Police were called Monday to the Florida home of George Zimmerman, the man found not guilty this summer in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, and arrested him after his girlfriend claimed he pointed a shotgun at her. The sheriff’s office said Zimmerman was taken to the jail for booking and was charged with assault. Zimmerman was involved in a domestic dispute in September with his estranged wife, but police filed no charges because of a lack of evidence.

Sunday’s storms and tornadoes in the Midwest caused eight deaths, but officials Monday cited highly detailed weather predictions and widespread alerts as saving many more lives. The 16,000-person town of Washington, Ill., was hit particularly hard, but many families were in church when the storms hit. Daniel Bennett, who officiated the Sunday church service, said 600 to 700 people were at his service, and he stopped and ushered everyone to a safe place. Read full story.

Toronto’s City Council voted Monday to strip Mayor Rob Ford of many of his powers after several scandals involving crack cocaine, alcohol and harsh behavior with the media. The council voted to cut his budget by 60 percent, and he no longer has legislative power because he has been removed from chair of the executive committee. Ford, who reportedly knocked over a female council member during the heated debate, retains the title of mayor because he cannot be removed from office unless he is convicted of a crime.

Information is from the Associated Press

Contact Carrie Blazina at [email protected].