Axios

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's revenge tour is sputtering to an end this week, with just one primary win to show for it.

Why it matters: McCarthy's former colleagues complain he's effectively lit millions of dollars on fire and made it harder for new leaders to do their jobs.

House Democrats are giddy about a Kamala Harris-Tim Walz administration as a clean break from the long-simmering perception that the Biden team favored the Senate, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: "The House would get screwed [under President Biden], we'd get asked to take tough votes and then after those votes were on record, he'd veto or do whatever he did," one senior House Democrat told us.

• "It was apparent on so many occasions he had what [Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi] would call Senate-itis," said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) — referencing the decades Biden spent in the Senate before becoming vice president.

Republicans are urging their candidate to stick to policy rather than targeting Vice President Kamala Harris for her intelligence, racial identity, appearance and other personal factors that could alienate key voting blocs.

• Meanwhile, Harris unveiled parts of her economic plan Friday — and earned mixed reviews from economists, prompting her allies to play defense on the eve of the Democratic National Convention over her price gouging plan.

GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) dismissed recent polling that shows Vice President Kamala Harris edging ahead of former President Trump, contending the "media uses fake polls" to hurt Republicans.

Why it matters: The polls aren't always accurate, but they certainly aren't fake. Nearly every major pollster has shown Harris surging, though the race remains very close in the key swing states.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama will address the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, a Democratic source tells Axios.

Why it matters: Polls consistently rank the former first lady as one of the most popular figures in American politics. She was the most glaring omission from the DNC lineup announced on Sunday, but the source confirms she will be taking the stage in her hometown of Chicago.

WILMINGTON, Ohio — Colombian-born Bernie Moreno came to the U.S. at the age of 5. Now the Ohio GOP Senate nominee wants legal immigrants like himself to learn English and block them from government benefits for their first 10 years in the U.S.

Why it matters: The most expensive congressional race this fall stars an immigrant who could deliver a Senate GOP majority — while boosting party efforts to pass harsher immigration laws.

Shepard Fairey — the street artist behind the prolific "Hope" poster of former President Obama that became a campaign symbol — has created a new iteration of his piece for Vice President Harris.

• The art style is the same, and this time the word is "Forward."

"'We are not going back.' These words from Kamala Harris summarize the moment we are in, and in order not to go back, we must go FORWARD!" Fairey wrote in an Instagram post debuting the art and endorsing Harris and Walz.

• More convention pics.

Georgia is Donald Trump's Pennsylvania.

• It's as hard to see him winning the presidency without Georgia as it would be for Vice President Kamala Harris to win without Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: The Trump campaign knows and believes this fervently. That's why a huge number of Trump TV ads in coming weeks will air in Georgia.

Thousands of Democrats will hone in on their party's 2024 election agenda at the Democratic National Convention starting Monday in Chicago.

Why it matters: The Democratic presidential ticket is already locked in. Now, the party will be expected to provide a clearer platform in what's typically a TV-friendly positive display of unity and energy.

Vice President Harris announced on Saturday plans to spend $370 million in digital and television ads for her presidential campaign between Labor Day and Election Day.

Why it matters: This is an initial investment, though representing "historic" levels on air, the campaign said in a news release.

The estate of the late "Hold On, I'm Coming" songwriter Isaac Hayes says it is suing former President Trump, alleging 134 counts of copyright infringement after asking the campaign to refrain from using the hit song.

The big picture: The Hayes estate is the latest in a list of more than a dozen musicians, music groups and estates to distance popular catalogs from Trump presidential campaigns.

A populist bidding war has erupted on the 2024 campaign trail, producing an unusual convergence of policy proposals between Vice President Harris and former President Trump, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.

• Why it matters: In an election both sides are treating as existential, ruthless politics are the name of the game. In some cases, that means skimping on details or abandoning sound economics.

Zoom in: In her first major policy address, Harris unveiled an economic agenda that includes a $6,000 child tax credit for families during the first year of a newborn's life.

President Biden will make defense of democracy and his partnership with Vice President Harris the central themes of his prime-time address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.

• Why it matters: It's part of a complicated — but quick — handoff to Harris, the successor Biden chose under duress.

Between the lines: Biden is proud of his presidency, the bills he signed into law and an economy that continues to grow. So are many Democrats.

The share of job listings that advertise remote or hybrid work has declined from its 2022 peak — but is still far greater than pre-pandemic levels, Axios' Emily Peck writes from Indeed data.

• Only 2.6% of job postings offered remote options in 2019. By May 2022, the number rose to more than 10%. And this past July, 7.6% of listings offered remote or hybrid options.

🔭 The big picture: Remote and hybrid work is settling into a new normal — more prevalent than five years ago, but not quite at the levels seen during the Great Resignation.

House Democrats attending next week's Democratic National Convention are being advised by congressional security officials not to book hotel rooms under their own names or engage with protesters if confronted, Axios' Andrew Solender has learned.

• Why it matters: The guidance comes as some Democratic lawmakers are fearful about their safety after being rattled by a series of disruptive pro-Palestinian protests since the Israel-Hamas war started last year.

President Biden is aiming for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal by the end of next week while also trying to deter Iran and Hezbollah from conducting an attack on Israel that could undermine this effort, U.S. officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid.

• Why it matters: Biden and his aides say they feel they're closer than ever to getting a deal that could lead to the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, including American citizens — and end 10 months of war that has killed more than 1,600 Israelis and 40,000 Palestinians.

Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital giant, will open its first Asian office in Japan, Nikkei reports.

• Why it matters: Silicon Valley firms are courting Japanese investors as U.S.-China tensions over high-tech industries, like AI and semiconductors, keep intensifying.

"Japan has lagged behind in fostering startups and was not previously considered a primary fundraising target for overseas venture capitalists. However, it is emerging as a key alternative to China," according to Nikkei.

• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) established its first international office in London last year.

Expect fewer hallways and more nooks that work as "pocket offices" or kid-friendly alcoves in newly built homes.

• Why it matters: Builders and architects say they're using every square foot of space as they shrink houses to cut costs, Axios' Sami Sparber reports.

👀 Case in point: Listed for about $155,000, one of developer Lennar's brand-new homes in San Antonio offers 661 square feet of space — nearly all of which is open concept, except the primary suite and extra bathroom, which are tacked at the ends of each floor.

🔭 Zoom out: Over a third (38%) of U.S. builders say they constructed smaller houses last year, and 26% plan to go even smaller this year, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Former President Obama posted his annual summer reading list this week. Some highlights:

• "James" by Percival Everett reimagines "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from the perspective of Jim, the novel's escaped slave.
• "Everyone Who Is Gone Here: The United States, Central America, And The Making Of A Crisis" by Jonathan Blitzer looks at the past and present of America's border crisis.

Go deeper.

President Biden will make the defense of democracy and his partnership with Vice President Kamala Harris the central themes of his primetime address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.

Why it matters: It's all part of a complicated — but quick — handoff to Harris, the successor Biden chose under duress.

A populist bidding war has erupted on the 2024 campaign trail, producing an unusual convergence of policy proposals between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump.

Why it matters: In an election both sides are treating as existential, ruthless politics are the name of the game. In some cases, that means skimping on details or abandoning sound economics.

Students and universities are preparing for a reinvigorated pro-Palestinian protest movement this fall, following a boiling point during the spring semester. But it's unclear exactly how demonstrations will manifest.

The big picture: Fervent protests over the Biden administration's position on Israel could derail the burgeoning candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has largely managed to avoid the left's ire since she launched her presidential candidacy last month.

House Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention next week are being advised by congressional security officials not to book hotel rooms under their own names or engage with protesters if confronted, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The guidance comes as some Democratic lawmakers are fearful about their safety after being rattled by a series of disruptive pro-Palestinian protests since the Israel-Hamas war started last year.