What's Happening

Politics

Resignation Calls for Biden Are Coming From Inside the House (and Senate)

What's going on: President Biden continues to double down on his plans to stay in the 2024 presidential race. It comes amid growing calls from within his own party — including four top House Democrats — to sit this one out. Following his shaky debate performance, the 81-year-old has gone on a campaign blitz in battleground states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in an attempt to prove he is the man for the job. In an interview with ABC, Biden said only “the Lord Almighty” could get him to drop out. He said being president is like taking a daily cognitive test, but he declined to say whether he would undergo an independent assessment and share the results with the public. Meanwhile, congressional lawmakers, donors, and party insiders insist Biden needs to do more to demonstrate his ability to manage all aspects of the job, including speaking without a teleprompter.

What it means: The Biden campaign is trying to unite the Democratic Party and convince voters that Biden is mentally fit to be president. That’s as polls show Biden falling behind former President Trump. There are reports that some Democrats are asking congressional leaders and the Obama camp to intervene and convince Biden to drop out by the end of this week. Others in the party are publicly rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden in the election. Even though her approval rating sits at less than 40%, some polls have found she could fare better than Biden in a match-up against Trump.

Related: What’s Project 2025? The Reasons Trump Is Distancing Himself From It (CNN)

International

France and the UK Had Their Own Election Drama

What's going on: In a surprising turn of events, a left-wing coalition called the New Popular Front managed to stop the far-right National Rally from winning France’s snap elections. Although the National Rally led after the first round of voting last week, high turnout in yesterday’s second round kept the anti-immigration party from taking control, landing in third place. Still, no party won an absolute majority — potentially setting France up for a state of political gridlock and economic uncertainty. The election results also put French President Emmanuel Macron in a weaker position, as his Renaissance Party will no longer be the largest group in France’s Parliament. It’s not the only election making headlines…

Tell me more: In the UK, the center-left Labour Party easily claimed victory in last week’s election, ending the Conservative Party’s 14-year reign. The Conservatives lost 250 parliamentary seats, while Labour took 410. Voter frustration in the UK grew following a slew of political scandals (including “Partygate”), and rising inflation contributed to the Conservatives' downfall. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded after less than two years in office and announced his resignation as party leader once a replacement is found. Now, Keir Stramer is the UK prime minister. Only time will tell if the Labour Party will fare better than its predecessor.

Related: The Far-Right Couldn’t Take Hold of France. What About the Rest of Europe? (BBC)

Business

Influencers in Illinois Will Have To Pay Their Kids for “Sharenting”

What's going on: A new Illinois law that aims to protect the children of influencers went into effect earlier this month. The update to the state’s Child Labor Law says that children under the age of 16 must be compensated if they are in 30% or more of their parents’ paid content. That includes videos on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The earnings can be big — some top influencers can rake in millions of dollars, and even smaller ones can earn $600 per post, according to The New York Times. Under the law, the money must go into a trust that the children can access once they turn 18. As adults, they’ll also have the option to request that videos be deleted if they’re featured in them. Although there’s no direct enforcement of the law, kids can sue their parents if they don’t comply with the measure.

What it means: Illinois is leading the way in fighting child exploitation on family vlogging channels. The Illinois law is the first of its kind in the US, and other states like Washington, Maryland, and California could follow in its footsteps. The measure comes as experts warn that the risks of “sharenting” outweigh the benefits. Incidents in recent years have also raised concerns about what really goes on behind the scenes of family vlogging channels. See: Influencer Jordan Cheyenne, who went viral in 2021 for telling her son to cry for a video. Last year, family vlogger Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of second degree aggravated child abuse.

Related: They Were Social Media Babies. Now, They’re Adults Pushing for Online Protections (CNN)