National

Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said on a financial podcast that he doesn't think Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, meant his statements attacking Jews and praising Nazis. 

Driving the news: "I don't think he's a bad person, he just came across that way," Gulden said on the Sept. 12 episode of "In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen". "And that meant we lost that business — one of the most successful collabs."

The collaboration between Ye and Adidas for the Yeezy shoe line pre-dated Gulden's leadership of Adidas. He joined the company from Puma in 2022. 

"I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world, both in music and what I will call street culture," Gulden said on the podcast. 

Catch up quick: Adidas dropped its partnership with Ye in October after he made antisemitic remarks. 

At least seven other companies dropped Ye immediately following the remarks: Balenciaga, Vogue, Gap, Foot Locker, TJ Maxx, film studio MRC, and the Creative Arts Agency. 

Los Angeles Rams' defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Boston Celtics' guard Jaylen Brown, also severed their ties with Ye's Donda Sports marketing agency.

Of note: Adidas reported a loss of $540 million after the fallout. 

The company then sold its remaining Yeezy merchandise and said it would donate proceeds to the Anti-Defamation League.

Earlier this year, Adidas investors sued the company on the grounds that it "routinely ignored [the] extreme behavior" of Ye for years. 

Go deeper: Investors sue Adidas over Yeezy partnership with Ye

Investors sue Adidas over Yeezy partnership with Ye

Adidas CEO said he thinks Ye didn't mean antisemitic statements

"I don't think he's a bad person, he just came across that way," Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said.

A seller shows off the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 shoe model at a reseller store in Catalonia, Spain. Photo: Paco Freire/Getty Images

Kanye West

Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said on a financial podcast that he doesn&#x27;t think Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="meant his statements attacking" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/kanye-west-adidas-billionaire-net-worth" data-vars-content-id="151fa8a4-8816-402d-bee6-ca901d380bba" data-vars-headline="Adidas CEO said he thinks Ye didn&#x27;t mean antisemitic statements" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/kanye-west-adidas-billionaire-net-worth" target="_self">meant his statements attacking</a> Jews and praising Nazis. Driving the news: &quot;I don&#x27;t think he&#x27;s a bad person, he just came across that way,&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gulden said" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nbim.no/en/publications/podcast/bjorn-gulden-ceo-of-adidas-shoes-leadership-and-fast-decisions/" data-vars-content-id="151fa8a4-8816-402d-bee6-ca901d380bba" data-vars-headline="Adidas CEO said he thinks Ye didn&#x27;t mean antisemitic statements" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nbim.no/en/publications/podcast/bjorn-gulden-ceo-of-adidas-shoes-leadership-and-fast-decisions/" target="_blank">Gulden said</a> on the Sept. 12 episode of &quot;In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen&quot;. &quot;And that meant we lost that business — one of the most successful collabs.&quot;

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Portland

Axios Portland

Data: Gun Violence Archive; Chart: Axios Visuals

The number of mass shootings in Oregon has fallen so far this year, even as the U.S. has passed the 500 mark.

Why it matters: Mass shootings are one notable measure of gun violence at a time when firearms laws — including in Oregon — are being judged by a new standard of historical tradition that the U.S. Supreme Court set last year.

Driving the news: A shooting that wounded four people in Denver, Colorado on Saturday marked the country's 500th mass shooting in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent research and data collection organization.

Shootings in Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois and North Carolina have since moved the number higher.

By the numbers: In Oregon, of the 24 mass shootings the Gun Violence Archive has recorded since 2014, 18 occurred in the Portland metro area.

Between the lines: The FBI does not define or quantify what constitutes a mass shooting.

The Gun Violence Archive, however, says a mass shooting occurs when four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter, a definition that makes its numbers higher than some other sources.

Flashback: The archive tracks mass shootings since 2014, but a handful from this list of major Oregon shootings — dating back to 1977 — would qualify by the archive's definition.

Oregonians were shaken by a shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield a year before the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in 1999, which spurred significant debate on guns and school safety.

The shooter in the Oregon incident, Kip Kinkel, has lost numerous attempts for a review of his sentence, which totals 111 years.

Data: Gun Violence Archive; Note: Includes incidents where at least four people were shot or killed, excluding the shooter; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios

Context: Just five years ago, the country had never experienced 500 mass shootings in one year, but by 2020 the number crossed 600 and has kept climbing.

The big picture: With an increasing personal toll, more Americans view gun violence as a public health concern.

One in six Americans have witnessed someone being shot, according to survey data from earlier this year.

Gun deaths among children hit a record in 2021, per data released in August.

Of note: Oregon gun owners are challenging a new state law that restricts magazine size to 10 rounds and requires training and a completed background check before buying a firearm.

A trial in state court began this week. An earlier federal court ruling that found the law constitutional is set for appeal.

Oregon mass shootings drop as US numbers climb

Nationally, there have been more than 500 so far this year.

Mass shootings

A bar chart showing a spike in mass shootings in Oregon in 2021 with 7, then two years of drop to 2 so far in 2023.

The number of mass shootings in Oregon has fallen so far this year, even as the U.S. has passed the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="500 mark" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/17/mass-shootings-500-united-states-2023" data-vars-content-id="7569650d-983c-4226-8413-d87ccbc76acd" data-vars-headline="Oregon mass shootings drop as US numbers climb" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/17/mass-shootings-500-united-states-2023" target="_self">500 mark</a>.Why it matters: Mass shootings are one notable measure of gun violence at a time when firearms laws — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="including in Oregon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/09/16/gun-law-ban-large-capacity-magazines-permit-appeal" data-vars-content-id="7569650d-983c-4226-8413-d87ccbc76acd" data-vars-headline="Oregon mass shootings drop as US numbers climb" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/09/16/gun-law-ban-large-capacity-magazines-permit-appeal" target="_self">including in Oregon</a> — are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="being judged" data-vars-click-url="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2023/07/federal-judge-finds-oregons-new-gun-control-measure-114-is-constitutional.html" data-vars-content-id="7569650d-983c-4226-8413-d87ccbc76acd" data-vars-headline="Oregon mass shootings drop as US numbers climb" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2023/07/federal-judge-finds-oregons-new-gun-control-measure-114-is-constitutional.html" target="_blank">being judged</a> by a new standard of historical tradition that the U.S. Supreme Court <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="set last year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/supreme-court-ruling-creates-turmoil-over-gun-laws-in-lower-courts" data-vars-content-id="7569650d-983c-4226-8413-d87ccbc76acd" data-vars-headline="Oregon mass shootings drop as US numbers climb" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/supreme-court-ruling-creates-turmoil-over-gun-laws-in-lower-courts" target="_blank">set last year</a>.

News

The military pilot who ejected from a fighter jet in a "mishap" last weekend asked a 911 dispatcher for help in an emergency call immediately after the incident, the AP reports. 

Driving the news: "A military jet crashed. I'm the pilot. We need to get rescue rolling," the pilot said in the call. "I'm not sure where the airplane is. It would have crash landed somewhere. I ejected."

The pilot estimated that he parachuted about 2,000 feet to the ground, and he said that his back hurt "a little bit," but that he was otherwise OK.

Catch up quick: Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina asked for the public's help in locating the F-35B Lightning II jet, which costs more than $80 million. 

A debris field was found on Monday in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, about two hours from the base. 

The U.S. Marine Corps had a two-day aviation stand-down to discuss safety fundamentals and flight procedures with the Marines. 

The Navy is investigating the incident. It has not yet said what the "mishap" was that caused the pilot to eject. 

Go deeper: Marine Corps grounds planes after debris from missing U.S. fighter jet found

Marine Corps grounds planes after debris from missing U.S. fighter jet found

Military pilot asked 911 dispatcher for help after ejecting from fighter jet

"A military jet crashed. I'm the pilot. We need to get rescue rolling."

An F-35B Lightning II launches aboard the USS Essex in preparation for the F-35B's first combat strike in 2018. Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Freeman/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

Marine Corps

Politics & Policy

A court ruled that the FBI seizing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's cellphone did not violate his Constitutional rights. 

Driving the news: Lindell's irritation over the government taking possession of his device "does not give rise to a constitutional claim, let alone a showing of a callous disregard for his constitutional rights," wrote Circuit Judge Ralph Erickson of the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. 

The seizure last year was part of a federal investigation into indicted Mesa County clerk Tina Peters over tampering with voting equipment in Colorado.

Lindell did not respond to a request for comment. 

Lindell is an ally to former President Trump and major Republican donor. He has repeatedly pushed false claims about 2020 election fraud. 

Catch up quick: Lindell had his phone taken in a Hardee's fast food restaurant in 2022 in Mankato, Minn. He had been trying to get it back since it was taken, per the court filing.

Lindell had requested the return of his phone, data seized from the government on it and an order precluding the government from taking further action with his phone.

Details: Erickson wrote that Lindell was filing litigation in an attempt to interfere with and, "at most, enjoin a criminal investigation and ultimately hamper any potential federal prosecution" in the election-related criminal probe.

The government "implemented its filter protocols to safeguard confidential, private and privileged materials on Lindell's phone," the judge wrote. 

Lindell's phone was backed up five days prior to its seizure, per the court, allowing him access to the majority of the information on it. 

Go deeper: MyPillow CEO says FBI seized his cellphone

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit wrote

seized in a Hardee's fast food restaurant

MyPillow CEO says FBI seized his cellphone

Judge: MyPillow CEO's rights were not violated when FBI seized his cellphone

The judge wrote that the request from Lindell was a tactic to interfere with a criminal investigation.

Mike Lindell wearing a blue suit and red/blue tie smiles at a man in a cowboy hat with an American flag and a cross on the back. Lindell's suit has a cross pin on it. 

Mike Lindell greets guests before the start of a speech by former President Trump at the Trump National Golf Club on June 13 in Bedminster, N.J. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

2020 presidential election

A court ruled that the FBI seizing MyPillow CEO <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mike Lindell" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/28/my-pillow-mike-lindell-rnc-chairman" data-vars-content-id="f8d4f60d-ee1f-4a0f-8133-5abd8a115a2a" data-vars-headline="Judge: MyPillow CEO&#x27;s rights were not violated when FBI seized his cellphone" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/28/my-pillow-mike-lindell-rnc-chairman" target="_self">Mike Lindell</a>&#x27;s cellphone did not violate his Constitutional rights. Driving the news: Lindell&#x27;s irritation over the government taking possession of his device &quot;does not give rise to a constitutional claim, let alone a showing of a callous disregard for his constitutional rights,&quot; wrote Circuit Judge Ralph Erickson of the the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit" data-vars-click-url="http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/23/09/223510P.pdf" data-vars-content-id="f8d4f60d-ee1f-4a0f-8133-5abd8a115a2a" data-vars-headline="Judge: MyPillow CEO&#x27;s rights were not violated when FBI seized his cellphone" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/23/09/223510P.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit</a>.

The group whose lawsuit contributed to the Supreme Court ending affirmative action sued the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday for race-conscious admissions. 

Why it matters: The Supreme Court decision allowed an exception for military academies to continue considering race as part of admissions processes.

The latest: Students for Fair Admissions, a conservative nonprofit, sued the highly selective school on the basis that military academies should also be barred from race-conscious admissions processes. 

The organization challenges what it calls West Point's "racial-balancing goals" in its complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

Details: West Point's admission process involves two stages, the second of which includes consideration of students' race, according to the complaint. 

"West Point sets benchmarks for the percentage of each class that should be filled by 'African Americans,' 'Hispanics,' and 'Asians,' and it meticulously tracks its compliance with those figures," the complaint said. 

"These racial benchmarks vary by year, based on the ever-shifting demographics of the enlisted ranks."

The organization is calling to prohibit the military academy from considering or knowing applicants' race when making admissions decisions. 

Catch up quick: The Supreme Court ruled in June that colleges can't explicitly consider race in admissions — upending decades of precedent.

The decision has been expected to have drastic effects on the makeup of student bodies, especially at prestigious U.S. universities.

Students for Fair Admissions argued that affirmative action discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.

Worth noting: In the majority opinion from June, the court said that military academies have "potentially distinct interests" from other universities, thus the overturning of affirmative action did not apply to them.

At the time, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson touched on the carveout in her dissenting opinion: "The Court has come to rest on the bottom-line conclusion that racial diversity in higher education is only worth potentially preserving insofar as it might be needed to prepare Black Americans and other underrepresented minorities for success in the bunker, not the boardroom."

A decision in the new lawsuit would likely apply to the Naval Academy and Air Force Academy as well, the New York Times reports.

Go deeper: Ending affirmative action is watershed moment for higher education

Ending affirmative action is watershed moment for higher education

Anti-affirmative action group sues West Point over race-conscious admissions

SCOTUS overturned affirmative action in June but left a carveout for military academies.

Graduates look at the stage at a commencement ceremony at the military academy. Dozens of people are in the foreground with a stage in the background. 

Graduates receive their diplomas during the 2022 commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in May 2022 in West Point, New York. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Lawsuits

The group whose lawsuit contributed to the Supreme Court <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ending affirmative action" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/29/scotus-decisions-affirmative-action-colleges" data-vars-content-id="fb01ca02-1e53-49e3-824b-1c6d3ea5a915" data-vars-headline="Anti-affirmative action group sues West Point over race-conscious admissions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/29/scotus-decisions-affirmative-action-colleges" target="_self">ending affirmative action</a> sued the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday for race-conscious admissions. Why it matters: The Supreme Court decision allowed an exception for military academies to continue considering race as part of admissions processes.

April Rubin

Stories

Judge: MyPillow CEO's rights were not violated when FBI seized his cellphone

Military pilot asked 911 dispatcher for help after ejecting from fighter jet

Oregon mass shootings drop as US numbers climb

Adidas CEO said he thinks Ye didn't mean antisemitic statements

Anti-affirmative action group sues West Point over race-conscious admissions