Nike forgot that Republicans buy sneakers, too, and now it's getting booted from the S&P 100

"Republicans buy sneakers, too."

Those famous words came from Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. He was also the athlete most responsible for transforming Nike from a shoe company into a global sports empire.

Jordan made the comment during the 1990 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, after his mother urged him to support Democratic candidate Harvey Gantt and record a public-service announcement. Jordan confirmed in ESPN’s "The Last Dance" that he made the remark jokingly on a team bus.

Maybe so. But the line endured because it captured a basic business lesson in four words. Republicans buy shoes. Democrats buy shoes. Most companies benefit when both groups want to buy theirs.

Nike stopped listening.

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After spending much of the past decade injecting left-wing politics into its brand, Nike is now set to be removed from the S&P 100, ending a run of nearly 18 years in the blue-chip index. S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the move Friday, and Nike will come out before trading begins Sept. 21.

S&P isn’t kicking Nike out because the index committee hated the Kaepernick ad or saw Dylan Mulvaney in a sports bra. Nike is getting kicked out because its value collapsed.

The politics didn’t wipe out $200 billion by itself. But Nike volunteered to alienate customers while it was already losing ground everywhere else.

The sports apparel giant reached a market value of approximately $281 billion near its November 2021 peak. Nike shares closed Tuesday at $38.10, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $56.5 billion. The stock was about 79% below its Nov. 5, 2021 intraday record of $179.10, and more than $220 billion in market value had disappeared.

Getting removed from the S&P 100 won’t put Nike out of business. It will still sell billions of dollars in shoes and sign some of the biggest athletes in the world.

But Nike used to look untouchable. Now it’s worth about one-fifth of what it was five years ago and no longer has a spot in one of America’s premier blue-chip indexes.

China is where this story gets really good.

Nike made Colin Kaepernick the face of its 30th-anniversary "Just Do It" campaign after he refused to stand for the national anthem, saying he wouldn’t show pride in a country that "oppresses Black people and people of color."

Nike apparently thought that was a message worth putting on billboards across America.

Contrast that with how the company publicly talked about China.

In 2021, Nike faced backlash from Chinese consumers after the company expressed concern about reports of forced labor involving Uyghurs in Xinjiang. During an earnings call a few months later, then-CEO John Donahoe made Nike’s priorities clear.

"We’re a brand of China and for China," Donahoe said.

Quite a difference, isn’t it? Nike had plenty to say about oppression when the target was the United States. But when the company’s business in an actual communist country came under pressure, its CEO reminded everyone that Nike had been investing there for more than 40 years, operated thousands of stores and remained committed to the Chinese market.

Nike was perfectly willing to embrace anti-American messaging at home while continuing to grow in China by assuring Chinese consumers that the company was "of China and for China."

It didn’t work.

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When Donahoe made that declaration in 2021, Nike generated $8.29 billion in Greater China. Five years later, that number is down to $5.85 billion. Nearly 30% of the business disappeared, including an 11% drop in the past year.

So much for being "of China and for China."

In 2019, Nike pulled a Fourth of July-themed Air Max sneaker featuring the Betsy Ross flag because it said the design could "unintentionally offend." A year later, the company launched its "For Once, Don’t Do It" racial-justice campaign and publicly embraced Black Lives Matter messaging.

Then Nike partnered with Dylan Mulvaney in 2023 for a paid promotion of women’s leggings and sports bras. Also, OutKick reported that researchers and a Boston Children’s Hospital publication had described Nike as supporting a proposed study involving transgender youth athletes. A Nike executive, speaking to OutKick on background, later said the study "was never initialized" and was "not moving forward," while researcher Joanna Harper subsequently said Nike had pulled out after critics learned of it.

Nike made left-wing politics part of its identity and repeatedly dared customers to object.

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Now Nike is leaving the S&P 100, its stock is down nearly 80% from its peak and its executives are trying to rebuild the product innovation and marketplace relationships that once made the company dominant.

Michael Jordan understood that Republicans buy sneakers, too.

He also understood something Nike forgot: They don’t have to buy yours.

source https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/nike-forgot-republicans-buy-sneakers-too-getting-booted-sp-100

Jelly Roll uninvited from law enforcement event after Trump jokes, but source says he had no knowledge of it

Country artist Jelly Roll was formally uninvited to a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago in November hosted by Law Enforcement Today to support the Federal Law Enforcement Offices Association (FLEOA) Foundation on Friday, following his stint on Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Law Enforcement Today's Kyle Reyes told Fox News Digital that Jelly Roll didn't respond to the invitation sent on April 26, 2026, on behalf of FLEOA, but that they wanted to withdraw it in the wake of the Kimmel segment. The invitation, obtained by Fox News Digital, asked Jelly Roll if he would consider performing a few worship songs to close out the Big Blue Bash.

A source told Fox News Digital that Jelly Roll's team was never reached or spoken to about the November event and said they found out about it on social media.

The event is scheduled to take place in November at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Law Enforcement Toady is running the gala to raise money for FLEOA and the FLEOA Foundation. The president of FLEOA said in a statement included on the Big Blue Bash invitation, "FLEOA is a non-partisan, professional association committed to supporting law enforcement across all agencies and administrations."

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"It's a God-centered Gala and there's no better way to close out our event than with your voice," the letter to Jelly Roll read.

Reyes withdrew the invitation after the country music artist's stint on Kimmel's late-night show in August.

Reyes, who runs the Blue Lives Matter account on X, posted on Friday, "On April 26, 2026, we made the mistake of sending a formal invitation to country artist Jelly Roll to perform at this year's Second Annual Big Blue Bash at Mar-A-Lago, the home of President Trump."

"The event is a fundraiser for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that takes care of the families of wounded and fallen officers," he continued. "Our organization, which owns the largest police news outlet in the world, is running the event. We'll be joined by the heads of all of the federal law enforcement agencies, sheriffs, police chiefs and supporters." 

"This year's theme is American Superheroes, and we'll be joined by superheroes such as Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Dean Cain (Superman) and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules). We're formally withdrawing the invitation for Jelly Roll," Reyes added.

The country star guest-hosted "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and took aim at Trump's weight, physical fitness and approval ratings.

"Well, Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important. And trust me, you’ll be happy to see your penis again," Jelly Roll said. "It’s crazy. Think about this, y’all. In the last few years, I’ve lost 300 pounds. That means I’ve lost an entire Donald Trump."

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"And let’s be honest, based on his approval ratings, it seems like most of the country wants to do the same thing," he added, before talking about the reaction to jokes he made about the president in a previous show, and said Trump should be able to "handle a few jokes."

During his final show filling in for Kimmel, Jelly Roll walked back his previous assertions that he is apolitical and said, "A lot of people seem to think these Jimmy Kimmel writers have secretly been pulling the strings and forcing this good old country boy to poke fun at our commander in chief."

"But let’s be real about this y’all: Do you think I would take orders from some sweaty little dork named Josh? No, I was just telling it like it is. And for some reason, that seemed to freak a lot of people out. I guess now that I’ve lost all this weight, folks can finally see I have balls," he said.

The country music star continued, "It is funny that before this week everybody thought I was MAGA. And now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake."

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"Sure, I lean left on some things," he continued. "But like most folks, I’m pretty down the middle. I am a Christian. I am a country music singer. I’m a farmer. I’m a bow hunter. And most of the things I eat, I prefer to get with a stick and a string. That’s the truth."

He concluded the segment of his monologue by joking about his newfound friendships with Kimmel’s crew and said, "And I truly am going to miss all of my communist, Antifa friends here on the staff of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’"

Reyes addressed the Trump jokes in his social media post, writing, "What I saw last week with this self-absorbed 'artist' bashing President Trump and Conservatives was not a man who walks in the footsteps of Jesus Christ — it was a man desperately seeking attention and relevancy from the very Godless crowd that has categorically rejected his preaching."

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"We don’t hold Jelly Roll’s hate against him — but we sure aren’t going to welcome him into the home of the very man he decided to attack," Reyes told Fox News Digital. "And at the end of the day, his attack was a betrayal of his fans, his faith and all believers. We also aren’t going to allow a God-honoring event where we pay tribute to the families of fallen officers and pray over their families to be tarnished by a man who has lost his way."

Reyes said Rachel Holt and Coffey Anderson will be performing at the event, and there would be a surprise presentation from an American Idol star to honor the families of fallen officers.

FLEOA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/jelly-roll-uninvited-law-enforcement-event-after-trump-jokes-source-says-no-knowledge

Ritzy Miami steakhouse manager held on ICE detainer after mom found stabbed to death

A Miami steakhouse manager allegedly emerged from his luxury apartment covered in blood and clutching a knife before telling police he had acted in self-defense after his mother was found stabbed to death inside.

Stefano Eduardo Cremasco-Cicero, 36, told officers, "I was defending myself," after Miami police were called to the Brickell high-rise early Friday, according to an arrest report obtained by WPLG.

Cremasco-Cicero is charged with second-degree murder with a weapon, Miami-Dade County jail records show.

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Officers were dispatched at about 4:47 a.m. for an "unknown request for police assistance," according to the outlet.

Officers found Cremasco-Cicero in the lobby with blood on his hands, clothing and shoes, the outlet reported.

He allegedly directed officers upstairs to the apartment.

Inside the apartment, police found his mother lying behind the front door with multiple apparent stab wounds, according to WPLG. Miami Fire Rescue pronounced her dead shortly after 5 a.m.

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Authorities have not publicly identified the woman or disclosed her age. Police said she was visiting from Mexico and staying with her son.

The unusual chain of events began when a food delivery driver arrived at the building and encountered Cremasco-Cicero in the lobby, according to the report.

He allegedly opened the door for the driver and asked her to call 911. Cremasco-Cicero ultimately placed the call himself but handed the phone to the woman so she could give the dispatcher the building information, WPLG reported.

The driver noticed blood on him as they waited for police, according to the outlet. When she tried to return his phone, he allegedly refused to take it, and she later handed it to responding officers.

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Investigators then turned to surveillance video and building access records to piece together what happened in the hours before police arrived.

Surveillance video showed Cremasco-Cicero and his mother returning to the building together at about 10:32 p.m. Thursday, according to WPLG. They were reportedly alone in the elevator.

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At about 4:26 a.m., surveillance video allegedly captured Cremasco-Cicero entering an elevator wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and white shoes that appeared to be covered in blood. Police said he was carrying a knife.

He allegedly dropped the knife after stepping out of the elevator, picked it back up and rode another elevator upstairs, according to the report.

Investigators said Cremasco-Cicero later reappeared in a different, long-sleeved blue shirt and walked out of the building while using his phone. He returned minutes later and sat on a couch in the lobby before flagging down the delivery driver, WPLG reported.

Police said Cremasco-Cicero had small cuts on his hands and blood residue on his body and clothing. Crime scene investigators photographed him and collected his clothes, according to the outlet.

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After obtaining a search warrant, homicide detectives allegedly recovered several kitchen knives with blood on them, blood-spattered shirts, broken glass and a broken wine bottle from the apartment, WPLG reported.

Cremasco-Cicero’s wife told detectives she was in France attending a wedding when the killing happened, according to the report. She said her husband and his mother had not been close since his parents divorced and that he had recently been under stress while preparing to open a restaurant in Coconut Grove.

The Miami Herald identified Cremasco-Cicero as the U.S. operating manager of the high-end 1986 Steakhouse in Miami.

The arrest report identified Cremasco-Cicero as a Miami resident through an investor visa, according to WPLG.

Miami-Dade Corrections records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Cremasco-Cicero was booked Friday night and is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The records list no bond, a domestic-violence designation and a hold for immigration authorities.

The jail record does not provide additional details about the immigration hold.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that Cremasco-Cicero is an illegal immigrant.

"On August 5, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer for Stefano Eduardo Cremasco Cicero, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, charged with homicide," the DHS spokesperson said. "We are calling on Florida to honor our detainer. His claims will be heard by an immigration judge and he will receive due process. This administration will not ignore the rule of law."

"Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences," the spokesperson added. "Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."

A motive for the killing remains unclear.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Miami Police Department, the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts and 1986 Steakhouse for additional information.

source https://www.foxnews.com/us/miami-steakhouse-manager-ice-detainer-mom-stabbed-death

Rob Lowe says Tom Cruise was his ‘nemesis’ in the fight for blockbuster roles

Rob Lowe had plenty of competition for blockbuster roles in the 1980s and ’90s – and one Hollywood heavyweight repeatedly stood in his way.

"That dastardly Tom Cruise was always a nemesis," Lowe told the New York Post.

"I remember reading ‘Jerry Maguire’ ... and they were like, ‘Tom Cruise.’ I also remember reading ‘Top Gun’ and going, ‘Oh, this movie is going to be f---ing massive,'" he recalled. "They were like, ‘Tom Cruise.'"

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Despite losing out on what he considered to be big roles, Lowe found his stride as a core member of the Brat Pack. He starred in several career-defining films of the Brat Pack-era, including "St. Elmo's Fire," "The Outsiders," "Class" and "Oxford Blues."

Yet one major piece was missing from Lowe’s ’80s résumé – a coveted role in a John Hughes movie.

Lowe admitted he was never in the running for the coming-of-age hit "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off."

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"No, that’s a big regret," he said, noting Hughes was not interested in casting Lowe for the role that went to Matthew Broderick.

"John Hughes never got what I was selling," Lowe explained.

"I met with John once, and it’s not like he didn’t have a lot of parts I could have done," he added. "When you really look at it, there were more than a few parts, multiple parts in some movies. Never, phone never rang."

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Decades later, Lowe has come up with his own explanation for why Hughes never came calling.

"I have a theory about it; I think I was actually already too well known," Lowe said.

"John put in people who [weren’t] already well known," he explained. "He made people well known. At least that’s what I tell myself to make myself feel better for not getting a role in ‘The Breakfast Club.'"

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Lowe's early movie roles established him as a teen heartthrob, but he later built a remarkably durable career spanning film, network television and streaming projects.

A major second act came with his role as Sam Seaborn on "The West Wing," which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He later showed off his comedic side as the relentlessly upbeat Chris Traeger on "Parks and Recreation."

source https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rob-lowe-tom-cruise-nemesis-fight-blockbuster-roles

Judge denies ousted Stars and Stripes journalists effort to reverse Pentagon's firings

A federal judge Friday denied a request from the trio of ousted Stars and Stripes journalists to reverse the Pentagon's firing of them.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied a temporary restraining order filed by Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor in chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte, claiming they "ultimately fail to carry their significant burden to show that they are clearly entitled to a preliminary injunction."

In a joint statement to Fox News Digital, the three journalists expressed their disappointment with McFadden's decision but insist it's not the "final judgment."

"We are reviewing the decision with our attorneys and considering our next steps," Lederer, Slavin and Korte said. "We continue to believe that the Pentagon should not be able to fire journalists for speaking out against censorship and defending the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes."

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"This case is not primarily about the three of us. It is about whether the servicemembers who swear to defend the Constitution, and the military families who serve alongside them, can rely on a free and independent press. It is also about whether the military and civilian journalists at Stars and Stripes can do their jobs without fear of retaliation," they added.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell touted the legal win on social media.

"The court applied settled Supreme Court law: public employees do not receive First Amendment protection when they speak with the government’s voice," Parnell wrote on X. "The record showed these interviews were arranged with supervisor involvement, conducted at Stripes workplaces, and presented the speakers in their official titles, discussing the paper they run. That is government speech, not private-citizen speech."

"Stars and Stripes is a Department of War publication funded to inform the military community," Parnell continued. "The Department has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure it remains focused on the force — warfighting, readiness, and the men and women who serve — rather than becoming a platform for airing employee grievances. We will follow the law and complete the personnel process."

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Last month, the Pentagon fired the journalists from the military newspaper over alleged insubordination. In return, they filed a lawsuit alleging retaliation and violation of their First Amendment rights.

The firings stem from Slavin and Korte's unauthorized participation in a July "CBS Sunday Morning" segment about the Pentagon's efforts to overhaul the paper and Lederer's refusal to fire them at the direction of Pentagon leadership.

According to the lawsuit, the trio allege Pentagon leadership "understood these interview statements expressed personal opinions, and therefore took no immediate action, despite their displeasure" and that it wasn't until Stars and Stripes published its report on the alleged strife aboard USS Abraham Lincoln that the Pentagon's stance had shifted.

The lawsuit notes that Pentagon leadership demanded Lederer to fire Slavin and Korte just one day after the report was published.

Listed as the defendants in the lawsuit are the Pentagon, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Parnell and his principal deputy assistant, Andrew Brey.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Slavin insisted the Pentagon never explicitly stated how he and Korte were deemed insubordinate for the CBS News interview, noting that he had given many other media interviews without having to seek authorization from Pentagon leadership.

"This isn't about me. It's not about three jobs. It's about whether servicemembers and their families are gonna have access to independent news and information and news that they can trust," Slavin said. "And it's my concern for our staff that they might face further retaliation if they make statements along the lines of 'Hey, we work for Stars and Stripes and we provide independent news.' So this is about protecting an institution, in my mind."

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/judge-denies-ousted-stars-stripes-journalists-effort-reverse-pentagons-firings

Georgia woman celebrates 112th birthday, reveals her secret to a long life

A Georgia woman who just celebrated her 112th birthday credits her longevity to staying close to her family and embracing her strong religious faith.

Mabel Dunbar, of Fayetteville, Georgia, was born in Jamaica in 1914. She is the mother of one, grandmother of four and a great-grandmother, and was honored by loved ones on her birthday Sept. 5 with a custom berry cake, flowers and a crown, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

"God is love and I love my families," Dunbar said at her party. "I love all my families and strangers."

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Those who know her describe Dunbar as "deeply religious, pleasant and talkative," according to FOX 5.

She spent her life serving others and remaining active, the station reported. Until recently, Dunbar still enjoyed cooking and made breakfast for herself every morning. She also enjoyed sharing stories with visitors.

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After moving to Florida to live with her daughter in 1994, Dunbar relocated to Fayetteville in August 2025 to live with her granddaughter and grandson-in-law.

Family remains an important part of Dunbar’s daily life, according to FOX 5.

"Treat them the best you can, because they are important," Dunbar said of younger generations, specifically her grandchildren. "You need them when you can't help yourself like me. These good people are on me all the time, and I'm happy to see them when they come."

Leading oncologist and University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel has identified several principles for living longer and reducing disease risk.

They include prioritizing an active social life, staying mentally active with new hobbies and opportunities to learn, limiting processed and sugary foods and drinks without being overly restrictive, engaging in moderate exercise and getting proper sleep, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Emanuel also recommends avoiding obviously dangerous activities and behaviors.

Religious involvement has also been associated with greater longevity, research has suggested.

In a 2016 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined religious service attendance and health outcomes among 74,534 women over 16 years.

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They found that women who attended religious services more than once a week had a 33% lower risk of dying during the follow-up period compared with women who never attended religious services.

Weekly attendance was associated with a 26% lower risk, while attendance less than once a week was associated with a 13% lower risk. Regular attendees also tended to smoke less, experience fewer depressive symptoms and have stronger social support, the researchers reported in 2016.

The world’s oldest documented living person is Ethel Caterham, of England, who turned 117 in August.

Caterham previously told The Associated Press that she credited her long life to "never arguing with anyone," adding, "I listen, and I do what I like."

source https://www.foxnews.com/health/georgia-woman-celebrates-112th-birthday-reveals-secret-long-life

Virginia mom placed on child abuse registry for 7 years after letting 5-year-old walk alone

A Virginia mom is appealing a criminal charge and her placement on the state’s child abuse and neglect registry after her 5-year-old son was stopped by security while walking alone through their gated community.

Karyann Parkinson said her son, Sam, had been walking along a familiar neighborhood path past a pond to collect goose feathers when a security guard encountered him and brought him home.

Police and Child Protective Services became involved, and Parkinson, who was eight months pregnant at the time, had her six-month jail sentence suspended, but the charge remains.

She was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a first-degree misdemeanor, and was also placed on Virginia's Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry for seven years.

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Parkinson said she understands the shock people feel hearing about a child alone near a body of water, but sought to clarify what happened that day.

"I didn't send him to play at the pond," she told "Fox & Friends Weekend." "I sent him down the path that happens to go past the pond to collect goose feathers... I know that a lot of people have seen the headlines and seen '5-year-old alone at a pond.' And I think if I saw that in isolation, I'd probably be alarmed, too."

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"But what this was, was a 5-year-old on a pathway that he's very familiar with in his neighborhood that he loves, the only place that he can remember ever living. And it just got turned into this whole situation where a lot of people were suddenly intervening and feeling like this was a really drastic parenting choice," she said.

The most difficult part for Parkinson is being on the Child Protective Services registry for so long, she told Fox News. That means she won't be able to volunteer in Sam's classroom until he enters sixth grade.

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"We need to stop parenting from a place of fear and a place, you know, of obsessing over the unknown or some boogeyman who's going to jump out from behind a bush," Parkinson said.

She said her son was "pretty shaken up" after the incident but has since recovered.

"We had to do a lot of reassuring him and telling him, 'You didn't do anything wrong,'" Parkinson said. "He would ask me, 'Mom, am I allowed to ride my bike to swim practice? Am I allowed to ride my back to the tennis courts?'"

"Now it's just a blip on his radar. It's not really a part of his life anymore," she added.

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/virginia-mom-placed-child-abuse-registry-7-years-letting-5-year-old-walk-alone