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How a US home insurance fix is becoming a problem U.S. states have set up insurers to provide protection in disaster-prone areas that private insurance has avoided. They are taking on more risks as calamities become widespread.

Across the US, the number of homes covered by so-called “insurers of last resort” has been steadily increasing for the past 5 years. They're in areas prone to natural disasters like wildfires or hurricanes. Private insurance won't cover them. Source: Reuters www.reuters.com/graphics/USA...

What are the best & worst states to get sick in? These are self-reported experiences looking at cost, quality and access to care. Source: Gallup westhealth.gallup.com?utm_source=g...

Only 54% of US adults say they drink alcohol, the lowest Gallup has recorded since first measuring alcohol use in 1939! Source: Gallup news.gallup.com/poll/693362/...

How many immigrants are in the US? | USAFacts About 50.2 million in 2024. This represents approximately 14.8% of the population, or about 1 in 7 residents in the United States. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, which includes peop...

How many immigrants are in the United States? About 50.2 million in 2024 (approx. 14.8% of the population, or about 1 in 7 residents). Data: US Census Bureau. Chart: USAFacts. usafacts.org/answers/how-... USAFacts is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all.

Today's calm moment: You can almost hear the crickets just seeing this photo from Pine Lake, ‎⁨Burwash Landing⁩, ⁨Yukon⁩, ⁨Canada⁩.

Today's calm moment: "When will the fog lift?" "I dunno, but I'm not getting off this log until it does."

Even a Fox News poll says so: The White House is doing more harm than good on the economy. www.foxnews.com/politics/fox...

The Electric 911 Porsche Never Built How Barry Ritholtz, One Tired 911, and One Austin Skunkworks Rewired an Icon

A Porsche 911 EV? Yeah, one of a kind. www.everydaydriven.com/p/the-electr...

Cheaper Now to Buy a New Home Than an Existing Home - Apollo Academy For the first time in more than 50 years, the price of a new single-family home is lower than the...

It is now cheaper to buy a new home than an existing home! Data: National Assoc. of Realtors. Chart: Apollo Capital Mgt. www.apolloacademy.com/cheaper-now-...

Today's calm moment: WW 2 watch towers still stand on the Delaware coast, built to protect ships coming out of Philadelphia bound for Europe. Any subs out there? www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=232986

About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. Source: Pew Research www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Geothermal’s time has finally come This source of energy could become bigger than nuclear

Geothermal energy could become bigger than nuclear. Princeton Univ. researchers predict that by 2025 geothermal power could produce nearly triple the current output of US nuclear power plants which supply roughly 20% of our electricity. Source: The Economist www.economist.com/interactive/...

Just finished “American Nations” by Colin Woodard. We have been deeply divided since colonial days. Colonial people (now Canada, US, Mexico) had distinct cultures & viewed each other as competitors/enemies (but sometimes allies). Those differences have been transmitted through generations to today.

I took Law of Armed Conflict training annually in my long DOD career, including a year in Iraq. Mil. members must disobey unlawful orders, but they must also follow lawful orders or face charges. DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel OK'd strikes on drug boats, jeopardizing mil members who know it's wrong.

U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”

Last month it was the Young Republicans praising Hitler. Last week it was Fuentes & Carlson criticizing "Jewry". This week, they're saying swastikas and nooses aren't hate speech. The rot is party-wide. www.seattletimes.com/nation-world...

A Year Ahead of the Midterms, Americans’ Dim Views of Both Parties Democrats’ frustration with their own party is up sharply, as many say it hasn’t pushed back hard enough against Trump and the GOP. In contrast, 40% of Republicans say they are frustrated with their p...

A year ahead of the midterms, Americans have dim views of both parties. Source: Pew Research www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...

Today's calm moment: A photo with the composition of a primitive painting. National Colonial Farm, Accokeek, Maryland

The Economy Is Likely to Reaccelerate in 2026 - Apollo Academy When the trade war started in March, the consensus began to revise down expectations for growth. But as trade deals...

The economy Is likely to reaccelerate in 2026: lower trade war uncertainty, lower dollar, and the positive effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill. CBO estimates GDP will grow by almost 1% in 2026, mainly due to accelerated depreciation. Source: Apollo www.apolloacademy.com/the-economy-...

Today's calm moment: A scene from the ‎⁨Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, ⁨Yokohama⁩, ⁨⁨Japan⁩

Today's calm moment: Sunset at Minuteman Beach, California

Self-reported healthcare experiences: See where your state ranks on healthcare cost, quality & access, and an overall combined score. Source: Gallup westhealth.gallup.com?utm_source=g...

The end of progress against extreme poverty? In the last three decades, the world has made progress against extreme poverty faster than ever before. But unless the poorest economies start growing, this period of progress against the worst form o...

Is this the end of progress against extreme poverty worldwide? Source: Our World in Data ourworldindata.org/end-progress...

Today's calm moment: Dolphins resting at the ‎⁨Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise ⁩, ⁨Yokohama⁩, ⁨Kanagawa Prefecture⁩, ⁨Japan⁩

50-Year Mortgage? It takes a whopping 31 years before the first 25% is paid off, with the bulk of the payments in the first decade just servicing the interest on the debt. sherwood.news/personal-fin...

Today's calm moment: Young love in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

Today's calm moment: Tokyo Tower from the C2 expressway.

Why Doesn’t Anyone Trust the Media?, by Jelani Cobb, Taylor Lorenz, Jack Shafer, Max Tani Anatomy of a credibility crisis

Trust in the press is at a record low. Only 1/4 of Americans aged 18-29 have confidence in media. Since '05, the US lost more than 1/3 of its newspapers and 3/4 of its newspaper journalism positions. Audiences are into narrow silos of Substacks, podcasts & livestreams. harpers.org/archive/2025...

Google is trying to take down a group sending you all those spammy texts The alleged scheme has targeted over a million potential victims.

Google is trying to take down a group sending you all those spammy texts. A new lawsuit details what allegedly happens after you click that fake USPS link. Source: The Verge www.theverge.com/news/818554/...

Today's calm moment: Learning to eat in Yokohama, Japan

How to help friends and family dig out of a conspiracy theory black hole Some tried and trusted techniques that might help.

How to help friends & family dig out of a conspiracy theory black hole. “One of the things we found is that conspiracy theorists hate manipulation, and they hate the idea of being manipulated" Source: MIT Technology Review www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/30/1...