All about Trump's attack on Nike, Brett Kavanaugh, Tropical Storm Gordon

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Nike Inc following the debut of its advertising campaign with Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback who sparked a national controversy by kneeling during the national anthem.

Trump slams Nike as Kaepernick ads spark some boycotts

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Nike Inc following the debut of its advertising campaign with Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback who sparked a national controversy by kneeling during the national anthem. Trump, without offering evidence, said the sportswear company was "getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts."

Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/x5TnU7Z51i

— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 5, 2018

Trump says willing to shut down the government over border security

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to shut down the U.S. government over border security issues. In answer to a question from a reporter, Trump said: "If it's about border security, I'm willing to do anything. We have to protect our borders."

Supreme Court nominee dodges questions on Trump's presidential power

Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee, embraced judicial independence on Wednesday but sidestepped Senate Democrats' questions on whether a president can pardon himself or fire a prosecutor investigating him. On the second day of a Senate confirmation hearing disrupted repeatedly by shouting, anti-Kavanaugh protesters, senators pressed the conservative federal appeals court judge on his views about presidential power, abortion and gun rights.

U.S. judge delays New Mexico compound hearings to let defense prepare

A U.S. judge on Wednesday postponed hearings for five suspects from a ramshackle New Mexico compound where a toddler's body was found in order to give federal attorneys more time to prepare their defense in the racially-charged case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kirtan Khalsa in Albuquerque, New Mexico delayed the detention and preliminary hearings until Sept. 12. The defendants will remain in custody until then.

Graduates of selective U.S. colleges earn 20 percent more after a decade: study

Students who graduate from selective U.S. colleges earn more than their peers in the long term, and majoring in a technical field adds to the premium, a study from the New York Federal Reserve released on Wednesday showed. Students of selective colleges on average earned 20 percent more 10 years after enrollment than those who attended non-selective schools, New York Fed economists Rajashri Chakrabarti and Michelle Jiang wrote in a blog post.

In a quick reversal, Trump threatens a shutdown over the border wall

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to shut down the U.S. government if Congress does not provide enough funding for border security, reversing a stance he took a day earlier. Trump made his comments at a meeting with congressional Republican leaders at the White House about the legislative agenda for the next few months, including extending government funding past a Sept. 30 deadline.

Does the so-called "Senior Administration Official" really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source? If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018

U.S. judge blocks Texas fetal tissue burial laws

A federal judge blocked Texas laws requiring the burial or cremation of aborted fetal tissue, saying in a decision on Wednesday the measures placed substantial and unconstitutional obstacles in the path of a woman's right to choose an abortion. U.S. District Judge David Ezra in Austin, Texas, issued a permanent injunction preventing the measures from going into effect.

Gordon weakens, Hurricane Florence gains strength on the path toward Bermuda

Tropical Storm Gordon weakened into a depression on Wednesday but was dumping heavy rains that threatened to cause floods across several southern U.S. states while Hurricane Florence strengthened to a Category 4 storm and could menace Bermuda. Gordon made landfall on Tuesday night near the Alabama-Mississippi border with near hurricane-force winds, the National Hurricane Center said.

Eleven aboard Dubai flight hospitalized in New York after falling ill

Eleven people aboard an Emirates airline flight from Dubai were taken to New York hospitals with a mystery ailment on Wednesday after scores of passengers and crew complained of feeling sick during the 14-hour overnight trip from the Middle East. The type of illness was not immediately confirmed, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement that symptoms included fever, coughing, and fever.

Judge orders independent challenger off Virginia ballot in the tight race

A Virginia judge on Wednesday ordered an independent candidate in a key congressional contest removed from November's ballot, citing invalid signatures gathered with assistance from staffers for the incumbent Republican. Judge Gregory Rupe of the Richmond City Circuit Court ruled that Shaun Brown should be taken off from the Nov. 6 ballot in Virginia's 2nd congressional district, which includes Virginia Beach, the most populous city in the state.

(With inputs from Reuters)