Hillary Clinton received her first national security briefing Saturday as the Democratic presidential nominee, meeting with intelligence officials for an overview of the major threats facing the nation around the globe.

Clinton attended the briefing for more than two hours at the FBI office in White Plains, New York, near her suburban New York City home. Republican Donald Trump received his briefing earlier this month, a customary move for major party nominees, but one that has been the subject of a political tussle during the campaign.

Trump was campaigning on Saturday in Iowa, headlining Republican Sen. Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride" fundraiser at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The celebrity businessman was not planning to join the 42-mile motorcycle ride that is part of the event but bringing his campaign to a state where polls show a tight contest, a rare bright spot for Trump amid a sea of challenging battleground states.

The activities capped a week that saw some of the harshest exchanges between the two presidential rivals, with Clinton asserting in an MSNBC interview on Friday that Trump's campaign was built on "prejudice and paranoia" and he had catered to a radical fringe of the Republican Party. Trump, who is trying to win over moderate voters and minorities who have been unsettled by some of his provocative remarks and policy proposals, has tried to paint Clinton as a racist.

The Republican released an online video that includes footage of the former first lady referring to some young criminals as "super predators" in the 1990s. The video also shows Clinton's former Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, denouncing the phrase as "a racist term." Clinton has since apologized. 

Clinton has said that Trump and his supporters have taken on extremist views, casting the race as "not a normal choice between a Republican and a Democrat." 

The back-and-forth has been waged in the national security space.

As President Barack Obama's secretary of state, Clinton held a high security clearance and received a copy of the President's Daily Brief — the highest-level U.S. intelligence document that includes sensitive intelligence and analysis from around the world.

Saturday's briefing was Clinton's first since becoming her party's nominee. Trump received his first briefing earlier this month.

The briefings, which are delivered by career staffers from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, have been customary for presidential nominees for more than 60 years to ensure a smooth transition for the next commander in chief. But the lead-up to the briefings for both candidates have been steeped in politics.

Prior to Trump's briefing, leading Democrats questioned whether the celebrity businessman could responsibly handle receiving sensitive information because of some of his comments, including the suggestion that Russia should attempt to hack Clinton's emails.

Trump and his supporters have said that Clinton's use of a private email server and FBI Director James Comey's rebuke of her "extremely careless" handling of classified information at the State Department should bar her from receiving the briefing.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, meanwhile, wrote National Intelligence Director James Clapper, saying that many questions remain about how Clinton handled her email and requested she not receive the briefings for the remainder of the campaign.

But Clapper rejected Ryan's request, responding that the meetings would be provided on a non-partisan basis. "I do not intend to withhold briefings from any officially nominated, eligible candidate," Clapper wrote.

Trump is also trying to shore up his standing with Latino voters. In Las Vegas, Trump met Friday with two dozen Latino supporters to discuss strategies for boosting Hispanic turnout in the swing state. He has sought to make the case that his economic policies would be better for small minority-owned businesses than those of Clinton.

"People don't know how well we're doing with the Hispanics, the Latinos," Trump said at his hotel just off the Vegas Strip. "We're doing really well."

Trump has suggested that minorities have been left behind by Democratic economic policies and hammered the nation's sluggish GDP growth as "a catastrophe."

But he has continued to send mixed signals about a key issue for many Latinos: immigration. While he has not wavered on his desire to build an impenetrable wall along the border with Mexico, he exhibited indecisiveness in recent days about his plan to deport 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. 

Aides have said he would announce his immigration policy in a speech in the coming days, but his campaign has yet to set a date.

Kyung Kim was home with her dog when the flood waters began to rise in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Within a few hours, more than 2 feet of water filled the first floor of the home along Bourque Road. The lights went out and for three days she sat in the dark, watching snakes and catfish swim by her door.

At one point, people came by with a boat offering her a way out, but she didn't want to leave. Her husband, Steve, was away in Colorado and she was worried about the house.

"I told them no, I was staying," she said. They did help her charge her phone, though, so she could keep in touch with relatives.

Knowing the dire situation at home, Steve jumped on a plane for Baton Rouge -- about 60 miles west of Lafayette.

He took a cab from the airport, but while the water had receded from the Kims' neighborhood, the road leading there was still inundated.

Desperate to get home, Steve waded, for a mile, through snake-infested waters.

"I saw him coming," Kyung explained, holding up her arms over her head, "with water up to here," she said gesturing to her chest.

The Kims moved to the United States from South Korea in 1999. Kyung runs a salon nearby. It's the couple's only source of income.

She says as soon as the water receded, she began scrubbing the house.

"I had no idea you had to do all that," she said pointing to the pile of debris on the side of the street. Thing is, if you don't rip out everything touched by the flood water, mold can take over the home.

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On this Friday, the Kims have extra help in the clean up. Volunteers from Samaritan's Purse, a North Carolina-based Christian disaster relief organization buzz around like bees in bright orange shirts.

It's just one job site of more than 3,500 that have been requested by those affected by the flooding across the state.

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Among the volunteers were Drew and Pat Alexander from Aldan, Pennsylvania, a small suburb in Delaware County.

"We both have a spirit for serving people in a time of need," Pat says of why she and Drew drove 20 hours south to help. "Some people run from disaster, we seem to run to disaster."

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The Alexanders have been married 34 years and volunteer with multiple organizations together.

"We're at just about every disaster we can get ahold of," Drew explains. "We know the need is there and we have some ability to be able to help to ease people through those difficult times they're experiencing. That's our mission in life."

The Kims also met with a FEMA adjuster this day. They hope for some help from the government to rebuild. They, like so many others, don't have flood insurance.

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Standing among the mess, Kyung feels grateful.

"I'm so lucky, look at all those cars, all those people helping us," she said.

Her thoughts about the volunteers is heartfelt, but unfortunately the work won't be over once they leave.

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took to Twitter Saturday morning to comment on the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Nykea Aldridge on Chicago's South Side Friday afternoon. 

Aldridge, who police said was the unintended victim in a gang shooting, was the cousin of Bulls star and Chicago native Dwyane Wade. Trump tweeted: 

His initial tweet, posted around 8:30 a.m., misspelled Wade's first name. The tweet was then deleted and reposted just before 11:30 a.m., correcting the spelling error.

At 12:48 p.m., another tweet was sent from Trump's account saying "My condolences to Dwyane Wade and his family, on the loss of Nykea Aldridge. They are in my thoughts and prayers."

Aldridge was pushing a stroller with a child in the 6300 block of South Calumet Ave in the Parkway Gardens neighborhood when two men approached another man nearby and opened fire, according to police. She was struck by gunfire and taken to Stroger Hospital where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Family spokesperson Pastor Edward Jones said Aldridge was a mother of four, and just had a baby. She and her family had recently moved to the neighborhood, Jones said, and she was on her way to register her children for school when she was shot. 

"She loved God, loved her family," Jones said. "Just like everyone else, just wanted a better life, to live a better life. This is tragic because now it struck home with us. Something has to be done. This has got to stop."

Several people criticized Trump on social media, including television personality Star Jones, who said the GOP candidate was "thinking about himself," as others were thinking about the "senseless murder."

Others called him "the worst person alive right now" and told him to "delete your candidacy."

Actor Don Cheadle tweeted some choice words for the candidate, while actress Holly Robinson Peete wrote "I am just... I am so offended by this I can barely breathe."

Earlier in the week, Donald Trump was criticized for claiming in an interview on Monday that he knew a "top" Chicago police officer and believed that the city's violence could be stopped within one week using "tough police tactics."

The Chicago Police Department denied Trump's statement, as spokesperson Frank Giancamilli said, "We've discredited this claim months ago. No one in the senior command at CPD has ever met with Donald Trump or a member of his campaign." 

Three people are being questioned as persons of interest in Friday's shooting, according to police, and the investigation is ongoing.

A fine-dining restaurant in Del Mar known for its elaborate, multi-course tasting menu turns 10 next month and will ring in the milestone with an 11-course lineup.

Chef William Bradley will roll out the special anniversary tasting menu at the contemporary French eatery Addison Restaurant, located at 5200 Grand Del Mar Way in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar resort, for only a limited time – from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30.

The luxurious 11-course menu features dishes that correspond with each year of Addison’s existence – from 2006 to present – plus a bite-sized amuse bouche.

Here’s a look at Bradley’s menu:

• Amuse Bouche: Iced Tea Granite with whipped lemon yogurt
• First Course (celebrating 2014): Kumomoto Oyster with sorrel and horseradish mousseline
• Second Course (celebrating 2012): Alaskan King Crab with Asian pear, melon and avocado
• Third Course (celebrating 2016): Salmon Rillette with osetra caviar and toasted brioche
• Fourth Course (celebrating 2006): Crevette with dates, lemon jam, and noisette
• Fifth Course (celebrating 2011): Caramelized Sablefish with toasted kale, scallion, and dashi
• Sixth Course (celebrating 2010): Coddled Farm Egg with white corn, black truffle, and bacon
• Seventh Course (celebrating 2013): Ris De Veau Pane with leek cremeux and caper confiture
• Eighth Course (celebrating 2008): Canard Roti with blanquette d’endive, red raisins, and sauce albuferra
• Ninth Course (celebrating 2007): Midnight Moon with green apple and celery
• Tenth Course (celebrating 2009): Yuzu Sorbet with frais des bois
• Eleventh Course (celebrating 2015): Galette Au Chocolate with mint chip ice cream and chocolate mousse

Of course, the fine-dining experience doesn’t come cheap. The 11-course dinner is priced at $250 per person. In classy Addison style, the package also includes a commemorative Addison tin of caviar for patrons to take come.

The restaurant’s newly-appointed wine director, Rafael Sanchez, will also offer optional $200 wine pairings throughout the month to compliment the special menu. Foodies who are interested in splurging on the dinner can make reservations on Addison’s website or by calling (858) 314-1900.

During its decade in the San Diego dining scene, Addison Restaurant has certainly made its mark. This past Valentine’s Day, OpenTable named it among the 100 most romantic restaurants in America for 2016. It has also been featured in USA Today’s 10Best website.

Addison opened in 2006 and is situated on The Grand Golf Club with views of the fairways. The restaurant is named after architectural visionary Addison Mizner. Typically, the restaurant offers a four-course prix-fixe menu for $98 per person; patrons can choose their course from a variety of selections. Addison also offers a “cheese cart” that features 10 top-notch cheeses from California, Wisconsin, Italy and France.

A 21-year-old man with a rare neurological disease will live out his dream of experiencing college life this year.

Ben Sikorra of Westlake Village near Los Angeles has juvenile Batten disease, an incurable neurological degenerative disease that starts with blindness, said Sikorra’s father Joe Sikorra. He said those with the illness typically start experiencing seizures in their early teenage years, and lose their cognitive motor skill functions, adding that a lot of people with the illness die in their late teenage years or in their early 20s.

Sikorra’s brother John died a year ago from the disease when he was 24, according to a spokeswoman for California Lutheran University. Sikorra has mostly lost his ability to see, and experiences cognitive difficulties.

However, Sikorra had a "real desire to go to college," Joe said.

"Ben has the desire to do everything in a big way, and he lives very fully, so when he saw all his friends talking about going off to college and wanting to have that college experience, Ben said, 'well me too, why not,'" Joe said.

Joe and his wife wanted this experience for their son, but did not know how it would work since Sikorra functions differently than other students, Joe said.

Then one of Sikorra's friends, who works at California Lutheran University, started asking if there was a way for him to get involved on campus.

"They were just like, let’s make it happen. Don’t know, this is kind of new, but let’s just do it," Joe said. "And so I love that, I love their spirit, to just be inclusive and let Ben have this real opportunity to experience life like other kids."

Scott Silverman, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Life at the university, said, "it really felt like the right thing to do."

"We designed a whole program for Ben, so he can sit in on classes, be participatory in our classes and out of class activities, and really just be involved as a full member of the university community," Silverman said.

The university had Sikorra come in for an admissions interview also, and "Ben was nervous as can be," his father said. Silverman conducted the interview.

"One of the things he said that really struck me as interesting and important, was how proud his brother would be of him to know that he’s in college," Silverman said.

Ever since Sikorra found out he was admitted to the university, Joe said he has been "beside himself." He said Sikorra is excited about this university in particular, and about the fact that it is a "church school" as he calls it.

Sikorra will be sitting in on a marine biology class, and will take a freshman seminar, Silverman said. He is also going to be a hydration specialist for the school’s football team, and says he is excited to hang out with the team and other students.

"It's one of Ben’s missions for a long time to go to college, and so I’m very humbled to be even involved remotely in this process to make this happen," Silverman said. "It's really an honor to have Ben join the community here."

Sikorra attended the university’s orientation Friday sporting a purple California Lutheran University hat and a football t-shirt. He has already started meeting students and people around campus.

Silverman said it’s key to note not only what Sikorra will get out of this experience, but what all of the students and staff at the university are going to get out of it as well.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated from Syria’s Damascus suburb of Daraya Saturday, following a deal to end a four-year siege, according to a human rights group, NBC News reported. 

About 800 gunmen and 2,400 civilians were evacuated, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The evacuees headed north into a rebel-controlled province, the group said. 

Daraya "remained for about four years beyond the control of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and out of the reach of his forces and gunmen loyal to him, despite bombardment of thousands of barrel bombs and thousands of missiles and rockets, that killed and wounded thousands," the statement said. 

The organization said Daraya is clear of gunmen and under control of the Syrian army. 

The siege in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, is ongoing.

A major engine malfunction on a Southwest flight from New Orleans to Orlando forced the plane to divert, causing some passengers to fear they were under attack, NBC News reported. 

Southwest Flight 3472 with 99 passengers and five crew members landed safely in Pensacola Saturday morning after the engine failure, which occurred at cruising altitude, the airline said. 

Passengers reported hearing a loud boom and said they saw smoke from the left engine. Some also reported seeing metal flapping after the smoke cleared.

Emergency vehicles were on standby as the Boeing 737 landed. 

The airline said the plane suffered a "mechanical issue with the number one engine." The National Transport Safety Board said it will investigate what happened.

“Keep it clean! Operation Clean Sweep!” was the rally cry on Saturday when military and civilian volunteers flooded San Diego Bay in search of trash.

“We're out here to clean up, do our share in helping to clean up the environment, our beautiful bay and also to give back to the community and set an example for everyone else,” Leo Cesan, assistant general manager for Navy Lodge North Island, said.

Hosted by the San Diego Port Tenants Association, hundreds of volunteers picked up trash on the shore and in the water for the 26th annual “Operation Clean Sweep.”

Last year volunteers found mattresses, car batteries, shopping carts and dozens of tires among the trash. Eight tons of trash was collected.

“The people you have here work real hard taking care of other people at their jobs,” Cesan said. “This is their off time and they're here giving back to the community.”

“It's amazing to have this kind of support and that they're willing to come out here on their day off and stand out, bring their families, teach their little kids to clean up the environment,” Maria Gonzalez of the Navy Lodge said.

The death of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) five days after getting into a fight in the Gaslamp last March has been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. 

The report, which was sealed until Saturday, says 21-year-old Conner Kepple was involved in a violent confrontation with staff at a bar near E Street and Fourth in the Gaslamp on March 5th, but did not immediately seek medical attention.

He went to the hospital twice within the next three days, first for pain on his left thigh and the next day for worsening pain and nausea.

Kepple was eventually diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and died five days later on his 21st birthday, according to the medical examiner's report. 

No arrests have been made. 

Kepple worked for MaxCare ambulance as an EMT. He left behind his parents, an older brother and a younger sister.

A dozen San Diego residents received their high school diploma at the Central Library Friday after graduating from the City’s Career Online High School, an accredited online high school diploma and certificate program. The number of graduates has more than tripled since Mayor Kevin Faulconer started the program last year.

“What these students have achieved is incredible and I am so proud of their accomplishment, and we are proud that the San Diego Public Library could be part of it through the Career Online High School program,” said Library Director Misty Jones. “We strive to provide opportunities for everyone and these students are a testament to what can be achieved when an opportunity arises.”

City employee Cindy Juarez, one of the graduates, dropped out of high school in 10th grade to work in construction.

“It was always in the back of my mind, for years,” said Cindy Juarez. “I wish that I had done it sooner.”

She plans to enroll in community college to advance her career in the City’s Public Utilities Department.

54 students are currently enrolled in the program, and they have the ability to take classes online and receive free support and educational resources from the library.

“Public libraries are the backbone of a neighborhood,” said Councilmember Chris Cate. “At our libraries, new parents connect at infant story-times, school-based youth have a safe place to study, adults receive a second chance to earn a high school diploma, and our seniors attend classes to interact with one another. When we invest in our libraries, we invigorate our communities.”

Unemployment is double for adults over 25 who don’t have a high school degree, around 15 percent of San Diego’s population. Many students complete the program within six months.

“Today’s graduation shows how libraries truly change lives, and Gale is proud to work with San Diego Public Library to empower residents,” said Chuck Leachman, Executive Director for Strategic Accounts at Gale, a publisher that provides ebooks and online resources to libraries. 

Clayton Richard was far from perfect on the mound but pitched well enough to shutout the Marlins for the win.

Richard pitched seven innings, giving up eight hits and just one walk while striking out three. The 32-year old lefty got into troublesome situations early in the game but found the right pitch to get out of the inning without any damage done.

He found his groove in the bottom of the fifth. After giving up a one-out infield single to Martin Prado, Richard went on to retire the last eight Marlins he faced.

Ryan Schimpf provided all the offense the Padres needed in the fourth.

With two outs Schimpf took a Jose Urena offering and sent it into the seats in right field. It’s his 16^th homer of the season and the rookie now has 37 RBI in 60 games played.

Jose Dominguez took over for Richard on the mound in the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Prado. It’s the only hit the bullpen gave up. Dominguez, Brad Hand and Kevin Quakenbush combined for two shutout innings. Quackenbush earned his first save of the season and sixth of his career.

Padres won 1-0 to snap a four-game losing streak.

Luis Perdomo (6-7, 6.24 ERA) faces Justin Nicolino (2-5, 5.57 ERA) in the series finale Sunday at 10:10 a.m.

A National Park Service employee fell to her death from a cliff in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, park officials said Friday.

A helicopter search and rescue crew found the body of Estefania Liset Mosquera Alcivar, 21, at about 10 a.m. local time below Grand View Point above the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, according to a National Park Service statement.

Alcivar, a park concession employee from Quito, Ecuador, was with a group of coworkers when she tumbled from the edge of the canyon at about 3:15 a.m., her colleagues told police, according to the park service, NBC News reported.

Park rangers and rescuers responded, but didn't find her body until it was daylight, the statement said. Crews concluded that the fall was "not survivable."

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is 800 to 1,200 feet deep, according to Yellowstone's website, which urges visitors to be cautious on the cliffs.

A Russian couple who blew the whistle on their country's athlete doping program is in fear for their lives after a cyber attack. Yuliya Stepanova, an 800-meter runner, and husband Vitaly, a former doping officer in Russia, have been living in hiding, first in Germany and now in America, for the past two years.

Yuliya and Vitaly blew the whistle on doping in Russian sports in a documentary by German broadcaster ARD. Stepanova herself, once banned for doping while on the Russian team said she felt manipulated by what she calls a corrupt system, and wanted to expose it, NBC News reported.

A spokesman for President Vladamir Putin once called Stepanova a "Judas."

Stepanova and her husband have been branded traitors in their home country, Russia, and have been living like fugitives ever since they decided to expose the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs among Russian athletes.

With a hidden camera, Stepanova shot banned substance dealings and provided the footage to German investigative journalist Hajo Seppelt, who helped secure the Stepanovs' interview with NBC.

Two men were stabbed during an argument with a group of four to five men that started in the driveway of an apartment complex at the 4300 block of Illinois Street in North Park, San Diego police confirmed.

During the fight a man in his 40s pulled out a folding knife and stabbed two other men, one in his 30s and one in his 60s. 

The man in his 30s was stabbed several times in the upper left torso, and the man in his 60s was stabbed in the stomach. 

The incident happened just after 8 p.m. Saturday night.

The victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

The suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident. 

No other information was immediately available.

Mid-City Division is handling the investigation. 

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Anthony Hofer was found on the side of Heritage Road in Chula Vista on August 27, 2015. A year later there have been no new leads or arrests in the case.

"It’s been a hard year,” Anthony’s mother Stacy Hofer said. “But we're here to celebrate him and get the word out and the flyers out that we want to find who did this."

On the anniversary of the 17-year-old’s death, family and friends marked the tragedy with a prayer. They remembered his infectious laugh and the way he used to light up a room.

"[Whenever you saw] his mischievous smile…you knew he was going to say something funny…It was always fun to have a friend like him to hang out with,” Hofer’s friend, Xavier Sanchez, said.

Hofer's family has not given up hope on finding out what happened to him.

"We want some sort of closure and justice for him, and that's why we're all here today,” his mother told NBC 7.

Homicide investigators believe Hofer may have been the victim of a hit-and-run. He had trauma on his face and other parts of his body. Detectives said he wasn’t wearing shoes or socks when his body was found.

His family is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with any information leading to an arrest.

A Sig Alert has been issued near West Haverford Road on State Route 78 after a possible major injury accident involving a motorcycle, California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed.

The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. Saturday night.

Two victims were taken to the hospital, including one that was airlifted.

The road will likely open in one to two hours when CHP is finished investigating.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A mother and her son were robbed at gunpoint Saturday morning in a home invasion at their apartment in the 4500 block of Bond Street in Pacific Beach, San Diego police confirmed.

Police say four men between 27 and 60 stormed their way into the second story unit armed with a gun, forcing the woman and her son to the ground.

According to police the gunman and his accomplices were looking for the woman’s roommate who wasn't at the apartment at the time.

Investigators wouldn't give specific details, but say the suspects stole several items from the roommate’s room before they fled the scene.

A friend of the victim who didn't want to be identified said she believed the roommate had something that belonged to someone else.

The four men have been arrested and are in jail facing charges of first degree robbery, according to police.

One of the suspects is facing a drug charge often associated with possession of methamphetamine.

The woman declined to speak to NBC 7.

An Ohio man convicted of attempted murder escaped from a courthouse guard and jumped to his death shortly after being sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday, authorities said.

Jason Binkiewiz, 42, was pronounced dead after jumping over a banister on the third floor of a Steubenville courthouse, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla told NBC affiliate WTOV.

Binkiewiz had just been sentenced for shooting a man in the face in 2015, and was being escorted by a sheriff's deputy when he broke free and ran towards the banister, Abdalla said.

"As soon as Binkiewicz started running, Deputy Price he was on him quick enough when he reached out, he had his shirt," Abdalla said. "It wasn't good enough, and if he held on to the shirt, most likely Deputy Price would have gone over with him."

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did not stand for the playing of the national anthem before his team’s preseason game Friday against the Green Bay Packers.

After the game, he told NFL Media in an exclusive interview that he is "not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

"To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” he told NFL Media. "There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Steve Wyche, the NFL reporter who broke the story, said Saturday that Kaepernick has been looking for a moment to take a stand for a few months.

"He wanted to find a way to make a point," Wyche said. "This, as controversial as it is, is the way he felt he needed to take a stand."

The 49ers issued a statement after the game, saying that it is Kaepernick’s prerogative to stand or sit during the anthem.

"The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony," the 49ers said in the statement. "It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem."

The NFL offered its own statement on Saturday.

"Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem," the NFL stated, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Kaepernick, who has used his Twitter account recently to retweet accounts aimed at denouncing white supremacy and racial inequality, also told NFL Media that he is "not looking for approval."

"I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. ... If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right," he told NFL Media.

Wyche said that this wasn't the first time this preseason that Kaepernick has refused to stand for the national anthem, but now that the 28-year-old quarterback has captured national attention, he is ready to face any potential repercussions.

"He said he's got the spine and the backbone to deal with whatever comes to face him," Wyche said.

San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Chip Kelly said that Friday night's incident will have no impact on the quarterback's football future.

Justin Pugh, a lineman for the New York Giants, and other NFL players tweeted their opinions on Kaepernick's decision not to stand.

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