Written by: Rachel Antony

From the NFL to Hugh Hefner, here’s what everyone’s talking about this week.

1. American National Anthem

The players have been kneeling, linking arms or staying in the locker room during the national anthem. It’s a continuation of what Colin Kaepernick started last year when he sat during the first three preseason games of the 2016 NFL season. He’s been trying to explain that the protests were never about the flag or the military but about race – as they have been in the last week. The ramp up in protests started after Trump was at a rally for Alabama Republican Senate candidate Luther Strange and said coaches should fire players for taking a knee during the anthem, “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he’s fired. He’s fired!” On Tuesday, Trump said he was “ashamed” of the protests, throwing more fuel into the fire.

The hashtag #TakeAKnee has been used for fans to encourage players to kneel during forthcoming games. The protests have spread to the NHL and MLB with those players taking a knee as well.

2. Hugh Hefner Dies

RIP. Hugh Hefner passed away yesterday at age 91 at home in the Playboy Mansion of natural causes. He was the first to wear silk pajamas to work and revolutionized sex bringing it out into the mainstream during the 1950s. Marilyn Monroe was the OG centerfold, published in the first copy of Playboy. Hugh Hefner built his empire from the magazine and expanded it to include international editions of the magazine, casinos, a cable network, a film production company and a string of clubs. In 2015, the magazine stopped publishing naked photos due to the internet but returned to its traditional publications earlier this year. Depending on who you ask, he may have changed the way sex was talked about and viewed but at the expense of women. His death will strike a conversation about how he should go down in history.

3. Kylie Jenner

Last week People confirmed that Kylie Jenner is pregnant with her beau Travis Scott. The couple is expecting a baby girl in February. Kylie and Travis are both overjoyed to be parents – Travis has been telling friends since July because he was so excited. Kylie. on the other hand, was worried that people would find out before she was ready and so was posted old photos of herself on Instagram that showed off her flat stomach. But now that the world knows her news she’s been posting teaser photos of her little baby bump. The 20-year-old has been with Travis since earlier this year after calling it quits with her ex Tyga who she wasn’t ready to get serious with. In the world of Kris Jenner, nothing is surprising.

4. WestJet Swoop

WestJet’s low-cost carrier has been headquartered in Calgary, creating 50 jobs in the city. Swoop is set to launch in June 2018 offering passengers seats for cheaper prices but without any extra add-ons. If people are looking for convenience, flexibility, extra leg room, etc. they will have to pay for them as add-ons. Swoop will join Enerjet and Flair Air and Jetlines which is set to launch next year. Bob Cummings, WestJet’s executive vice-president of strategy said the carrier will be similar to low-cost carriers in the US. They are aiming for prices to be 50% lower than the main carriers but they haven’t released where the airline will fly to. They need high-density areas for Swoop to be successful, so there are a few guesses to which cities will be chosen. Tickets for Swoop are set to go on sale in February.

5. Hurricane Maria

On Wednesday, Hurricane Maria became a hurricane again, picking up speed and strength as it reached North Carolina’s Outer Banks. However, it slowly turned away from the U.S. Atlantic coast. Maria is predicted to erode more than half the dunes along North Carolina’s 300-mile coast but no one has been hurt by the storm. The storms aren’t over yet, Hurricane Lee, a category 3 storm’s damaging winds could reach Bermuda but currently, there are no threats that it will actually land.

Puerto Rico is still reeling from Maria’s damage, desperately in need of aid and in a humanitarian crisis. The Trump administration is rushing military hardware and personnel now that it’s clear there previous response was not even close to enough to make a dent in the damage. Most of the island doesn’t have running water, most of the hospitals are out of commission and fuel levels are low. Trump is heading there on Tuesday.