NFL Chief Roger Goodell held a press conference Wednesday to address the ongoing political feud that has broken out as a result of players taking a knee during the national anthem, something President Trump has repeatedly condemned as disrespectful to the flag.
"We believe everyone should stand for the national anthem, that's an important part of our policy... We have about a half a dozen players that are protesting... We're going to continue to work to try to put that at zero. We're not afraid of the tough conversations. That's what we're having with our players."
The big picture: Goodell also said, "we're not looking to get into politics." That ship appears to have sailed.
One of Vice President Mike Pence's older brothers, Greg Pence, has filed paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service indicating he intends to run for the eastern Indiana congressional seat that Mike Pence filled for 12 years, per AP's Brian Slodysko.
Why it matters: In Indiana, and particularly among Indiana Republicans, it helps to be Mike Pence's brother. And as Slodysko points out, "he has a famous name, owns an antique business in the area and even bears a striking resemblance to his brother, with a close-cropped head of white hair."
President Trump insisted Wednesday that he never told the widow of a fallen soldier that her husband "knew what he signed up for," as Frederica Wilson, the Democratic congresswoman who was with the woman at the time of the call, claimed he did.
"I didn't say what that congresswoman said, I didn't say it at all... and I'd like her to make the statement again... I had a very nice conversation with the woman, the wife who sounded like a lovely woman."
Alexander-Murray health care bill: Trump walked back his previous signs of support for the bipartisan bill, instead stating that he thinks it's "fine" if the Senate can reach a bipartisan agreement, but he "won't do anything to enrich the insurance companies." The bill funds subsidies to insurers who cover low-income customers.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions explicitly denied that he'd been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of the federal government's investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election. During a heated exchange with Sen. Pat Leahy during a Justice Department oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions hesitated and hinted that he'd have to clear his answer with Mueller before his denial.
More on Sessions' interactions with Russians: Leahy also asked Sessions if he'd discussed a few different topics with any Russian officials since the start of the 2016 campaign: emails ("I don't recall"), Russian interference in the 2016 election ("No"), sanctions like the Magnitsky Act ("I don't believe I've ever had any discussion at any time about the Magnitsky Act"), and Trump's positions ("I think that's a possibility").
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) told CNN Wednesday that President Trump told the young widow of a U.S. serviceman killed in Niger, "Basically... he knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurt." Wilson, who said she overheard the conversation on speakerphone in the car, called Trump a "sick man" and said the family was "astonished."
Current and former police chiefs and leaders who are members of Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration sent a letter to President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions today urging them to "join the bipartisan effort for criminal justice reform, and align its policy agenda with that mission."
Why it matters: President Trump's support of law enforcement has been a key part of his campaign and presidency. Now he'll hear from law enforcement leaders, and even a few Republicans, who want to see reforms that many hard-line conservatives — such as AG Jeff Sessions — oppose.
"The Trump administration is planning an increase in federal immigration jails across the country for the thousands of additional undocumented immigrants its agents are arresting," USA Today's Alan Gomez reports in the paper's banner story:
"In recent weeks, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has put out requests to identify privately-run jail sites in Chicago, Detroit, St. Paul, Salt Lake City and southern Texas, according to notices published on a federal contracting website."
"It did not publicly announce its plans to house 4,000 more detainees at the facilities."
A federal judge in Hawaii has blocked President Trump's third attempt at implementing a travel ban, which was set to go into effect Wednesday.
What's next: The administration is almost certain to appeal, meaning the revised ban could again reach the U.S. Supreme Court. But for now, the block means the administration cannot deny travelers from six of the eight countries officials said were either unable or unwilling to provide the information the U.S. requested for entry.
President Trump's net worth has fallen by $600 million over the past year from $3.7 billion to $3.1 billion, according to Forbes' 400 list ranking the richest people in America. Trump, who last year was ranked as the 156th wealthiest person in the country, now falls to No. 248, tied with Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel and others.
"Most notable loser:" Forbes, which has tracked Trump's wealth since the list first debuted in 1982, called Trump this year's "most notable loser," and blamed his losses on "a tough New York real estate market...a costly lawsuit and an expensive presidential campaign."
After President Trump essentially goaded reporters into asking the question, a senior White House official told Axios that Chief of Staff John Kelly "did not receive a call" from Barack Obama after his son was killed in Afghanistan.
Be smart: Trump is doubling down on a claim that is well outside the bounds of normal political attacks, and now he's bringing his chief of staff into it. Even after all his previous attacks on Obama, this is new territory for Trump.
House Speaker Paul Ryan predicted to a Milwaukee radio station yesterday that the House will pass a tax rewrite by next month, and the Senate will approve it and send it to Trump's desk by December, The Hill reports.
Reality check: Republicans haven't introduced an actual bill yet, and Congress has a fairly full plate right now, from immigration to Iran to government funding for the rest of the year. There are 28 legislative days left in 2017.
The portion of Americans who think things are going well in the U.S. dropped from 53% in August to 46% in mid-October, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS between October 12-15.
Trump's approval rating is 37% now, the same as it was in late September (Gallup reports it was 37% between September 25-October 1). His disapproval rating is 57% now. 32% approve of the way Trump is dealing with Republicans in Congress.
The assertion Trump made in the Rose Garden yesterday claiming that "President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls" to the families of fallen soldiers was quickly refuted. Challenged in real time by NBC's Peter Alexander on how he could say Obama never called the families of fallen soldiers, Trump backtracked.
ABC's Jon Karl, on "World News Tonight," had rebuttals from aides to the last three presidents, shooting down Trump's false claims: "A spokesperson... said that President Obama engaged the families of the fallen and wounded warriors throughout his presidency through calls, letters, visits to Section 60 at Arlington, visits to Walter Reed, visits to Dover, and regular meetings with Gold Star families at the White House and across the country."
