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National

2028

Axios 2028

President Biden often uses old-timey expressions that confound even his own staff. That happened again Friday when he ended a speech on gun violence with “God save the queen, man.”

Even Olivia Dalton, the White House’s principal deputy press secretary, didn't know what her boss meant. When journalists asked, she replied only that he “was commenting to someone in the crowd.”

Later, the White House didn't respond when Axios asked what Biden had meant.

Why it matters: Biden’s quirky aphorisms are sometimes weaponized by Republicans to insinuate the 80-year-old president is in mental decline. But Biden has been using unique phrases for years — but even some of his aides aren't exactly sure what he means by them.

Flashback: Biden also said, “God save the queen,” when he was vice president in January 2017, after he certified Donald Trump's 2016 election victory, The Telegraph reported at the time.

Axios asked several current and former Biden aides what the phrase meant. Several gave different answers and some said they still aren't sure. 

As a proud Irishman whose ancestors probably weren't fans of the crown, Biden may use the phrase more as sarcasm.

Zoom in: Biden has an arsenal of wacky phrases he deploys.

During this year's State of the Union, he told Republican lawmakers, “Lots of luck in your senior year.”

Some Biden allies believe that's his way of saying, "Good luck with that." But at the time, the White House declined to tell The New York Times what he meant — and some administration officials still chuckle about how they don’t quite know, either.

On the campaign trail in New Hampshire in 2020, Biden sort of jokingly called a skeptical voter a “lying, dog-faced pony soldier.”

He's claimed in the past that line was from John Wayne, but film aficionados haven't been able to find the movie (there is a 1952 film called “Pony Soldier” but Wayne's not in it).

Bottom line: There are legitimate questions about Biden's age and stamina as he runs for a second term — but his off-beat proverbs are just Biden being Biden.

Biden's weird words

Even his aides aren't sure what the president's offbeat phrases — like “God save the queen" — mean.

President Biden greets attendees after speaking at the National Safer Communities Summit in West Hartford, Conn., on Friday. Photo: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Joe Biden

Politics & Policy

Finish Line

Axios Finish Line

Status of paid family leave laws, by state

Data: Bipartisan Policy Center; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

The U.S. lags behind other nations when it comes to giving fathers time off to care for new babies.

Why it matters: Limited access to paid paternity leave has consequences for kids, parents and companies.

By the numbers: 11 states in the U.S. have paid parental leave — which is gender neutral and applies to all parents, regardless of their status as primary or secondary caregiver. Six more states have passed laws that haven't yet taken effect.

Minnesota is the most recent state to put paid leave in its law books, with a bill that passed last month. Many companies offer paid leave, but coverage is still sparse.

In four of these states, leave is not a mandatory offering, meaning workers can choose to purchase paid family leave insurance as an add-on.

Only 25% of all workers have access to paid family leave. And 11% of workers don’t even have the opportunity to take unpaid leave, according to the recruiting platform Zippia.

“Workers will cobble together paid sick time or vacation to get leave after welcoming a new child,” says Ben Gitis, associate director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

But that means most will head back to work shortly thereafter — especially dads. 76% of fathers return to work, full time, in less than a week, Zippia notes.

Compare that to the average 6.3 weeks of paid leave offered to fathers in the European Union.

The stakes: Lack of paid leave for dads has wide-ranging effects on families and companies alike, experts say.

Studies show that the longer mothers are away from work, the less likely they are to be promoted or receive a pay raise after returning from leave, Harvard Business Review reports.

Often it's just moms who are taking extended time away to care for babies. "Having both parents take leave helps ensure more equity in labor market outcomes," Gitis notes.

Those early weeks of a child's life — which some dads miss out on — are also crucial for development and building bonds, research shows. 

And married fathers who take paternity leave are less likely to get divorced, The New York Times reports.

What to watch: Paternity leave is gaining ground as an employee benefit at tech and finance companies that are looking to attract highly-skilled, professional workers, says Gitis. 

But workers in other industries — like transportation or logistics — have far lower rates of coverage.

Go deeper: Listen to the Axios Today podcast, where host Niala Boodhoo and Erica Pandey talk about how accessible paternity leave is for men in the U.S.

America’s paternity leave patchwork

Only 25% of all workers have access to paid family leave.

Fatherhood

Top stories & latest news on the Federal Reserve, real-time data, plus the biggest shifts happening in the U.S. and global economy.

Economy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

The amount spent on Father’s Day gifts doesn’t come close to Mother’s Day spending.

The big picture: Consumers are expected to spend nearly 36% or $12.8 billion less on dads than they did on moms last month, according to projections from the National Retail Federation’s annual surveys.

Despite the difference, consumers are expected to spend a record $22.9 billion on dads, up from $20 billion last year and exceeding the 2021 record of $20.1 billion, the retail group’s survey found.

By the numbers: Three-quarters of consumers plan to celebrate Father’s Day this year compared to 84% of U.S. adults who planned to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Consumers expect to spend a record $196.23 on average on dad up from the past record of $174.10 in 2021, NRF's survey of 8,414 U.S. adults found.

The average amount is nearly $78 less than the $274.02 spent on moms this year.

The most popular Father’s Day gifts are greeting cards (61%), clothing (55%), a special outing such as a meal (52%), gift cards (48%) and personal care items (32%), the survey found.

Yes, but: Inflation is the main driver of this year’s increased gift spending, Bankrate senior industry analyst Ted Rossman told Axios.

“It feels like given inflation everything has to be up,” Rossman said. “I also think that there is pent-up demand coming out of the pandemic, especially for experiences like dining, concerts and sporting events.”

The NRF survey found 29% of those celebrating Father’s Day plan to give experiences gifts, up from 25% last year.

Flashback: Mother’s Day has been an official holiday since 1914. It took until 1972 before Father’s Day was added to the list when President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

Between the lines: Kelly Goldsmith, a Vanderbilt University marketing professor who studies consumer behavior, said much has changed since the first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908 when mothers were primarily homemakers.

Even though family dynamics and gender roles have changed substantially over time, many mothers “still carry a domestic work burden that goes unrecognized,” Goldsmith told Axios.

Lee McPheters, a research professor of economics at Arizona State University, said in an interview that's why fewer people opt to participate in Father’s Day and spend less “likely has something to do with the powerful biological and even cultural links that children feel to their mothers.”

“Moms do a lot for the family and the kids,” Rossman said. “I’m a dad myself and I feel like Father’s Day is kind of a lesser holiday than Mother’s Day.”

Instant Pot burnout: Parent company files for bankruptcy

Frozen strawberries sold at Walmart and Costco recalled

Gifts for dads this Father's Day lag behind Mother's Day

Consumers are expected to spend nearly 36% or $12.8 billion less on dads than they did on moms last month.

Illustration of a gift boxed covered in a repeat Axios logo pattern wrapping paper and a bright orange bow.

Retail

First there was Robert Mueller. Then there was Anthony Fauci. Now some Democrats have begun to embrace a new folk hero and Trump foe: special counsel Jack Smith.

The big picture: Some e-commerce shops are filling up with Smith-themed merchandise — T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and even a baby blanket —celebrating the prosecutor who's pressing the federal charges against former President Trump in the classified documents case.

Why it matters: It’s the latest example of how cults of personality form on both the left and right in this polarized era of American politics.

A similar phenomenon has long surrounded Trump himself. Sites backing him sell every sort of paraphernalia — even items with a fake mug shot of Trump that say "Not Guilty."  

Zoom in: For anti-Trumpers, the online shop Etsy now has more than 50 Smith-themed products, including:

“Somebody’s Going To Get Jacked Up” mugs

“Jack Smith Fan Club” stainless steel water bottles

“Jack-Hammer Smith” Copper Vacuum Insulated Bottles

The web store Zazzle also includes Smith-themed trucker hats, baby blankets, throw pillows, tote bags, and even aprons in a charming bright yellow.

Redbubble is selling stickers and iPhone cases with a painted portrait of Smith that is a tad impressionistic.

An Orlando-based merchant behind classifiedshirts.com told The Hill earlier this week that he had sold about 1,600 Smith-inspired items since Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith last year.

A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment.

Zoom out: Smith is the latest government official to be embraced by Democrats for investigating or confronting Trump.

Mueller, the former special counsel who was charged with looking into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, similarly was feted by liberals with “It’s Mueller Time” merchandise and popular social media accounts such as “Mueller, She Wrote,” on Twitter.

After COVID broke out, Fauci also was embraced as he publicly and privately clashed with Trump over the then-president's handling of the pandemic.

Fauci-inspired merchandise included prayer candles and "In Fauci We Trust" stickers — but also prompted a wave of anti-Fauci merchandise peddled by Republicans.

That included the “Don’t Fauci My Florida” gear that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign sold in 2021 to criticize health officials' calls for shutdowns during the pandemic. 

What’s next: Trump could be indicted again soon; prosecutors in Georgia have been investigating him for allegedly trying to overturn that state's election results in 2020.

If he is, don’t be surprised to see more swag, this time featuring Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.  

Jack Smith swag is hot as Dems embrace Trump foe

E-commerce shops are filling up with merchandise celebrating the Trump prosecutor.

Photo illustration of a pair of hands making the heart symbol over a photo of Special Counsel Jack Smith

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Donald Trump

Indianapolis

Axios Indianapolis

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a large portion of Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care for minors, which was set to take effect July 1.

Why it matters: Indiana is now among a handful of states — including Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and Florida — where gender-affirming care bans have been halted by the courts.

Driving the news: Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued the preliminary injunction Friday, blocking the part of the law that would prohibit puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors.

He also blocked the portion of the law that would prohibit doctors from communicating with physicians in other states about gender-affirming care for patients who are minors. 

But Hanlon's order allows the law's ban on gender-affirming surgeries to take effect. 

"Plaintiffs lack standing to challenge that ban because gender reassignment surgeries are not provided to minors in Indiana," he wrote. 

State of play: The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Indiana on behalf of four transgender youth and their families, as well as medical provider Mosaic Health.

Transgender youth taking medication to transition would have had until Dec. 31 to stop.

Context: The Indiana General Assembly passed the law earlier this year as part of a nationwide wave of legislation targeting the transgender community. 

What they're saying: "We won’t rest until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good," Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said in a statement Friday.

"Today’s victory is a testament to the trans youth of Indiana, their families, and their allies, who never gave up the fight to protect access to gender-affirming care and who will continue to defend the right of all trans people to be their authentic selves, free from discrimination," Falk said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout. 

A picture of the Indianapolis skyline with the letters IND

Axios Indianapolis Partners

Federal court blocks most of Indiana's gender-affirming care ban

A judge issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks much of the law from taking effect.

Sunday's top stories

Biden's weird words

America’s paternity leave patchwork

Gifts for dads this Father's Day lag behind Mother's Day

Jack Smith swag is hot as Dems embrace Trump foe

Federal court blocks most of Indiana's gender-affirming care ban