Axios PM

March 31, 2025
Good Monday afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 457 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.
1 big thing: More Canadians shun U.S. travel
Canadians' desire to visit the U.S. is absolutely tanking, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.
- Advance bookings for Canada-U.S. flights between April and September are down over 70% compared to this time last year, according to aviation data firm OAG.
- Airlines are reducing transborder capacity โ a strong signal that they, too, are seeing (or at least predicting) less demand.
๐ By the numbers: A mere 10% drop in Canadian visitors could cost U.S. businesses as much as $2.1 billion in revenue, according to travel news site The Points Guy.


โ๏ธ The big picture: Airline stocks are suffering mightily amid economic uncertainty and the prospect of continued trade wars.
- Delta, United and American Airlines are all down around 30%โ40% so far this year.
- Several major airlines, including Delta and American, previously warned of soft first quarters amid weakening consumer demand.
๐ What we're watching: Reluctance to visit the U.S. this summer may not be a strictly Canadian phenomenon.
- Travel message boards and chat groups have lit up recently with worries about being detained upon entering the U.S.
2. ๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel plans to reoccupy 25% of Gaza

The Israeli military will expand its ground operation in Gaza to occupy 25% of the enclave over the next two to three weeks, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.
- An Israeli official said the operation is part of a "maximum pressure" campaign aimed at forcing Hamas to release more hostages.
๐ก Yes, but: Reoccupation could go beyond Israel's stated objectives.
- The move has already begun. It's forcing the displacement of Palestinian civilians who returned to their homes in the northern and southern Gaza Strip after a ceasefire was announced in January.
If no new hostage-and-ceasefire deal is reached, the ground operation could expand and lead to the reoccupation of most of Gaza โ and the displacement of most of the 2 million Palestinian civilians living there to a small "humanitarian zone."
3. Catch me up

- ๐ซ๐ท Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right party, was sentenced to prison time and barred from running for office as part of a conviction on embezzlement charges. Le Pen denounced the verdict as a "political" move designed to block her from running for president in 2027. Go deeper.
- โ๏ธ A union representing federal workers sued to block President Trump's efforts to dismantle it. More unions are expected to join the legal fight soon. Go deeper.
- ๐ฑApple's latest iOS update, released today, includes new Apple Intelligence features, and a fresh batch of emoji, including a shovel, a fingerprint and a face with bags under its eyes. Go deeper.
4. ๐ธ 1 for the road

Boaters take in the cherry blossoms yesterday in Tokyo.
๐ฌ Please invite your friends to join PM.
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