10 things you need to know today: August 28, 2016

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1. Trump blames media for his immigration policy confusion
2. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels seize villages from Kurdish-led forces
3. Trump uses murder of Dwyane Wade's cousin to claim black voters' support
4. ObamaCare exchange enrollment at less than half of projected levels
5. Clinton receives first national security briefing as nominee
6. Colombian government and FARC rebels to announce ceasefire Sunday
7. 17 migrant workers dead in Moscow warehouse fire
8. Pope Francis to visit Italy earthquake site as rescue efforts continue
9. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick raises controversy by refusing to stand for the national anthem
10. Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Rihanna to perform at Sunday's VMAs

last updated 28 August 2016

1. Trump blames media for his immigration policy confusion

The media "has missed the whole point on immigration" and distorts his remarks to create confusion about immigration policy, Republican Donald Trump said Saturday afternoon while speaking in Iowa. Trump's comments moved away from the softer tone he adopted in recent days, proposing a tracking system for visa recipients as well as the swift removal of "criminal, illegal immigrants" — phrasing which leaves unclear whether he is again proposing mass deportation of 11 million people. In an interview published Saturday, Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, said the candidate's variation on this issue is "a classic CEO process" and the final product will be "completely consistent" with Trump's previous statements.

Supported by Turkish airstrikes, Syrian rebels seized territory from Kurdish-led fighters in northern Syria on Sunday. The attacks killed at least 35 people, most of them civilians in the villages that changed hands. This offensive is part of a new escalation of Turkish involvement in neighboring Syria's conflict, intervention which includes fighting both the Islamic State and the Kurds. This dual opposition complicates matters for the United States, as Turkey is a NATO ally helping in the war on ISIS, and some anti-ISIS Syrian rebels are backed by the CIA — but the Kurdish forces Turkey is killing also oppose ISIS and are funded, armed, and trained by the Pentagon.

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Donald Trump cited the fatal shooting of Nykea Aldridge, cousin of Chicago Bulls shooting guard Dwyane Wade, as one reason black Americans will give him their votes. The mother of four was killed by stray gunfire Friday, and Trump tweeted, "Dwayne [sic] Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!" The candidate was roundly criticized for his comment Saturday, with actor Don Cheadle tweeting, "You are truly a POS."

Congressional Budget Office projections said 24 million people would purchase coverage through the ObamaCare insurance exchanges in 2016, but so far, only 11.1 million — 46 percent of the projected total — have done so. This low demand has contributed to several major insurers' decision to exit the ObamaCare marketplace, as participation cannot be profitable without a much bigger customer base. With fewer insurers involved, Americans who do use the exchanges will find their choices shrinking. In 2016, 7 percent of counties offered just one insurer through the ObamaCare market; in 2017, that figure may top 25 percent.

Democrat Hillary Clinton spent Saturday morning at an FBI office near her home in New York receiving her first classified briefing as a nominee for president. The two-hour meeting came about a week and a half after Republican Donald Trump received a similar intelligence update, attended by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Though such meetings have been used to prepare nominees for a smooth transition into office for more than half a century, opponents of both candidates this election cycle have questioned their respective fitness to receive such valuable information.

After more than half a century of conflict, the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will announce a ceasefire Sunday to take effect at midnight local time. The two sides signed a historic peace agreement after negotiations in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday, an accord Colombian voters will be able to approve or reject in an October referendum. The 52 years of fighting between FARC and the government in Bogotá have claimed an estimated 260,000 lives and caused millions more to leave their homes.

At least 17 Kyrgyz migrant workers were killed and four more injured Saturday when a printing warehouse in Moscow, Russia, caught fire. The victims are all believed to be young women who were trapped while putting on their work uniforms. "Most of them were in Moscow to earn money," said Abdygani Shakirov, who works at a local Kyrgyz community organization. "They were in the dressing room and were unable to get out. The smoke had blocked the exit."

Pope Francis said in his weekly address Sunday he intends to go to Amatrice, Italy, the town most affected by a devastating earthquake earlier this week. "Dear brothers and sisters, as soon as it is possible, I hope to come and visit you," he said, telling "those dear populations that the church shares their suffering." Rescue and clean-up efforts continue as local residents say 10 people are still missing. Emergency workers believe they may have found more bodies in a collapsed hotel, but for now the official death toll remains 290 people.

NFL star Colin Kaepernick sat while the national anthem played at a pre-season San Francisco 49ers game Friday evening, a protest of police shootings of African Americans which quickly raised controversy. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick said of his decision. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way." The quarterback's team released a statement supporting his right to free expression, while the NFL said, "Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem."

MTV's annual Video Music Awards ceremony begins Sunday night at 9 p.m. Eastern time and is expected to feature headline performances from Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Rihanna. Other artists on the docket include Nicki Minaj with Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas with Ty Dolla $ign, and Kanye West. Several members of the U.S. Olympic team, including swimmer Michael Phelps and gymnast Simone Biles, will be on hand to present awards. MTV will begin showing red carpet arrivals at 6:15 Eastern and start streaming online at 7 p.m.

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Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.