🚨 Axios PM: "Freaking the f*** out"

Plus: Bigger apartments | Tuesday, July 02, 2024

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Jul 02, 2024 Good afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 528 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.     1 big thing: Biden's staff panic after debate   Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   President Biden's debate performance has left many of his own aides worried about his mental fitness and angry about what they see as a lack of candor from Biden's senior advisers, Axios' Alex Thompson reports. "Everyone is freaking the f*** out," one official said. 💥 Behind the scenes: Senior White House officials addressed the president's lackluster performance with staffers last Friday, the day after the debate. Many officials felt they were given talking points, with no real explanation of why Biden appeared unable to string sentences together or articulate a case for himself over former President Trump. The lack of answers from senior aides has continued this week, leading to growing anger and resentment among many inside the White House and the Biden campaign. 👀 "It's dark," said an official involved in the campaign. "It feels like there is zero leadership or information. People are being told to keep their heads down and keep working, but they're not seeing the president or being given any reason why they should have faith in him." 💬 The other side: Many of Biden's most trusted aides believe the debate was just one bad night and expect it to blow over. It would hardly be the first time he's defied critics even within the Democratic party who say he's too old, they note. "We have a lot of experience keeping — and spreading — the faith in moments where we're counted out; by staying focused on delivering for the American people and building on the most successful record of any modern presidency," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said. Go deeper.     2. 🏡 Apartments get bigger   Data: RentCafe analysis of Yardi Matrix data; Note: Survey excludes cities where the number of units completed in one year was less than 500.; Chart: Axios Visuals 🪴 The average apartment built in the U.S. last year measured 916 square feet — a 27-square-foot jump from the previous year, Axios' Sami Sparber reports. Developers are catering to people who want more space while they postpone house purchases or spend time working from home. 💡 Context: Apartment sizes shrank in 2022 to the smallest on average in nearly a decade, according to RentCafe, a rental listing website. The downsizing came as strong rental demand spurred developers to pack more units into buildings. More two- and three-bedroom rentals hit the market last year, pushing up the national average.     A message from Amazon At Amazon, health care benefits start on your first day     Amazon fulfillment centers create 3,000 local jobs on average with comprehensive benefits and career growth opportunities in towns across the country. The impact: "Amazon's health care benefits give me peace of mind," said Caleb, an employee at a Newark fulfillment center. See more.     3. Catch me up   Former President Trump at a rally in Chesapeake, Va., last Friday. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images ⚖️ Sentencing in former President Trump's hush-money case has been delayed until at least Sept. 18 while the judge weighs the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity. Go deeper. 🏈 CNBC is launching a new vertical focused on the business of sports. Go deeper. 🗽 Rudy Giuliani was disbarred in New York over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Go deeper.     4. 🎂 Happy birthday to the Rubik's Cube   Ernő Rubik, inventor of the Rubik's Cube, in 2018. Photo: Richard Drew/AP The Rubik's Cube has been with us for 50 years. Erno Rubik, a Hungarian architect, created the cube and solved it for the first time in July 1974, The New York Times writes in an appreciation for the classic puzzle. 🟥 🟨 🟦 By the numbers: The cube's 26 pieces can be twisted into 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible positions, per the Times. And every one of them can be solved in 20 moves or fewer. Go deeper. (gift link)     A message from Amazon Amazon supports employee growth     After starting at the Rockford, Illinois fulfillment center, Abel used Amazon Career Choice to get his commercial driver's license and start his career in transportation. The impact: "Because Amazon Career Choice prepaid my tuition, I was able to reach my goal," he said. See more success stories.   Are you a fan of this email format? 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