1. NFL anthem protest decision

2. NFL players must stand during the National Anthem this season, team owners decided Wednesday. Players will have the option of staying in the locker room during the anthem, otherwise they'll have to stand "and show respect" on the field. Fines and penalties await teams whose personnel take a knee. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during a news conference at the meeting in Atlanta that teams whose players and personnel do not stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem will be fined by the league. Each team may develop its own work rules regarding players or personnel who do not comply with the policy, which could include fines. Goodell said that the vote by team owners was unanimous. However, at least one team abstained. "We want people to be respectful to the National Anthem," Goodell said for his reasoning. "We want people to stand and make sure that they treat this moment in a respectful fashion that's something I think we owe. We've been very sensitive in making sure that we give players choices, but we do believe that that moment is an important moment and one that we are going to focus on.” In recent months, the league has worked toward a reported $90 million social justice partnership with the Players Coalition, using the NFL's platform to highlight players' efforts to curb injustice and to use political connections to push for legislative change.

3. In Other News
Ireland holds a monumental referendum tomorrow. The Catholic-majority country will vote on whether to repeal its abortion laws, which are some of the most restrictive in Europe. Ireland's abortion laws are drawn from the Eighth Amendment to the country's constitution, which places the right to life of an unborn child on equal footing with the right to life of the mother. If a majority of people vote yes on the referendum, Ireland is expected to enact legislation that would allow abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Hurricane season doesn't officially start until next Friday, but a tropical system is already forming in the Gulf of Mexico. It's expected to bring rain from Louisiana to North Carolina all through the holiday weekend. The National Hurricane Center forecast for the upcoming season comes out today. Some are predicting a busy one.