What to Know
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, owners of each team, representatives of the players' union and players themselves will meet Tuesday
- President Trump has raised the possibility of withdrawing his nomination of Republican Rep. Tom Marino to be the nation's drug czar
- The #MeToo campaign has exploded across social media, empowering women to come together and to share their harassment stories without shame
Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Goodell, Union, Players to Meet on Social Issues and Anthem
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, owners of each team, representatives of the players' union and players themselves will meet Tuesday to discuss ways to "move from protest to progress." Among the topics will be enhancing their platforms for speaking out on social issues, and the league's policy that suggests but does not mandate players standing for the national anthem. There is a quiet mandate, though, for those discussions: figuring out how to get the attention back on those social issues, not how they are being publicized. And getting the attention back on football. Goodell emphasized the need for productive dialogue among the owners and players when he sent a memo to the teams last week. He also invited players' union chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players to attend the regularly scheduled meetings.
As Crews Gain Ground, Some Fire Victims Return Home
With the winds dying down, fire crews gained ground as they battled the deadly wildfires that have devastated California wine country and other parts of the state over the past week, and thousands of people got the all-clear to return home. While the danger from the deadliest, most destructive cluster of blazes in California history was far from over, the smoky skies started to clear in some places. People were being allowed to go back home in areas no longer in harm's way, and the number of those under evacuation orders was down from nearly 100,000 to 40,000. Many began to take the first steps toward rebuilding their lives. The blazes have wiped out some 5,700 structures and been blamed for at least 40 deaths — 22 in Sonoma County, eight in Mendocino County, six in Napa County and four in Yuba County. A contract firefighter was also killed when the water tanker they were driving crashed in Napa County.
John McCain Warns of “Half-Baked” Nationalism During Speech
Local
When U.S. Sen. John McCain was a younger man, once or twice he was tasked with carrying Joe Biden's luggage. On Monday, after Biden, the former U.S. vice president, awarded McCain with the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal, McCain was sure to let everyone know he hadn't forgotten. "I've resented it ever since," McCain said on the lawn of the Philadelphia museum as he accepted the award for his lifetime of sacrifice and service to the country. Biden, along with a host of academics, politicians and business people, recalled McCain's more than two decades of military service, his time in a prisoner of war camp in Hanoi, Vietnam, and his long career as a statesman. But of all the accomplishments of the six-term Republican senator from Arizona, Biden quibbled with just one story.
Trump Raises Possibility of Withdrawing Drug Czar Nominee
President Trump has raised the possibility of withdrawing his nomination of Republican Rep. Tom Marino to be the nation's drug czar following reports that the lawmaker played a key role in passing a bill weakening federal authority to stop companies from distributing opioids. Trump told reporters at a Rose Garden news conference that he will look at reports by The Washington Post and CBS News "very closely," adding: "If I think it's 1 percent negative to doing what we want to do, I will make a change." The Post and CBS' "60 Minutes" reported on the 2016 law, which weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration's authority to stop companies from distributing opioids. Marino, in his fourth term representing northeastern Pennsylvania, played a key role in the law along with a handful of other Republicans. Trump called Marino "a good man," but said, somewhat ominously, "We're going to be looking into Tom." Democrats called on Trump to withdraw Marino's nomination.
#MeToo Sparks Viral Women's Movement Against Sexual Abuse
The #MeToo social media campaign has exploded across social media, empowering women to come together in solidarity and to share their stories of sexual abuse and harassment without shame. Actress Alyssa Milano posted a tweet and ignited the social media movement. Milano's "Charmed" co-star Rose McGowan is one of more than 40 women who have accused movie executive Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, abuse or rape. Weinstein has denied any allegations of non-consensual sex. According to Facebook, "4.7 million people around the world have engaged in the 'Me Too' conversation on Facebook in solidarity with victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment." In less than 24 hours, there were more than 500,000 tweets and more than 12 million Facebook posts, comments and reactions on content that included #MeToo. Also, more than 45 percent of people in the United States are friends with someone who has already made a "Me Too" post, according to Facebook.
