Axios PM

July 18, 2024
Good afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 567 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
1 big thing: Walls close in on Biden
Just about every powerful Democrat who isn't President Biden or Vice President Harris has expressed serious reservations about Biden's candidacy โ making an end to that candidacy seem more likely by the day.
- Former President Obama has told allies that Biden's path to victory is small and he should consider dropping out, The Washington Post reported.
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden she's pessimistic about his chances, and she challenged him when he claimed to have seen polling that showed otherwise.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also told Biden to consider ending his campaign.
๐ฅ That's pretty much everyone Biden listens to in politics, outside his family and the increasingly tight circle of his closest advisers.
- Privately, Biden is resigned to mounting pressure, bad polls and untenable scrutiny, making it impossible to continue his campaign, as Jim VandeHei and I reported earlier today.
- Several top Democrats tell Axios they now expect Biden to drop out, perhaps as soon as this weekend.
๐ Yes, but: A senior Biden aide told us: "In recent days, the president has become more committed to staying in the race."
- At a counter-programming event outside the GOP convention in Milwaukee, deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told reporters that Biden "is not wavering on anything. The president has made his decision."
Go deeper: Top Dems now believe Biden will exit
2. ๐ WNBA set to land huge media deal

๐ฐ The WNBA is circling a media deal that's expected to bring in around $200 million per year for the next 12 years โ three times more than its current deal, Axios Pro's Tim Baysinger reports.
- That's just the revenue from three partners: Disney, Amazon and Comcast.
- But the league may cut one or two additional side deals for about another $60 million per year.
๐บ By the numbers: 15 WNBA games this season have averaged at least 1 million viewers. Before this season, the league hasn't had a game average 1 million viewers since the opening night of 2008.
- 13 of the 15 were Indiana Fever games.
3. Catch me up

- ๐ค Former President Trump is scheduled to speak at 10 p.m. ET tonight to formally accept the GOP's nomination for president. How to watch ... Speaker lineup.
- ๐ฑ The man who tried to assassinate Trump had photos on his phone of Trump, Biden and other officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland. He had searched for the dates of the Democratic convention in addition to Trump's public appearances, AP reports.
- ๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine is hoping to deploy a fleet of AI-powered drones to counteract Russian signal-jamming and make more efficient use of other weapons, Reuters reports.
- ๐ณ๏ธ If Biden does drop out, it's highly unlikely anyone could seriously challenge Harris to take his spot at the top of the ticket. Go deeper.
- ๐ฏ๏ธComedian and actor Bob Newhart has died at age 94. Go deeper.
4. ๐ธ 1,000 words

Above: Part of the rocket for NASA's Artemis II mission is wheeled down the road Tuesday at an assembly facility in New Orleans.
- ๐ This rocket will launch the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years. It's part of NASA's effort to establish a human presence on the Moon, which would become a waypoint on the journey to Mars.
- The launch is planned for next year.

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