Chamber of Progress

Fifteen cents a box adds up fast. Mayor Johnson’s budget would tax every qualifying package delivered to a Chicago address, and the people who rely on delivery most would pay the most. There are better ways to cut packaging waste.

Would you let any AI app see everything on your phone? We took a survey of 8,000 Europeans. At first, they liked the idea of rival AI assistants getting equal access. Then they learned what that access means, and support flipped.

What everyone’s missing in the ACA fight: the bill arrives Nov 1, two days before Election Day. Enrollment is already down 18%. CVS has left the marketplace. Cigna and Molina are pulling out of states. And premiums are set to jump. @TahraHoops on who pays ⬇️

SF voters on robotaxis: Sept 2023: 44% support, 51% oppose July 2025: 67% support, 29% oppose What changed? People rode them. Robotaxi opposition peaks before anyone has ridden. D.C., New York and Massachusetts are deciding at peak fear and minimum experience.

Maryland’s new personalized pricing law takes effect today, and it draws a simple line: Stop companies from using personal data to charge someone more. Protect coupons, loyalty rewards, win-back offers and other discounts that help people save.

Age gates sound simple. Actually enforcing them without collecting IDs, misidentifying teenagers, or creating new privacy risks is anything but.

“Surveillance pricing” sounds simple: stop companies from using your data to charge you more. But some state proposals go much further, restricting personalized discounts too. That difference could determine whether shoppers keep some of the deals they use every day.

Maryland drew a clearer line: covered grocers and delivery services can’t use personal data to charge an individual shopper more, while the law preserves a range of personalized discounts. Other states have considered broader restrictions that can reach price reductions too.

“Surveillance pricing” sounds simple: stop companies from using your data to charge you more. But some state proposals go much further, restricting personalized discounts too. That difference could determine whether shoppers keep some of the deals they use every day.

There are two very different ways states are approaching this: 1️⃣ Target personalized markups 2️⃣ Restrict personalized price changes in either direction The second approach can catch discounts along with higher prices.

Janeese Lewis George wants to surprise D.C. The question is what kind of surprise. In a new piece, Tahra Hoops looks at where Lewis George has embraced a more pro-growth approach, and where some big questions remain.

The piece also looks at another early test: autonomous vehicles. The bigger question for D.C.’s next mayor is whether an affordability agenda can pair progressive goals with the housing, transportation, and investment needed to make the city less expensive.

Janeese Lewis George wants to surprise D.C. The question is what kind of surprise. In a new piece, Tahra Hoops looks at where Lewis George has embraced a more pro-growth approach, and where some big questions remain.

New from Gary Winslett. Some of the best healthcare reforms happening in the states have something in common: they remove barriers between patients and qualified providers.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled two new efforts to protect children online and crack down on manipulative designs in digital services today. A leaked draft of the EU Kids Act would extend age-restriction duties well beyond the platforms, like social media.

Age verification of all internet users has drawn heavy criticism from civil society. France’s Constitutional Council struck down the country’s under-15 social media ban last month, finding it disproportionate and a threat to citizens’ rights to access information and to privacy.

The Senate failed to advance the Clarity Act today, leaving the U.S. without clear rules for digital assets after years of bipartisan negotiations. The bill would have strengthened consumer protections, cracked down on bad actors, and given businesses clearer rules.

There was movement toward a deal. Senate Republicans updated the bill this week with stronger ethics provisions, while Democrats had spent more than a year pushing for stronger consumer protections. We urged the Senate to keep the process moving. Instead, cloture failed.

Senate Democrats spent more than a year pushing for changes to the Clarity Act. The bill is better because of it. Now we’re urging them to vote yes on cloture and keep the process moving.

The revised bill addresses real concerns around conflicts of interest, customer assets, insider trading, money laundering, and crypto ATM scams. There’s still room to negotiate. But there’s also a much stronger bill on the table.