The first thing you feel isn’t the speed.

It’s the lean.

—bright and waxy, a sweet note beneath the metallic hum of the cooler—as the pantry door in Kittery swings open and parents edge past a cart of cereal.

Megan Shapiro-Ross, sleeves shoved high, moves like a line cook: scanning, swapping…

Several folks have told me that my article today, &quotThe Fed,&quot is a frightening fictional portrayal of what could happen with a Fed takeover —but not proof that a White House takeover could really unfold that way.

Fair point.

The cold air off the dairy cases hits first—thin, metallic.

Dan snaps a fresh roll into the price gun.

The bell above the café door rings twice—once for Nancy’s regulars and once for the news they haven’t seen yet.

On the chalkboard, she’s erased the price of a small drip coffee.

The floor smells of warm toner and burnt plastic—the breath of an overworked machine.

Linh leans against the counter, one palm resting on a manila folder stamped FY2026 REPROGRAM .