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Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva is sole Steelers player to stand outside for national anthem

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva stands outside the tunnel alone during the national anthem.  (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Pittsburgh Steelers player Alejandro Villanueva stood tall on Sunday for the national anthem, even though his teammates were off the field and out of sight. 

The 6’9” former Army Ranger, one of the NFL's tallest players, stood outside with his hand over his heart for The Star-Spangled Banner before the game against the Chicago Bears.

The gesture came after President Donald Trump spoke Friday about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a b---- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.
NFL teams, players, and coaches have spoken about his comments. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had told CBS Sports the team wouldn’t take part in the national anthem “to remove ourselves from the circumstance.”
“People shouldn’t have to choose,” Tomlin said. “If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn’t be forced to choose sides.”

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva (78) blocks Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford (55) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

What do we know about Villanueva’s education and military career?
Villanueva, 29, played college football at West Point, graduating with a degree in systems engineering, according to the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed him in May 2014 before cutting him in August of that year.
During his military career, Villanueva served three tours in Afghanistan and became an Army Ranger, the team said. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star medal for overseas service and the Bronze Star medal for valor.
The Steelers website says Villanueva originally joined the practice squad in August 2014. His first NFL start took place in October 2015.
What has he said about controversial former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick?
“I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that’s providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year," Villanueva told ESPN in 2016. “It’s his decision. Obviously he has brought up the issue in a great way. But I think if he encourages other players or other people in the stands to sit down, it’s going to send the wrong message.”
“I will be the first one to hold hands with Colin Kaepernick and do something about the way minorities are being treated in the United States, the injustice that is happening with police brutality, the justice system, inequalities in pay,” the veteran told the outlet. “You can’t do it by looking away from the people that are trying to protect our freedom and our country.”

NASCAR Owners Issue Stern Warning After NFL Players Kneel

The "Star-Spangled Banner" was not protested by members of the NASCAR community during their Cup series race outside Concord, N.H. this weekend.
NASCAR icon Richard Petty, a former driver and current team owner, told the AP that he wouldn't accept any protest of our nation's colors.
"Anybody that won't stand up for the anthem ought to be out of the country," he said. "Period."
Additionally, longtime owner Richard Childress said that any driver or crew member protest will "get [them] a ride on a Greyhound bus."

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"Anybody that works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people gave our lives for it. This is America," Childress said.
An executive at Team Penske told USA Today that they currently have "no policy" on the issue because it has never come up for them.
To this day, most NASCAR races still start with an invocation from a local preacher, a rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and often a flyover from a local military installation.
However, fans are often unafraid to show their opinion of drivers or politicians during introductions, as Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.) was audibly booed by many fans at the recent night race at Richmond.
Both Petty and NASCAR CEO Brian France endorsed Trump in 2016.

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'Kaepernick, Where Are You Playing Today?': Rob O'Neill Rips NFL Anthem Kneelers
'Shame on All of You': Judge Jeanine Blasts Goodell, Anti-Trump Players

Trump approves updated travel restrictions on 8 countries, adding North Korea and Venezuela to list

President Trump on Sunday signed off on updated travel restrictions that would limit entry for people coming to the U.S. from eight countries, as the existing travel ban is set to expire.

The new travel restrictions, set to take effect Oct. 18, would slow or limit entry from citizens of North Korea, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. North Korea and Venezuela were not listed in the earlier ban.

Iraqi citizens do not face the same travel restrictions, but will "be subject to additional scrutiny to determine if they pose risks" to U.S. security, the White House said.
The new policy could complicate the Supreme Court's review of the order. The high court is scheduled to hear arguments over its legality on October 10.
Officials stressed that valid visas would not be revoked as a result of the proclamation. The order also permits, but doesn't guarantee, case-by-case waivers.
"As President, I must act to protect the security and interested of the United States and its people," the proclamation states. He later tweeted, "Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet."
The announcement comes the same day Trump’s temporary ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries is set to expire, 90 days after it went into effect.
The targeted countries are those that the Department of Homeland Security officials have said refuse to share information with the U.S., or haven't taken necessary security precautions.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, in a statement released Sunday, said the new travel restrictions "will protect Americans and allow DHS to better keep terrorists and criminals from entering our country. The restrictions announced are tough and tailored, and they sent a message to foreign governments that they must work with us to enhance security."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that Trump's proclamation is the president "carrying out his duty to protect the Ameican people."
Tillerson added: "The State Department will coordinate with other federal agencies to implement these measures in an orderly manner. We will continue to work closely with our allies and partners who share our commitment to national and global security."
The travel restrictions are based on a new baseline developed by DHS that includes factors such as whether countries issue electronic passports with biometric information and share information about travelers' terror-related and criminal histories. The U.S. then shared those benchmarks with every country in the world and gave them 50 days to comply.
The eight countries the restrictions target are those that refused or were unable to comply.
Following the terrorist attack in London last week, Trump tweeted: "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!"
Critics have accused Trump of overstepping his presidential authority and violating the Constitution's protections against religious bias. During his campaign, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

Milo protest was 'most expensive photo op' in UC Berkeley's history, says official

Conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos holds protest signs while speaking at the University of California in Berkeley, California, U.S., September 24, 2017. REUTERS/Noah Berger - RC1F9EBC0040

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it worth $800,000?

Officials at the University og California, Berkeley, said the brief appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos on campus Sunday cost the school $800,000 to ensure his safety.

Yiannopoulos appeared at the steps of the iconic Sproul Hall – the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech movement – after his highly anticipated Free Speech Week was abruptly cancelled.
The open-air event lasted less than an hour. Yiannopoulos spent the time taking pictures with fans, signing his new book and took part in did a National Anthem.
Attendees--including Yiannopoulos-- had to pass through metal detectors.
Dan Mogulof, a campus spokesman, dubbed the event “the most expensive photo op in the university’s history,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Police arrested at least 11, including four dressed in an all-black outfits commnly worn by the violent Antifa group, The Mercury News reported. One man wearing a “Make America Great again” was also detained.
This is the second time recently that the school had to spend six figures to ensure the safety of a conservative. Ben Shapiro appeared on campus two weeks ago and the school said it spent $600,000 at that event.
Shapiro at that time blamed the city’s radical Antifa agitators who were the reason UC Berkeley had to spend such money on safety. “Free speech isn't free. It costs over $600,000 thanks to Antifa,” he tweeted.
The Sunday protest was organized in response to the cancellation of the Free Speech Week, where both organizers and the university blamed each other for lack of commitment to ensure its happening.
The former Breitbart editor claims he was forced into cancelling the event, which was supposed to include speakers such as former White House advisor Steve Bannon and Ann Coulter, due to the university’s unreasonable requests and lack of support.
At a press conference on Saturday, Yiannopoulos accused the university of using bureaucratic tricks to derail the event, adding that UC Berkeley “had done everything in its power to crush” the Free Speech Week.
UC Berkeley, meanwhile, said Yiannopoulos and the student group that organized the event did not meet multiple deadlines to ensure the event occurs. He also dismissed the accusations that the institution tried to block the event, noting that they were prepared to spend vast amount of money to ensure the safety.
Yiannopoulos told Berkeleyside, a local publication, that he plans to return to campus, every year if he finds that necessary. He added that he hopes to reschedule speeches by Bannon and Coulter.