Today’s Big Story

Pets Ride the Travel Boom

As more people take their animals on trips, hotels and airlines are rolling out more services (and raising fees)

Americans love their pets. The majority of U.S. households (around 63%) now have at least one pet. And most consider them members of the family. So maybe it makes sense that more people are taking their pets to the open skies. More than 1 million pets travel by air in the U.S. every year, according to the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, an industry group, and pet trips by airline have jumped in the past decade.

About 78% of Americans with pets are bringing their furry BFFs along on trips, both long and short, according to the American Pet Products Association. Young people are driving the trend, with one analyst telling NBC News that it’s “a telling indication of the prioritization that people have for their pets.”

Maybe you want to spend quality time with your pet. Maybe you want a specific photo for Instagram. Or maybe you just don’t want to deal with the logistics of boarding the pet. For one thing, arranging kennels or pet sitters can be a costly hassle for those leaving animals behind. “There’s also less stress,” said Patrick O’Brien, the APPA’s chief digital officer. “You’re not worrying if your pet is being taken care of the way you would.”

But airlines are still trying to catch up with the influx. In recent years, a spate of new government regulations and airline policies have grappled with the trend. Now new rules from the CDC aimed at stemming the spread of rabies have added more complexity to the process of traveling with dogs. In an effort to bring the U.S. in line with other developed countries’ pet rules, the regulations have dramatically upped the bureaucracy and paperwork involved with moving dogs into the U.S., and stressed the existing pet importation infrastructure. Airlines are having a hard time keeping up. Which might be why they’re raising rates.

U.S. airlines typically charge $95 to $150 per flight for small pets to fly in cabins, but some are hiking those rates. In February, American Airlines raised its carry-on pet fee from $125 to $150 each way; United Airlines followed suit in April. Many hotels that accommodate pets charge nonrefundable fees, typically of up to $150 per stay. Most that do so provide food and water bowls, waste bags, bedding and maybe even some treats and toys. A few brands, such as Motel 6 and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, have welcomed pets at no extra charge for decades.

Israel Begins Ground Operation in Lebanon

Israeli Special Forces have launched raids ahead of a full ground incursion

Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon overnight Monday. The operation—described by the Israel Defense Forces as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” backed by air forces and artillery—is aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure and pushing the group’s fighters away from villages near the border after nearly a year of drone and rocket strikes on northern Israel.

The invasion came after discussions over the weekend between U.S. and Israeli officials over the scope of the operation. Israel had apparently scaled back plans for a major ground campaign, a U.S. official told the Washington Post. The White House believes it has reached understandings with Israel that the scope of the Israeli ground invasion will be limited to border areas in southern Lebanon, two sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios.

Hezbollah appears so weakened by Israeli operations—including a strike that killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah—that Israel’s dilemma would actually be how far Israel should go into Lebanon, Amir Avivi, a former senior Israeli military official, told the Wall Street Journal. When and under what terms Israel would leave remain unclear, he said. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official told NPR that the Pentagon will send a “few thousand” more troops to the Middle East, focused on air defense capabilities.

China Marks 75 Years of Communist Party

However, economic challenges and security threats linger

China is marking the 75th year of Communist Party rule today, despite the economic challenges and security threats lingering over the massive state. The Associated Press reports that no festivities have been announced for the occasion Tuesday, save for a flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, with an honor guard marching from the entrance of the sprawling palace that in past centuries was the home of Chinese emperors.

At a state banquet celebrating the founding of the People’s Republic on Monday, President Xi Jinping used his address to underscore his resolve to achieve the “complete reunification of the motherland.” China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own, despite having never controlled it, and has vowed to “reunify” with the self-governing democracy, by force if necessary. But many people on the island view themselves as distinctly Taiwanese and have no desire to be part of Communist China.

To punish the Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has occupied Taiwan’s presidency since 2016, China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan with war games and near-daily warplane sorties across the midpoint of the Taiwan Strait. On Sunday, President Joe Biden approved an additional $567 million in military support for Taiwan in the largest aid package America has granted the island. The funding will cover defense articles as well as “military education and training,” the White House said in a statement.

Oasis Ditches Ticketmaster’s Dynamic Pricing

By disabling the controversial feature in North America, the band hopes to avoid repeating its U.K. ticketing fiasco

Oasis announced the North America leg of its highly-highly-anticiapted 2025 reunion tour on Monday, and the band’s management also shared a decision that will be welcome news to fans: they won’t have to worry about inflated “dynamic pricing” rates when ticket sales kick off on October 4th.

Dynamic pricing allows for ticket costs to fluctuate based on demand, but all too often, the end result is that prices surge far beyond face value for high-profile performances. This has led many people to bemoan the feature in recent years. “It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate and thus more affordable,” the statement reads. “But, when unprecedented ticket demand is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, it becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.”

According to Tech Crunch, the pricing system has become so detested among music fans that Ticketmaster is facing probes in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Thirty-nine state Attorneys General in the U.S. have sued Live Nation-Ticketmaster for anti-competitive practices—the conglomerate controls the majority of ticket sales and venue bookings in the U.S., which legislators argue has stifled competition in the space. Aside from dynamic pricing issues, fans trying to buy tickets to see artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have lost their spots in line after hours in digital queues due to technical issues.

The Long Read

Mental-health struggles have risen sharply among young Americans, and parents and lawmakers alike are scrutinizing life online for answers

If you love it, the time’s not wasted.