Star Spangled Battle

Nike pulled a special Fourth of July sneaker from stores that featured the Betsy Ross version of the American flag, in which 13 stars form a circle. The company said it had received complaints that the flag had been used as a symbol for far-right groups. According to the Wall Street Journal, Nike made the decision after Colin Kaepernick objected that the 1770s-era flag evoked a period of American history when slavery had been legal.

Nike’s decision angered some conservatives, and the governor of Arizona said he would withdraw incentives to help the company build a factory in his state. Nike said it would build the factory anyway. The controversy has just made the shoes even more popular: they were selling for $2,500 on sneaker exchange StockX.—Jeff Green