National

Top contenders to replace Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as Senate GOP leader are working the phones with their colleagues — and lining up fundraisers and endorsements for potential new ones, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Leadership elections thrive on an economy of favors, endorsements and money. The three Johns will have to navigate a fractured GOP and high-stakes election, while avoiding the kind of leadership chaos seen in the House.

"When and where they endorse — and where they campaign — is an insightful distinction," Zack Roday, a Hill veteran and partner at Ascent, told Axios, saying it can signal which blocs will support each John's leadership.

Looming over the early jockeying is Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who privately is being urged by former President Trump to enter the leadership race and is leading Senate Republicans' effort to take back the chamber. 

Driving the news: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the second-ranking Senate Republican, is planning to co-host a fundraising event this month with Republican Dave McCormick who is running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, a source familiar with the plans told Axios.

He will also host a pricey virtual fundraiser with former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, with tickets $3,300 a pop, according to an invite for the event obtained by Axios. 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has an advantage as a top Senate GOP fundraiser for years, raising $13 million this cycle for incumbents, the NRSC and nominees, according to a source familiar with his political operation.

One senator emphasized how Cornyn spent two years raising significant funds directly for GOP election bids, adding that Thune "missed a trick."

Thune has also been a powerful fundraiser, raising around $8 million for the NRSC this cycle — more than anyone other than Daines, according to a source familiar.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) also has been busy fundraising with Ohio candidate Bernie Moreno, Tim Sheehy, who is running in Montana, Sam Brown in Nevada and Jim Banks in Indiana, according to a Barrasso aide.

Endorsements can be tools for building allies too.

Barrasso has been laying the groundwork for months, being one of the earliest to throw support behind GOP challengers, including for more conservative candidates like Arizona candidate Kari Lake and Moreno.

He was first to endorse Lake and campaigned with her on Thursday.

Cornyn endorsed Lake the day after he announced his leadership bid.

The intrigue: Barrasso is the only candidate who has weighed in on the Ohio primary race by backing Trump-endorsed Moreno. 

It's one of few tough Senate primaries for Republicans. 

Some Democratic candidates will try to use the Johns' campaigning efforts to their advantage. Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat running for the Maryland seat, accused Hogan of "aligning with Republicans who support a national abortion ban," in a statement to Axios.

What to watch: A clear election victory — and Trump's blessing — could put National Republican Senate Committee chair Daines in a prime position come November.

"I think there is an appetite for people beyond the three Johns," one senator told Axios.

Editor's note: This article was corrected to note that Cornyn endorsed Lake the day after he announced his leadership bid, instead of on the same day. 

How the GOP's "three Johns" are cozying up with Senate contenders

The three Johns are in a mad dash in a race that promises to be a marathon.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (C) listens to questions from the media as Senators John Barrasso(L),R-PA, John Thune(2nd-L), R-SD, and John Cornyn(R), R-TX look on after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) listens to questions from the media along with Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). Photo: Yuri Gripas/AFP via Getty Images

Senate Republicans

Politics & Policy

Sneak Peek

Axios Sneak Peek

In what could be the final hours of her campaign, Nikki Haley abandoned a pledge to endorse the GOP nominee and openly wondered about whether Donald Trump would ignore the Constitution.

Why it matters: Haley has yet to win a primary, but she's attracted many of the independent and disaffected GOP voters who will make or break Trump's general election campaign.

The Republican National Committee, whose pledge she signed before last year's debates, "is now not the same RNC," Haley told NBC "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker.

In the same interview, Haley said only Trump "can answer" what he means by talking about "revenge" and "vindication."

"[Y]ou always want to think someone will, but I don't know," Haley told NBC when asked whether Trump would follow the Constitution.

Trump plans to replace the RNC's top leadership with a triumvirate that includes his top campaign adviser and his daughter-in-law.

Zoom in: Trump piled up more delegates on Saturday after winning caucuses in Missouri, Idaho and Michigan.

Haley's best shot to win a GOP primary is in D.C., where voting ends on Sunday.

What's next: Haley has consistently delayed questions about the future until after Super Tuesday. That rain check comes due Wednesday.

The last Trump runner-up in a GOP primary was former Ohio Gov. John Kasich in 2016, who cast a protest vote for the late Sen. John McCain that November and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2020.

"I'm not anti-Trump," Haley told Politico on Friday. "Look, if I was doing that, I would be Chris Christie."

"Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker.

Nikki Haley's two shots at Trump

Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign event on Friday in Charlotte, N.C. Photo: Allison Joyce/AFP via Getty Images

2024 presidential election

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Sunday that "people in Gaza are starving" and called for "an immediate ceasefire" as part of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.

Why it matters: Harris' remarks were the Biden administration's most comprehensive recognition of the suffering in Gaza and strongest appeal for a ceasefire.

They come as the Biden administration urgently pushes for a ceasefire and hostage deal before the holy month of Ramadan begins on March 10.

"Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next 6 weeks. This is what is currently on the table," she said, urging Hamas to accept such a deal.

What she's saying: "What we are seeing every day in Gaza is devastating. We have seen reports of families eating leaves and animal feed, children dying from malnutrition and dehydration. Too many innocent Palestinian have been killed," Harris said.

Harris called the situation in Gaza "inhumane" and "a humanitarian catastrophe" and said "our common humanity compels us to act."

She demanded the Israeli government do more to facilitate the flow of significantly more aid. 

"No excuses. They must open new border crossings and not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid. They must ensure humanitarian convoys are not targeted and restore basic services and order in Gaza so more food, water and fuel can reach those in need."

Harris was speaking in a symbolic place — the annual commemoration of  1965's "Bloody Sunday" crackdown by police on marchers in Selma, Alabama, one of the transformative moments in the U.S. civil rights movement.

The vice president referred to the an incident on Thursday in which more than 100 Palestinians were killed in the vicinity of an aid convoy.

"Desperate people approach aid trucks simply trying to secure food for their families… and they were met with gunfire and chaos," she said.

She also criticized Hamas and said the group can't continue to control Gaza.

"They have shown no regard for innocent lives including to the people of Gaza… the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated," Harris added.

What's next: Harris is going to meet on Monday at the White House with Benny Gantz, a senior member of the Israeli war cabinet, to discuss the situation in Gaza and the proposed hostage deal.

Between the lines: Gantz, who will also meet Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main political rival. According to the polls, Gantz would defeat Netanyahu if elections were held today. 

While White House officials say Gantz's visit is routine, the fact the White House decided to roll out the red carpet with such high-level meetings looks like a signal to both Netanyahu and the Israeli public.

Go deeper: U.S. makes first airdrop in Gaza

 urgently pushes for a ceasefire and hostage deal

Harris calls for ceasefire, says "people in Gaza are starving"

"Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed."

Kamala Harris speaks Sunday in Selma, Alabama. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty

Gaza

Israel

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

World

Congressional leaders on Sunday announced a package of a half dozen annual appropriations bills set to be voted on next week.

Why it matters: It sets the stage for Congress to avoid a partial government shutdown on March 8.

Top Democrats and Republicans in both chambers announced agreements on bills to fund a raft of less controversial government agency budgets until Sept. 30.

The agencies funded by the bills include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

The bills feature slight funding increases or reductions but avoid the drastic cuts House Republican hardliners had been pushing for.

Yes, but: Lawmakers have not announced agreement on the remaining six appropriations bills, which include the massive and controversial budgets of the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services.

Funding for those agencies is set to run out on March 22, giving Congress just a few weeks to work out the remaining conflicts and pass the bills.

What they're saying: Democrats celebrated the lack of significant cuts or right-wing policy riders, while Republicans touted cuts to the EPA, FBI and ATF, as well as certain environmental and law enforcement policy victories.

"Even with divided government and a historically small House majority, House Republicans have worked hard to successfully move the policy and spending priorities of the federal government away from the previous Pelosi-Schumer FY23 appropriations," said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) lauded the fact that Democrats headed off cuts to nutritional benefits for women and children, as well as restrictions on abortion.

"We are proud to be keeping the government open without cuts or poison pill riders," Schumer said.

Between the lines: While the bills are likely to sail through the House under a process requiring a two-thirds vote, Johnson will almost certainly face fierce backlash from the right.

The right-wing Freedom Caucus has urged him to allow a government shutdown rather than agree to government spending bills that don't include deep cuts and restrictions on social policy and law enforcement.

Congress unveils roadmap to averting partial government shutdown

The bills are likely to infuriate GOP hardliners who had pushed for drastic spending cuts.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, wearing a blue suit, white shirt, red tie and glasses in a TV studio at the Capitol.

House Speaker Mike Johnson. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.

Government spending

Meet The Press-2024-03-03

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley didn't commit Sunday to endorsing former President Donald Trump in the 2024 race if she were to drop out. 

Why it matters: Haley, who has vowed to stay in the race at least through Super Tuesday, had previously signed the Republican National Committee's loyalty pledge saying she would back whoever wins the GOP nomination. 

The pledge was one of the requirements from the RNC for candidates to become eligible to participate in a series of GOP debates before primary season began. 

Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the race, notably abstained from signing the pledge and did not participate with his fellow candidates in any of the debates. 

What she's saying: "I truly am not thinking about any of that," said Haley of a future endorsement on NBC's "Meet the Press" in an interview that aired Sunday.

"If you talk about an endorsement, you are talking about a loss," she said. "I don't think like that. When you're in a race you don't think about losing. You think about continuing to go forward. What I can tell you is I don't think Donald Trump or Joe Biden should be president."

 "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker then brought up the pledge Haley signed, and asked if the former South Carolina governor still felt bound by it to support the GOP nominee.  

Haley said that at the time of the debate, candidates had to say yes and sign the pledge to get on the stage. That RNC "is now not the same RNC."

"I think I'll make what decision I wanna make, but that's not something I'm thinking about," Haley added.

Flashback: Last June, Haley slammed Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a GOP presidential candidate at the time — for not committing to support the Republican nominee, saying it was "absolutely irresponsible." 

Zoom out: The RNC has been in the thick of a leadership shake-up, with its chairwoman Ronna McDaniel set to step down on March 8. 

McDaniel resigned after a pressure campaign from Trump, who recently issued a trio of endorsements for his allies. 

Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump and his campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita, are among the three people the former president endorsed for leadership roles in the RNC.

Go deeper: Nikki Haley: "Very possible" GOP has shifted towards Trump

Nikki Haley: "Very possible" GOP has shifted towards Trump

Haley doesn't commit to endorsing Trump, walks back signing RNC pledge

Haley had taken the RNC pledge to support whoever wins the GOP nomination

Nikki Haley

Up-close image of Nikki Haley speaking while holding a microphone

Elections 2024

State Of The Union With Jake Tapper And Dana Bash-2024-03-03

Two GOP senators are cautioning former President Trump from getting involved in the high-stakes race to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) when he leaves Republican leadership later this year.

The big picture: Trump — the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner consolidating his power over Republicans in Congress — has been quietly pushing Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to run for GOP Senate leader.

What they're saying: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said his advice to Trump is to "kind of stay out of the race because it's a lose-lose situation," per an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday. 

"Whatever leader is there understands that they're gonna have to work with President Trump, too, so it's really not in his best interest to lean in the race at this point," Mullin added. 

"However, if he chooses to do it, it will make a difference," he said. 

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said "the former president will have the opportunity to influence a number of my colleagues" when asked Sunday on ABC's "This Week" about Trump's role in the race to replace McConnell. 

"But, we also want to be able to have a good working relationship with him if he becomes the next president of the United States. We've got things we've got to get done," Rounds said. 

Zoom in: Both GOP senators echoed their support for Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate Minority Whip. 

"I've seen his leadership skills move around, even when Mitch [McConnell] was unable to be at the Capitol because of some illnesses. I saw Thune step up in a very effective manner," Mullin said. 

Similarly, Rounds said he thinks Thune is "the right guy at the right time" and has "great moral character." 

Catch up quick: Last week, 82-year-old McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader, announced his plans to step down following the 2024 election. 

Thune is one of the "three Johns" — along with fellow GOP Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) — at the center of speculation about who will replace McConnell.

Thune is viewed by many in D.C. circles as the most obvious heir with his current No. 2 position, moderate views and fundraising prowess, Axios' Stef Kight reports.

Trump endorsed Thune's challenger in 2022, and Thune only endorsed Trump a couple of days before McConnell's announcement that he was stepping down from leadership.

Go deeper: McConnell to step down as Senate GOP leader after 2024 election

McConnell to step down as Senate GOP leader after 2024 election

GOP senators caution Trump about getting involved in McConnell succession race

The high-stakes race to replace McConnell is on

Mitch McConnell

Up-close images of Sens. Mike Rounds and Markwayne Mullin

The endless aisle of options at the store is shrinking as brands cut inventory, focusing on bestsellers to boost their profits.

Why it matters: It's a reversal from the trend of giving consumers unlimited choices — and experts tell Axios the switch could reduce shopping stress while driving sales.

The big picture: Some products started disappearing in the early days of the pandemic because of supply-chain bottlenecks. Now brands are continuing to slash assortment to get rid of unprofitable items and make room for the next "new" thing.

Hasbro officials said Tuesday during an earnings call that the toy manufacturer eliminated about half of the brand's products as part of a "fewer, bigger, better" philosophy.

Dollar General is pruning options for products like mayonnaise, CEO Todd Vasos said in December, noting the "consumer is not going to know the difference" and it will "make her life a little simpler when she goes to the shelf."

Macy's and Kohl's have both pared down in-store offerings and are pushing more options online.

Car manufacturers have also discontinued vehicles and limited color choices in recent years.

State of play: Economic pressures and inflation are part of why brands are cutting assortments, GlobalData managing director Neil Saunders told Axios.

"With volumes down, retailers are trying to be more efficient. Part of that means cutting lines that don't sell well," he said.

"I think in the average American grocery store, we've probably been suffering a bit under the weight of these large assortments," Kelly Goldsmith, a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University, told Axios.

Yes, but: Trimming options can help consumers since too much choice causes "decision paralysis" and "choice overload."

Goldsmith, who studies consumer behavior, said when stores have piles of products that are difficult to sort through it "gives an inference that it's a lower quality retailer."

"Sometimes more is just more, and it gets confusing and overwhelming," said Rae Guimond, director of strategy and business development at commerce platform PriceSpider.

Be smart: While major national brands are reducing products, retailers have expanded their store-owned private brands, which often are more budget-friendly.

Sales of store-owned brand products globally grew 4.7% in 2023 to $236.3 billion while national brands grew 3.4% year-over-year, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association.

Low-sugar Greek yogurt sales are booming in the Ozempic era

Target launching "dealworthy" brand with focus on basics

Carnival to add new 180,000-ton cruise ship in 2027

Why stores and brands are shrinking product options

The endless aisle of options is getting a makeover as brands cut inventory to focus on bestsellers to boost their profits.

Illustration of a hand holding a tiny shopping basket pinched between two fingers. 

Shopping

Retail

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

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

Economy

Finish Line

Axios Finish Line

Elon Musk, in a broadening quest to control the tech world, is feuding with a growing list of Silicon Valley rivals:

He's now suing OpenAI — which he co-founded — and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of prioritizing profit over "the benefit of humanity."

Why it matters: Troves of information about both Musk and OpenAI could come to light if the case proceeds to discovery, potentially damaging reputations and throwing AI companies into chaos.

The big picture: Musk — a headstrong billionaire prone to petty feuds — and his fellow tech titans will have an outsized impact on the fate of a technology that could pose existential risks to the human race.

Zoom in: Musk is arguing that OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft violates its founding agreement.

"OpenAI Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft," the lawsuit says.

Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, has invested billions in OpenAI and is the only company with a license to use the tech behind GPT-4, OpenAI's blockbuster product.

The OpenAI feud pulled in even more Silicon Valley billionaires over the weekend, as they traded jabs on X.

Venture capitalist and OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla posted that Musk's lawsuit "feels like a bit of sour grapes."

Musk hit back, and Marc Andreessen took his side, posting, "Vinod is lobbying to ban open source."

Zoom out: This lawsuit is the latest in a growing list of Musk feuds with Silicon Valley rivals.

Musk, who since buying Twitter has crusaded against what he calls the "woke mind virus," vowed last week to create a competitor to Gmail in response to backlash over Google Gemini's biased image generation. When an X engineering employee asked about "XMail," Musk tweeted back: "It's coming."

And after news broke that OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, Nvidia and others have invested $675 million in humanoid robot startup Figure, Musk — who's working on his own robot model at Tesla — tweeted Friday: "Bring it on."

Flashback: Musk helped found OpenAI in 2015 partly in response to the work done by Google and its-then CEO Larry Page — a former friend who alarmed Musk with his vision of a digital utopia that merged AI with humans.

The debate over AI's "doom or boom" potential has since pitted some of the world's richest men against each other.

Among them are Musk, Page, Altman, Nadella and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in addition to the OpenAI board members whose attempted ouster of Altman in November sent shockwaves through the tech world.

What to watch: Governments around the world are intent on ensuring that AI has guardrails free of the whims and controls of impetuous billionaires.

The SEC is investigating OpenAI's internal communications to determine whether investors had been misled when Altman was (temporarily) fired by OpenAI's board, which had accused him of a lack of candor, The Wall Street Journal reports.

That's on top of an antitrust investigation launched by the FTC in January examining AI investments by Alphabet/Google, Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI and Anthropic.

Musk vs. moguls: Billionaire rivalries erupt in fight for AI's future

This is the latest in a growing list of Musk feuds with Silicon Valley rivals.

Illustration of a human fist and robot fist facing each other. 

Elon Musk

Artificial Intelligence

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Today's leading chatbots for the everyday user — OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot and Google's Gemini — are all best approached as tutors or assistants rather than information desks. 

Why it matters: Getting started using any of these tools is easy, but knowing when and how to get the best results from them can still be tricky. 

The big picture:  All three of these chatbots are designed to create, edit and summarize content. 

ChatGPT works well for most tasks. Google's Gemini has access to more timely and updated information and Copilot is best for work tasks.

Chatbots can help you write your resume, create a basic recipe with the ingredients you have in your fridge, summarize long articles, turn text into presentations, or create itineraries for vacations.

They're also great for sparking creativity or combatting writers block. Some people even use them to help communicate with their kids.

Between the lines: Most free versions of these chatbots are good enough. But if you want to take advantage of more features, you can subscribe to any of them for around $20 per month.

Copilot is ChatGPT, but with access to all the data in your calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings, and everything else that's known as your Microsoft Graph (if you use Microsoft 365). 

Gemini Advanced will let you summarize content or create new content from your Gmail, Google docs, and your Google Drive.  You can try it free for two months. 

While ChatGPT has its own GPT store, Copilot lets you integrate plug-ins from third-parties like Shopify, OpenTable, or Kayak, while Gemini allows you to use extensions like Google Flights and Google Hotels.

How it works: You can access ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini on the web.

ChatGPT and Copilot both have free iPhone and Android apps, but Google's Gemini is only available as an app on Android. You can access Gemini on iOS through the Google app by tapping the Gemini icon.

The request you make or question you ask Copilot, Gemini, or ChatGPT is called a prompt.

Prompts should be specific and can include requests for responses in a particular tone, a certain audience, or even a specific number of words.

For example, "Explain the theory of relativity to me in 100 words. Act as a friendly scientist and answer as if I'm ten years old."

Axios Explains: How to use ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini AI tools

A beginner's guide to three ubiquitous AI chatbots.

Axios

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