Today’s Big Story

Bumpy Road Ahead

A self-driving car traffic jam and more concerns over safety are coming for U.S. cities

Do you hear that? It’s the subtle, soft murmur of a waiting electric vehicle. Did you know that this year marks a decade since the world’s first fully autonomous vehicle ride took a solo passenger down a public road in Austin, Texas? Of course, the road to roll out self-driving cars and “robotaxis” hasn’t always been smooth. Amid the successes and optimism have arisen safety concerns and public skepticism that have driven companies back to the drawing board or off the roads altogether.

The last time I was in Los Angeles, I hopped in a Waymo (now operating in a handful of cities) for no other reason than to experience it. And while its strange at first, it was also a remarkably smooth and safe ride back to my hotel. However, Tesla's 'self-driving' software has recently been failing at train crossings, making for an extremely scary and dangerous situation for some car owners. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told NBC News that it had spoken to Tesla about the mishaps.

Elon Musk has said autonomous technology is crucial to Tesla’s future, and he has bet the company’s future on the success of self-driving cars and artificial intelligence-powered robots. Tesla robotaxis are on the road in Austin and planned for other cities. In July, Musk said that an unsupervised version of FSD—one that doesn’t require monitoring by a human driver—could be available this year “in certain geographies” and that his goal is to have Tesla robotaxis available to half the U.S. population by the end of the year.

Silicon Valley startup Tensor is taking a bold step into the future of driving. Unlike rivals chasing robotaxi fleets, Tensor wants consumers to own the first true self-driving car. The company calls it the world's first personal robocar. This luxury EV promises Level 4 autonomy, meaning you can ride with your eyes off the road while the steering wheel folds away into the dash. In its place, a wide screen transforms the driver’s seat into a lounge or mobile office.

And it’s certainly true that autonomous vehicles offer some undeniable benefits: Unlike humans, they cannot drive drunk, distracted, or tired. Since they make car trips easier, less stressful and more frictionless, there’s a belief that it will make many people respond just as they would to any other improvement in a product or experience: They will use it more often. But that could prove disastrous for cities, causing crushing congestion (not to mention widening the gulf between those happily ensconced in their AVs and those stuck in buses crawling through gridlock). This is not pure speculation: Over the last 15 years, the rise of ride-hail, a service similar to robotaxis, has increased total driving time, thickened congestion, and undermined transit. Autonomous vehicles, which offer privacy and service consistency that ride-hail cannot, could turbocharge the number of cars on the road, making a mess of urban streets.

Fed Lowers Rates

What will it mean for your finances?

The Federal Reserve cut its target interest rate by a quarter point Wednesday, reacting to weak job creation over the summer—against the backdrop of high drama over the central bank's leadership. With President Donald Trump clamoring for cheaper money, policymakers delivered the first rate cut of the year.

But new projections showed little appetite for the deeper rate cuts the president seeks. According to the Wall Street Journal, a narrow majority of officials penciled in at least two additional cuts this year, implying consecutive moves at the Fed’s two remaining meetings in October and December. The projections hint at a broader shift toward concern about cracks forming in the job market in an environment complicated by major policy shifts that have made the economy harder to read.

So what will it mean for your finances? A cut will impact mortgages gradually, but for prospective homebuyers, the market has already priced in the rate cut, which means it’s unlikely to make a noticeable difference for most consumers. For savers, falling interest rates will slowly erode attractive yields currently on offer with certificates of deposit (CDs) and high-yield savings accounts. And, unfortunately, auto loans are not expected to decline soon.

ABC Pulls ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Indefinitely

FCC Chairman threatened ABC's broadcast license over a monologue about Charlie Kirk

ABC on Wednesday pulled the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show off the air “indefinitely” over its host’s controversial comments linking the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. Trump praised the move, which came hours after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr suggested that ABC’s broadcast license was at risk because of Kimmel’s remarks.

Carr stressed that broadcast networks like ABC operate with a license that has a "unique obligation to operate in the public interest," unlike cable channels such as CNN. However, Variety says the maneuver is likely to further inflame American partisanship over the assassination of Kirk. The activist is viewed as a hero by many, and several prominent conservatives have called for any critic of his work to be silenced, no matter how nuanced the argument may be. Some liberals have taken issue with Kirk’s stances, pointing out extreme positions he had taken.

The move is being criticized by many in the media. Vox says the Trump administration “has learned to effectively weaponize the regulatory powers of the federal government” to punish speech it doesn’t like from people it doesn’t like. Adding, “this is a favored weapon of modern autocrats.” And media critic Bill Goodykoont said “in a year of gutless moves by major media companies, this may be the most gutless. ABC should be ashamed.”

The Dating Scene Goes Analog

Many Gen Z singles are avoiding the apps

From Hinge and Tinder, to Bumble and countless hookup apps, it seems like a date (or at the very least, sex) is just a few taps away. But just like social media, the reality is a lot more complicated and frustrating. Which is why more and more people say they’re sick of swiping.

Of course, with nearly half of Americans deeming dating apps the most popular spot to meet a match—according to a Forbes Health survey—digital matchmaking doesn’t appear to be diminishing anytime soon. But the burnout is real. WIRED observed that the percentage of Americans who were using dating apps dropped from 18% to 15% in just two years time. And The Guardian cited the U.K.’s Office of Communications in an article on a similar phenomenon across the Atlantic. “Some analysts speculate that for younger people, particularly gen Z, the novelty of dating apps is wearing off,” the agency stated. But a lack of interest in dating apps doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of interest in dating—so what, if anything, is supplanting the apps?

InsideHook explored the activities that are cropping up for singles looking to meet other singles without a screen between them. They point to games like pickleball, cornhole and backgammon, and it’s easy to see why a competitive activity could have an advantage over, say, more traditional ideas of speed dating. Air Mail also cites the growing popularity of run clubs as way for people to make a potential connection.

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