Junk fees and Biden's call to tackle them
The White House says hotels make almost 3 billion dollars a year in resort fees. And the President wants to crack down on these kinds of "junk fees," not just at resorts but with credit cards and beyond. How did things get so bad, and what could reform look like? Plus, U.S. birth rates go up and buck a trend. And, we want to hear about Black artists you appreciate. Guests: Axios' Tina Reed and The Wall Street Journal's Allison Pohle. Credits: Axios Today is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Naomi Shavin, Lydia McMullen-Laird, Fonda Mwangi and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893. Editor’s note: This episode has been updated to remove an incorrect statement that nearly a third of all U.S. births take place between noon and 6pm on Mondays. In fact, more than one-third of births on Mondays occur in that six hour window, the single highest percentage of any other six-hour window throughout the week. Go Deeper: What Biden’s Crackdown on ‘Junk Fees’ Could Mean for Travelers, Concertgoers and Credit Cards CDC data shows births rise among 35+ Black Violin