Breakfast Briefing, 10.2.2017: The 5 stories PR pros need to know on Monday morning

Leading Monday morning’s news cycle: At least 50 people are dead after a mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas overnight. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, according to the Associated Press. Authorities have identified Stephen Paddock, a Las Vegas resident, as the shooter. The Las Vegas Police Department is using social media to keep the public and members of the press up to date, while the Mandalay Bay Resort tweeted a message of thanks to first responders. Singer Jason Aldean, who was on stage at the time of the shooting, has posted a message on Instagram stating that he and his crew are safe.

Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still dont know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe. My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night. #heartbroken #stopthehate

A post shared by Jason Aldean (@jasonaldean) on Oct 2, 2017 at 1:17am PDT

Publishers rejoice at Google policy shift. The technology giant said over the weekend that it is phasing out its "first click free" policy, which required media outlets to offer three free articles a day to appear prominently in search results, according to The Guardian. The change is part of a package of enhancements designed to help publishers boost subscriptions, according to The Wall Street Journal.

NFL anthem protests continued on Sunday. A smaller number of players protested the national anthem before Sunday’s slate of NFL games. Some athletes protested in different ways: Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch wore an "everybody vs. Trump" t-shirt pre-game, while Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton raised a fist after scoring a touchdown against New England.

Here’s Cam Newton raising his fist after scoring that touchdown. pic.twitter.com/7VKaxb4itX

— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) October 1, 2017

Scaramucci picks his lane. Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci told a radio host over the weekend that his upcoming news website The Scaramucci Post will occupy the "center lane" of the political spectrum. "The center lane is wide open," he told New York’s 970 AM, according to The Hill.

Toys ‘R’ Us is going all in on AR as it restructures. The toy retailer, which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, is rolling out an enhanced in-store augmented reality experience at 23 locations on Monday, according to USA Today. "We believe that’s going to drive a lot more traffic into our stores, which will ultimately put us in a position where we can be more successful at growing our sales and our company," CEO Dave Brandon told the newspaper.