*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).
An emotional President Joe Biden has marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre that wiped out a thriving Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.
The Supreme Court is leaving in place a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who say they developed ovarian cancer from using Johnson & Johnson talc products.
Senate Republicans have blocked the creation of a bipartisan panel to study the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Far more Americans are receiving unemployment benefits than the last time the jobless rate was at the current 6.1%.
The world's two largest economies, China and the United States, look to build their own digital currencies even as they look to reign in the private crypto sector.
Excessive sanitizing over COVID-19 fears may actually be harming more than helping. Cheddar explains.
The District of Columbia has sued Amazon, accusing the online retail giant of illegal anticompetitive practices in its treatment of sellers on its platform.
The White House says the United States on Tuesday will reach 50% of American adults fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
The White House says President Joe Biden is awaiting an infrastructure counteroffer from Senate Republicans. But talks are at standstill before a Memorial Day deadline.
