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.

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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!

1. 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.