memeorandum: Detroit firefighter fired for bringing watermelon to station (Taryn Asher/WJBK-TV)

5:55 PM ET, October 8, 2017

Top Items:

Eli Watkins / CNN:

Pence leaves Colts game after protest during anthem — Washington (CNN)Vice President Mike Pence left a football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday after some players knelt during the National Anthem, saying he did not want to “dignify” the event.

Gregg Doyel / Indianapolis Star:

Vice President Mike Pence uses Colts for political purposes — INDIANAPOLIS - North Korea and its nukes can wait. The White House has declared war on the NFL. And on the First Amendment. — Two weeks after President Trump decreed that NFL players who kneel during the national anthem should be fired …

Discussion: Splinter and Mediaite

Cindy Boren / Washington Post:

Vice President Pence walks out of Colts game over 49ers' national anthem protests — The plan had been for Vice President Mike Pence to attend the Indianapolis Colts game at which Peyton Manning's number is to be retired, a gala celebration of the former Colts quarterback's contributions to Pence's home state.

Discussion: New York Times, Talking Points Memo, New York Post, Politico, Pro32: Head to Head, The Daily Caller, Hullabaloo, Political Wire, ProFootballTalk, Hit & Run, Washington Times, Mediaite, Vox, Instapundit, IJR, The Root and The Guardian

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Corker calls White House ‘an adult day care center’ in response to Trump's latest Twitter tirade — Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday called the White House “an adult day care center” after President Trump attacked him in a morning Twitter tirade.

Discussion: Daily Wire, Washington Monthly, Raw Story, Axios, Shareblue, RedState, ABC News, Vox, CNBC, 6, IJR, NBC News, NPR, The Guardian, WREG-TV, AOL, Politicus USA, Washington Free Beacon and Talking Points Memo

CNN:

Trump's claim that Corker ‘begged’ for endorsement is false, sources say — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's tweets Sunday morning claiming he denied Sen. Bob Corker's request for an endorsement are false, two sources familiar with the discussions said.

Discussion: The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, RedState, The Resurgent, Mashable, Hullabaloo, Raw Story, FOX6Now.com, Splinter, Politicus USA, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God., IJR, Mediaite and Eschaton

Politico:
Trump claims Corker 'didn't have the guts' to run for reelection

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Joe.My.God.

Associated Press:
The Latest: Corker aide says Trump asked senator to run

Discussion: Politico

Damian Paletta / Washington Post:
In a switch, GOP deserts its budget-cutting mantra

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Mother Jones and Political Wire

Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:

Kaepernick suggests report he would stand during anthem is a lie — NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick on Sunday appeared to dispute a report that he would stand during the national anthem if he was signed to an NFL team. — “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Discussion: RedState, Instapundit, Mediaite and Raw Story

Brandon Carter / The Hill:

Sports reporter claims Kaepernick would now stand for anthem if signed to NFL team — NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick reportedly told CBS that he would stand for the national anthem if signed to an NFL team. — CBS Sports's Jason La Canfora spent time with Kaepernick this week …

Discussion: RedState, ABC News, Fox News, Daily Wire, ProFootballTalk, TheBlaze, TMZ.com, Mediaite, FOX6Now.com, IJR and The Guardian

Associated Press: CBS Clarifies After Saying Kaepernick Would Stand for Anthem

New York Times:

Erik Prince, Blackwater Founder, Weighs Primary Challenge to Wyoming Republican — WASHINGTON — Erik Prince, the founder of the security contractor Blackwater, is seriously considering a Republican primary challenge for a Senate seat in Wyoming, potentially adding a high-profile contender …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post, National Review and Political Wire

Susan Svrluga / Washington Post:

‘We will keep coming back:’ Richard Spencer leads another torchlight march in Charlottesville — Richard Spencer, who in August led white nationalists and white supremacists in a torchlight march across the University of Virginia campus that touched off a weekend of deadly clashes, returned Saturday night to Charlottesville.

Discussion: New York Times, The Daily Caller, Splinter, Refinery29, Mashable, The Root, The Guardian, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, TheBlaze, Al Jazeera English, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, RedState and The Hill

Tyler Hawn / WRIC-TV:
Group of white nationalists hold torch-lit rally in Charlottesville

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

NRA on bump stocks: 'We don't believe bans ever worked on anything' — The executive director of the National Rifle Association (NRA) said on Sunday that the organization is open to “regulating differently” bump stocks on guns but not necessarily to banning the devices.

Discussion: Politico

Kailani Koenig / NBC News:
After Being Shot, Rep. Steve Scalise Still Opposes More Gun Control

Discussion: NBC News, USA Today, ThinkProgress and IJR

The Hill:
GOP leaders look to avoid a fight with base over guns

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Politico and Political Wire

Taryn Asher / WJBK-TV:

Detroit firefighter fired for bringing watermelon to station — DETROIT (WJBK) - Fired before he officially started. — Last Monday, 41-year-old Robert Pattison went to introduce himself to his fellow firefighters at Engine 55 at Joy and Southfield in Detroit.

Discussion: IJR and Blue Lives Matter

Rod Nordland / New York Times:

ISIS Fighters, Having Pledged to Fight or Die, Surrender en Masse — DIBIS, Iraq — The prisoners were taken to a waiting room in groups of four, and were told to stand facing the concrete wall, their noses almost touching it, their hands bound behind their backs.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Daily Wire

Dean Obeidallah / CNN:

Does Trump want a safe space from comedians? — Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio's daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show” and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Follow him @deanofcomedy. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

Discussion: IJR, TheBlaze and twitchy.com