Leaked Audio Recording Shows #NikeTechTeam Meeting After #Lavu's Sudden Departure

A leaked audio recording of Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez and two Latino council members making racially insensitive remarks at their peers has sparked calls for them to resign. The recording, first posted on Reddit in October 2021, was reportedly recorded during a meeting at the office of a union federation.

Nike Tech Team Meets After Top Exec’s Sudden Departure

One day after Nike's top technology executive Lavu abruptly left with no notice, the company held a video call with over 400 employees to encourage them to finish the year strong in light of his departure. President James Cook encouraged workers to "finish strong" despite Lavu's departure.

He stressed the significance of communication and working together in order to manage Lavu's departure. This marked Nike's first video call with their tech team, signaling exciting things to come at the athletic wear giant.

According to internal Nike sources present at the meeting, the impromptu event was a success. Not only did Cook address all pertinent issues at hand during this impromptu gathering, but it was also an opportunity for Nike to showcase their new CDA business plan and showcase its cutting-edge technologies.

On the video call, Cook also announced several significant successes for the company. He highlighted Monica Gil's appointment as Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, as well as Bob Swan's addition to the board.

In a related move, Under Armour promoted David Baxter to its top job, replacing Stephanie Pugliese who will depart in early 2023. In his role, Baxter will be responsible for expanding sales and distribution in North America as well as creating the company's product innovation pipeline.

Finally, Stuart Weitzman has promoted Jackie Giusti Seaman to SVP of global marketing & communications and Kaisy Mae O'Reilly to SVP of digital, strategy & customer innovation. Together they will oversee the brand's online and social media presences.

Romano Cinelli has been named president and CEO of Converse Europe, where he will oversee the expansion of their store portfolio and e-commerce initiatives. With nearly a decade of experience in sportswear design, his expertise will be invaluable for this role.

Miles Taylor’s Exit

Nike executive Miles Taylor has resigned his post as Senior VP at the tech company after employees questioned his views on immigration, the Muslim ban and family separation policy.

Taylor had served as chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Additionally, he held a position at the White House and has an extensive record of advocating on behalf of immigrants.

As a former DHS official, Taylor was responsible for working with officials to implement policies that would prevent immigrants from entering the US illegally. Additionally, his involvement was key in Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy which separated children from their parents when caught trying to enter America illegally.

Taylor expressed his public support of President Obama's immigration policies, yet was critical of some DHS officials who resisted them. For example, Taylor claimed Trump offered full pardons to DHS staffers who might violate federal law when implementing immigration practices such as family separations.

Taylor's op-ed in The Times caused intense Washington speculation as to who it was written by, angering many top White House officials. Ultimately, it was revealed this week that Taylor himself authored it.

According to reports, Taylor penned an op-ed in August to criticize the White House's leadership. The piece quickly went viral online and led him to release a book which made numerous claims about Trump and his administration.

Taylor's book described the administration as a "toxic, dysfunctional, and dangerous place to work." He described President Obama as an unruly vulture who abused his power without leadership, while criticizing their lack of transparency and poor management.

Taylor chose to remain anonymous in order for his views to be heard more clearly if left anonymous. While he said his motivation behind exposing these issues wasn't money, he did decline an advance payment for writing the book and promised to donate any profits made to charity.

Though Taylor's actions may appear hypocritical for someone who claims to be against migrant detention, it's essential to remember that whistleblowers often face internal challenges and the potential risk of losing their careers. No matter the approach or method someone chooses, speaking up about ethical or legal violations within an organization will always have consequences.

Nike’s Chrome Extension

One of the quickest and most efficient ways to acquire new sneakers is using Sneaker Bot technology. This computer program scans credit cards automatically, meaning that you won't have to wait long for those sweet cleats to arrive back at work. Best of all? No fee - simply download the app from Chrome Store and you're all set! Nevertheless, be aware that not all sneaker bots are created equal; some may have less-than-savory sides.

Nike’s Dissent Policy

Nike is a globally renowned sportswear brand known for its socially progressive views. However, the company has also faced numerous complaints over its business practices and policies. Most recently, its decision to use former NFL quarterback Kaepernick in an ad campaign angered some consumers and caused Twitter's #BoycottNike hashtag to trend on Twitter.

Nike's Dissent Policy guarantees employees the right to protest if they believe their employer is engaging in unfair or unethical behavior. Furthermore, this policy includes an appeal process which enables staffers to request a review of their grievance by senior leaders.

Dissenters argued that Nike's statements regarding labor conditions in factories where it manufactures its products violated California law by failing to disclose that workers were paid below minimum wage, had no health insurance coverage, or experienced hazardous working conditions. Furthermore, they maintained the company's claims were false and misleading.

Though the court acknowledged that the trial and appellate courts erred in classifying Nike's statements as noncommercial speech, it also held that these declarations did not violate the First Amendment since they combined factual representations about labor practices with opinions on economic globalization. Ultimately, however, a majority of the Court of Appeal rejected this analysis, holding that only facts material to commercial transactions-such as how Nike makes their products-would lose full protection under the First Amendment.

But, if the majority is correct in classifying Nike's statements as both commercial and noncommercial speech, it would be difficult to decide which aspects of their campaign should receive constitutional protection. For instance, protecting statements related to racial injustice would be more challenging than protecting information regarding venereal disease or family planning.

Nike staffers distributed a flyer inviting people to join them on their Beaverton campus for a walk to celebrate women's contributions to sport and foster conversation about how Nike can empower female athletes and employees. Several women took part in the walk, with senior leadership joining them too.