🍫 Axios PM: Snack attack!

Plus: New cricket hot spot | Monday, May 15, 2023

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Instagram   Axios PM By Mike Allen · May 15, 2023 ☀️ Happy Monday! Today's PM — edited by Erica Pandey — is 572 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for the copy edit. 🚨 Bulletin: Special counsel John Durham concluded in a long-awaited report today that the FBI's basis for launching its investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia was "seriously flawed," Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Durham leveled withering criticism at investigators, accusing them of causing "severe reputational harm" to the FBI. But he didn't bring high-level indictments — or uncover evidence of what Trump has called "the crime of the century." Keep reading.     1 big thing: America's snacking craze Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios   Sales of cookies, chips, candy and popcorn are soaring as America binges on snacks. Stunning stat: Nearly half of U.S. consumers are eating three or more snacks a day — up 8% in the last two years, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing market-research firm Circana. Snack sales ballooned to $181 billion last year, up 11% from the year before, according to Circana. What's happening: Mondelez International — maker of Oreos, Ritz Crackers, Swedish Fish and more — saw sales jump 22% between 2019 and 2022. Hershey's sales rose 30%. America's love of snacks is leading to "the 'snack-ification' of everything," Andrea Hernández, who writes Snaxshot, a newsletter on food and beverage trends, told The Journal. Kellogg is pitching breakfast cereal, including Apple Jacks and Froot Loops, as snacks.     2. 🏛️ Attack in lawmaker's office Rep. Gerry Connolly. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images   Two aides to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) were hospitalized this morning after an assailant attacked them, the Virginia congressman said. Connolly said the attacker, armed with a baseball bat, entered his Fairfax, Virginia, office and "asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff." The suspect was taken into custody. 🖼️ The big picture: The attack follows a series of security threats against members of Congress and their families — including the Jan. 6 riot, the Good Friday attack and the assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement: "The safety of our Members and of our staff remains of paramount importance, particularly given the increased instances of political violence in our country." Share this story.     A message from Instagram Explore 30+ tools for parents and teens on Instagram     Here's how: By allowing parents to view who their teen follows and who follows them, manage daily time limits and be notified when their teen shares reported accounts, once Supervision is set up. Set up Family Center supervision tools with your teen today.     3. Catch me up Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP 🇺🇸 Above: NYPD members stand to honor law enforcement officers who lost their lives in 2022, during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol today. 💰 Pay packages for hundreds of S&P 500 CEOs dropped dramatically in 2022 — the first decline in a decade. Elon Musk's Tesla stock awards lost nearly $10 billion in value last year. More from The Wall Street Journal. 🧳 Concerns about a rush on the border following the end of Title 42 — a restrictive pandemic policy — haven't materialized. Daily crossings are half of what they were in the record-breaking days leading up to May 11. Go deeper.     4. 🏏 New cricket hotspot A baseball field at Desert Horizon Park in Scottsdale, Ariz., gets used for cricket. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios   Cricket — a bat-and-ball game that's older than baseball — is exploding in popularity across the U.S., and Phoenix is beginning to tap into the sport's potential, Axios Phoenix co-author Jessica Boehm writes. Why it matters: Phoenix could become a "cricket factory," because of its 300 days of sunshine — but it needs more facilities to thrive, players say. Other big cities, including San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C., have dozens of pitches and are planning stadiums for their Major League Cricket teams. MLC's inaugural season begins in July at a newly constructed stadium outside Dallas. Share this story.     A message from Instagram Explore 30+ tools for parents and teens on Instagram     Once Family Center supervision tools are set up, teens can send a notification to their parents whenever they report another account on Instagram. The result: Teens can ask for support when they need it. Set up Family Center supervision tools with your teen today.   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: