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☆ Health Inflation’s Big Hike This Year, in Charts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Anna Wilde Mathews | Josh Ulick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Average annual contributions to premiums For single coverage For family coverage $23,968 total $25,000 $25,000 Worker contribution Employer contribution 20,000 20,000 15,000 15,000 $6,575 worker share $8,435 total 10,000 10,000 5,000 5,000 $1,401 worker share 0 0 2000 '05 '10 '15 '20 2000 '10 '20 Average annual contributions to premiums For single coverage For family coverage $23,968 total $25,000 $25,000 Worker contribution Employer contribution 20,000 20,000 15,000 15,000 $6,575 worker share $8,435 total 10,000 10,000 5,000 5,000 $1,401 worker share 0 0 2000 '05 '10 '15 '20 2000 '10 '20 Average annual contributions to premiums Worker contribution Employer contribution For single coverage $8,435 total $10,000 5,000 $1,401 worker share 0 2000 '05 '10 '15 '20 For family coverage $23,968 total $25,000 20,000 15,000 $6,575 worker share 10,000 5,000 0 2000 '10 '20 Average annual contributions to premiums Worker contribution Employer contribution For single coverage $8,435 total $10,000 5,000 $1,401 worker share 0 2000 '05 '10 '15 '20 For family coverage $23,968 total $25,000 20,000 15,000 $6,575 worker share 10,000 5,000 0 2000 '10 '20Inflation came for your healthcare this year. Next year is looking to be just as bad. The cost of employer health insurance rose this year at the fastest clip since 2011, according to an annual survey from KFF, a healthcare research nonprofit. The 7% jump in the cost of a family plan brought the average tab to nearly $24,000—more than the price for some small cars.

Locations: KFF

Thanks to their ability to store large amounts of energy in a small package, lithium-ion batteries have become increasingly popular, powering such devices as laptops and vape pens as well as electric cars and bikes. While most of the batteries operate safely, a small percentage can malfunction and catch fire, sometimes with lethal results.

For many Americans, Mother’s Day means flowers. And flowers are a big business. Here’s a guide to how we spend our money on the perennial gift, plus advice for finding the best blooms. 84% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, spending an estimated $35.7 billion on gifts and outings, up nearly $4 billion from last year’s record high. Flowers are expected to be one of the most popular gifts.

☆ Dogs and Cats Linked to Reduced Child Food Allergies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Josh Ulick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Children with dogs and cats in their homes were less likely to develop food allergies than other children, a study published Wednesday shows. The study, led by Dr. Hisao Okabe of Fukushima Medical University, followed more than 66,000 children who were part of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. Analyzing questionnaires, researchers tracked pet exposure from prenatal development through early infancy, and measured the incidence of allergies in children up to 3 years old.

Recent train derailments, including one in a small Ohio town, have prompted officials to examine what is causing the accidents and whether they are happening more frequently. Derailments rank as the most common type of accident involving major freight railroads, federal data shows. Equipment failures are increasingly responsible for derailments, and problems with equipment and train tracks accounted for nearly 60% of derailments nationwide last year.

☆ Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria: A Guide in Maps and Graphics
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Camille Bressange | Josh Ulick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A powerful series of earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 7,500 people. The first quake was 7.8 magnitude and struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border. This was followed by a series of aftershocks and a 7.5-magnitude quake nine hours later. The quakes were Turkey’s worst seismic event in decades, rocking an area around the city of Gaziantep that is home to millions of Turkish citizens, displaced Syrians and refugees.

After three of the driest years in California history, winter storms brought some of the wettest weeks on record and unprecedented snow to parts of the state. What happens in the coming months, when it begins to melt, will determine how much of that snow becomes water usable by cities and farms across the state during the dry summer season—when it is needed most. In California, snowpack accumulated during winter is a vital aspect of the state’s water system. Snow is a natural form of water storage that melts during the spring and fills reservoirs with water that can then be distributed downstream to those who need it.

☆ Could Curbing Cow Burps Slow Global Warming?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Josh Ulick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Methane produced by “cow burps” is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Researchers are studying ways to stifle these emissions, which could help slow global warming. Methane, like carbon dioxide, traps heat in the atmosphere, making it a potent greenhouse gas. The U.S. and more than other 100 countries have pledged to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. On Tuesday, Danone , one of the world’s largest dairy companies, said it would align itself with the pledge by cutting emissions of its fresh-milk suppliers.

Scientists have analyzed what they say is the oldest DNA recovered to date, allowing them to reconstruct what life was like two million years ago in northern Greenland. The findings suggest a rich ecosystem that sustained a mix of animals and plants that doesn’t coexist anywhere on Earth today. The researchers analyzed fragments of ancient DNA preserved in the area’s sediments. The region hosted mastodons, reindeer, lemmings and geese, as well as birch, poplar and thuja trees. Horseshoe crabs, green algae and other marine life occupied nearby waters.

☆ China's Decade of Change Under Xi Jinping, in Nine Charts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Yoko Kubota | Josh Ulick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One area where China has excelled is in patent applications. The U.S. is still the leader in total patents in force, with 3.3 million in 2020 compared with China’s 3.1 million.

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is set for Monday. The event will be rich in pageantry, giving well-wishers one last chance to bid farewell to the long-lived monarch. The proceedings will be attended by the royal family, senior U.K. politicians and foreign dignitaries, as well as thousands of members of the public who are expected to line the route as the Queen’s coffin travels through the streets of London and on to her final resting place at Windsor Castle, where she will be buried in a private ceremony.

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