Jan 28, 2017

White House vet takes power to Silicon Valley

Mike Allen, author of AM

David Shankbone / Flickr cc

Chris Lehane — veteran of the Clinton White House and Gore campaign, now head of policy for Airbnb — got a front-page profile from WashPost's Elizabeth Dwoskin in San Francisco. One great passage:

"As the $30 billion company prepares to go public, Lehane, 49, is the architect of the effort to turn the Airbnb brand — 'vacation rentals for hip millennials' — into a popular movement."

  • The style: "Lehane rarely wears the tailored Italian suits that he was known for during his days as a Washington operative. Now he favors the Silicon Valley uniform of jeans and Patagonia vests. He no longer plants political attacks in the news media… Instead, he opts for TV spots that feature happy middle-class families promoting Airbnb."
  • The strategy: "In New York, he is funding a super PAC to support pro-Airbnb candidates. During his first few weeks on the job, in August 2015, he even reached out to former Army generals to ask for advice on how to wage war on a new scale."

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer
1 min ago - Politics & Policy

Biden raises $141 million more than Trump

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks during a September campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Joe Biden's campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees raised $466 million cash on hand, the presidential candidate's team announced late Sunday.

Why it matters: President Trump's campaign raised $325 million, his campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh announced earlier Sunday.

Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.

Sara Fischer, author of Media Trends
35 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Virtual Emmys address chaotic year for American TV and society

Emmy Host Jimmy Kimmel during rehearsals Friday for the 72nd Annual Emmy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Photo: Al Seib/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Emmy Awards Sunday night addressed the major U.S. issues this year — including the protests on systemic racism and police brutality, the wildfires engulfing parts of the West Coast, the census, the pandemic, essential works and the election.

Why it matters: Award shows have always addressed wider cultural issues, but this year — amid unprecedented stress and uncertainty — that trend has accelerated.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 50 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11:30 p.m. ET: 30,919,638 — Total deaths: 959,332— Total recoveries: 21,152,996 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30p.m. ET: 6,799,141 — Total deaths: 199,474 — Total recoveries: 2,590,671 — Total tests: 95,108,559 — Map.
  3. Politics: Testing czar on Trump's CDC contradictions: "Everybody is right" — Ex-FDA chief: Career scientists won't be "easily cowed" by political vaccine pressure.
  4. Education: What we overlooked in the switch to remote learning.
  5. Health: The dwindling chances of eliminating COVID-19 — 7 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week.
  6. World: England sets £10,000 fine for breaking self-isolation rules — The countries painting their pandemic recoveries green.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow