“The payments made it feel like my 10 problems turned to nine. I had more time to think about the life I wanted to start living.” That’s what one #GI participant told the @nytimes this week, which followed three people receiving cash over the course of a year. The article asks whether guaranteed income could help address AI-driven job losses. But what emerges is a much bigger story about the power of cash, not just as a lifeline during difficult times, but as a way to give people more stability, choices, and control over their lives. For participants, cash meant help with groceries, rent, and everyday expenses. But it also meant being able to afford things that brought comfort and dignity, like clean laundry, swimming classes, and a family trip to an amusement park. These experiences show how cash can give people the breathing room to think about what they want for themselves beyond their immediate needs. At a time when families are struggling with rising costs and policymakers are considering how to navigate an increasingly AI-driven economy, these stories are a powerful reminder that the case for cash is already clear. Cash can help people meet their needs today while giving them greater freedom to build the lives they want, beyond just getting by. Read their stories: nytimes.com/2026/10/12/techn…

🚨California just took a major step toward tackling corporate power and the affordability crisis. Gov. Newsom signed a new law updating California’s antitrust laws for the first time in more than a century, following a multi-year campaign led in part by our affiliate, @ESP_Action, alongside a broad coalition of advocates, organized labor, and small businesses. California’s antitrust framework had remained largely unchanged since 1907, even as corporate power and the economy transformed around it. The new law gives state enforcers stronger tools to take on monopoly power and closes loopholes that have allowed dominant corporations to block competitors, squeeze small businesses, suppress wages, and consolidate their power. Amid an affordability crisis, as families struggle to afford groceries, housing, healthcare, and other everyday essentials, taking on concentrated corporate power is a critical part of making life more affordable. More competition means more choice for consumers, a fairer shot for small businesses and workers, and less power for dominant corporations to set the terms of our economy. This is a huge win for Californians and for everyone fighting for an economy that works for people, not just the most powerful corporations. Congratulations to everyone who helped make it happen.🎉 Read our full statement: economicsecurityproject.org/…