New York’s floating pool may finally open — and everything else you need to know about this week

• Born of a 2010 Kickstarter and countless rounds of testing, New York’s +Pool is closer than ever to turning around a small part of the East River in the public poolwith an opening slated for 2027. Here’s where things stand now with the long-awaited project. (Domus)

• The AI ​​boom is driving San Francisco rentals faster than any other US city, with startups snapping up luxury units to keep talent within walking distance of the office. Average rents have now topped $3,300, leaving regular renters struggling to even find an apartment. (The New York Times)

• Brightline’s sleek train from Miami to Orlando has been hailed as the glamorous future of American high-speed travel, but a new investigation reveals it’s also the nation’s deadliest major passenger railroad, with 182 deaths as of 2018. Here’s why many are calling it the “death train.” (Atlantic)

• Massachusetts’ four percent surtax on income over $1 million — held up by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a model for taxing the wealthy — brought in an unexpected $5.7 billion to fund transportation repairs and literacy programs, and allwithout starting the exodus of the affluent class. (Bloomberg)

• Demolition crews have begun tearing down part of the East Wing of the White House to make room for Trump’s $250 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom, despite his earlier pledge that the addition would not disturb the historic structure. The project has sparked a backlash from Democrats who say the president is favoring a Gilded Age-style exhibit over, say, reopening the government. (The Washington Post)

Top photo courtesy of Friends of + POOL.