1 for the road, 1 fun thing, 1 for the trail

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🐦 1 fun thing: Texting for the birds

Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios A pair of new apps let users send messages at the speed of a carrier pigeon — or a snail or penguin, The New York Times reports. Carrier Pidge and Roost are meant to evoke the slower, riskier messaging styles of yesteryear. 🪦 Plot twist: On Carrier Pidge, the digital pigeons sometimes get lost or die en route, just like their physical counterparts. User Olivia Macdonald tells The Times: "The uncertainty of that, compared to the numbness that we feel receiving so many texts and notifications a day, is something that I just find really attractive about it." Gift link.

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🚆 1 for the road: 15 mins. to O'Hare

Rendering of an O'Hare Flyer express train. Photo: O'Hare Flyer The trip from downtown Chicago to O'Hare could take just 15 minutes if a new plan takes off, Axios Chicago's Monica Eng reports. Fast transportation from the city to O'Hare, including Elon Musk's Boring Company plan, has fascinated leaders for years — but has never materialized. ✈️ The O'Hare Flyer promises to take riders from downtown to "O'Hare Airport's Terminal 2 on a dedicated track with a reliable schedule of whisper-quiet train departures every 15 minutes," organizers said in a statement. Existing trains take about 40–45 minutes. Yes, but: There's no word yet on launch date or costs. Go deeper ... Subscribe to Axios Local.

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📸 1 for the road: Getting the shot

Photo: Courtesy of Jean Fruth Famous sports photographer Jean Fruth recently gave some first-hand baseball photography tips to Axios San Diego's Claire Trageser. Fruth has shot games at every MLB park, and co-founded the nonprofit Grassroots Baseball. ⚾️ Fruth tells Axios that when she shows up to photograph a game, she's looking for stories. She starts at batting practice with small details, like a glove, bat, ball or a player's hand. "Then, of course, the game begins, and we have game action and reaction." "So game action, a home run, or a play at second. Now who's reacting? Maybe it's the player who created the action celebrating, maybe it's the opposing team, or maybe it's the fans." Go deeper ...

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🐊 1 swamp thing: Return of gator hunting

Alligator hunting in bayou waters in Terrebonne Parish near Houma, La., in 2019. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images Louisiana is reopening gator hunting for the first time in more than 60 years following a resurgence from endangered status, Axios New Orleans' Chelsea Brasted writes. The big picture: The state's gators had been hunted since the 1800s, eventually resulting in a severely depleted population. Louisiana banned gator hunting in 1962 to allow the species a chance to naturally rebound. It worked. And a strategy of targeted farming and limited hunting helped alligators make a "full recovery," according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

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🦋 1 for the road: Dolly International

The Empire State Building was lit in pink in tribute to Dolly Parton. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Reuters A push by fans to rename Nashville's airport for Dolly Parton is taking off. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both came out in favor of the name change yesterday. It's expected to come up at the authority's meeting next month, AP reports. Catch up quick: Long before 80-year-old Parton died Tuesday, fans in January 2025 started an online petition calling for officials to rename Nashville International Airport in her honor. It got renewed attention following Parton's death, jumping to more than 164,000 signatures and counting. The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America's 50 busiest airports.

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1 for the trail: 2,197 miles at 91

Dale Sanders, 91, celebrates after completing a difficult section of Mount Katahdin in Maine yesterday. Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/AP In Maine yesterday, 91-year-old Dale Sanders reclaimed the record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail — a 2,197.9-mile trek. Sanders, whose trail name is Grey Beard, first set the Appalachian Trail record in 2017 at age 82. Four years later, his 83-year-old friend M.J. Eberhart, aka Nimblewill Nomad, took the title. Data: Appalachian Trail Conservancy The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as completing all of the trail's sections in any order within a year, allowing for pauses. Sanders started Sept. 6, 2025, in West Virginia, hopscotched with some brief breaks, and finished yesterday atop Maine's highest peak, where he paused to pray at the sign marking the summit, AP reports.

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🎓 1 for the road: Campus robot wars

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

A new cohort of fresh-faced delivery robots is arriving on college campuses this fall after the leading incumbent left the market, Axios Future of Mobility author Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: College students are a surprisingly good test audience for delivery robots. They're hungry at weird hours, impatient, tech-friendly — and live in a compact environment where walking 15 minutes for dinner can feel like an intolerable burden. Starship Technologies, which pioneered college robot delivery, announced in May it was shifting its U.S. focus to more lucrative grocery deliveries. Universities accustomed to the roving robots moved swiftly to recruit replacements. Avride operated robots on four campuses last year. Now it's adding 21 that were previously served by Starship. Robot.com just signed a seven-year agreement with food service company Sodexo. Keep reading.

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👜 1 for the road: Rotisserie chic

Photo: Walmart For National Chicken Month, Walmart released limited-edition rotisserie chicken purses in two "flavors," traditional and lemon pepper. The bags, priced at $5.97, sold out in less than a day — but Walmart hinted there are "more cooking." Walmart said it's playing into this fall's "oversized clutch trend" by giving one of its most "beloved deli items a fashionable twist." Read the announcement.

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🎾 1 for the road: Influencer reckoning

Fans take photos at the US Open last week. Photo: Manuela Davies/USTA via Getty Images The U.S. Open has long been a "see and be seen" destination for fashion, business and Hollywood. Now, a growing class of content creators is joining the crowd — and getting schooled in tennis etiquette in real time, Axios Communicators author Simon Hernandez-Arthur writes. One incident during Naomi Osaka's first-round match — where a group in a suite was taking photos with flash while Osaka was preparing to serve — prompted a public rebuke from the umpire. Axios' Kerry Flynn, who's attended the U.S. Open every year since 2015, notes the etiquette has never felt this bad. It's always been rowdier than other tennis tournaments, but the party atmosphere has bled more into actual play. 🤳 Zoom out: The incident comes as the United States Tennis Association leans further into the creator economy. It approved credentials for "close to 100" content creators this year — nearly double the 54 it credentialed when it launched the program in 2025. USTA media operations director Jeanmarie Daly told Front Office Sports the goal is to reach the "broadest possible spectrum" of audiences, recognizing that traditional media and creators reach people differently.

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✈️ 1 for the skies: Gateside goodbyes

Travelers hug each other in the departure terminal at LAX last year. Photo: Apu Gomes/Getty Images

Some airports are now allowing gateside sendoffs and reunions under a new TSA plan. Gateside passes will allow non-travelers to use PreCheck lanes to meet a friend or conduct business during a layover, shop or eat beyond security, or welcome loved ones, Axios Salt Lake City's Erin Alberty reports. 🧳 Applications opened this week for "Gateside by TSA PreCheck" access at 13 airports. The agency says the new offering will bring back "the moments that once defined air travel" — the kind that made Rachel get off the plane in the series finale of "Friends." How to apply ...

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🏈 1 for the road: Ready for some football?

Colorado's Boo Carter blocks Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr's field goal attempt to secure a 14-13 win yesterday in Atlanta. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

No matter where you are this Labor Day weekend, there's a good chance college football will be on the TV. After last week's teaser, the CFB season will have its first full Saturday slate this weekend, kicking off the season in earnest. 🏈 Standout matchups include: No. 7 Miami at Stanford (tonight, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN). Clemson at No. 11 LSU (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville (Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). 🏁 Fun fact: Last year's national champion, Indiana, opens its repeat campaign against North Texas Saturday (noon ET, Fox). ☁️ Herb's thought bubble: I don't care what happens for the rest of the season. My alma mater, UMass Amherst, had its biggest win of the year against Rutgers last night. I'll be celebrating that until January.  AP's Top 25 football poll.