🐘 Axios PM: New House cliffhanger

Plus: The new "LOL" | Friday, October 13, 2023

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Walmart   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Oct 13, 2023 😎 Happy Friday! Today's PM — edited by Noah Bressner — is 496 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for the copy edit.     1 big thing: New House cliffhanger Rep. Jim Jordan talks with reporters as House Republicans meet today. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP Conservative firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) hit a wall in his bid to become speaker of the House, thanks to a little-known congressman from Georgia named Austin Scott who joined the race today and made little effort to campaign. Why it matters: Support for Scott's unexpected candidacy shows that it's unlikely any Republican right now can get the 217 votes needed to win a speaker election. Scott, a former insurance broker, threw his hat into the ring one day after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew from the race. 🧮 What's happening: Jordan defeated the new challenger by a vote of 124-81, two lawmakers told Axios' Juliegrace Brufke and Andrew Solender. But Jordan is struggling to garner the support of moderates and Scalise allies. In a second ballot, 55 Republicans said they wouldn't support him in a House floor vote. The intrigue: Scalise supporters feel Jordan was disingenuous in his offer to help sway conservatives to back the majority leader. Share this story.     2. ☀️ Mapped: "Ring of fire" eclipse Data: NASA; Map: Will Chase/Axios America's getting a rare chance to see a "ring of fire" solar eclipse this Saturday, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes. Exactly what's visible depends on your location. A diagonal stretch of the country (mapped above) will see an annular solar eclipse — also known as a "ring of fire." A partial eclipse will also be visible for most of the Lower 48 and parts of Alaska. Pro tips: Eclipse glasses are needed to safely view both the annular and partial eclipse, NASA said. The "ring of fire" won't last long. Durations range from less than 90 seconds to around five minutes. 🔮 What's next: Saturday's solar eclipse is practice for the next celestial event — a total eclipse that will occur on April 8, 2024. How to watch.     A message from Walmart This small business is revitalizing its hometown — with Walmart's help     Proud Source Water became a Walmart supplier in 2021. Today, their team has grown 50% and they're the largest employer in Mackay, ID. What this means: With Walmart, small businesses can grow — and support their communities. Learn how Walmart is helping create 750,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs.     3. Catch me up A dwelling once inhabited by enslaved people will be among the exhibitions in a woodland setting at the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Ala. Photo: Equal Justice Initiative∕Human Pictures Alabama will get a new monument honoring 4 million enslaved Black people who were emancipated at the end of the Civil War, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. Israeli ground forces conducted several limited raids into the Gaza Strip in an effort to "clear the area" of Hamas militants. Go deeper. Kaiser Permanente health workers reached a tentative labor agreement with the health system, Axios' Emily Peck and April Rubin write.     4. 🤣 The new "LOL" Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios "LOL" is dying — at least in some corners of the internet, Axios' April Rubin writes. "IJBOL" — or "I just burst out laughing" — is the new phrase many members of Gen Z are using to describe something funny. Why it matters: IJBOL accurately captures the feeling of going from quietly scrolling to letting out a burst of laughter, members of Gen Z told the New York Times. Vice President Harris has become the face of memes surrounding the new acronym. K-pop fans are some of IJBOL's most prominent users, according to a search for the term on X. Keep reading.     A message from Walmart Small businesses across America have one big partner in common     2/3 of Walmart's product spend is on products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. The impact: Local businesses like Proud Source Water are able to grow more, hire more, and help their communities thrive. Explore the positive impact of Walmart's $350 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing.   📬 Thanks for reading. Please invite your friends to join. 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: