Welcome to Curated Morning. A compendium of news, information, and stories that economic development professionals, community development leaders and elected officials read every week to stay in touch with what is happening in our economy.

The Main Thing:

“How did you get so good-looking?” Yeah, people ask me that all the time, and I just tell them I was born this way. It’s genetic. I’m a natural—a hunk, as we used to say.

Seriously, I am just kidding. However, I can hold my own.

Has a site selector ever said that to you? Not you personally, but more like, “Hey, how is that your community is so attractive, is a hotbed of entrepreneurship, has expanding local businesses…how is it that your region is so HOT?

Have they asked that question of you?

Probably not. They usually don't ask those kinds of questions. At least that has not been my experience. As I posed the question last week, is your community attractive? What makes it beautiful? What makes it a place where people want to open businesses or expand their operations?

The question stems from my 30 years in economic development, working with site selectors, corporate real estate executives, and, most importantly, leaders of local companies and businesses.

I really get into the nuts and bolts of what makes a community attractive and resilient. The kind of community people want to locate in. The concept of ‘economic independence’ is introduced with five dimensions you can use to evaluate that question.

You can read it here

As Ron Burgundy would say, “You stay classy [fill in your city or town]...and attractive (my addition)!

Focus On Technology

From Wine Country to Border Towns: California Robotaxis Go Statewide

California's Department of Motor Vehicles has granted Waymo approval to operate its fully autonomous vehicles across vast new territories, expanding the robotaxi company's footprint from its current San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles operations to include most of the Bay Area, Sacramento, Wine Country, and a continuous Southern California corridor stretching from Santa Clarita to San Diego. The approval covers testing and deployment across dramatically larger areas—adding East Bay cities like Oakland, North Bay communities including Napa, and Southern California markets representing millions of potential riders. While the company still needs California Public Utilities Commission approval before charging fares in these new territories, Waymo has already announced plans to welcome paying riders in San Diego by mid-2026, and local elected officials from Oakland to Santa Rosa report the company has begun reaching out to discuss expansion plans. Waymo currently provides over one million rides monthly in existing California markets and has simultaneously announced aggressive expansion plans into twelve additional U.S. cities including Dallas, Miami, and Washington D.C.

Why This Matters: This regulatory approval signals a fundamental shift in how advanced mobility infrastructure will reach communities beyond traditional tech hubs, creating both opportunities and challenges for economic developers in mid-sized and suburban markets. The approval demonstrates that autonomous vehicle companies are no longer confining their operations to dense urban cores; they're actively pursuing expansion into wine country, suburban corridors, and secondary cities with different demographic and geographic profiles. Economic developers should pay particular attention to how Waymo is approaching community engagement, as multiple sources note that the company has proactively contacted local elected officials to discuss operational plans, infrastructure needs, and community benefits.

Take Action: Monitor whether your state has established clear regulatory pathways for autonomous vehicle testing and commercial operations, and if frameworks are unclear or absent, work with state economic development offices to advocate for coherent policies that facilitate innovation while protecting public safety. Proactively reach out to autonomous vehicle companies operating in your region or adjacent markets to open dialogue on expansion plans, infrastructure requirements, and community partnership opportunities, rather than waiting for them to initiate contact.

Consider how autonomous vehicle access could enhance your community's appeal to employers and residents, particularly by addressing first- and last-mile transportation challenges that currently limit development in areas with limited transit options.

Read Waymo gets regulatory approval to expand across Bay Area and Southern California by Anthony Ha | TechCrunch.

Boom Without the Boom: NASA's Supersonic Jet Could Rewrite Regional Connectivity Rules

NASA and Lockheed Martin's X-59 experimental aircraft completed its maiden flight in late October, marking a pivotal moment in the decades-long effort to bring supersonic passenger travel back to American skies. The sleek 100-foot aircraft, developed at a cost exceeding $500 million, is engineered to break the sound barrier while producing a gentle 75-decibel "thump" rather than the window-rattling sonic booms that doomed the Concorde and led to the 1973 federal ban on supersonic flight over land. During its inaugural flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base in California, the X-59 remained subsonic at 230 mph and 12,000 feet, but future test flights will push it to its designed cruising speed of 925 mph at 55,000 feet. The real test begins when NASA flies the aircraft over selected U.S. communities in 2026 and beyond, gathering public response data that could convince regulators to lift longstanding restrictions and enable a new generation of commercial supersonic jets capable of cutting cross-country travel times in half.

Why This Matters: The X-59 program represents far more than aerospace innovation—it signals a potential transformation in how regions compete for business investment and talent retention based on connectivity advantages. Economic developers should recognize that supersonic travel, if commercially viable, would fundamentally reshape the geography of business relationships, making previously distant markets accessible for same-day travel and potentially reducing the premium companies place on proximity to major hub airports.

Communities selected for NASA's public response testing phase will gain valuable exposure to aerospace technology while demonstrating their willingness to partner with innovative transportation initiatives. The regulatory pathway being established, combining technical demonstrations with community feedback, offers a model for how emerging transportation technologies might be deployed, with local acceptance playing a crucial role in federal policy decisions. For regions with aerospace manufacturing capabilities or proximity to flight test facilities, the nascent supersonic industry offers a potential new cluster opportunity, as multiple companies beyond NASA are pursuing quiet supersonic designs for commercial applications.

Take Action: Monitor NASA's announcements regarding which communities will be selected for X-59 flight testing and consider whether your region should proactively express interest in participating, positioning it as both a contribution to aerospace advancement and an opportunity to showcase community openness to innovation. Assess your region's aerospace industry ecosystem—including manufacturing, maintenance, testing facilities, and specialized workforce—to identify competitive advantages should supersonic commercial aviation create new supply chain opportunities or airline service patterns.

Consider how dramatically reduced travel times might affect your economic development value proposition—both as an opportunity to attract businesses that value rapid access to distant markets and as a potential challenge if your region's geographic advantages diminish when travel times compress.

Read NASA test flight seeks to help bring commercial supersonic travel back by Jay Bennett, wired.com | ARS Technica

Betting the Company on Affordability: Rivian's $45K SUV Answers the EV Tax Credit Question

Rivian is positioning its upcoming R2 midsize SUV as the company's strategic response to the elimination of federal EV tax credits, with CFO Claire McDonough describing the $45,000 vehicle as essential to offsetting lost consumer incentives and expanding the company's addressable market. Speaking at a Reuters automotive conference in Detroit, McDonough revealed that the R2—now undergoing validation testing after prototype construction in California—remains on schedule for first-half 2026 production at Rivian's significantly expanded Normal, Illinois plant, which added 1.1 million square feet to support the new model. Rivian's Illinois facility, which produced just over 50,000 R1 units last year, will see its annual capacity jump to 215,000 units with R2 integration, while the company plans to break ground on a separate Georgia plant next year to support future R2 and R3 production. McDonough emphasized that R2 will also accelerate Rivian's autonomous vehicle development through its vertically integrated software architecture and in-house neural network that captures data from the growing customer fleet.

Why This Matters: Rivian's R2 strategy illuminates the economic development implications when federal policy shifts force manufacturers to fundamentally redesign their market approaches and production strategies. The company's decision to dramatically expand its Illinois facility rather than immediately building the Georgia plant demonstrates how established manufacturing sites with existing infrastructure can secure major expansions when companies need to accelerate time-to-market and preserve capital. Economic developers should note that Rivian's emphasis on vertical integration, controlling everything from software to hardware design to autonomous driving systems, creates opportunities for specialized supplier ecosystems rather than traditional automotive parts clusters.

The dramatic capacity increase from 50,000 to 215,000 units annually represents the kind of transformational impact communities pursue through automotive attraction, but also illustrates the infrastructure, workforce, and supply chain pressures that come with rapid scaling.

Take Action: If your region is competing for automotive manufacturing projects, emphasize capacity for rapid facility expansion and modification rather than just greenfield development, as established manufacturers increasingly value speed-to-market over building from scratch. Develop specialized workforce training programs focused on software-hardware integration, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing techniques that differentiate EV production from traditional automotive assembly, as companies like Rivian require different skill sets than legacy automakers. Create incentive structures that reward companies for achieving production-volume milestones rather than just facility construction, aligning economic development investments with the job creation and economic activity that come from successful manufacturing operations rather than empty buildings.

Read Rivian’s CFO on weathering the EV market’s bumpy ride by Jordyn Grzelewski | TechBrew

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Something You Should Read:

The Rockford IL, Public Library Main Branch

Libraries are important to me. Growing up, my Mom made going to the library weekly a regular event for my sisters and me. This meant spending at least a couple of hours seeking out books about the things that interested me back then: Stories about the West, native americans, history, and whatever caught my eye.

But back then, it was solely a place to borrow a book.

And you couldn't make any noise. Shhhhh!

Today, libraries could potentially serve a more dynamic and vital purpose.

The linked article highlights a conversation with Shamichael Hallman and his ideas on how libraries can address America's growing connection crisis—the social isolation and loneliness that researchers have found undermine democratic functioning and community problem-solving.

Hallman, who oversaw the multi-million dollar redesign of Memphis's historic Cossitt Library and now serves as Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council, argues that libraries are uniquely positioned as spaces for what he calls "civic renewal."

He believes libraries can strengthen democratic engagement and build resilient communities in four key ways: promoting engagement across differences, accommodating different populations, connecting with other groups, and creating shared experiences.

Libraries as Economic Development Infrastructure -- The Cossitt Library renovation included community-enhancing features such as a podcast studio and performance spaces, transforming the library into an active community anchor rather than just a repository of books. For economic developers, this represents strategic investment in the kind of social infrastructure that makes communities attractive to talent and businesses.

Building Trust Across Divides -- Hallman emphasizes that libraries give us "the opportunity to be in shared environments with each other and to take the benefits of shared experience and move the community forward interestingly and powerfully." In polarized times, this bridge-building capacity is essential infrastructure for the kind of collaborative problem-solving that drives community prosperity.

From Information to Transformation -- Modern libraries are evolving from focusing solely on collections to actively facilitating civic engagement, democratic education, and community connection, addressing what might be the most critical economic development challenge of our time: the social fabric that allows diverse stakeholders to work together effectively.

For economic developers and community leaders, libraries are among the most trusted institutions for rebuilding these connections in an age of isolation and division. It's fundamental infrastructure for communities that want to attract and retain talent, foster entrepreneurship, and build the collaborative capacity needed to compete economically.

Read the article here.

Overheard:

A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded."

― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid

The Rabbit Hole:

I've Been Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Everything Like an Idiot

I'm a perfectionist. I've spent years perfecting my glogg recipe, tweaking ratios and debating cardamom-to-cinnamon proportions like my life depends on it (see last week’s Rabbit Hole) But apparently, I've been absolutely butchering my approach to cooking oils this entire time, and I had no idea.

Turns out, I've been treating extra-virgin olive oil like a universal solution to every cooking problem. Roasting vegetables at 425°F? EVOO. Sautéing at high heat? EVOO. Baking cookies that taste vaguely Mediterranean and confuse my family? You guessed it—EVOO. I kept a giant bottle within arm's reach and used it for literally everything, smugly believing I was making the healthiest choice possible.

Here's what I didn't know: EVOO has a relatively low smoke point (around 350°F), and when you heat it past that, it doesn't just lose flavor—it chemically degrades, loses its nutritional value, and starts producing inflammation-causing free radicals (no, not those Antifa, folks, these are a different type of radicals).

Basically, I've been taking this expensive, heart-healthy oil packed with polyphenols and antioxidants, then destroying all its benefits by overheating it. I'm a monster.

The article breaks down exactly which oils to use when: avocado or canola for high-heat cooking, EVOO for low-heat or finishing, flaxseed for raw applications only, and so on. There's also a whole section on storing oils properly (not next to your stove, where I keep mine), checking expiration dates (oils go rancid faster than you think), and why organic matters more than I realized (pesticides concentrate in oils).

Oh, and every single sample of cooking oil tested in a recent study contained microplastics. That's fun.

So now I have a new obsession to add to my glogg perfectionism: properly matching cooking oils to their intended heat levels.

Read the full guide and join me in realizing we've all been doing this wrong. At least my cardiovascular system might forgive me. Eventually.

I've Been Lying to Myself About Loving to Drive for My Entire Adult Life

I have a whole speech I give people about why I "love" driving. I'll tell anyone within earshot how therapeutic it is, how I do my best thinking behind the wheel, how there's nothing quite like the freedom of the open road. I've used this speech to justify turning down carpools, declining Uber rides when friends offer to drive, and generally acting like giving up control of a vehicle would be some kind of personal tragedy.

Turns out, I'm full of it. And so are you, probably.

New research in Psychology Today reveals that we don't actually love driving—we just think we do. What we really love is control, or more accurately, what we really fear is losing control.

Studies show that when people actually try autonomous vehicles, their anxiety decreases, positive emotions increase, trust goes up, and suddenly they prefer NOT having to drive. One study found that "liking to drive" had minimal influence on willingness to use AVs—trust and perceived risk were the real factors.

As Americans we're alarmingly bad at driving. About 44,000 people die annually in the U.S. from car accidents, and 94% of those are caused by human error.

Meanwhile, we spend an estimated 240 hours per year commuting time when we could be napping, working, meditating, or (and I say this with my whole chest) mainlining episodes of whatever show we're currently obsessed with. But instead, we're gripping the wheel, stressed about lane changes and directions, pretending this is somehow preferable to resting in the passenger seat.

The article suggests that once AVs prove themselves safe at scale, we'll experience a massive mindset shift. Just like YouTube and Instagram algorithms know what we want before we do, autonomous vehicle creators are betting they know we'd rather have our commute time back than keep white-knuckling through traffic. The last time you were in a Lyft, did you really wish you could take over? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Read the full article and confront the possibility that your entire relationship with driving has been a lie. I'm going to go sit with this uncomfortable revelation for a while. Maybe I'll do it in the passenger seat.

When What You Say and What You Do Are Two Different Things: A Math Lesson for Economic Developers

A student recently asked Fields Medalist Akshay Venkatesh if mathematics is even worth studying in a world where AI can solve everything. His response wasn't about artificial intelligence at all. He said the real crisis in mathematics is "an essential gap that has opened between the practice of mathematics and our values." Mathematician William Thurston famously wrote that "mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding." But Venkatesh admitted what everyone knows but won't say out loud: "for a typical paper or talk, very few of us understand it."

I read that and thought: substitute "economic development" for "mathematics" and you've nailed our problem too. We say economic development is about community prosperity, resilience, and broadly shared opportunity. Then we practice something completely different—chasing the next factory deal, throwing incentives at companies that'll be gone in seven years, measuring success by ribbon cuttings instead of median household income.

The gap between our stated values and our actual practice isn't a bug. It's the feature. We've built entire careers on it. We give speeches about inclusive growth while our strategies systematically ignore existing businesses. We talk about long-term community building while optimizing for quarterly wins. We claim to serve residents while spending all our time courting site selectors who'll never live here.

Maybe the real question isn't whether economic development is worth doing in a world of AI and automation. Maybe it's whether we're willing to close the gap between what we say we value and what we actually do every day.

The Windy City, Winter Version

Chicago is in the news again lately. Whether it is the perception by some that Chicago is a 'hellhole' of crime and pestilence, overrun by illegal immigrants living on the dole, or it's the surprising Chicago Bears (my team) winning despite themselves, Chicago is getting a lot of attention.

I love the city of Chicago. Living only about an hour away, depending on where in the sprawling city I am going, I can visit and enjoy all the great things Chicago has to offer. Are there problems in Chicago? Of course, like any major urban area in the United States, it faces challenges and has its warts. But as big cities go, Chicago is one of the cleanest, coolest, and most beautiful cities in the world.

People who live there generally love it. However, their endorsement usually comes with one caveat: Winter. Yes, Winter can be brutal, with the prairie wind howling unobstructed, accelerating between the tall skyscrapers. However, winter also adds to Chicago's unique character and charm, and can be beautiful too.

It's all in how you view it, and I am talking about reframing challenging, brutal weather into something positive.

With that in mind, watch this ‘winter’ video of Chicago.

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Your Curated Morning (#220) for December 11, 2025 is here!