Linecutters+

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It’s Election Day, Future Party. To all our American readers out there, remember to hit the polls and — whether it’s your fifth time or first time — be part of putting democracy in action. Afterward, hydrate, exercise, and get a healthy meal in you… because it’s going to be a long night.

DAILY TOP TRENDS

American Travelers Pay Extra To Cut The Lines

Travelers, especially Americans, are paying extra to avoid any type of line — at theme parks, tourist hotspots, and while waiting for their hotel rooms — that could undercut their enjoyment.

The Big View: Global tourism is at an all-time high, which means that the number of people visiting the same top destinations is more impacted than ever. Services and packages that allow people to bypass the crowd may start to become the only way to get into places someday.

Between The Lines: If you’re going on vacation soon, you may need to start adding more to your budget.

• Travel-research firm Arival found that about half of the 650 theme parks, zoos and aquariums, monuments, and observation decks they surveyed rolled out passes that allowed people to skip lines. Another 18% said that they’re introducing them next year.

• TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and Clear usage has also skyrocketed despite price increases, as people try to avoid lines at the airport.

• Early check-in at hotels is now a paid perk, not a free accommodation if a person’s room is ready. Americans are more likely than other travelers to cough up the cash.

• GetYourGuide found that line-skipping passes for travel hotspots have increased over five times since 2019, with the Pantheon in Rome and the Empire State Building observation deck in NYC being particularly popular.

Final Destination: Many skip-the-line passes and tickets are marketed towards families as a way for parents to ensure that their kids don’t lose their minds as they wait an hour to ride an attraction at Disney World or take a picture in front of a landmark in Italy. But on top of the tolls that tourist-heavy cities are charging for a day’s visit, savvy vacationers may opt to travel to under-appreciated gems or off-the-beaten-path locales to stretch their budgets.

Together With Time — Line

Science Links Mitochondria And Muscle Strength

As we age, our muscles naturally lose mass, strength, and functionality, which can lead to fatigue and weakness beginning as early as our 30s.

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Mitopure® by Timeline is a new way to support muscle health as we age. It’s clinically proven to boost our mitochondrial health to improve muscle strength and endurance, without any change in exercise required.

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Homes And Cars Are Financially Out Of Reach

New data shows that the median age of first-time home buyers has reached a record high while the prices of new cars have multiplied, shifting the demographics of the American Dream.

Why It Hurts: The price tags on homes and cars are so unsustainably high that most young people have no chance of affording them without major financial help.

Behind The Payments: Everyone’s going to need a pay raise soon.

• The National Association of Realtors found that only 24% of homebuyers this year were first-timers and that the median age of a first-time buyer hit 38 — nearly 10 years older than in the 1980s.

• The median income for a first-time buyer increased $26,000 to an annual salary of $97,000… and a quarter of them needed to borrow or be gifted money from family or friends to afford a down payment.

• Car costs are also breaking the bank, with the prices of new vehicles jumping 21% in the past five years to an average monthly payment of $767, forcing 73% of drivers to stall on buying new ones.

• And pre-owned cars aren’t much more affordable, with prices accelerating 32% in five years to an average monthly payment of $549.

The Future: There are several reasons for the wild jump in prices — supply crunches, high interest rates, etc. — all of which will take some time to fix. That is, if companies want to fix those issues. The luxury real-estate market is enjoying record highs while automakers have made more money on selling fewer cars at higher price points. Those returns don’t incentivize making homes or cars more accessible. But, companies that can build a successful revenue model on servicing those with a budget would likely find plenty of customers for years to come.

DEEP DIVES

• Listen: The Town has a two-part interview with FX Chief John Landgraf on his banner year as the TV titan behind Emmy-winner Shogun and The Bear. You can listen here and here.

• Watch: WSJ chats with SNL mainstays Kenan Thompson and Heidi Gardner about the paths that brought them to the hit comedy show.

• Read: Insider speaks with Emma Tucker, the first-ever female editor in chief of WSJ, about the ins and outs of running the storied publisher.

50.8% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Are you single?

“In a Hinge relationship with my Covid bae.”

“Will be married 37 years this December.”

“I’m a soloist, which means I’m single as a lifestyle choice and always will be.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

QUICK HITS

→ Technology

💸 Nvidia is taking Intel’s place on the Dow Jones Industrial Average in a big win for the AI industry.

🪫 The US government has nixed Amazon’s plan to buy nuclear energy to power its data centers in Pennsylvania.

📷 Apple has acquired image-editing app Pixelmator.

→ Fashion / E-commerce

🧥 Moncler may be preparing for a takeover bid of rival Burberry.

🏌️ Off-White is getting into the golf game via a partnership with pro Paris Hilinski.

🤖 Retailer Mango is turning to generative AI for its latest model picks.

→ Creator Economy

📱 Threads now has 275 million monthly users… almost as much as Twitter before Elon Musk’s acquisition.

👀 X changed the block feature to allow people you blocked to see your public posts.

🤳 TikTok’s LIVE Fest — a month-long showcase of creators’ content — is coming back for a second year.