The Latest: Actress wearing Nike in support of Kaepernick

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the 70th prime-time Emmy Awards being presented Monday at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Jenifer Lewis of “black-ish” says she’s wearing Nike on the Emmys gold carpet “in support of Colin Kaepernick’s protest against police brutality and racial injustice.”

The 61-year-old actress said Monday that she wants “to speak to the millennials today to let them know they are not alone when they speak out.”

She wore a red-and-black sweat shirt emblazoned with Nike, which began using the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback in an ad campaign earlier this month.

The athletic company’s trademark swoosh was done in crystals. She accented her black leggings and black-and-white pattern boots with a diamond bracelet and ring.

Lewis says, “We are not living in dark times. We are living in awakening times, and I am proud to be one of the leaders in the movement.”

— Mike Cidoni Lennox (@CidoniLennox on Twitter) on the Emmys red carpet with Beth Harris (@BethHarrisAP)

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3 p.m.

Politics are top of mind on the golden carpet for many of the stars attending the Emmy Awards Monday.

RuPaul tells The Associated Press: “Every time I bat my false eyelashes I’m making a political statement.”

And actress Q’orianka Kilcher accessorized her red dress with a pin that reads “I am a voter.”

“The Alienist” actress says she felt it was important to send the message that “all of our voices matter and all of our votes matter.”

Margo Martindale took a different stance, however, saying that awards shows lately have backed off from being as political.

Martindale says, “I think it’s fine to be political, don’t get me wrong. But middle America is hard to reach.”

— Mike Cidoni Lennox (@CidoniLennox on Twitter) with Lindsey Bahr (@ldbahr)

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2 p.m.

The sprawling golden carpet for the 70th annual Emmy Awards is heating up as security readies for the deluge of television stars headed for the Microsoft Theater Monday afternoon.

NBC’s Natalie Morales and Hoda Kotb were among the very early arrivals, making their way down the carpet before the inevitable traffic jam of bodies. Extra host Mario Lopez, who has a foot injury, zipped down the carpet on a tiny scooter keeping his left leg off the ground.

Although the temperatures in downtown Los Angeles are in the 80s, arriving attendees will not have to bear the brunt of the heat. The carpet area is covered by a massive tent and an army of industrial-size ceiling fans.

— Lindsey Bahr (@ldbahr on Twitter) on the Emmys red carpet

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3 a.m.

As Emmy Award nominees nervously wait to hear their name called, or not, there’s more on the line at Monday’s ceremony than personal glory.

“Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels is tasked with turning viewership around, after the 2017 Emmy audience of 11.4 million narrowly avoided setting a new low.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is the defending best drama series champ, with past winner “Game of Thrones” its top rival.

On the comedy side, the front-runners are FX’s “Atlanta” and Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

Sandra Oh could become the first performer of Asian descent to win a top drama acting trophy for spy thriller “Killing Eve.”

The Emmys air 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC with “SNL” cast members Michael Che and Colin Jost as hosts.