City and country Americans aren't all that different, should public transit be free? And more top insights

During the week, the Daily Rundown brings you the day’s trending professional news. On the weekend, we try to keep you current on the big ideas that can help you see what’s coming. Read on and join the conversation.

Urban and rural Americans are more alike than they think. Whether they live in the big city or the great wide open, Americans share similar priorities and concerns, according to Pew. 47% of rural residents and 42% of urban dwellers live near their hometown, citing family ties as the primary reason. Over 60% of both cohorts say they don’t have the money to live the life they want, and a substantial portion of both groups say drug addiction is a major problem in their area. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Should public transit be free? Estonia thinks so. In July, the Eastern European nation will roll out the largest round-the-clock free public transit system in the world. Meanwhile, Paris is considering abolishing its transit fares and Germany is mulling similar measures in five metro areas. Going fare-free would reduce overhead expenses related to ticketing. And many transit systems are heavily subsidized, so such measures aren’t as costly as they may seem. ? Here’s what people are saying.

AI-powered weed-killing robots could spell trouble for Big Agriculture. A new generation of robotic weed killers could disrupt the $100 billion seed and pesticide industry, reports MIT Tech Review. Such robots — which are sort of like Roombas, but for farms — can make their way through fields, then identify and individually target weeds. The method would eliminate the need to blanket entire fields with herbicide, which could pose a threat to business as usual for giant chemical companies. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Bill Gates has your summer reading list

Now’s the perfect time to line up your summer reading list — and philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates offered some of his favorites. What’s on your bookshelf this summer? Tell us in the comments. ? Here’s what people are saying.

• A probe into the mind of a genius. “Leonardo da Vinci” by Walter Isaacson: “Isaacson does the best job I’ve seen of pulling together the different strands of Leonardo’s life and explaining what made him so exceptional.”
• A Lincoln-inspired ghost story. “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders: “It blends historical facts from the Civil War with fantastical elements — it’s basically a long conversation among 166 ghosts, including Lincoln’s deceased son.”
• The whole world, in your hands. “Origin Story: A Big History of Everything” by David Christian: “The book will leave you with a greater appreciation of humanity’s place in the universe.”

The pilot shortage is turning into a flight instructor shortage. Airlines are poaching flight schools for pilots to the point that instructors are now in limited supply, reports The Washington Post. U.S. airlines hired 5,000 pilots in 2017, up from just 30 in 2009, and demand is only expected to rise in the coming years. Some schools are boosting instructor pay to keep their teachers, a financial move that may be hard to sustain: flight school students already pay over $50,000 for flight training alone. ? Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea:  It’s easy to sound like you’re open-minded all while actually bulldozing others’ ideas. Rather than playing a part, executive coach Ron Carucci argues that everyone benefits when you’re honest about how you feel. ? Here’s what people are saying.

“If you have strong views or a critical agenda, own it. People are more likely to believe you’re open to hearing their ideas if they feel you’ve been straightforward about where you stand on yours.”

Want to get ahead at work? Looking for advice from the pros? Share your burning career questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll get experts to weigh in.

— Scott Olster / Share this using #DailyRundown