The Department of Transportation is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for tarmac delays, the largest ever fine of its kind against an airline.
The big picture: Between 2018 and 2021, American Airlines kept 43 domestic flights stuck on the ground for at least three hours, without giving passengers a chance to exit the plane. As summer comes to an end , we take a look at airline travel.
Summer reading recommendations from Rebecca Makkai:

Madonna in a Fur Coat

Loot: A Novel

Romantic Comedy

Guests: Axios' Alex Thompson, Alex Fitzpatrick and Erin Doherty; Author Rebecca Makkai.
Credits: Axios Today was produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi, Robin Linn and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.
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DOT slaps American Airlines with a record-breaking fine

Axios podcast host Niala Boodhoo digs deep with leaders you know — or need to know — in business, politics and culture. Every week, all in under 20 minutes.

About Axios: Axios is a digital media company launched in 2017. Axios helps you become smarter, faster with news and information across politics, tech, business, media, science and the world. Subscribe to our newsletters at axios.com/newsletters and download our mobile app at axios.com/app. 

About Niala Boodhoo: Niala Boodhoo is the host of 1 big thing and previously hosted Axios Today She was the founding Host and Executive Producer of the award-winning news program The 21st. An alum of Reuters, The Miami Herald and WBEZ/Chicago, Niala was a 2019-2020 Knight-Wallace fellow.

News

Republican lawmakers have come a long way on climate change since the days of tossing snowballs in the U.S. Senate a decade ago. Today, an 80+ member Conservative Climate Caucus wants to elevate Republicans' voices on climate, while maintaining conservative principles. But former President Donald Trump is still at odds with that mission. The Caucus' new chair, Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, tells us her plan.
Guests: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Republican representing Iowa's representing 1st Congressional District and Chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus; Jael Holzman, climate and energy reporter for Axios
Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Jay Cowit. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura and Jay Cowit. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893.

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Rep. Miller-Meeks: The GOP can lead on climate change

Retired WNBA legend Sue Bird knows just how far women's basketball has come. Arguably the greatest WNBA player in history, she was also part of negotiating a major collective bargaining agreement in 2019 that set the stage for big changes for players. "We've been trying to get people to pay attention, to see what we've all seen behind closed doors," she says, "and now it feels like society finally caught up with us."
Sue was one of the voices this week at TN50: The Business of Women's Sports Summit from Axios and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, and she spoke with Axios' Sara Fischer on the sidelines of the event about the momentum behind women's basketball and the work still ahead.
Guests: Sue Bird, WNBA player for 19 years with the Seattle Storm, and Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment
Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Jay Cowit. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura and Jay Cowit. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893.
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Sue Bird: "Society finally caught up" with women's basketball

Hospitals are supposed to be safe havens in a war. But Avril Benoît, the U.S. executive director for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says that's not the case in places including Sudan, where this week marks a year since the start of a brutal civil war. More than 14,000 people there have been killed, 8 million have been displaced, and some 25 million are in dire need of humanitarian aid as the health system crumbles. But the world's eyes--and dollars--are elsewhere, leaving groups like MSF begging for international help. Benoît tells Niala how Sudan shows us the fragile state of humanitarian law in crisis zones today.
Guests: Avril Benoît, executive director for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the United States
Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Jay Cowit. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura and Jay Cowit. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893.
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Avril Benoît: Is ignoring humanitarian law the new norm?

The majority of U.S. school buses today are diesel, emitting pollutants harmful to the environment and to kids. Highland Electric Fleets is behind the largest electric school bus project in America, and its founder and CEO says the buses are healthier, quieter, and a cost savings over time. But upgrading is complicated and costly, and uptake is slow. How CEO Duncan McIntyre is trying to make school buses greener, and what's standing in the way.
Plus: Axios reporters Jael Holzman and Nathan Bomey provide context and a look at what's next.
Guests: Duncan McIntyre, CEO and founder at Highland Electric Fleets; Jael Holzman, Axios energy and climate reporter; Nathan Bomey, Axios business reporter
Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Jay Cowit. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura and Jay Cowit. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893.
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Duncan McIntyre: Electrifying school bus fleets

Autonomous weapons are no longer science fiction - and they're becoming a top priority for major military powers. Anna Hehir of the Future of Life Institute says we need an international treaty to ban some of the most dangerous autonomous weapons, and that we have a unique window now to do just that.
Plus: Axios co-founder Mike Allen on how Washington is thinking about AI and weapons of war, behind the scenes.
Guests: Anna Hehir, autonomous weapons lead at the Future of Life Institute; Axios co-founder Mike Allen, author of Axios AM and Axios PM
Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, and Jay Cowit. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura and Jay Cowit. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893.
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DOT slaps American Airlines with a record-breaking fine

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