The Roar keeps you updated with local news, recent events and interesting stories ― everything you need to know for this week.
1. A total solar eclipse will be visible Monday across the entire United States. Monday’s eclipse was the first total solar eclipse since 1918. The full eclipse will be visible across 14 states, while a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the contiguous US. The next total solar eclipse will not occur until April of 2024.
2. President Trump is expected to discuss military strategy in Afghanistan in a speech Monday night. The speech comes as the Pentagon and White House strategists, led by National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, work through a review of current strategy in the region.
3. Steve Bannon, former White House strategist, has reportedly returned to Breitbart News after being the latest member of President Trump’s administration to be ousted. Bannon’s removal comes after critics demanded that the President remove right-wing nationalist members of administration. That faction was reportedly led by Bannon.
4. Spanish authorities have determined that the attacks in Barcelona that killed at least 14 people were part of a more extensive plot by terrorists. The attackers were found to have ties to ISIS. Meanwhile, the search for the Moroccan driver who plowed into a crowd in Barcelona is still ongoing.
5. North Korea issued a statement Sunday that joint military exercises held by the United States and South Korea were “reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of nuclear war.” Despite the fact that these military drills occur annually, Pyongyang sees them as preparation for an invasion. In recent weeks, North Korea has made threats against the US territory of Guam, claiming that it is preparing a nuclear strike against the country.
6. Ten US Navy sailors have been declared missing after a Navy destroyer collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore early Monday. The USS John McCain collided with the merchant ship during a port visit in Singapore. Monday’s incident is the fourth accident in Asian waters involving a US warship.
7. Filmmaker and comedian Jerry Lewis died Sunday morning at age 91. Lewis gained popularity as one member of the comedy duo Martin and Lewis, which he formed with singer Dean Martin.
8. The Trump administration announced Friday that the US Cyber Command would be elevated to the level of Unified Combatant Command. This elevation puts the Cyber Command on par with nine other combat commands, and may lead to the Cyber Command’s separation from the NSA. The announcement is a long-awaited move by the administration that underscores the growing importance of cyber warfare.
9. Duke University has removed the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the campus chapel, after the statue was vandalized. Protesters around the country have demanded the removal of Confederate monuments and flags in public spaces, after last week’s protests in Charlottesville.
10. Tesla’s Elon Musk and Mustafa Suleyman of Google, along with 116 specialists from around the world, issued an open letter to the United Nations that called for a ban on the development and use of killer robots. The UN has already begun discussions on the use of autonomous weapons such as drones, tanks and machine guns.
