The Push for Government-Run Grocery Stores—and Everything Else You Need to Know About This Week
In the news: A tech millionaire’s dream to build a California metropolis, Waymo drives itself toward D.C., Trump’s plan to privatize mortgage lending, and more.
In the news: A tech millionaire’s dream to build a California metropolis, Waymo drives itself toward D.C., Trump’s plan to privatize mortgage lending, and more.
- New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani wants to combat rising food costs and food deserts with city-owned grocery stores, a concept already gaining traction in Midwest cities like Madison and Chicago. The plan promises to lower prices, challenge monopolies, and provide fresh produce to underserved communities—if it can survive a competitive market. (The New Republic)
Jan Sramek, a Czech tech millionaire, wants to build a utopian city in California’s Solano County, promising affordable housing and job growth. But locals aren’t buying it, and neither are their elected officials. (Politico)
Trump’s push to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could hand billions to investors but hit home buyers with higher mortgage rates. By shaking up leadership and killing first-time home buyer assistance, the plan could make the American dream much more expensive. (The New York Times)
Waymo’s self-driving cars are headed for Washington, D.C.—if local lawmakers allow it.
Photo courtesy of Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
- Despite a few software hiccups and pole run-ins, Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car service, is already operating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. Now it’s slated to arrive in Washington, D.C., in 2026. But first, the company will need to convince local lawmakers that its cars are safer than the average commuter. (Reuters)
In the early 2000s, a group of eight artists created a hidden apartment inside a Rhode Island mall, where they lived on and off for four years. Now, with a new documentary shedding light on the squat, two of the occupants unpack their experience. (Dwell)
Top image courtesy of Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
