Worth Knowing, Probably Not Quite Threadworthy 9/6

[SVPete]

Trump Was Right About the Kennedy Center... In a HUGE Way!

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/05/trump-was-right-about-the-kennedy-center-n4956928

President Donald Trump has spent months trying to return the Kennedy Center to its former glory, and leftists have been trying to stop him at every turn. This week, the building did their work for them. A chunk of the Grand Foyer ceiling came crashing down onto the red carpet.

I’m guessing that’s still not enough proof for Democrats that the place needs work.

The collapse hit overnight into Thursday, after a powerful storm tore through Washington, D.C. Meteorologists say it was the strongest system to hit the city since the derecho that flattened trees and power lines back in 2012. This time, it took out part of the ceiling in one of the Kennedy Center's most recognizable rooms, leaving debris scattered across the carpet where donors and dignitaries usually walk.
...
Last month, Justice Department lawyers told a federal court that the building's "dangerously dilapidated, outdated, and decrepit" condition, combined with millions of dollars in financial losses, has put the Kennedy Center in a "financial and structural death spiral." Fixing it, they said, will take two years of closure. Without that work, they warned, "the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site, such as a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River that has been proposed, by some, for many years."

While the the noise is being made about adding Trump's name to the Kennedy Center, his effort to repair and refurbish it are also being obstructed. I think the chances are 50-50 or worse that this incident will clear opposition to Bogey-Trump carrying out necessary repairs and needed upgrades.

[SVPete]

S&P 100 Drops Nike: Formerly Disruptive Shoe Company Is Now Out of Fashion

https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/09/06/s-and-p-100-delists-nike-formerly-disruptive-shoe-company-is-now-out-of-fashion-n4956942

In a sign of the changing times, the S&P 100 is delisting Nike. To reiterate, the S&P 100 – not the S&P 500 – is delisting Nike, which is a reflection of the company’s poor performance on Wall Street and elsewhere. If you want to buy a share of the stock these days, it’s floundering around $38 to $40 per share, which is as low as it’s been in about 12 years. The delisting will take effect Sept. 21.

That’s a 75% drop from its peak in 2021. So, what gives?

Let’s explore the official reasons (excuses) first. Analysts say that Nike has encountered a perfect storm of stagnant sales growth, “shrinking gross margins,” and problems in China, where its shoes are manufactured and which represents a huge consumer market for the firm. But these aren’t reasons; they’re symptoms. Saying your stock is down because sales are down is like saying the reason I’m hungry is because I haven’t eaten any food.
...
Nike is as much a fashion brand as an athletic performance shoe company. Things go in and out of fashion every day as fickle consumers’ tastes change. For the longest time, just having that Nike swoosh logo on a shirt or a hat or your shoes was enough to signal that you’re on trend, that you buy a certain quality, and that you maintain a certain image.

This branding was reinforced by Nike's status as the dominant sponsor of the major pro athletes in sports. From Tiger Woods to Michael Jordan, if you were a pro athlete, you weren’t “somebody” until you got that Nike shoe contract.

I do not have the knowledge/visibility to make definitive statements, but within my scope of observation:

1. Among brands I see at running events - organized trail and community street/road - the brands I currently see most often are Hoka and Saucony. Nike is in the lower pack with New Balance, Adidas, and On.

2. The brands I see most often at work (200 or 400 work in my building), I see Hoka most often, with New Balance and Nike vying for second most common.

Fifteen years or so ago (when I started walking in running events), Nike was most common in both contexts. Whatever the mix of reaction against Nike's embrace of activists and waves of fashion, Nike's Marketing Mojo has slipped. FWIW, Caitlin Clark has a Nike contract, and Sophie Cunningham an Adidas contract.

I've had very good experiences with the Hoka Clifton series, though my bank account and feet are good with New Balance 680 and 880 (both are "Fresh Foam" series) for daily wear and for work-outs and events.

[SVPete]

ICE Captures MS-13 Killer Known As 'The Witch.' A Biden Judge Just Let Him Go.

https://redstate.com/kyle-becker/2026/09/05/ice-captures-ms-13-killer-known-as-the-witch-a-biden-judge-just-let-him-go-n2206565

ICE spent months tracking down an MS-13 gang member known as “The Witch,” a convicted killer wanted in El Salvador for an execution-style murder.

Now, ICE has been forced to set him free.

U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta, a Biden appointee in California, ordered David Antonio Aviles Perez released from ICE custody after concluding that immigration authorities violated his due-process rights.

Judge Ohta ruled that ICE erred by holding him for five months without an individualized determination of whether he posed a danger to the public or was likely to flee.

The family of his next victims should be allowed to sue this moron for wrongful death.

[SVPete]

Court Rules Pentagon Can Fire Stars and Stripes Journalists

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/court-rules-pentagon-can-fire-stars-and-stripes-journalists-6083868

A district court denied a motion from three Stars and Stripes journalists that sought to block the Department of War from firing them.

While plaintiffs argue that the terminations “violate their First Amendment rights to communicate as citizens on matters of public concern,” such rights have “some limitations” when applied to people employed in public service, Judge Trevor N. McFadden, from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said in the Sept. 4 order.

“When government employees provide public commentary in their official capacity, their speech is government speech, and the First Amendment does not apply,” the judge said, adding that the plaintiffs have not demonstrated any “irreparable harm.”
...
On July 5, Korte and Slavin gave interviews to CBS News. The program discussed changes to Pentagon regulations governing Stars and Stripes and their impact on its independence.

Korte said that restrictions may come on her reporting. “I’m working for Stars and Stripes … not for the Pentagon, not for any administration, not for any policymaker. I’m here to cover the military community,” she said.

Ordinarily I'd say that being fired for cause by Trump would be a resume' item for a "journalist", but the job market for "journalists" is not very good, currently.

[SVPete]

HS Employee Claimed 33-Hour Workdays in $250K Fraud Scheme, Feds Say

https://townhall.com/news/scott-mcclallen/2026/09/05/dhs-employee-claimed-33-hour-workdays-in-250k-fraud-scheme-feds-say-n2682544

Richeline Anisso Fung, 46, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and formerly of Maryland, pleaded guilty earlier this week in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims while working as a full-time employee for the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS-CISA), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

“Richeline Fung stole a quarter‑million dollars from the American taxpayer, and today she stands as a convicted felon who will be required to pay full restitution,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. ...

Court documents say that Fung was a full-time DHS-CISA employee between September 2016 and October 2025. She lived in Maryland when she started working for DHS-CISA but moved to Florida.

Between January 2021 and August 2024, Fung served in multiple federal government contractor positions despite being a full-time U.S. government employee with DHS-CISA. She worked as a contractor for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). She served in these positions as a direct employee or as an independent contractor/consultant through her business RAF Pro-Consulting, LLC, which she incorporated in Florida in 2020.
...
In connection with her employment, Fung submitted timesheets certifying the number of hours she worked each pay period. Fung routinely overstated those hours, even claiming to work more than 24 hours in a single day on multiple occasions. 

For example, in February 2022, Fung was employed by DHS-CISA and three different federal contractors performing work for USDA, FHWA, and DOJ. For that month alone, Fung’s combined hours totaled more than 24 hours in a single day on 15 occasions. Shockingly, she claimed to work 33 hours on February 7, 8, 9, and 10, and 32 hours on February 11. 

Fung admitted that she concealed her employment with DHS-CISA and the federal contractors from each other. She also acknowledged that she was able to conceal her employment because she teleworked for all the positions during the relevant period.

If I understand this correctly, the female took advantage of Covid-era WFM to have two, simultaneous, Federal jobs, starting in January 2021. Somehow, in four years of LIEden she was not detected.

[SVPete]

S&P 100 Drops Nike: Formerly Disruptive Shoe Company Is Now Out of Fashion

https://pjmedia.com/tim-o-brien/2026/09/06/s-and-p-100-delists-nike-formerly-disruptive-shoe-company-is-now-out-of-fashion-n4956942

I do not have the knowledge/visibility to make definitive statements, but within my scope of observation:

1. Among brands I see at running events - organized trail and community street/road - the brands I currently see most often are Hoka and Saucony. Nike is in the lower pack with New Balance, Adidas, and On.

2. The brands I see most often at work (200 or 400 work in my building), I see Hoka most often, with New Balance and Nike vying for second most common.

Fifteen years or so ago (when I started walking in running events), Nike was most common in both contexts. Whatever the mix of reaction against Nike's embrace of activists and waves of fashion, Nike's Marketing Mojo has slipped. FWIW, Caitlin Clark has a Nike contract, and Sophie Cunningham an Adidas contract.

I've had very good experiences with the Hoka Clifton series, though my bank account and feet are good with New Balance 680 and 880 (both are "Fresh Foam" series) for daily wear and for work-outs and events.

Nike Plans Job Cuts, Global Operations Overhaul Amid Weak Sales Outlook/b]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/business/nike-plans-job-cuts-global-operations-overhaul-amid-weak-sales-outlook-6098789?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport&src_src=partner&src_cmp=BonginoReport

Nike is planning another round of layoffs as the sportswear giant overhauls its operations following a sharp decline in sales in China and issues a weaker-than-expected revenue outlook for the year.

On Thursday, the company announced a restructuring program called “Pace,” which will consolidate Nike’s four geographic divisions into three, modernize its supply chain, establish a new corporate campus in India, and further streamline its workforce.

Nike did not say how many jobs would be eliminated or where most of the reductions would occur. CEO Elliott Hill told employees that decisions on affected positions would begin in calendar year 2027 and continue beyond then.

“This work will result in fewer roles across Nike, and I want to acknowledge that news like this creates uncertainty,” Hill said in a company-wide message. “I don’t take that lightly.”

Schadenboner alert!!! Schadenboner alert!!! Nike lost me when they backed Kaep's tantrum. I finished using the Nikes I had (which needed after-market insoles to prevent plantar fasciitis, my purchase mistake) and switched to Hoka or the New Balance "Fresh Foam" series. Meanwhile Nike kept making socio-political "statements" - e.g Dylan Mulvaney, who AFAIK is nothing athletic - that alienated existing and potential customers of differing socio-political views ... like me. Nike makes good running and trail shoes; so do Hoka, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, Salomon, Mizuno, Adidas, Puma, On, Under Armor, ......

[ADsOutburst]

ICE Captures MS-13 Killer Known As 'The Witch.' A Biden Judge Just Let Him Go.

https://redstate.com/kyle-becker/2026/09/05/ice-captures-ms-13-killer-known-as-the-witch-a-biden-judge-just-let-him-go-n2206565

The family of his next victims should be allowed to sue this moron for wrongful death.

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

Men like this judge, on the other hand, make it happen.

[SVPete]

Nike Plans Job Cuts, Global Operations Overhaul Amid Weak Sales Outlook/b]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/business/nike-plans-job-cuts-global-operations-overhaul-amid-weak-sales-outlook-6098789?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport&src_src=partner&src_cmp=BonginoReport

Schadenboner alert!!! Schadenboner alert!!! Nike lost me when they backed Kaep's tantrum. I finished using the Nikes I had (which needed after-market insoles to prevent plantar fasciitis, my purchase mistake) and switched to Hoka or the New Balance "Fresh Foam" series. Meanwhile Nike kept making socio-political "statements" - e.g Dylan Mulvaney, who AFAIK is nothing athletic - that alienated existing and potential customers of differing socio-political views ... like me. Nike makes good running and trail shoes; so do Hoka, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, Salomon, Mizuno, Adidas, Puma, On, Under Armor, ......

Nike CEO may have just admitted the company went too woke as stock hits 12-year low

https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/nike-ceo-may-have-admitted-company-went-woke-stock-hits-12-year-low

The Nike CEO's memo to his employees was 860 words.

But here were the 33 that stuck out: "Over the past year, we've put sport at the center of everything we do. We're seeing encouraging signs of progress, but we have more work to do to win over the long term."

That was sent out on Oct. 1, one day before Nike's stock price closed at $33.87 per share — its lowest in over 12 years. The once unstoppable athletic titan expects more layoffs in 2027 after already cutting staff twice this year.

And you have to wonder if that sentence — "over the past year, we've put sport at the center of everything we do" — was as much a confession as it was a mission statement. Nike chose politics over its core identity, and it's desperately trying to course correct.

Last month, Outkick's Dan Zaksheske listed a series of decisions the company made over the past few years aimed at courting a left-wing audience. In 2019, it tapped Colin Kaepernick as the face of its 30th anniversary "Just Do It" campaign. In the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020, it ran its "For Once, Don't Do it" ad, which included lines like "don't pretend there's not a problem in America," and "Don't turn your back on racism." In 2023, it partnered with female-identifying male Dylan Mulvaney to promote women's leggings and sports bras — seemingly unfazed by the backlash Mulvaney's partnership with Bud Light sparked. There was also the "Equality" commercial in 2017 that featured phrases such as "the ball should bounce the same for everyone."

[RonE]

Not for the 1st time, I'm amazed how a CEO of a major company remains clueless for so long about it's customers.

[DefiantSix]

Not for the 1st time, I'm amazed how a CEO of a major company remains clueless for so long about it's customers.

Or that its products are manufactured in ChiCom slave factories by 8-year olds. 

[RonE]

 

Nike CEO may have just admitted the company went too woke as stock hits 12-year low

They "may" have gone too far?! Damn, he's good.

[SVPete]

Nike Plans Job Cuts, Global Operations Overhaul Amid Weak Sales Outlook/b]

https://www.theepochtimes.com/business/nike-plans-job-cuts-global-operations-overhaul-amid-weak-sales-outlook-6098789?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport&src_src=partner&src_cmp=BonginoReport

Schadenboner alert!!! Schadenboner alert!!! Nike lost me when they backed Kaep's tantrum. I finished using the Nikes I had (which needed after-market insoles to prevent plantar fasciitis, my purchase mistake) and switched to Hoka or the New Balance "Fresh Foam" series. Meanwhile Nike kept making socio-political "statements" - e.g Dylan Mulvaney, who AFAIK is nothing athletic - that alienated existing and potential customers of differing socio-political views ... like me. Nike makes good running and trail shoes; so do Hoka, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, Salomon, Mizuno, Adidas, Puma, On, Under Armor, ......

The past two Saturdays I did a 5K benefiting a local JC, and a (5k &) 10K benefiting a local city's parks and recreation department. Different types of running event attract runners of varying abilities and habits. Trail runs, especially hilly ones, attract competitive runners and those who do such events frequently. Community events like these two attract a wide range of participants - supporters of ______, teens and younger, gran & gramps, competitive & casual runners. So, a wide variety of tastes in equipment, from on-sale-at-Kohl's to running store top-end.

Being a bit geekasoid, I noticed how frequently I saw which shoe brands. Most frequent were Hoka, Brooks, ASICS, Adidas, and New Balance. Least were Saucony and On, with Nike being a bit more popular than those two brands.

Whatever Nike is doing wrong or poorly, Hoka, Brooks, and ASICS are not household-familiar brand names, but they are getting their "message" to runners, from competitive to casual, and their shoes are NOT cheap (price or quality). Hoka also seems to have gotten visibility more widely with people who want or need REALLY comfortable shoes. Nike's socio-political antics have probably cost Nike some customers, but I think Nike had a broader lack of focus, probably with laziness frosting.