*By Michael Teich*
Nike debuted its [controversial new ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq2CvmgoO7I) featuring Colin Kaepernick Wednesday, part of its "Just Do It" 30th anniversary ad campaign.
The roll out came after some public backlash and a tweet from President Trump criticizing the company's decision to sign on the former NFL player, who set off a string of player protests the last two seasons.
While Nike's campaign has proven to be a polarizing initiative, leaving some consumers to pledging to boycott the brand, military veteran and Sports Illustrated writer and producer Scooby Axson sees the move as a net positive for Nike.
"At the end of the day I don't think it's going to hurt their bottom line," Axson told Cheddar in an interview Wednesday.
Axson, who served 16 years in the U.S. Army, thinks those unhappy about NFL players kneeling for the anthem are demonstrating false outrage and that their anger is misplaced.
"If you want to say somebody is disrespecting the flag or the anthem, the NFL does this every single Sunday when they drape that flag across 100 yards, and that's per the flag code. The federal flag code says you shouldn't do that," said Axson.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/nike-doubles-down-on-kaepernick-with-thursday-night-football-ad).
President Joe Biden signed a spending bill late Saturday night after a last-ditch bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler, president of EMILY's List, to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last week.
Former President Donald Trump denounced the civil fraud case over his business practices as a politically motivated “scam” as he arrived defiantly for a trial in the lawsuit, which could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.
Memorial services for California Sen. Dianne Feinstein are now set.
Stocks fell to open the new week and a new month despite a bipartisan deal at the 11th hour to avoid a government shutdown.
McCarthy passed a temporary spending bill with Democratic support, enraging Gaetz and other far-right members whose demands for spending cuts were a nonstarter with the Senate and President Joe Biden.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Dianne Feinstein’s seat became open. The long-serving Democratic senator died Thursday after a series of illnesses.
Police seized computers and cellphones during searches of the Marion County Record's office and the home of its publisher in August.
The package drops aid for Ukraine but adds money for U.S. disaster assistance.
In a statement Sunday, the Atlanta-based Fearless Fund said it would comply with the order but remained confident of prevailing in the lawsuit, which was brought by conservative activist Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights.
