Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend
Pence leaves game after 49ers players kneel; Jerry Jones says he won't tolerate anthem protests from Cowboys
Vice President Pence said he left Sunday's Indianapolis Colts game after several players from the San Francisco 49ers chose to kneel during the national anthem. "I left today's Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem," Pence wrote in a tweet. At least 15 players from the 49ers were seen kneeling during the anthem. Pence has followed President Trump's lead by criticizing players who do not stand for the anthem and was not alone in addressing the issue Sunday. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Sunday night that he won't tolerate kneeling on his team. "If there is anything disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period," the influential owner said.
Trump and Corker talk trash
President Trump fired back at criticism from a Republican senator on Sunday, saying Sen. Bob Corker was a "negative voice" in the Senate. Trump's Sunday morning Twitter salvo followed weeks of increasing criticism of the president by Corker, who announced last week that he would not run for re-election in 2018. "Senator Bob Corker 'begged' me to endorse him for re-election in Tennessee. I said 'NO' and he dropped out (said he could not win without my endorsement)," Trump said in a series of tweets. "He also wanted to be secretary of State, I said 'NO THANKS.' He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran deal!" Corker fired back on Twitter: "It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning."
NRA speaks out on gun control legislation
The National Rifle Association said Sunday it opposes any legislation to ban the use of "bump stocks" on semi-automatic weapons — even as it has said some regulation may be necessary. On Sunday morning talk shows, the gun lobbying group said the Trump administration, not Congress, should take action on the devices. Bump stocks have taken center stage in the gun control debate after the Las Vegas shooter apparently used them last week to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic weapons mimicking machine guns. Allowing Congress to take action, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said, risks turning the bill into "some kind of Christmas tree" to advance other gun control measures.
'SNL' presents moving tribute
Country star Jason Aldean took the stage on Saturday Night Live to pay tribute to the victims of the Las Vegas massacre and to late rocker Tom Petty. Aldean performed I Won't Back Down by Petty, who died the day after the mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead. Aldean, who was onstage at the Route 91 Harvest musical festival as the shooting began, said, "This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history," the country artist said. "Like everyone, I'm struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal."
Harvey Weinstein out at The Weinstein Company as scandal persists
Fallout from the scandal surrounding allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein continued Sunday night, as the Hollywood exec was fired from the award-winning studio he helped create. The firing caps a tumultuous weekend for Weinstein. On Saturday, civil-rights attorney Lisa Bloom resigned as an adviser to the embattled movie producer. Bloom's exit came after Friday's announcement by the board of The Weinstein Company that they have hired an outside legal team to investigate the charges against him. New allegations against Weinstein surfaced late Friday when The Huffington Post published a graphic account from local TV reporter Lauren Sivan. A bombshell New York Times report broke the news that Weinstein, one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, had allegedly sexually harassed women for more than 30 years.
Far right's Richard Spencer returns to Charlottesville, tiki torch in hand
Far-right white nationalist Richard Spencer and his supporters convened Saturday night in downtown Charlottesville, Va., chanting “You will not replace us!” as they encircled a statue of Robert E. Lee with tiki torches. The rally appeared to draw about two dozen men in khaki pants and white shirts, according to social-media posts of people who attended or witnessed the event. The display had no sign of the violence that marked the Aug. 11-12 Unite the Right rally in the city that is home to the University of Virginia. Spencer headlined that rally, which left one woman dead during clashes with counter-protesters.
Danish divers find head, legs of missing Swedish journalist in weighted plastic bag
Police divers in Copenhagen discovered weighted plastic bags containing the head, legs and clothes of a Swedish journalist who went missing after taking a trip with an inventor aboard his homemade submarine, Danish police said Saturday. The body parts and clothing of 30-year-old Kim Wall were found in deep water a half mile from where her naked, headless torso was discovered in August. Wall, who had been working on a story about the 40-ton sub, was last seen alive aboard the vessel Aug. 10, more than a week before her torso was discovered. The submarine's inventor Peter Madsen had been charged with manslaughter in Wall's death, but told police Wall died accidentally when the vessel's 155-pound hatch fell on her head.
Nelly arrested on rape allegation, released without being charged
Rapper Nelly was booked and released without being charged Saturday following his arrest on rape allegations in Auburn, Wash. Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was booked Saturday after being arrested in his tour bus at a Walmart. According to the jail's inmate database, he was arrested on suspicion of second-degree rape, indicating force was used or the victim was incapable of consent due to being physically helpless, mentally incapacitated or developmentally disabled. In an email, attorney Scott Rosenblum told Paste BN, "Nelly is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation. Our initial investigation clearly establishes this allegation is devoid of credibility and is motivated by greed and vindictiveness."
Comedian Ralphie May dies
Comedian Ralphie May has died at 45, his representative, Stacey Pokluda, confirmed to USA TODAY. His body was found Friday morning at a private residence in Las Vegas, where he had a residency at Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Pokluda said May had performed there Thursday night after having had to cancel several dates to recover from pneumonia, which had plagued him for weeks. She noted his cause of death was cardiac arrest. (In the past two weeks, rock icon Tom Petty and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner both died as a result of cardiac arrest.)