Hawaii’s New Leave-No-Trace Tourist Tax—and Everything Else You Need to Know About This Week

• Hawaii is raising its hotel tax to nearly 19 percent, with plans to use the estimated extra $100 million a year it would bring in to fight climate change—from wildfire prevention to beach restoration. Think of it as a leave-no-trace surcharge: if you love Hawaii’s beauty, you’ll help pay to protect it. (NPR)

• A massive blackout plunged Spain, Portugal, and parts of France into chaos, with trains halted, airports delayed, and water pumps failing. Engineers now face a "black start" as they reconnect the grid piece by piece like "assembling some hellishly complicated Ikea furniture." (Wired)

• NYC’s Rent Guidelines Board voted preliminarily to raise rents on nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments—up to 4.75 percent for one-year leases, and up to 7.75 percent for two-year leases. Tenant advocates blasted the move as an attack on affordability, while landlords said even the highest proposed hikes won’t cover their maintenance costs. (The New York Times)

• Uber is planning to roll out thousands of Volkswagen’s self-driving electric vans, starting in Los Angeles by 2026. The ID. Buzz fleet will show up in the Uber app, but only after regulators give the company the go-ahead. (Design Boom)

• Former NFL player Kevin Jones reworked USM’s famous Haller shelving with magnetic, reversible felt panels that snap on to metal frames. Here’s how his radical update aims to bring a warmer, more human feel to the modular classic. (Dwell)

Top image courtesy of Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images.