More Troops To Afghanistan • Best Eclipse Pictures • Columbus Statue Destroyed: Patch Morning Briefing

Good morning! It's Tuesday, and we're all still recovering from the eclipse excitement extravaganza. Here's what you need to know to start your day.

Trump Stays The Course In Afghanistan, With Additional Troops To Come

In a departure from his campaign stance against deeper involvement in foreign conflicts, President Trump is committing to continued American military operations in the Afghanistan War, as he announced in a Monday night address. The president assured the American people that this move was not a grand overseas venture, but a strategic effort to advance U.S. interests abroad. Though he intentionally avoided discussing specific policies or points of strategy in the speech, the Pentagon has been pushing for 4,000 more troops in the region, and Trump is expected to authorize this plan. (Patch)

The Best Solar Eclipse 2017 Photos From Coast To Coast

While many are already looking forward to the next eclipse in the United States in 2024, the 2017 total solar eclipse captured our hearts as the sun dipped behind the moon in a way that it had not since 1918. In our humble opinion, though, the huge crowds of people who gathered to celebrate the occasion were every bit as impressive as the eclipse itself. From homemade viewing contraptions to huge parks bulging with people and even some pets sporting protective eye gear, here are some of our favorite eclipse moments around the U.S. (Patch)

Oldest Christopher Columbus Monument In U.S. Destroyed With Sledgehammer

A centuries-old monument in honor of Christopher Columbus crumbled in Baltimore with several swings of a sledgehammer. Authorities are asking for tips after the suspects who destroyed the obelisk posted a YouTube video showing the crime in progress. Police said that in addition to the sledgehammer-wielding individual, two others were at the scene — one filming, another holding a sign. (Patch)

Quick Hits

How To Know If Solar Eclipse Damaged Your Eyes (Patch)

Back-To-School Worries: Bullying Top Concern For 1 In 3 Parents (Patch)

Paul Ryan: Heather Heyer's Death Was 'Domestic Terrorism' (Patch)

Mom Confronts Her Child's Would-Be Kidnapper: Police (Patch)

Barcelona Van Attack: Police Shoot, Kill Suspected Driver

Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, was the subject of an international manhunt that heightened fears throughout the region after Thursday's attack. (Patch)

Olympian Aly Raisman: Scandal-Marred USA Gymnastics Needs Sweeping Change

Six-time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman calls former team physician Larry Nassar "a monster" and says USA Gymnastics tried to cover up scandal. (Patch)

Johnson & Johnson Must Pay $417M In Talcum Powder-Cancer Case

The verdict against Johnson & Johnson is the largest yet in a string of suits alleging the company failed to warn consumers of risks. (Patch)

Teen Who Stabbed Classmate 19 Times To Impress 'Slender Man' Takes Plea

One of the two teenagers accused of stabbing a classmate 19 times to impress the fictitious online character "Slender Man" takes plea deal. (Patch)

President Trump Looks Up Directly At Solar Eclipse

Ignoring warnings from experts, Trump looked directly at the sun while with his wife Melania at the White House on Monday. (Patch)

This Day In History

1971 — Twenty of the Camden 28, a group of Catholic opponents to the Vietnam War, are arrested

2003 — Following his refusal to enforce a public display of the 10 Commandments, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, currently one of the state's Senate candidates, is suspended from the bench

Famous Birthdays

1915 — James Fillier, a Canadian-American scientist who helped invent the electron microscope

1950 — Scooter Libby, the chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney who was indicted on obstruction of justice charges for the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity

Photo credit: Lisa Finn, Patch Staff