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Waymo, Alphabets autonomous vehicle company, plans to expand its ride-hailing service, Waymo One, to Washington, D.C. in 2026, the company announced Tuesday. While the nations capital currently prohibits fully autonomous operations, a Waymo spokesperson said the company will work closely with local policymakers over the coming year to help formalize necessary regulations. This marks the first time Waymo is bringing its commercial ride-hailing service to a city that experiences regular snowfall. Waymo vehicles dont yet operate in winter weather, though the company has conducted cold-weather testing in upstate New York, Michigan, and parts of California. As a result, the service would temporarily pause for public riders in D.C. during snow or icy conditionsat least until winter capabilities are added to the fleet. Waymo began as a stealth project at Google nearly 15 years ago, and has since grown into a leading player in self-driving technology. Co-led by Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, the company reached full commercial deployment in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles last year. Waymo One completed more than 4 million rides in 2024, clinching more than 200,000 paid passenger trips each week. (The company also topped Fast Companys list of the Worlds 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025.) Waymo vehicles briefly appeared on D.C. streets last year as part of its cross-country testing program and returned this January. More vehiclesequipped with safety operators behind the wheelare set to arrive in the coming weeks. “Were excited to bring the comfort, consistency, and safety of Waymo One to Washingtonians, those who work and play in the city every day, and the millions of people from around the world who travel to the District every year,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a prepared statement.
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E-Commerce
The plight of the middle manager has taken a turn for the worse since the pandemic, leaving many in the role prone to burnout as they juggle competing expectations with limited support from their employers. Managers were already tasked with addressing low morale and absorbing additional work as companies have been hit with layoffs in recent yearsbut now a number of employers are more pointedly culling their ranks, too. A dwindling force Amazon is reportedly cutting thousands of middle managers by the end of this month, following in the footsteps of other tech companies like Meta and Google that have sought to flatten their workforces. Additionally, Gartner analysts estimate that as employers rely more heavily on artificial intelligence, 20% of companies are likely to cut more than half their middle manager roles. Yet the latest edition of Deloittes annual Human Capital Trends Report finds that managers remain a crucial element of the workforce, even as many of them are struggling to manage their workloads. According to the reportwhich polled nearly 10,000 leaders and compiled input from manager-specific surveysmanagers spend almost 40% of their time on administrative tasks or putting out fires on a day-to-day basis. Just 15% of their time is spent on long-term strategic thinking, and another 13% on developing their direct reports. More than a third of managers reported feeling like they were not sufficiently prepared to handle the people management and leadership aspect of their jobs, and that their company had not given them the tools they needed to perform. The future of middle managers As meQuilibrium CEO Jan Bruce recently wrote in Fast Company, this could be the year we see a manager crashand companies may not be equipped to deal with the fallout. The Deloitte report noted that 40% of bosses surveyed said their mental health suffered after they took on managerial duties. Whats more, younger employees may not be ready to step up as managers burn out or step away from their roles; in surveys, Gen Z workers have expressed little desire to become managers themselves. Companies seem aware of the challenges facing middle managers, not to mention the fact that their jobs may need to evolve accordingly. But that doesnt mean theyre taking appropriate action to better support these employees or reevaluate what their function should be in todays workforce. Per Deloittes report, nearly three-quarters of employers said they understood the importance of revamping the role of managers, but only 7% claimed to be making meaningful progress to address the issue. The impact on team morale While cutting middle managers may seem like an efficient move during times of belt-tightening, taking that approach can leave their reports feeling adrift and may even reduce their autonomy by enabling senior leadership to wield more decision-making power. The Deloitte report posits that one of the most important facets of a managers job is to coach and develop the employees who report to them: In fact, 67% of employees claimed that their manager knows best how to motivate them at work.
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E-Commerce
Restaurant diners can be a sticky-fingered bunch. Who hasnt been tempted to slip a particularly nice cocktail glass or a tiny saltshaker into their bag after lunch? But as dining out gets more expensive, more people seem determined to get their moneys worth, swiping everything from cups and plates to steak knives and even cheese graters. And not only are they getting away with it, theyre proudly flaunting their loot online. In a viral video with more than 900,000 views, one creator boldly holds up a stolen cheese grater and asks, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever stolen from a restaurant?” @sovilay And i use it all the time #fyp #foryourpage #whatsthebestthing #pasta #cheese original sound – sov. Rather than backlash, the comments section reads like a confessional. Spoons. little baby spoons. from every restaurant. every time. I can’t stop, wrote one user. I need to step up my game. I just have little sauce containers, added another. For some, the habit has turned into a full-blown collection. In another video, a TikToker proudly displays a stash of stolen bowls, cutlery, jugs, and glasses. I really enjoy these – it’s why I have so many, she says of her small black soy sauce bowls. That’s my collection, she concludes cheerfully. I am going to be getting more soon. @clairetalking lmk what i should get next #steal #restaurant #fyp original sound – claire Some restaurants are leaning in to the joke. Upscale London restaurant Sexy Fish stamps the bottom of its chopstick holders with a label that reads: “Stolen from Sexy Fish.” Another London eatery, the Ivy Asia, marks its fish-shaped table ornaments with a similar disclaimer: “Stolen from The Ivy Asia.” But not everyone is laughing. Creator YoungKaren called out the trend as a clear case of “normalized theft,” saying that even otherwise normal people seem to pocket items without considering the impactespecially on smaller businesses. “If I was sitting with you and you stole something, I would tell the waiter on you,” she warned. “Even if you’re my friend, I still would.” @youngkaren_official I would 100% tattletale #youngkaren #dailyrant #storytime original sound – youngkaren_official Anyone whos worked in or run a small business knows how fast those harmless thefts add up. Replacing stolen dishes, cutlery, and glassware isnt just annoyingits expensive. And ultimately, those costs are passed on to other diners. So while that copper mug might look great in your home bar, just remember: Someone else is paying for it.
Category:
E-Commerce
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