10 things you need to know today: September 20, 2014

1. NFL admits mistakes, vows to implement new disciplinary policy

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday announced the league would craft a new disciplinary policy to offer "clear, consistent, and current" guidelines for punishing domestic abuse and other crimes in the wake of a series of scandals that have rocked the NFL. "I let myself down," he said. "I let everyone down. And for that I'm sorry." Hours after Goodell's press conference, ESPN's Outside the Lines published an explosive report suggesting the league and the Baltimore Ravens tried to cover up Ray Rices's domestic abuse case, and that both parties engaged in a massive campaign of "misinformation and misdirection."

The New York Times ESPN

2. Turkey frees 49 hostages captured by ISIS

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday that 49 hostages captured by the Islamic militant group ISIS had been freed. It was not immediately clear how Turkey secured their release, though Davutoglu said they were "handed over" and then returned to Turkish soil. ISIS abducted the captives during a June raid on the Turkish Consulate in Mosul, Iraq.

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CNN The Guardian

3. Alibaba sets record-breaking IPO

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group raised a record-breaking $21.8 billion Friday in the most highly-anticipated initial public offering in recent memory. Initially priced at $68, shares skyrocketed 38 percent to $93.89 in one day, raising the company's market value to $231.4 billion.

Bloomberg Reuters

4. France launches first airstrikes against ISIS

France on Friday launched its first airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, becoming the first foreign country to join the U.S. in attacking the militant group. French jets "entirely destroyed" a depot containing fuel, weapons, and vehicles, the country said. The strikes came as President Obama prepared to authorize U.S. airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

The Guardian NBC

5. Pope Francis names moderate bishop to head Chicago Archdiocese

Pope Francis on Saturday will name Bishop Blase Cupich, of Spokane, Washington, to be the next archbishop of the Chicago Archdiocese. Cupich, considered to be part of the church's progressive wing, will replace the more conservative Cardinal Francis George. It is the Pope's most high-profile appointment in the U.S. to date.

The Washington Post Chicago Tribune

6. White House evacuated after man jumps fence

The White House was temporarily evacuated Friday evening after a man scaled a perimeter fence and dashed across the lawn, barely making his way into the building before security tackled him. President Obama and his family had departed the White House minutes before, though security personnel with guns drawn ushered staffers and journalists out of the building. The Texas man who breached security, identified by Secret Service as Omar J. Gonzalez, was taken to a nearby hospital after complaining of chest pain.

The Washington Post Politico

7. Ex-Connecticut governor convicted in corruption case

Former Connecticut Governor John Rowland was convicted Friday on seven federal corruption charges for conspiring to hide payments from two congressional campaigns. Rowland was accused of illegally classifying payments from one campaign as unrelated business consulting fees, and of trying to strike a similar deal with another candidate, who declined his services. Once considered a potential vice presidential candidate, Rowland resigned in 2004 and later served less than a year in prison for a separate corruption scandal.

The Associated Press The New York Times

8. CDC: Ebola could infect 500,000 by next February

West Africa's Ebola epidemic could result in a staggering half-million cases of infection by the end of January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimate comes from an ongoing report to be released next week, so the final tally could change. President Obama last week announced the U.S. would spend $750 million and send up to 3,000 troops to contain the virus' spread.

The Washington Post

9. iPhone 6 sales begin in U.S.

Eager consumers waited in line for hours — or in some cases, days — to be among the first to snag Apple's latest gizmos, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, when they went on sale Friday. Some stores quickly sold out of the new phones, and analysts estimate the company will sell up to 15 million of the devices over the weekend. Pre-order sales, which opened last Friday, set a single day record with four million sales in 24 hours.

Bloomberg USA Today

10. New Queen album to feature Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson duet

A forthcoming compilation album from legendary rock band Queen will include a song featuring vocals by Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. The band began working on the song, There Must Be More to Life Than This, 33 years ago, but never finished it. The album, Queen Forever, is set to be released November 11th.

Rolling Stone