Good Day, Bad Day
Spare change, Braille publishers
GOOD DAY FOR: Spare change, as financially strapped states are raising road, bridge, and tunnel tolls. Drivers in California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey are all facing toll hikes; New York is upping tolls by $2-$10 a pop. “People view highways as free, but they’re not,” says Patrick Jones of the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association. (USA Today)
BAD DAY FOR: Braille publishers, after Nokia, the National Federation of the Blind, and text-to-audio pioneer Ray Kurzweill unveiled a cell phone that can take a picture of any text and read it aloud. A joint venture, K-NFB Reading Technology, will start marketing the $2,100 phone in February. “It is the next step, but this is a huge leap,” said K-NFB’s James Gashel. (AP in BusinessWeek.com)
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 low ratings cartoons about the Late Show cancellation
Cartoons Artists take on early warning signs, the Gen Z stare, and more
-
Connie Francis: Superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Crossword: July 26, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle