Axios

WASHINGTON — The SELF DRIVE Act could accelerate the expansion of driverless cars by providing a needed national regulatory framework, Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) said at an Axios Live event.

Why it matters: Autonomous vehicles could be a key part of the future of transportation, but the U.S. can't fully realize their potential — or compete globally — without consistent safety and design standards across state lines.

Axios' Nathan Bomey spoke with Houchin, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar president Doug Boles, and Consumer Technology Association president and CEO Kinsey Fabrizio. The Aug. 22 event was sponsored by Honda.

State of play: U.S. Transportation Secretary Scott Duffy said earlier this year that crafting an autonomous vehicle policy is a national security, economic and safety issue.

• The public and private sector are lining up to support emerging technologies.

What they're saying: "The roadway doesn't stop at the state line," said Houchin, who co-sponsored the bill.

• This "requires a federal framework because of interstate commerce issues," she added.
• The patchwork of state policies is "challenging. It's costly. It's confusing," Fabrizio said.
• "Companies need to know what [the rules] are, so that they can develop their products and their services around them," Fabrizio added.

Zoom in: The SELF DRIVE Act prioritizes safety standards, sets national thresholds for testing and deploying autonomous vehicles and addresses cybersecurity concerns. However, it leaves licensing and registration to the states.

• If the bill doesn't pass by December, "we're going to bring it right back up again in the 120th Congress," Houchin said.

Meanwhile, Boles sees great potential for emerging technologies in car racing.

• "I see those becoming tools that help inform drivers of what's going on, help them make smarter decisions," he said.

Content from the sponsor's segment:

In a View From the Top conversation, Honda executive vice president Noriya Kaihara highlighted the company's decades of investment in the U.S.

• "We build the product here in America because our policy is that [we] manufacture where there is the demand. So that means: build the products where the customers are … and now we have 12 plants in America."

Go deeper: Watch the full conversations.

It's prime time to plant grass seed for patching bare spots or overseeding lawns in most U.S. regions.

Why it matters: Plant too late and grass might not establish before winter; too early and young grass could still be exposed to stressful summer heat.

Apple on Wednesday sent invitations for a Sept. 9 event where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone and other new products.

Why it matters: The launch would push Apple into a smartphone category it has resisted, as rivals have experimented with folding screens — and give incoming CEO John Ternus an immediate opportunity to put his stamp on the company's most important product.

The Trump administration has struck data-sharing deals with major technology firms to help track how AI is affecting jobs and hiring, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling told Axios.

Why it matters: AI could reshape the labor market faster than traditional government statistics can capture it. That could make it difficult for economic policymakers to see major shifts in jobs and hiring in real time.

Luffu, the startup created by two of Fitbit's co-founders, debuted a fitness band Tuesday that they say is part of their effort to tap the power of AI to help family members keep tabs on one another.

Why it matters: The project aims to address the challenges faced by caregivers, including those in the sandwich generation with aging parents and kids at home.

Nothing is driving more new U.S. economic investment or political volatility than data centers.

Why it matters: They're the Great Subplot of 2026, THE topic animating the AI race and elections. Everyone needs to understand the size, scope and sentiment surrounding them.

Businesses seeking more affordable and secure ways to use AI are turning to routing — the process of matching each query with the best, most efficient model for the task.

Why it matters: The popularization of routing could stymie the usage of the frontier AI models that are the most expensive to use and make.