Last November, two Washington residents filed a lawsuit accusing petroleum corporations of misleading the public for decades about fossil fuels' effect on climate change and how global warming is harming the planet and its inhabitants. Their lawsuit marks the latest addition to the growing number targeting Big Oil. The case, however, was novel, given the plaintiffs' damage claims: That increased carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning have intensified extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods and heat waves.
Republicans last year cut about $1 trillion over a decade from Medicaid and declined to extend COVID-era subsidies that had lowered the cost of health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are filming campaign spots outside struggling hospitals, spotlighting Americans facing spiking insurance premiums and sharing their own personal health care stories. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, one of the party's most endangered incumbents this year,
Without the subsidies, premiums could more than double in cost on average, according to KFF, a health policy organisation. For some, like Nicole Sheaff, a mother of four in New Hampshire, her prices would quintuple. I'm terrified we won't be able to keep up with our mortgage. At the same time, going without health insurance is not an option. My husband has a chronic condition that he needs medication to manage, and he wouldn't be able to afford it without health coverage.
Vehicle insurance companies are going to keep a close watch on whether the Alberta government keeps driving forward with a proposal to increase some highway speed limits to 120 km/h. The province has launched an online survey about increasing the speed limit on upwards of 2,150 kilometres of divided highways in different parts of Alberta. The survey also asks which of the highways should be prioritized for faster speeds. The government plans to begin a trial after the survey closes on Dec. 12.
Missouri homeowners face mid-range insurance premiums compared with both their regional neighbors and the broader U.S. While not as high as storm-prone Gulf Coast states, Missouri's costs are higher than some nearby Midwestern states, reflecting its exposure to tornadoes, hail, and severe weather. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Realtor.com® 2025 Climate Risk Report highlight Missouri's position in the national picture.
Maine has 451,090 insured homeowner households in total-250,316 with a mortgage and 200,774 without. Among mortgaged owners, 22,458 pay less than $100 annually and 7,049 pay $4,000 or more. Among those without a mortgage, 37,135 pay less than $100 and 3,840 pay $4,000 or more. When compared with nearby New England states, Maine is clearly on the affordable side. Massachusetts homeowners with a mortgage typically pay $1,500-$1,999, while Rhode Island averages the same. Connecticut is also higher, at $1,500-$1,999 for mortgaged households.
According to newly released American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Alaska homeowners with a mortgage typically pay $1,000-$1,499 a year for homeowner's insurance, while those without a mortgage pay $800-$999; overall costs fall in the $1,000-$1,499 range. At the extremes, Alaska has 182,292 insured homeowner households in total-110,175 with a mortgage and 72,117 without. Among mortgaged owners, 10,862 pay less than $100 annually and 6,473 pay $4,000 or more.
Property insurance costs continue to be the fastest growing subcomponent of mortgage payments among existing homeowners, said Andy Walden, head of mortgage and housing market research at ICE Mortgage Technology. While mortgage principal, interest and property tax payments have all increased in recent years, insurance has far outpaced those gains, rising 4.9% in 2025, 11.3% annually and nearly 70% over the past five and a half years.
