Local
Dekalb commissioner contests allegations in sexual harassment lawsuit.
According to 11alive, Dekalb County Commissioner Gregory Adams denied allegations that he sexually harassed a county employee. The alleged victim, Ashlee Wright, filed the lawsuit with the county and the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit alleged that Adams made inappropriate comments to Wright verbally and through text messages. Adams also allegedly made repeated requests to have Wright send him images of her in a bikini. Wright originally worked for DeKalb County Commissioner Sharon Barnes-Sutton but in December she was hired by Adams to be his executive assistant. Wright has been placed on paid administrative leave.
National
U.S B-1 bombers are ready if Trump calls for their use
CNN reported that after President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. was prepared to take action if North Korea decided to fire its missiles, the president retweeted images of U.S. B-1 bombers currently stationed in Guam. The image came from a tweet made by U.S. Pacific Command which read: “B-1B Lancer #bombers on Guam stand ready to fulfill USFK’s #FightTonight mission if called upon to do so.” On Aug. 8 Trump warned North Korea that if it made anymore threats toward the United States, the communist state would “face fire and fury.” The B-1 bomber is considered a crucial component of the U.S long range bomber fleet; it also carries the largest conventional payload of any aircraft in the U.S Air Force. Six of these bombers are currently rotating through Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. This would be a significant aerial advantage if Trump were to order a military strike on North Korea. However, launching such a preemptive strike is considered to be a last resort for the U.S. according to analysts.
Global
Kenya has elected Kenyatta as its new president
The Associated Press reported that Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected as Kenya’s president on Aug. 11. However, the victory was contested by Kenyatta’s opponent, Raila Odinga, who said the election was rigged. Kenya’s election commissioner announced that Kenyatta one a second term with 54 percent in balloting that was deemed “credible, fair, and peaceful.” Too stave off potential protests from opposition supporters hundreds of riot police occupied the streets of Kenya’s capital Nairobi. The opposition supporters had called the outcome of the election a “charade” and that challenging the outcome in court was not on the table. Odinga’s claims about the election database being hacked and the results being manipulated against him were denounced by Kenya’s election commissioner. This election was regarded as a test of Kenya’s stability after the post election carnage that occurred 10 years earlier.
