Axios AM

October 05, 2023
Hello, Thursday! Smart Brevityβ’ count: 1,380 words ... 5 mins. Edited by Emma Loop and Bryan McBournie.
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ποΈ 1 big thing: GOP panics

Expectations are at rock-bottom among House Republicans that their civil war will be resolved by the speaker vote next Wednesday.
- Why it matters: There are way too many potential ignition points for the leadership vacuum to be easily resolved, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.
What's happening: Some moderates are threatening to tank any speaker if the rules aren't changed to protect future speakers from the single-member motion to vacate that torched Kevin McCarthy.
- But that's a deal-breaker for conservatives.
Some conservatives are threatening to sink any potential speaker who'd support aid for Ukraine β or who wouldn't push an impeachment vote on President Biden.
- But that's a deal-breaker for some moderates.
- And some Republicans just have old scores to settle.
π The emerging field: Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan announced their candidacies yesterday.
- Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, a key conservative leader, is also expected to run.
Scalise announcement ... Jordan announcement ... Share this story.
2. π¦Ύ AI could dethrone 4-year degree
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
AI is transforming job hunting in ways that could make four-year college degrees less essential, Axios global tech correspondent Ryan Heath reports.
- Why it matters: Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans hold a bachelor's degree. But that group dominates American decision-makers.
LinkedIn released a slew of new AI product features at an event in NYC this week with 2,000 of the nation's top recruiters:
- AI-assisted candidate discovery for recruiters promises better natural language searches and less focus on university credentials and job titles. It shows how a role could be tailored around a candidate's strengths and constraints, including location.
- AI-powered coaching in the subscriber-only LinkedIn Learning is a chatbot service to coach workers through tough moments.
πΌοΈ The big picture: Campaigners against elitism in workplaces see opportunity in AI.
- "Over-credentialing a job that doesn't need a four-year degree is a mistake," said Gerald Chertavian, founder and CEO of YearUp, a nonprofit. "You pay a degree premium and miss out on good candidates."
3. π White House biting

The Biden family's German shepherds have repeatedly bitten or nipped members of the White House residence staff in addition to Secret Service agents, Axios' Alex Thompson reports.
- Biden's dog Major β who was banished to the family's home in Delaware β was so aggressive that residence officials warned the first lady's office that the Bidens could face a lawsuit for injuries unless there were changes.
- Now the younger Commander is also gone. "Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated," an official told us yesterday.
Many members of the residence staff β the several dozen people who maintain the White House as housekeepers, curators, chefs, butlers, carpenters, and more β have been fearful of Major and Commander.
- Residence staff members often are tasked with walking the dogs.
Some residence officials have been treated by the White House medical unit after scrapes with the dogs, a person with knowledge of the incidents said.
- Before leaving the White House for good in December 2021, Major was known to sometimes scratch antique doors.
Commander bit a Secret Service agent on Sept. 25 β the 11th known biting incident of a member of the agency that protects the first family.
- In October 2022, Commander "came charging" at a Secret Service officer and First Lady Jill Biden "couldn't regain control of Commander and he continued to circle me," the officer wrote, according to emails later published by the conservative group Judicial Watch.
- Another officer went to the hospital in November 2022 when Commander bit their upper right arm and thigh, according to the internal correspondence.
A White House official told Axios: "The White House is chaotic and really stressful for pets β everyone knows this and have been trying to work through how to make things better and safer for everyone."
- Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady's communications director, told us: "The president and first lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day."
President Biden cherishes his dogs and has bristled at media reports suggesting they're violent.
- After Major bit a Secret Service agent in early 2021, Biden told ABC: "He's a sweet dog β 85% of the people there love him. ...All he does is lick them and wag his tail."
4. S.F. honors Senator Feinstein

Above, honor guard members carry the casket of Sen. Dianne Feinstein down the steps of San Francisco City Hall to a hearse last night, following a day of lying in state.
- Vice President Harris and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will be among the speakers at a memorial service this afternoon in San Francisco, where Feinstein was the city's first female mayor.
5. π "Bright spot" in C-suite

The share of C-suite leaders who are women rose to 28% this year, Axios' Emily Peck writes from a "Women in the Workplace" study out this morning from McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.
- Back in 2015, LeanIn's first report found women held 17% of those roles.
Why it matters: There's been progress, but it's been fairly slow.
"Over the past nine years," the report says, "women β and especially women of color β remain underrepresented across the corporate pipeline":
"However, we see a growing bright spot in senior leadership. Since 2015, the number of women in the C-suite has increased from 17 to 28 percent ... [R]epresentation of women at the VP and SVP levels has also improved significantly."
6. π§³ Trending in hotels

Hotel chains are capitalizing on post-lockdown "revenge travel" with updates for modern tastes, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson writes from Hilton's "2024 Trends Report."
- That means "connected rooms" with Pelotons, pillow menus and in-room tech that you can control with an app.
It means nightstands with wireless charging pads, digital room keys instead of plastic cards, and copious bedside outlets.
- Want a mocktail? Hotel bars are stocking up on healthy snacks and booze-free options, and offering "cocktail edutainment" for Gen Z-ers who want to dabble in agave distillates.

Case in point: Hilton's chief brand officer Matthew Schuyler gave Axios a tour of the Tempo by Hilton Times Square, which opened in August.
- It's the first of hundreds of Tempo-branded hotels that Hilton plans β all meant to cater to guests' interests in a healthy lifestyle and local flavor.
The rooms feature designer wall hooks, oversized showers, and Bluetooth speakers in the bathroom so you can listen to podcasts while you primp.
- You can reserve "wellness" rooms with a Peloton and a Theragun.
- Gone are carpets (too hard to clean), single-use toiletries (too wasteful) and closets. "80% of our guests actually live out of the suitcase," Schuyler said.
Big trash/recycling baskets β prompted by a surge in meals from food delivery apps β have proven a bit too popular:
- "The guests keep stealing them," lamented Kevin Morgan, global brand head for Tempo by Hilton.
Fair warning: You'll be charged.
7. π° $3M mug shot

Former President Trump's campaign says it raised $45.5 million in the third quarter (July through September) β compared to $15 million for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,
- DeSantis raised more β $20 million β in the second quarter, when he announced, AP notes.
Why it matters: In releasing the figures hours after the DeSantis news, the Trump campaign sought to show dominance over the Florida governor, who has struggled to live up to lofty expectations.
The Trump campaign says it ended September with $37.5 million in cash on hand, bolstered by fundraising from his legal challenges.
- Trump's campaign made $3 million by selling coffee mugs, T-shirts and posters of the mug shot taken of him in Atlanta, where he faces state racketeering charges.
8. π 1 fun thing: JetCar

A man pilots a JetCar β a combination of a jet ski + a Corvette β in the bay in Miami yesterday.
- YouTube (Start @ :30) ... Rent a JetCar.
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