unsolicited kissing and invitations to hotel rooms.
Pastor, elders at one of largest U.S. churches resign amid abuse scandal
Special prosecutor to probe possible forged signatures tied to Republican congressman’s campaign
It’s been a rough few weeks for Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA). Late in June, the first-term congressman from Virginia Beach was exposed for not having paid his local taxes — an error he blamed on being too “busy” to do so. Now, it appears his campaign may have been involved in a scheme to split the Democratic vote involving forged ballot signatures for an independent candidate.
Last week, WHRO reported that four staffers for Taylor had circulated ballot petitions for Shaun Brown, his 2016 opponent. Brown, whose fraud trial ended in a mistrial on Thursday, is attempting to run this year as an independent candidate. Eager to split the opposition, Taylor’s paid campaign staff helped collect at least 570 signatures to put her on the ballot (1,000 signatures are required for independent candidates in Virginia). Taylor told the Virginian Pilot that he did not “order” his staff to do take part in this underhanded, but not itself illegal stunt.
A Top Syrian Rocket Scientist Is Blown Up, and Fingers Point at Mossad
Aziz Asbar was one of Syria’s most important rocket scientists, bent on amassing an arsenal of precision-guided missiles that could be launched with pinpoint accuracy against Israeli cities hundreds of miles away.
He had free access to the highest levels of the Syrian and Iranian governments, and his own security detail. He led a top-secret weapons-development unit called Sector 4 and was hard at work building an underground weapons factory to replace one destroyed by Israel last year.
On Saturday, he was killed by a car bomb — apparently planted by Mossad, the Israeli spy agency.
Portland protests: Police use flashbangs at right-wing rally that drew counter-protesters
A right-wing rally in downtown Portland Saturday that drew a large group of counter-protesters and self-described anti-fascists led to a barrage of flashbangs being deployed in the crowd after rocks and bottles were thrown at police.
The at-first peaceful, right-wing Patriot Prayer rally quickly turned chaotic as the group began to march along the waterfront at Tom McCall park – the site of the rally. Counter-protesters followed the group but were separated by police.
Portland Police said the flashbangs were used to break up a group that they say threw rocks and bottles at officers dressed in riot gear who were patrolling to keep the protesters separated.
Several people were seen being detained by officers in the aftermath of the flashbangs.
North Korea working on new missiles, US officials say, despite thaw
North Korea appears to be building new ballistic missiles despite recent warming ties with the Trump administration and pledges to denuclearise, reports say.
Unnamed US officials told the Washington Post that spy satellites had spotted continuing activity at a site that has produced ballistic missiles.
Reuters quotes an official as saying it is unclear how far the work has gone.
Donald Trump met North Korea's Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June.
Two High-Ranking Catholic Clerics Resign Over Abuse-Related Allegations
Pope Francis on Monday accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted in criminal court of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest, taking action after coming under mounting pressure from ordinary Catholics, priests and even the Australian prime minister.
It was the second major announcement of a sex abuse-related resignation in as many days, after Francis’ dramatic sanctioning this weekend of a U.S. cardinal, suggesting he is keen to clean house before he heads to Dublin next month for a big Catholic family rally. The sex abuse scandal is likely to dominate the trip given Ireland’s devastating history with predator priests and the bishops who covered for them.
Supreme Court fight becomes battle for Kavanaugh’s papers
The Senate fight over documents related to President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court is boiling over.
Trump pick Brett Kavanaugh, a circuit judge since 2006 who previously worked for President George Bush’s administration and Kenneth Starr’s investigation, has a voluminous paper trail that lawmakers estimate tops a million pages.
Democrats want to see as many of those papers as they can, while Republicans seeking to confirm Kavanaugh before the midterm elections favor a narrower scope.
Battle lines are hardening, with senators trading accusations about whether a double standard is being applied to Kavanaugh, who if confirmed will shape the political leaning of the court for decades.
More...
DIY 3D-printed guns get go-ahead after Trump administration strikes court deal
From 1 August, thanks to the Trump administration, a commercially available software blueprint will allow people to make their own guns using ABS plastic resin and a 3D printer.
The green light came late last month, with a court settlement between the designer of the blueprint and the US state department. Gun rights advocates celebrated.
In a statement greeting the news, the Second Amendment Foundation founder and executive vice-president, Alan Gottlieb, said: “Not only is this a first amendment victory for free speech, it also is a devastating blow to the gun prohibition lobby.”
Defense Distributed, the company behind the blueprint, declared: “The age of the downloadable gun formally begins.”
Armed man in custody at Los Angeles Trader Joe's with people inside, police say
An armed man barricaded himself inside a Trader Joe's grocery store in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, prompting a massive police response with people still inside the store.
Here are the latest developments:
An unknown number of people are still inside the store in the Silver Lake neighborhood hours after the gunman ran inside, police said.
-- The suspect was pursued by police after a shooting and ran into the Trader Joe's when he crashed his car, police said.
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