🥵 Axios PM: 100° for 100 days

Plus: Dorm makeovers | Tuesday, September 03, 2024

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Sep 03, 2024 Good afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 531 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.     1 big thing: Biden's goodbye bump   Data: FiveThirtyEight. Chart: Axios Visuals Dropping out of the presidential race has been a boon to President Biden's approval rating, Axios' Sam Baker writes. He's still underwater — more Americans say they disapprove of his job performance than approve of it. But that gap has narrowed by about 7 percentage points since July 21, when he announced he would end his reelection campaign. 👋 Between the lines: Biden hasn't notched any particularly major policy victories or gone about his job a lot differently in that time. The approval bump is more likely a reflection of voters indicating they think Biden did the right thing by stepping aside. 📊 The intrigue: Vice President Harris' approval ratings have also ticked up over the same period, from 38% on the day Biden dropped out to 44% now. Former President Trump's favorability ratings — a slightly different measurement since he's not currently in office — have stayed roughly even.     2. 🥵 100 days of 100°   A billboard in Phoenix shows the temperature at 107° on June 5. The high temperature has been at least 100 every day since. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The high temperature in Phoenix has been at least 100°F every day for the past 100 days — its hottest summer on record. And another major heat wave is set to choke much of the West and Southwest this week, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports. Temperatures are expected to soar into the 100s to 110s in Phoenix and Las Vegas, with triple-digit heat also affecting much of inland California. 🌡️ Context: Phoenix is one of the fastest-warming cities in the U.S., and traditionally cool locations are also heating up. Portland, Oregon, where many people don't have air conditioning, will likely see temperatures this week that are 15–20 degrees above average for this time of year. ⚡️ Reality check: Heat waves are becoming more common, intense and longer lasting due to human-caused global warming. Climate change has been found to yield extreme heat events that would have been virtually impossible without today's high levels of greenhouse gases. Go deeper.     A message from Amazon "Amazon offers many career paths to explore"     Elia earned her associate degree in mechatronics through Amazon Career Choice. "The thing that caught my eye more than anything, was the chance for career growth," she said. More info: Since 2012 more than 200,000 employees have used Amazon Career Choice to learn and earn more. See the impact.     3. Catch me up   Pope Francis is welcomed as he arrives in Jakarta, Indonesia, today. Photo: Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images ✝️ Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia today, the first stop on an 11-day Asian trip that will also take him to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He's scheduled to participate in an interfaith meeting Thursday at the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. Go deeper. 🇨🇳 Federal prosecutors said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's former deputy chief of staff was acting as an agent of the Chinese government. Go deeper. 🗳️ The Harris campaign and the DNC are redirecting about $25 million of their wild fundraising haul into down-ballot races. Go deeper.     4. 🖼️ Campus trend: Dorm decorators   Mary Mize Knight (left) and Lizzy Donnell in their dorm room at the University of Mississippi in Oxford last week. Photo: Andrea Morales/The New York Times Forget about an Ikea futon and a couple of posters — some parents are enlisting the help of professional interior designers for their kids' dorm rooms, The New York Times reports. Prices range from a few hundred dollars to as much as $10,000 per room — sometimes more than in-state tuition. Designers often recommend custom bedding, cabinets and other furniture made special for the dorm and upscale art or wallpaper. 🎓 The trend took off after COVID, per the NYT, much in the same way lockdowns prompted millions of Americans to make improvements to their homes. It's since been fueled by TikTok and is especially popular in the South. Go deeper.     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? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Advertise with us. Axios, PO Box 101060, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: