Good morning. In today’s edition:

• ✈️ Change of plans
• 📺 Wordle TV show
• 🫨 Loudest sound in history

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.67-minute read (977 words).

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“Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.”

–Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790)

This year, more Americans are forgoing the customs line and instead preparing to load into a SUV and argue over the aux cord for eight straight hours.

A growing number of Americans are rethinking overseas vacations as flight prices continue to climb, and choosing to travel domestically instead.

By the numbers: Since the Iran war began in late February, international airfare prices have climbed by ~38%, according to travel site Kayak. The average flight now costs ~$150 more compared to the same time last year.

• Europe has been hit especially hard by fuel shortages, leading airlines to reduce flight offerings altogether.
• Lufthansa alone has canceled 20,000 flights through October, while United says it’s “tactically pruning” less popular routes and flight times.

It’s sparked a change of plans

In response, many Americans are either choosing closer and cheaper destinations, or not planning a trip at all.

• Arlene Hogan, owner of travel adviser company Vacays4U, told Axios that her bookings have dropped ~10% for the fall (most summer trips are booked well in advance).
• She also said other travel agency owners at a recent gathering told her they’ve noticed similar declines.

There are some bright spots: Travel advisors report Hawaii, national parks, beach towns, and domestic cities are seeing increased interest as travelers look for destinations that feel cheaper, safer, and easier to reach.

Looking ahead: Analysts say airline tickets may not return to their pre-Iran war prices anytime soon, even if the conflict is resolved in a timely manner, with airline executives indicating they plan to focus on higher profit margins after years of razor-thin earnings and volatile fuel costs.

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Hollywood executives are apparently spending less time flipping through piles of scripts, and more time scrolling TikTok.

A growing number of studios are greenlighting projects centered around books with built-in online fandoms, especially viral hits from TikTok’s reading community.

From January 2024 through June 2025, nearly half of all original drama series released on Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video were based on books, per a recent report from the Publishers Association.

The strategy makes financial sense

Among the 50 highest-grossing films from 2020-2024, book adaptations earned 57% more at the box office than original stories. Industry execs say BookTok gives studios a real-time look at which stories fans are obsessing over, debating, and emotionally recovering from with “I need a minute after this ending” videos filmed from the car.

Some book adaptations are delivering monster numbers. Netflix’s Bridgerton remains one of its most-watched series ever, while Season 3 of Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty recently became the streamer’s most-watched TV season ever among women ages 18-34.

In theaters, Project Hail Mary ($328 million domestic) and The Devil Wears Prada 2 ($145 million) represent two of the highest-grossing movies so far in 2026.

Looking ahead…Hollywood’s list of upcoming book adaptations include The Odyssey, Dune 3, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🥩 Trump admin plans to temporarily reduce tariffs across all beef-importing nations to address record-high prices and short-term supply issues, per a WSJ report.
• 📲 TV/media entrepreneur Byron Allen is buying a majority stake in BuzzFeed for $120 million and plans to become the 20-year-old digital media company’s CEO.
• 🇨🇳 President Trump invites major executives of US companies to join his trip to China this week, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, and BlackRock’s Larry Fink.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🔠📺 Primetime TV game show based on the New York Times' hit mobile game Wordle is coming to NBC, hosted by Savannah Guthrie.
• 🍿 Four new Fast & Furious TV shows in the works at Peacock, franchise star Vin Diesel reveals; other reports say only one show is in active development.
• 🙏🏈 Missouri star RB Ahmad Hardy was shot at a concert in Mississippi early Sunday morning and is in stable condition following surgery, the university announced.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🦠 18 American passengers who might have been exposed to hantavirus while aboard a cruise ship returned to the US yesterday under isolation; one tested positive for the hantavirus but isn’t showing symptoms, while another had mild symptoms.
• ☄️ Dante's famous 14th century epic poem The Divine Comedy represents the first time a giant asteroid impact was accurately depicted, per expert in specialized field of geomythology.
• 🧬 One-time therapy for HIV that involves re-engineering a patient's own immune ​cells to find and destroy the virus succeeded in controlling the infection, in small first-in-human study.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: President Trump says current US-Iran ceasefire is “on massive life support” after Tehran sent an “unacceptable” counter to Washington’s proposal to end the war.
• ⛽ President Trump endorses suspending the federal gasoline tax in a new CBS News interview.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Supreme Court temporarily extends full access to the abortion pill mifepristone while Justices continue to consider a case that seeks to limit availability of the drug. | SCOTUS grants Alabama’s request to speed up adoption of new congressional map that could eliminate two Democratic House seats.

👆 You’re looking at some of the winners from the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year awards, which received a record-high 6,500 submissions this year.

🤔 Did you know? The volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 produced the loudest sound ever recorded, registering at 172 decibels some 100 miles from the source. For reference: you’d experience a 150 decibel sound standing next to a jet engine—and every 10 dB increase is perceived as sounding about twice as loud. Krakatoa’s eruption was so intense that it ruptured the eardrums of sailors ~40 miles away, and was heard across 10%+ of the Earth’s surface.

📰 Worth a read: How sunburn inspired a new way to store energy

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• “World’s oldest doctor” shares 3 rules for a happy life
• The 5 most intriguing revelations from the UFO file release
• Human brains treat virtual-reality wings like body limbs

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Yesterday we covered how Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believes the war in Ukraine could soon be nearing its end, in remarks that contrasted with years of Kremlin messaging and come as Ukraine appears to be turning the tides on the battlefield via its drone warfare.

❓ Our question to you: In your opinion, should Ukraine push for a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible (likely with significant land concessions), or keep fighting as their drones reshape the conflict?

• Push for peace quickly: 22%
• Keep fighting for now: 59%
• Unsure/other: 19%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 618 votes and 59 longform responses.

❓ Trivia: Which everyday kitchen appliance was invented after a scientist noticed a melted candy bar in his pocket during an experiment?

🎓 True or false?…Identical twins also have identical fingerprints.

🤔 Riddle me this: I can be cracked, carried, and shared, but I cannot be touched. What am I?

🐾 Pet retailer Chewy hosted a giant dog pool party on Saturday in hopes of claiming a world record. Over 275 dogs gathered at the Chewy Bark Park in Florida to romp around in pop-up pools, enjoy complimentary treats, and raise awareness for pups in need of adoption.

❓ Trivia: A microwave oven

🎓 T/F: False

🤔 Riddle: A conversation

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