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National

President Biden in his annual Super Bowl interview Sunday told NBC the NFL "should be held to a reasonable standard" when it comes to its racial hiring practices.

Why it matters: The NFL has long been criticized for its lack of Black coaches. Despite Black players making up a majority of the league, there are currently three people of color with head coaching jobs, per NBC, and the majority of roles are held by white men. 

The backdrop: The league earlier this month was rocked by a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. 

What he's saying: "You know, [Commissioner Roger Goodell] pointed out, they haven't lived up to what they committed to, they haven’t lived up to being open about hiring more minorities to run teams," Biden said. "Goodell says they're gonna take a look at what, whether they can meet the standard.”

“The whole idea that a league that is made up of so many athletes of color, as well as so diverse, that there's not enough African American qualified coaches to quote, 'to manage,' these NFL teams, it just seems to me that it's a standard that they'd want to live up to. 

I don't know if there's not a requirement of law, but it's a requirement I think of some just generic decency.”

Go deeper: Brian Flores' lawsuit could be catalyst for ownership rule changes

Biden: NFL hasn't "lived up to" promises on diverse hiring

Biden said the league "should be held to a reasonable standard" when it comes to its racial hiring practices.

Joe Biden

Sports

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

There will be 45 million more potential legal sports bettors Sunday than during last year's Super Bowl. That translates to about 31.5 million people betting $7.6 billion on the big game, the American Gaming Association estimates, per the AP.

The big picture: Sports betting is legalizing so fast and broadly that long-resistant institutions like colleges and the NFL are getting in on the action.

LSU's athletic department promoted a sportsbook app in January with a promo code sent to supporters, Bloomberg reports. 

The NFL is in deep: Multiple owners are invested in betting companies, and fans can bet on games from betting app-sponsored lounges in NFL stadiums, Bloomberg reports.

The bottom line: Even the Associated Press has an official odds provider, which Axios Media Trends reporter Sara Fischer scooped in May 2021. 

FanDuel says 59% of spread bets are on Cincinnati to cover the 4-point spread as an underdog. 

Among moneyline bets that do not involve a points spread, 76% of bets predict the Bengals will win the game outright. 

Editor's note: This headline has been corrected to note that it's the 2022 Super Bowl. This story was originally published on Feb. 9.

2022 Super Bowl could see millions more legal sports bettors

Sports betting is legalizing so fast and broadly that long-resistant institutions like colleges and the NFL are getting in on the action.

Super Bowl

Russia may be on the cusp of invading Ukraine, but it's the Taliban's advance on Kabul shaping much of the U.S. response.

Why it matters: After being branded incompetent and seeing their popularity ratings plummet after the Afghanistan debacle, President Biden and his team have decided to overshare information, coordinate closely and publicly with allies and tell Americans to leave the embattled country — now.

"There will not be a military evacuation in the event of an invasion," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

It was one of the clearest delineations from Afghanistan, where the administration worked furiously to evacuate tens of thousands with an airlift from Hamid Karzai International Airport.

The big picture: Biden's approach to Ukraine has been defined by a daily blizzard of meetings and calls among top U.S. officials and European counterparts.

Almost all are accompanied by formulaic readouts emphasizing allied support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity — leaving no divisions or doubts for Russia to exploit.

The president — an avowed multilateralist — was criticized for not doing enough to coordinate with allies during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Another lesson learned was heeding warnings about the potential for a country to be overrun.

An Army report about Afghanistan obtained last week by The Washington Post said "senior White House and State Department officials failed to grasp the Taliban’s steady advance on Afghanistan’s capital."

The end result was a situation "placing American troops ordered to carry out the withdrawal in greater danger."

Sullivan said Sunday the U.S. government is being so blunt in its warnings to U.S. citizens because a Russian attack is expected to be brutal.

"Innocent civilians could get caught in the crossfire or get trapped in places that they could not move from," he said.

"That is why we are being so clear and direct to American citizens that while commercial transport options are still available, they should take advantage of them."

Go deeper: It's not just Afghanistan shaping the administration's response.

It's also the handling of Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine, which involved many of the same people while they worked for the Obama administration, as Axios reported last week.

During that assault, Russian President Vladimir Putin duped onlookers by dressing up Russian soldiers in plain uniforms and sending his "little green men" into Crimea while the West was paralyzed with confusion.

The Biden administration has responded this time with preemptive intelligence announcements.

"Fundamentally, our view is that we're not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here to spring something on Ukraine or the world," Sullivan said.

"We are going to make sure that we are laying out for the world what we say as transparently and plainly as we possibly can, and share that information as widely as we can."

Yes, but: Ukrainian officials have expressed some frustrations about what they see as U.S. alarmism, saying it's caused unnecessary panic and damaged Ukraine's economy.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke to Biden by phone Sunday, responded to U.S. warnings: "The best friend for enemies is panic in our country. And all this information, that helps only for panic."

How the Afghan fallout is shaping Biden’s response to Ukraine

Biden's approach to Ukraine has been defined by a daily blizzard of meetings and calls among top U.S. officials and European counterparts.

Citizens of Kyiv are seen training with weapons in preparation for a possible Russian invasion.

Citizens of Kyiv, Ukraine, take part in an open military training for civilians on Feb. 13. Photo: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ukraine

Russia

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

Hill Leaders

Axios Hill Leaders

A swastika drawn on a window shade in purple ink was found inside the U.S. embassy in Bulgaria last month, Axios has learned, raising concern within the State Department headquarters itself about antisemitism.

Driving the news: News of the discovery circulated in Washington on Friday after the embassy in Sofia sent back a diplomatic cable describing the incident.

The image was first identified on Jan. 28, a day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Another swastika was found inside the department itself last July, as first reported by Axios.

Why it matters: The latest swastika was found in a secure part of the embassy, indicating whoever drew it had access inside an American diplomatic outpost, according to sources with knowledge of the cable.

"The department takes this matter extremely seriously," said Ned Price, a State Department spokesperson. "We unequivocally condemn any instances of hate or bias in the workplace, which this appears to be."

"This is a repugnant symbol that stands for everything we as a department are standing against," he said. "We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure the State Department, including our posts overseas, remain a welcoming, inclusive and bias-free workplace."

Between the lines: President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the July incident in which a swastika was found etched inside an elevator at State Department headquarters.

"Let me be clear: Antisemitism has no place in the State Department, in my administration, or anywhere in the world,” Biden said in a statement in July. “It’s up to all of us to give hate no safe harbor and stand up to bigotry wherever we find it."

The State Department launched an investigation into the incident, but its findings have not been announced.

What we're watching: Biden has nominated Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt to lead a State Department office charged with monitoring and combating antisemitism.

While the office was created in 2004, this would be the first time the special envoy post would carry the rank of ambassador.

During her Senate confirmation hearing this week, Lipstadt warned of a rise in antisemitism, calling it "staggering."

"Increasingly, Jews have been singled out for slander, violence and terrorism," she said.

Scoop: Swastika discovered at U.S. embassy in Bulgaria

The latest swastika was found in a secure part of the embassy.

Illustration of a hand holding a magnifying glass over the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

Anti-semitism

Local political candidates, eager to boost their name recognition in competitive races, are buying regional ads to run during the Super Bowl.

Why it matters: The Super Bowl is by far the most-viewed television event in America, making it a local candidate’s best opportunity to reach voters live. But many viewers — who have flocked to subscription streaming — may still be shocked to see a political ad alongside glossy Hollywood-produced car and beer commercials.

State of play: For candidates, especially in competitive swing states, advertising around the tentpole event could help make or break a campaign. Here are a few of the candidate ads that will run during this year's game:

Arizona: GOP Senate candidate Jim Lamon's Super Bowl ad shows him in a Western-style showdown with President Biden ("Old Joe"), Nancy Pelosi ("Crazyface Pelosi") and Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly ("Shifty Kelly"). The ad will air locally in Tuscon and statewide, per Newsweek. 

Lamon's ad, which features the candidate firing toward guns being held by actors portraying the three Democrats, drew immediate condemnation from advocacy organizations and victims of gun violence. Kelly is the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in the head at a meet-and-greet with constituents outside a grocery store in Tucson in 2011. 

Michigan: Perry Johnson, a GOP candidate for governor, will air a Super Bowl ad across much of the state on Sunday as part of a large advertising outreach effort, the Detroit News reported.

Oklahoma: Sen. James Lankford (R) will launch his first TV advertisements on Super Bowl Sunday, including a 30-second spot in which he vows to “stand up” for gun rights, border security, and religious freedom, among other issues, the Tulsa World reported.

Pennsylvania: Former Bridgewater Associates CEO David McCormick, who's seeking the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, will air an ad across NBC's platforms in Pennsylvania Sunday, slamming the "self-inflicted" nature of the problems facing the Biden administration.

Context: Local candidates have long used the Super Bowl as an opportunity to reach voters while they’re glued to their TV sets.

Ads at the local level are typically much cheaper than running a national spot, which this year could cost up to $7 million. 

Zoom out: At the national level, this year’s ads — featuring more celebrities than in years past — will not be very political. That’s because it isn’t a presidential election year, and because brands are pushing to embrace more positive messaging compared to years past.

In 2020, both the Trump and Bloomberg campaigns ran pricey ads during the big game. 

Last year, brands leaned into emotional spots that reflected triumph during the pandemic.

Local candidates look to Super Bowl ads to boost campaigns

For candidates, advertising around the tentpole event could help make or break a campaign.

David McCormick, Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Elections 2024

Whats Next

Axios What's Next

The coach passenger is king — perhaps for the first time ever — as airlines scramble for a larger share of the booming leisure travel market. 

What's happening: As the pandemic wanes, major carriers that traditionally make most of their money off premium business travel have shifted their attention to wooing vacationers.

Meanwhile, discount carriers famous for selling cheap seats to popular destinations are beefing up to defend their turf.

The winners: consumers itching to visit family and friends, or explore the country, after being stuck at home for two years. 

Driving the news: Spirit Airlines and Frontier Group are merging in a $2.9 billion deal that will create the fifth-largest U.S. airline.  

The two carriers are known for their rock-bottom prices and no-frills service — not to mention consumer complaints about add-ons for everything from reserved seats to carry-on baggage and snacks.

They said in a statement that the deal would save $1 billion a year for consumers through lower prices and create "America's most competitive ultra-low fare airline."

The combination of the country's two largest budget carriers will help them compete against American, Delta, United and Southwest, which together control about 80% of the U.S. air travel market.

Rather than layoffs, the companies said they expect to hire another 10,000 workers by 2026, on top of their existing 15,000 employees combined.

The merger could have far-reaching consequences by promoting lower fares for leisure travel, industry experts say.

"You'll see a shift in how they compete for those clients and that could be a good thing for leisure travelers," says Anthony Jackson, leader of Deloitte’s U.S. airlines practice.

"It’s rare to see this kind of consolidation be a positive for consumers," said David Slotnick, who covers the airline business for The Points Guy.

Where it stands: Airline fares adjusted for inflation remain 18% below 2019 levels, while overall U.S. inflation is up 6% from 2019-2021, per Airlines for America data.

Jet fuel prices have risen sharply during that period, but so far, airlines are not passing on the extra cost to passengers.

The big picture: Leisure travel has recovered more quickly from the pandemic slump, which is why the ultra-low-cost carriers — Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit — have grown the fastest, while big carriers like Delta and United are still lagging.

Spirit's first-quarter travel capacity — measured in available seat miles — is up 21.8% over the same period in 2019. Frontier is up 26.6%, while Allegiant is up 28.9%, according to Cirium data published by Airlines for America.

Delta, meanwhile, is down 16% and United is down 17.3% compared to pre-pandemic capacity. 

Axios

Sunday's top stories

Biden: NFL hasn't "lived up to" promises on diverse hiring

2022 Super Bowl could see millions more legal sports bettors

How the Afghan fallout is shaping Biden’s response to Ukraine

Scoop: Swastika discovered at U.S. embassy in Bulgaria

Local candidates look to Super Bowl ads to boost campaigns

Suddenly it’s a good time to be a vacation traveler

Online betting comes for kids

Biden and Zelensky agree on importance of "diplomacy and deterrence" amid Russia buildup

Unlocking the mystery of the "never COVID" cohort

Poland opens border to Americans leaving Ukraine

Trump's China trade bust

Hollywood’s hometown Super Bowl

Cherokee Nation wants info on Black descendants linked to slavery