Axios PM: Very different Super Bowl — New dating profile brag

1 big thing: A very different Super Bowl | Monday, January 25, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Jan 25, 2021 ⛄️ Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green from the snowy Lincoln, Nebraska, bureau — is 364 words, a 1.5-minute read. ⚡️President Biden overturned the Trump administration's ban on transgender Americans serving in the military. Go deeper.     1 big thing: A very different Super Bowl Budweiser Clydesdales trot down Las Vegas Boulevard to kick off Super Bowl festivities in 2017. Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage   Many of the most iconic Super Bowl advertising brands are going dark in 2021. That includes Budweiser, which has been a staple of the lineup for 37 years. The big picture: Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Hyundai are also passing on their usual Super Bowl slots, Axios Media Trends editor Sara Fischer reports. Budweiser will redirect its Super Bowl ad budget to COVID-19 vaccine awareness. Instead of running its Super Bowl spots on TV, Budweiser created a film starring Rashida Jones, which pledges critical vaccine support throughout 2021. Between the lines: Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch InBev will still advertise for brands like "Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade, Michelob Ultra, and Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer," Variety reports. The bottom line: There's something almost fitting about the COVID Super Bowl without the Clydesdales.     2. Vaccine updates President Biden, flanked by Vice President Harris, signs a "Made in America" executive order. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images   President Biden thinks we'll be up to speed on 1 million vaccinations per day within the next three weeks and that it could soon increase to 1.5 million a day. (Axios) Moderna said its COVID-19 vaccine appears to be effective against new variants of the virus that first appeared in the U.K. and in South Africa. (Axios) Drugmaker Merck stopped development for its two COVID vaccine candidates, saying they failed to generate enough immune response. (NPR)     A message from Amazon It's about time America raised the federal minimum wage     The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour. At Amazon, we raised our starting wage to at least $15 an hour in 2018 because it's good for workers, good for business, and good for communities. It's why we support raising the federal minimum wage.     3. Catch up quick Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to President Biden from London on Saturday. Photo: Downing Street via Reuters   Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is expected to preside over former President Trump's second impeachment trial. CNN first reported Leahy's role. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) won't run for re-election in 2022, opening up a Senate seat in increasingly red Ohio. Go deeper. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will resign tomorrow and attempt to form a new governing coalition. Go deeper. Chocolate giant Godiva is closing its 128 North American stores by the end of March, USA Today reports. Clubhouse raised around $100 million led by existing investor Andreessen Horowitz at a $1 billion post-money valuation. Go deeper.     4. New dating profile brag: "Vaccinated" Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images   Move aside, puppy pics: The dating apps trend might be proof of vaccination. The big picture: "On Tinder, vaccine mentions in user bios rose 258 percent between September and December," the N.Y. Times reports. "Those who have gotten the vaccine are using their status as a way to spark conversation with potential matches about their experience," Tinder spokesperson Dana Balch told the Times. "Basically, getting the vaccine is the hottest thing you could be doing on a dating app right now," OK Cupid spokesperson Michael Kaye told the Times.     A message from Amazon Amazon doubled the federal minimum wage with $15 an hour     The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. At Amazon, we raised our starting wage to at least $15 an hour back in 2018 because it's good for workers, good for business, good for communities and good for our economy. Learn more.     Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: