Fashion
Joe Biden’s Cabinet Picks Send a Clear Message: The Adults Are Back in Charge
The initial cabinet appointments by president-elect Joe Biden show a commitment to both experience and diversity….

Homeland Security is another department that saw almost unprecedented turmoil under President Trump, with five different directors under his watch, only two of whom were Senate-confirmed. (Earlier this year, the General Accounting Office found that Chad Wolf, the latest acting secretary of DHS, was not legally qualified to hold his job.)
As The Washington Post noted earlier this year, “The White House has run the department as an instrument of policy and politics, appointing openly partisan figures to its top leadership ranks, where they serve in acting roles without the slightest pretense of a formal nomination.” Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor who served as the department’s first secretary under President George W. Bush, told the Post, “The president has perverted the mission of DHS.”
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who is also Cuban American, called Mayorkas a “smart and natural pick” to lead the DHS. “He has the subject matter experience to take on the enormous job of cleaning up after the disastrous and inhuman immigration policies that have torn lives and families apart under the Trump administration,” Menendez said in a statement.
Biden’s pick to be ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, could not be more different than the woman she will replace if confirmed, Kelly Craft. Craft, a longtime Republican with close ties to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell but with no diplomatic experience, had a brief and somewhat bumpy run as the Trump administration’s ambassador to Canada before being named as the replacement for Nikki Haley in 2019. (Trump’s original choice to replace Haley was said to be Heather Nauert, a former Fox News anchor.)
In contrast, Thomas-Greenfield is a three-decade veteran of the State Department who served as ambassador to Liberia, director general of the foreign service, and top diplomat for Africa before leaving the State Department during the early months of the Trump administration. Although Thomas-Greenfield, 68, will not be the first Black woman to be the country’s ambassador to the U.N. (Susan Rice holds that distinction) nor the first African American in that position (Andrew Young held the job during President Jimmy Carter’s administration), she is a pioneer nonetheless.
When she joined the State Department 35 years ago, she was one of the very few Black women to do so and one who came from a less-than-privileged background. In his formal announcement on Tuesday, president-elect Biden called her a “ground-breaking diplomat … who never forgot where she came from, segregated Louisiana” and noted that she was the first in her family to go to college. (Thomas-Greenfield is a graduate of LSU, attending that college in the 1970s, as part of the first wave of African American students accepted by that previously all-white school. Among her fellow students was David Duke.) In a TEDx talk last year, Thomas-Greenfield described her upbringing in the “Deep South … in a segregated town in which the KKK regularly would come on weekends and burn a cross in somebody’s yard.”
News
Nike Zoom Hyperflight “Safari” Official Images Reveal Bold Print Ahead of Holiday Release
The Nike Zoom Hyperflight is getting a bold new look, with the “Safari” colorway coming soon. We have official photos of the unique design for a closer look. The sneaker sports bright orange accents and a translucent outsold, and is expected to arrive during the holiday season at a retail price of $190.
The new version is inspired by the Safari print that is familiar from the Air Safari. That pattern covers most of the Hyperflight’s soft, molded upper, giving the basketball shoe a unique look compared with some of the model’s other recent colorways. Together, the unusual texture and pattern make the silhouette feel especially suited to the adventurous design.
The primary contrast across the shoe is orange, used in the trim and other details. The bright color pops against the speckled base without being overwhelming. Black is also present in the design, on the glossy support structure around the midfoot and the soft leather collar. The look is topped off with a see-through outsole that adds another visual element to the overall color scheme.
The sneaker will drop with style code IZ2573-010 and is expected in men’s sizing. With a retail price tag of $190, Nike, Foot Locker, and Sheikh are among the expected retailers. As for when you can expect it, it’s likely to be the holiday season, though we don’t have a solid release date.
The “Safari” colorway comes amid a busy period for the Zoom Hyperflight. This year, Nike has revived the model in several colors, bringing a new wave of attention to the silhouette through a series of releases. Another forthcoming option is the vibrant “Green Apple” pair, also scheduled for a holiday season release.
The Hyperflight’s history also provides context for the latest return. Jason Williams wore the model in the early 2000s, linking it to a memorable era for the sneaker. That association also helps explain why new colorways can generate excitement beyond the shoe’s look, especially for those who remember it from its previous run.
The Safari design is a definitive statement that does not change the characteristic shape of the Hyperflight. Instead, it uses the familiar silhouette as a canvas for a pattern that has already become recognizable through another Nike model. The orange accents provide a bright contrast, while the black midfoot structure and collar balance it out.
Now that official images have surfaced, sneaker fans have a clearer idea of what to expect from the holiday release. The $190 price, style code, and expected retail partners have also been identified, but a specific launch date has not been confirmed.
For Nike, the “Safari” is another way to bring attention back to the Zoom Hyperflight. One of its more distinctive new looks is this returning model, featuring speckled print, orange trim, black support details, and an icy-looking translucent outsole.
News
Lil Yachty Previews Another Nike Air Force 1 Mid, This Time With Blue and Orange Stitching
Lil Yachty has added another eye-catching design to his ever-growing collection of Nike US Force 1 Mids, this time going for a cleaner white look accented by blue and orange stitching. The rapper’s latest take on the shoe keeps the familiar silhouette. Still, it uses contrasting details to give the shoe its own identity, something the artist is known for, showing off a steady run of variations on the silhouette.
Dubbed the “White Contrast Stitch,” the pair features white leather across most of the upper. Rather than altering the classic Air Force 1 Mid profile or incorporating a strange material, the design uses stitching to separate the design visually. Blue stitching embellishes the leather panels, and each side of the shoe’s Swoosh is lined with orange.
The combo adds a subtle but noticeable splash of color to the mostly white sneaker. It’s a more muted take than some of the more adventurous pairs Yachty has shown recently, so this version feels like the more no-nonsense option in his growing collection.
The new design adds to the long list of Air Force 1 Mid looks associated with the rapper this year. Earlier previews have featured a stars-and-stripes pair, an orange version with black stars, and a yellow colorway tied to ComplexCon. Each has put a different spin on the familiar silhouette, helping make Yachty’s run of designs a continuing talking point among sneaker watchers.
Earlier this year, another pair of the shoes, this time with blue and red detailing and thick white stitching, was also teased. That version is expected to launch around the holidays, but the details provided don’t confirm whether it will launch alongside the recently unveiled white one.
Some questions remain unanswered about the “White Contrast Stitch” design. Nike has not confirmed any price, style code, or even whether the sneaker will be released to the public. The design has drawn attention through its online appearance and Yachty’s preview, but neither sets a launch date nor guarantees consumers can buy it.
That anticipation makes the latest reveal more of a first look than a proper release announcement. The white leather upper and blue-and-orange stitching are on display, but key retail details remain unknown. For now, there is no confirmed timeline for when the pair might hit stores, or if it will be offered beyond the preview.
Still, the design adds another variation to a collection that has featured a wide variety of colors and details. The white base makes this one more subtle, while the contrast stitching keeps it from being a straight-up all-white release.
Yachty’s latest preview continues his ongoing relationship with the silhouette, with several other Air Force 1 Mid designs already shown this year. It’s not clear if the “White Contrast Stitch” pair will ever make it to the light of day, but it’s definitely added another distinct look to his growing collection.
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