A few things worth noting (and trying)
Examples of local problem-solving with national implications — and recommendations for your weekend
Happy Friday. Today I have a few examples of strategies and policies that leaders around the country are crafting to address local concerns, such as public health and homelessness — efforts that also shape the political landscape for Democrats heading into 2026 and 2028. Although my selections are not automatic endorsements, I am generally interested in unique efforts to solve problems.
The American Dream Institute, a $30 million progressive nonprofit founded by former venture capitalist Eric Jones, launched today with support from N.B.A. coach Steve Kerr and Chuck Rocha, one of Bernie Sanders’s 2020 campaign advisors. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the group aims to revitalize the Democratic Party by reaching young, working-class voters. By leveraging influencers, polling, and anonymized audience data, the group said it intends to build a competitive progressive media ecosystem ahead of the 2028 election.
As the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) faces major service cuts and fare hikes next week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that public transit has become a central issue in Pennsylvania politics. State Democrats plan to leverage voter frustration at the polls by tying the disruption to Republicans, especially in key suburban districts, as they fight to keep the governor’s office and flip the State Senate.
Public health leaders from eight Northeastern states met in Providence this week to explore coordinated regional vaccine policies and disease‑tracking systems. Massachusetts’s public health commissioner told the Boston Globe that the meetings were not an intentional bid at divergence from the federal government, but that they were spurred by federal funding cuts and shifting health priorities. Leaders in the region told the Globe that they rely on science-based recommendations and, though no policy shifts have been decided yet, they intend to secure a path forward for public health decision-making.1
The Iowa Democratic Party has launched a survey to gather public input on the future of its presidential caucuses. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that the initiative is part of a broader conversation about whether to reestablish Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus role — a status lost when the D.N.C. moved South Carolina to lead the 2024 calendar — or adopt a new approach that increases accessibility and voter participation. The party is emphasizing transparency and engagement as it navigates national pressure and internal debate over the evolving role of caucuses in presidential nomination processes.
Homelessness in California is showing signs of decline, according to a report published today by the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle reported that after an increase in 2023, homelessness in California dipped in 13 of the 15 counties that conducted consecutive counts in 2024 and 2025. In Sonoma County, which saw a nearly 30 percent decline in unsheltered homeless people, gains are attributed in part to 400 new permanent housing units and vouchers that became available in the last year. These numbers are likely far from accurate because counting unhoused people is inexact, but the results are an indication that investment and sustained efforts to build housing have been successful.
Weekend letter of recommendation
If you’re lucky enough to be close to Falcon Heights, MN, I beg you to go to the state fair and tell me all about it. The Minnesota Star Tribune ranked 80 fair foods, and, while I am curious about some of them, a few are truly horrendous — looking at you, Uncrustaburger.
I just finished watching “Hacks” on HBO Max. I loved it, despite my general aversion to stand-up comedy.
In July, on my mom’s recommendation, I read “I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqueline Harpman, and, man, it’s good. It’s a devastating but excellent philosophical science-fiction novel about a woman whose lifetime in captivity gives her no social, cultural, or political context as she discovers what it means to be human.
It’s my last weekend in Brooklyn before I move to D.C., and I intend to spend it in Prospect Park when I’m not packing. Go enjoy your public parks if you can!
The original version of this post referred to eight “New England states” when there are only six such states. The meeting was among five of those six states, as representatives from New Hampshire did not participate, plus New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We apologize for the error.
THIS IS THE MOMENT I WAS RAISED FOR
I am a proud-ass Minnesotan by the grace of God and Goldy, and I'm hitting the Fair tomorrow with my folks. We will walk ten miles and eat ten thousand calories, and it will be great.
I already read the Strib's 80 new foods article, and this year nothing super grabbed me as a must-do. If I *had* to guess, we'll do the Somali Street Fries and the Bison Meatball Sub as new arrivals.
Regular, every-year-must-do's are the giant egg roll on a stick at Que Viet (near Cooper and Dan Patch), chicken in a waffle cone at Blue Barn (Ligget and Dan Patch), a milkshake at the cattle barn, and a Pronto Pup (anywhere).
We will eat many other things, but these four are absofuckinglutely mandatory. Sorry, Sweet Martha's, those cookies are good but they're not special. The Pronto Pup is special.
Hi Matt Y and Halina and nice readers!
I have a personal announcement! I'm pregnant and due to give birth on September 13. I am extraordinarily lucky to have a (so far; knock on wood) a healthy pregnancy at 43!
I also realized that I never organized that Slow Boring SoCal meetup I promised, and once I give birth, my brain will be utterly fried from sleep deprivation and I will be no good at intelligent conversation.
So:
I'm going to be at the University Town Center, 4100-4255 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA next Saturday (August 30) at noon. There's an outdoor seating area between the boba place, the ramen place, and Gogi Korean Grill. I'll be sitting at one of the tables. (For anyone familiar with UC Irvine, it's across the walk bridge from the UCI campus.)
I realize this is very short notice, and it's Labor Day weekend. But I'm down to 3 weeks, and the further back I push it, the higher the risk of "oops, baby made her appearance early, gotta scrap the meetup." And I do want to have a meetup, the last one in Long Beach was fun! This location is close to my home, so if nobody shows up, don't feel bad, I'll just sit there and read a book and then go home. But if you do want to come, please let me know!
If you haven't met me in person, I'm a tall, visibly pregnant woman with long brown hair, and I'll have my son's stuffed toy octopus with me.
Anyhow, it's been kind of surreal following all the "declining fertility rates" discourse on SB the past few months while I've been pregnant with my second all along, but I didn't want to reveal it prematurely, because I didn't want to jinx it. This is considered a geriatric and hence high-risk pregnancy. But now that I'm at 37 weeks, even if the baby were born tomorrow (please no) she would likely be okay.
ETA: Freddie deBoer annoyed me one too many times to the point that I blocked him, but I popped over to his Substack recently and found this absolutely beautiful and poignant ode to Freddie's infant son: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/i-didnt-know-i-could-feel-this-way
Do check it out! Freddie lets go of his Grumpy Prick side and harnesses his considerable writing talent to express joy and gratitude, not to sneer at his ideological enemies and tell us how much they suck. The result is a wonder.