Americans love their pets. Almost half of all U.S. households have a dog, according to the American Pet Products Association. The dog walking industry brought in $1 billion dollars in 2018, according to market research firm IBISWorld.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On Feb. 20, 1962, John Hershel Glenn Jr. becomes the first American to orbit Earth. Glenn’s flight aboard Friendship 7 lasted 4 hours and 55 minutes. Glenn, a decorated combat pilot and experienced test pilot was among the first seven astronauts chosen by NASA. He was preceded into space by two Americans, Alan B. Shepard Jr and Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, who both completed successful sub-orbital missions. Two Soviets were also launched into space before Glenn, Yuri A. Gagarin, the first man in space, and Gherman S. Titov. Glenn, who served in the U.S. Senate for many years and ran for president, returned to space aboard the space shuttle in 1995 at the age of 77.

VIDEO: This week Plugged In looks at the missing casualties of war – Americans held hostage by foreign governments or enemy combatants. Who are they, what is the government doing to free them, and what is it like for their families?

With less than a month to go before marking the anniversary of his re-election, Russian President Vladimir Putin faces rising public frustration with his rule and unprecedented dips in his approval ratings. In a recent opinion poll, nearly half of those surveyed said the country is heading in the wrong direction.

VIDEO: The life history of Holocaust survivors is being kept alive in a very real and personal way with the help of technology. Imagine speaking to a video image of a genocide survivor and getting answers back as if you’re having a conversation with the real person. That is now possible with a project called Dimensions in Testimony developed by the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in New Delhi that terrorism is a common concern and his country would cooperate with India in combating terrorism and extremism. On a visit to New Delhi, Prince Salman said Wednesday that there were potential opportunities for investment of $ 100 billion in India.