Here's the latest round-up of what we've been reading and watching this week, from the news and around the web:

Meet the veterans who are stepping up to help in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey:  Combined Arms, a network of veterans organizations based in Houston, Texas, is leading the effort to provide sustained volunteer opportunities to Houston-area military veterans who want to assist with relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey. 

When a recent Huffington Post op-ed drew a connection between military service and racism in response to the violence in Charlottesville, VA, that did not sit well with many. In response, a Marine Corps veteran warns against generalizing all veterans: “Condemning the military for radicalization without good cause unjustly isolates the military, and veterans, from the society they serve.”

As summer wraps up, Ghazweh Aljabooli, her husband and five children are settling into their new home as the first refugees from Syria’s ongoing civil war to resettle in Iowa. This photo story reveals how the family spent their first American summer.

Refugee Spotlight of the week: We were inspired by the story of Houston refugees Ghada Bayati, Basel Mousslly, Mohammad Pechwal, Nisar Ahmad Momand, and Dayana Halawo, who have been helping their fellow community members amid the devastation in Houston. “These people welcome us here in the United States and these people accept us here in the United States, and we feel proud that we helped someone,” said Nisar. “As a human, we help them.”