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70 million Americans drink water from systems reporting PFAS to EPA. Is yours on our map?

USA Today

70 million Americans drink water from systems reporting PFAS to EPA. Is yours on our map?

Austin Fast, Cecilia Garzella and Yoonserk Pyun – March 21, 2024

At least 70 million Americans get their water from a system where toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” were found at levels that require reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency.

That’s according to new data the EPA released in its ongoing 5-year review of water systems across the nation. The number will almost certainly grow as new reports are released every three months.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are nearly indestructible chemicals widely used across industries for decades. Found in drinking water, food, firefighting foam, and nonstick and water-repellent items, PFAS resist degradation, building up in both the environment and our bodies.

Salt Lake City; Sacramento, California; Madison, Wisconsin; and Louisville, Kentucky, were among the major systems reporting PFAS contamination to the EPA in the latest data release.

Map: Where the EPA found pollutants

This map shows water systems included in the EPA’s records, as of Jan. 11. It’s based on boundaries developed by SimpleLab, a water-testing company. Click on a system to see the number of pollutants detected at or above the EPA’s minimum reporting levels and how much the most concentrated pollutant exceeded those levels. Points represent systems where the exact boundaries are not available. If you don’t see a map, click here.

The man-made chemicals have turned up in water systems large and small, from those serving a few thousand customers to over half a million.

Of about 3,800 systems included so far, 1,245 measured at least one PFAS compound above the EPA’s reporting levels, according to USA TODAY’s analysis.

The EPA plans to collect data from thousands more systems through 2026, including many of the nation’s largest systems, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.

Read our previous coverage: EPA detected “forever chemicals” in water systems serving 46 million. Is yours on our map?

What are forever chemicals?

PFAS can lead to serious health problems, including increased risk of some cancers, if people are exposed to them over a long period of time. Even at very low doses, PFAS can pose health risks.

The EPA’s minimum reporting level – the lowest concentrations reliably measured by most laboratories – for some PFAS are measured in parts per trillion. The current thresholds are near zero, replacing older limits that were higher and didn’t detect smaller concentrations of PFAS, said Shalene Thomas, a PFAS industry expert and emerging contaminants program manager at Battelle, a nonprofit research institute.

Read the story: PFAS contamination is Michigan’s biggest environmental crisis in 40 years

“People hear that, and they think, ‘This is really, really low. Why are we concerning ourselves with this?’” Thomas said, referring to the detection levels. “The risk to individuals and the population is based on not just what the concentration is but what the frequency of that exposure is.”

“How often are you exposed, and what’s the duration of the exposure?”

The purpose of the reporting limits, Thomas said, is to trigger water utilities to react and find treatment solutions if needed.

“Why is there a limit? It’s not like if you’re above this number, you’re going to die, and if you’re below that number, you’re going to live,” Thomas said. “It’s about population protection. It’s an action level so that utilities can react and protect you.”

Read our previous coverage: Dangerous levels of PFAS detected in water for 27 million. Did the EPA find it near you?

Is there a national drinking water standard for PFAS?

There are no enforceable national drinking water standards in the U.S. for PFAS, but the EPA is expected to issue new regulations this year.

Last March, the EPA proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard for six PFAS. Though there are thousands of PFAS chemicals, the six compounds in the regulation had the highest manufacturing volume in the U.S. and are thought to be the most toxic, Thomas said.

If the rule is finalized and implemented, public water systems will be required to monitor for these chemicals, notify the public and reduce PFAS contamination if levels exceed the proposed standards.

Water utilities tasked with treating PFAS

Water utilities didn’t manufacture or use the chemicals, Thomas said, yet they are still tasked with cleaning them up and protecting the public.

Once the EPA’s regulation is finalized, the agency would likely use discretionary authority and focus its efforts on going after primary polluters, Thomas said.

However, not all water utilities are equipped to install advanced and costly treatment systems to reduce PFAS from treated water. Systems vary from region to region, each with their own water sources and technical challenges that can make treatment less feasible.

Adapting to changing climate conditions is a concern for Sacramento, California, where about 80% of water supplies come from the American and Sacramento rivers. During dry years, they use groundwater, but if those wells are contaminated with PFAS, the city might not be able to rely on them, said Carlos Eliason, a spokesperson from the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities.

The city has taken several groundwater sources out of service because they contained levels of PFAS above state guidelines. Upcoming federal regulations could increase the amount of groundwater sources that need to be shut down.

The Shasta Groundwater Treatment Facility is the largest groundwater treatment facility in Sacramento, California. The facility can produce up to 4 million gallons of drinking water per day.

Similarly, 90% of Salt Lake City’s water supply is from surface water, but groundwater wells are still important during droughts. PFAS pollution was found in two wells, one of which is important for peak summertime use, said Laura Briefer, director of Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities.

“Water is such a priority for us in the western United States, where water is scarce,” Briefer said. “When we have challenges where contaminants can impact our ability to use water for public purposes, that is a really profound issue. We don’t have a lot of water to spare.”

More than 6,000 miles away in Guam, a U.S. island territory in Micronesia with a longtime military presence, civilians rely primarily on water produced from an aquifer in the northern half of the island. Should the aquifer become contaminated, there are no reasonable alternatives, as defined by the EPA.

Of nearly 100 water supply wells that provide water to the island, about a third had PFAS that exceeded the EPA’s proposed regulations.

The level of funding to U.S. territories to cover the cost of treatment is not enough, said Miguel Bordallo, the general manager of Guam Waterworks Authority. The authority will have to significantly raise the rates it charges its customers to finance these capital improvement projects, Bordallo said.

Guam also absorbs costs that most utilities on the U.S. mainland don’t feel, such as shipping hazardous byproducts from PFAS treatment off the island.

“It’s a huge concern, but the way we view it is that it’s the train that’s coming down the tracks and there’s no way to stop that,” Bordallo said of the imminent PFAS rule.

“Rather than trying to stop that train, we’re trying to get ahead of it.”

Austin Fast is a data reporter on the USA TODAY investigations team and Cecilia Garzella is a data fellow.

Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’ government study finds

CNN

Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’ government study finds

Jen Christensen, CNN – March 22, 2024

Almost half of the tap water in the United States is contaminated with chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a study from the US Geological Survey.

The number of people drinking contaminated water may be even higher than what the study found, however, because the researchers weren’t able to test for all of these per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, chemicals that are considered dangerous to human health. There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, according to the National Institutes of Health, but this study looked at only 32 of the compounds.

PFAS are a family of ubiquitous synthetic chemicals that linger in the environment and the human body. PFAS exposure is linked to problems such as cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage and hormone suppression, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

In June 2022, based on the latest science, the EPA issued health advisories that said the chemicals are much more hazardous to human health than scientists originally thought and are probably more dangerous even at levels thousands of times lower than previously believed.

Health effects from the chemicals can be difficult to specify in part because people may be exposed in different ways and at different stages of development and because there are so many types of PFAS chemicals with types and uses that have changed over time.

Most people in the United States have been exposed to some PFAS, and some may be at higher risk, such as industrial workers involved in making PFAS and people who live near those facilities. There’s ongoing research to determine how different levels of exposure to PFAS chemicals might lead to various health effects.

Experts say it’s important for people to understand their risk of exposure through tap water. Water filters may help somewhat if tap water is contaminated, and there are moves to regulate some PFAS chemicals in US drinking water.

Where PFAS concentrations are higher

Previously, there was limited information on exactly how much PFAS chemicals are in residential tap water, said the authors of the research, published in July 2023 in the journal Environmental International. They added that this study is the most comprehensive to date that includes both private wells and public water sources.

The scientists collected water samples directly from taps at 716 locations — 269 from private wells and 447 from public sources — between 2016 and 2021. Based on their findings, they estimate that at least one PFAS chemical would be detected in 45% of US drinking water samples.

This US Geological Survey map shows the number of PFAS detected in tap water samples from select sites across the nation. The findings are based on a USGS study of samples taken between 2016 and 2021 from private and public supplies at 716 locations. The map does not represent the only locations in the US with PFAS. <strong><em> </em></strong> - USGS — This US Geological Survey map shows the number of PFAS detected in tap water samples from select sites across the nation. The findings are based on a USGS study of samples taken between 2016 and 2021 from private and public supplies at 716 locations. The map does not represent the only locations in the US with PFAS. – USGSMore

Most of the contamination came from water sources near urban areas and in areas that generated PFAS, like manufacturing that uses the chemicals in its products or sites where waste was collected.

The highest concentrations of PFAS in drinking water were found in the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Eastern Seaboard and Central/Southern California, the study said.

Concentrations were similar between private wells and public supplies.

PFAS can be found in many places, studies show, so toxicologist Dr. Jamie DeWitt is not surprised that it is in so much drinking water.

“There’s been almost no place scientists have looked where they have not found PFAS,” said DeWitt, director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. DeWitt was not involved in the 2023 study.

PFAS are found in hundreds of household items. The chemicals are used to make carpets and clothes stain-resistant. They keep food from sticking to pans and food packaging, and they’re good at keeping grease and water from soaking through. PFAS are in mobile phones, commercial airplanes and low-emission vehicles, in the foods you can buy at the farmers market or the grocery store, and in rainwater and dental floss. They’re even in the dust that collects in your home.

A 2019 study suggested that PFAS chemicals could be found in 98% of the US population. With that in mind, the new 45% number may sound low, but DeWitt said there could be a couple of factors at play. For one, a number of utilities have been making an effort to remove PFAS from the water. Homeowners could also have filters on their systems that make it so PFAS are not as easily detectable.

“I think that’s still a pretty high number, considering,” she said.

Checking for PFAS in water

DeWitt said that it’s important for people to know what’s in their drinking water but that they don’t necessarily need to be scared.

“I don’t think people should be afraid, but they should be aware and armed themselves with knowledge so that they can get information that will help them to make decisions,” she said.

She recommended looking at your local utility website to get its most recent water report. Utilities will disclose what’s in the water and what they are doing to reduce contaminants.

A carbon filter can help, but it has to be changed regularly. If used too long, the filter can become saturated with chemicals and not work as well. Households can also use reverse osmosis filtering systems, but those can be expensive.

The EPA has proposed the first national drinking water standards for six PFAS chemicals. The proposed limits set the allowable levels for these chemicals so low that they could not be easily detected.

If the standards are finalized, water systems will have to determine whether levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk. They may also need to install treatment or take other actions, the EPA said, and may even need to switch to different water sources.

In August 2023, the EPA said it is conducting the “most comprehensive monitoring effort for PFAS ever” at large and midsize public water systems and hundreds of small water systems.

If PFAS is in 45% of US water systems, the country will have a lot of work to do, said Dr. Graham Peaslee, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and concurrent professor of chemistry and biochemistry who does PFAS research at the University of Notre Dame.

“I think that we should try our best to work on how to clean this up. My fear is that this is, global warming aside, this is probably the most expensive environmental problem we’re ever going to face,” said Peaslee, who was not involved in the 2023 study. ”There’s nothing that will magically fix it. It’s fairly expensive to clean this up. And it’s a recurring cost, and there’s no permanent solutions to it for any particular utility. It looks frightening.”

But the cleanup will have to be done, he said, because these chemicals carry real health consequences, and people can’t exactly avoid drinking water.

“It’s really insidious, this poison,” Peaslee said. “We are going to have to get inventive on how to filter it out for all of our days.”

Drinking water in US prisons may contain dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’: Study

The Hill

Drinking water in US prisons may contain dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’: Study

Sharon Udasin – March 21, 2024

Nearly half of American prisons are located downstream from water sources that are likely contaminated with cancer-linked “forever chemicals,” a new study has found.

Due to insufficient water quality testing in and around such sites, officials have only found that 5 percent of U.S. carceral institutions are situated in watersheds that definitively contain these toxic compounds, according to the study, published in the American Journal of Public Health. But tens of thousands of people are incarcerated at those facilities — and presumptive sources of exposure were found near many more sites.

When it comes to toxins like forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, incarcerated populations are of particular concern because they have minimal ability to reduce their exposures and are therefore especially vulnerable to acute health effects, the researchers stressed.

“If you think of the incarcerated population as a city spread out over this vast archipelago of carceral facilities, it would be the fifth largest city in the country,” senior author Nicholas Shapiro, a medical anthropologist the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement.

That figurative “city,” he continued, has “potentially very high levels of toxicants in its water and no ability to mitigate exposure.”

Notorious for their ability to persist in both the human body and in the environment, PFAS have been connected to a variety of illnesses — including kidney cancer, thyroid disease and testicular cancer.

There are thousands of types of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), found in industrial waste, certain types of firefighting foam and household products, such as nonstick pans, waterproof apparel and many cosmetics.

To draw their conclusions about prisons’ potential exposure to the substances, the researchers assembled a list of the country’s 6,118 carceral facilities from the Department of Homeland Security and conducted a geospatial data analysis to pinpoint which sites were situated in watersheds with known or likely PFAS pollution.

They also considered whether watershed boundaries were at higher elevations with respect to the carceral institutions, as such positioning increases the likelihood that pollutants are infiltrating the facility’s water supply.

Ultimately, they identified 310 sites — or 5 percent of the total facilities — situated in such watersheds, at a lower elevation than at least one known source of PFAS contamination.

At least 150,000 people, of which at least 2,200 are juveniles, live in these facilities, according to the study.

But the reality may be far worse. The authors found that nearly half of all U.S. carceral institutions — 47 percent — have at least one presumptive source of PFAS pollution at a higher elevation than the facilities and within their watershed boundaries.

More than half of U.S. juvenile facilities — 56 percent — meet that description, per the findings.

These potentially polluted prisons, jails and detention centers — the majority of which are state- and county-run institutions — house about 990,000 people, including at least 12,800 juveniles, the authors noted.

Many carceral facilities may be contending with multiple PFAS exposures, with 31 percent of U.S. institutions located in areas with more than one presumptive source of contamination, according to the study. About 13 percent have more than five presumptive sources.

Because about a third of the carceral facilities were missing complete population data, however, the total number of individuals exposed could be much higher, the researchers warned.

Co-author Lindsay Poirier, an assistant professor of statistical and data sciences at Smith College, emphasized the challenges the researchers faced in conducting the study due to the “substantial data gaps” in water quality monitoring and population numbers.

“We’re trying to draw attention to areas that have been underassessed,” Poirier said in a statement.

In addition to the lack of transparent information available, the authors pointed to potential environmental justice issues, as the residents of U.S. prisons “are disproportionately Black, Latinx, Indigenous, low-income, and LGBTQ+.”

Incarcerated youths are also disproportionately adolescents of color, with Black youths more than four times more likely than white youths to be held in a juvenile institution, per the study.

U.S. prisons, they explained, are therefore “an important window into how the justice system advances public health inequities,” the researchers stated.

Although the authors could not test whether the polluted water was for sure entering the prisons, they stressed a need for further research, as these toxins can have lifelong health impacts.

“The most rigorous and consistent water testing is done in well-resourced or particularly engaged communities,” Shapiro said, noting that these same communities are best equipped to reduce their exposure.

“Incarcerated populations have a lot in common with marginalized populations elsewhere in the country that lack the resources and political clout to get their water cleaned up,” Shapiro added. “That needs to change.”

Leonard Leo, Koch networks pour millions into prep for potential second Trump administration

NBC News

Leonard Leo, Koch networks pour millions into prep for potential second Trump administration

Katherine Doyle – March 21, 2024

WASHINGTON — Huge funding from influential conservative donor networks is flowing into a conservative venture aimed at creating a Republican “government-in-waiting,” including over $55 million from groups linked to conservative activist Leonard Leo and the Koch network, according to an Accountable.US review shared exclusively with NBC News.

Launched by the Heritage Foundation in April 2022, Project 2025 is a two-pronged initiative to develop staunch conservative policy recommendations and grow a roster of thousands of right-wing personnel ready to fill the next Republican administration. With former President Donald Trump now the GOP’s presumptive 2024 nominee, the effort is essentially laying the groundwork for a potential Trump transition if he wins the election in November.

With contributions from former high-level Trump administration appointees and an advisory board that has grown to over 100 conservative organizations, proponents describe Project 2025 as the most sophisticated transition effort that has existed for conservatives. The initiative includes a manifesto devising a policy agenda for every department, numerous agencies and scores of offices throughout the federal government.

In this Nov. 16, 2016 file photo, Federalist Society Executive Vice President Leonard Leo speaks to media at Trump Tower in New York. Leo is advising President Donald Trump on his Supreme Court nominee. (Carolyn Kaster / AP file)

Since 2021, Leo’s network has funneled over $50.7 million to the groups advising the 2025 Presidential Transition Project as part of its “Project 2025 advisory board,” according to tax documents reviewed as part of the analysis by Accountable.US, a progressive advocacy group. That sum includes donations from The 85 Fund, a donor-advised nonprofit group that funnels money from wealthy financiers to other groups, and the Concord Fund, a public-facing organization.

In 2022, the donor-advised fund DonorsTrust, which received more than $181 million from Leo-backed groups from 2019 to 2022, contributed over $21.1 million to 40 organizations advising Project 2025. It contributed nearly $20 million to 36 nonprofit organizations advising Project 2025 in 2021.

Leo, a top conservative megadonor, has worked to shift the American judiciary further to the right, having previously advised Trump on judicial picks while he was in office and helping to build the current conservative Supreme Court majority.

In addition to Leo’s funding to organizations advising Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s own donations surged in 2022. It contributed $1,025,000 to nine of the advisory groups, up from a total of $174,000 in grants to other nonprofit groups a year earlier.

The Heritage Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The review by Accountable.US also found that oil billionaire Charles Koch’s network directed over $4.4 million in 2022 to organizations on Project 2025’s advisory board via its donor conduit, Stand Together Trust.

Project 2025’s vision for the next conservative administration’s energy agenda would rapidly increase oil and gas leases and production through the Interior Department to focus on energy security, and proposals include reforming offices of the Energy Department to end focus on climate change and green subsidies.

The Environmental Protection Agency would cut its environmental justice and public engagement functions, “eliminating the stand-alone Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights,” according to a proposal drafted by Mandy Gunasekara, a former chief of staff at the EPA under Trump.

The advisory board for Project 2025 includes representatives from conservative groups led by veterans of the Trump administration, such as America First Legal, the Center for Renewing America and the Conservative Partnership Institute, as well as conservative mainstays like the Claremont Institute, the Family Research Council and the Independent Women’s Forum.

Accountable. US executive director Tony Carrk warned that Project 2025’s stark conservative program and its advisory groups are made possible by funding from right-wing donors’ funneling tens of millions of dollars to the effort.

“The ‘MAGA blueprint’ isn’t a one-off project — it’s backed by the same far-right figures who have long dictated the conservative agenda,” Carrk said. “Leo, Koch and others should be held to account for propping up a policy platform that puts special interests over everyday Americans and poses an existential threat to our democracy.”

While the groups advising Project 2025 haven’t been supporting a candidate outright, many of the people leading them or with longtime affiliations have close ties to Trump after having served in his administration. NBC News projects that Trump has now clinched the delegate majority for the Republican nomination, setting up a rematch with President Joe Biden in November.

State Farm to non-renew 72,000 policies in California

KTLA

State Farm to non-renew 72,000 policies in California

Iman Palm – March 21, 2024

State Farm General Insurance Company plans to non-renew about 30,000 property insurance and 42,000 commercial apartment policies in California, the company announced Wednesday.

State Farm, California’s largest insurer as of 2022, said the move would impact 2% of its total policies in the state and was made to ensure “long-term sustainability.”

3D printed fire-resistant home being built in L.A. County

The 42,000 commercial apartment non-renewals represent a complete withdrawal from the commercial apartment market in California. The other 30,000 non-renewals would impact homeowners, rental dwellings, and other property insurance policies, according to State Farm.

The announcement applies to California customers only. The company said those impacted will be notified between July 3 and Aug. 20.

“This decision was not made lightly and only after careful analysis of State Farm General’s financial health, which continues to be impacted by inflation, catastrophe exposure, reinsurance costs, and the limitations of working within decades-old insurance regulations. State Farm General takes seriously our responsibility to maintain adequate claims-paying capacity for our customers and to comply with applicable financial solvency laws. It is necessary to take these actions now,” the company said in a statement.

The company also said it will continue working with the Department of Insurance, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other policymakers as they pursue reforms “to establish an environment in which insurance rates are better aligned with risk.”

Can California lure insurers back to the state?

In February, the state’s insurance department announced proposals to reform California’s insurance regulations. The new proposal would allow insurance companies to switch from using historical data to catastrophe modeling, meaning companies would calculate projections of future risk when raising rates and pass on the cost of reinsurance to consumers.

The new changes are expected to take effect at the end of the year.

Last year, State Farm announced it would stop accepting new insurance applications for all business and personal property in California.

Since then, other companies like Allstate have announced similar moves.

State Farm discontinuing 72,000 home policies in California in latest blow to state insurance market

Associated Press

State Farm discontinuing 72,000 home policies in California in latest blow to state insurance market

Associated Press – March 21, 2024

FILE - Homes leveled by the Camp Fire line a development on Edgewood Lane in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 12, 2018. State Farm will discontinue coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California starting summer 2024, the insurance giant said. The Illinois-based company, California's largest insurer, cited soaring costs, the increasing risk of catastrophes like wildfires and outdated regulations as reasons it won’t renew the policies on 30,000 houses and 42,000 apartments, the Bay Area News Group reported Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) — Homes leveled by the Camp Fire line a development on Edgewood Lane in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 12, 2018. State Farm will discontinue coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California starting summer 2024, the insurance giant said. The Illinois-based company, California’s largest insurer, cited soaring costs, the increasing risk of catastrophes like wildfires and outdated regulations as reasons it won’t renew the policies on 30,000 houses and 42,000 apartments, the Bay Area News Group reported Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - Residences leveled by a wildfire in Paradise, Calif., are seen on Nov. 15, 2018. State Farm will discontinue coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California starting summer 2024, the insurance giant said. The Illinois-based company, California's largest insurer, cited soaring costs, the increasing risk of catastrophes like wildfires and outdated regulations as reasons it won’t renew the policies on 30,000 houses and 42,000 apartments, the Bay Area News Group reported Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) — Residences leveled by a wildfire in Paradise, Calif., are seen on Nov. 15, 2018. State Farm will discontinue coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California starting summer 2024, the insurance giant said. The Illinois-based company, California’s largest insurer, cited soaring costs, the increasing risk of catastrophes like wildfires and outdated regulations as reasons it won’t renew the policies on 30,000 houses and 42,000 apartments, the Bay Area News Group reported Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — State Farm will discontinue coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California starting this summer, the insurance giant said this week, nine months after announcing it would not issue new home policies in the state

The Illinois-based company, California’s largest insurer, cited soaring costs, the increasing risk of catastrophes like wildfires and outdated regulations as reasons it won’t renew the policies on 30,000 houses and 42,000 apartments, the Bay Area News Group reported Thursday.

“State Farm General takes seriously our responsibility to maintain adequate claims-paying capacity for our customers and to comply with applicable financial solvency laws,” it continued. “It is necessary to take these actions now.”

The move comes as California’s elected insurance commissioner undertakes a yearlong overhaul of home insurance regulations aimed at calming the state’s imploding market by giving insurers more latitude to raise premiums while extracting commitments from them to extend coverage in fire-risk areas, the news group said.

The California Department of Insurance said State Farm will have to answer question from regulators about its decision to discontinue coverage.

“One of our roles as the insurance regulator is to hold insurance companies accountable for their words and deeds,” Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller said. “We need to be confident in State Farm’s strategy moving forward to live up to its obligations to its California customers.”

It was unclear whether the department would launch an investigation.

Last June, State Farm said it would stop accepting applications for all business and personal lines of property and casualty insurance, citing inflation, a challenging reinsurance market and “rapidly growing catastrophe exposure.”

The company said the newly announced cancellations account for just over 2% of its California policies. It did not say where they are located or what criteria it used to determine that they would not be renewed.

Conservative House Republicans unveil plan to attack Biden admin policies. Here’s what they would target

USA Today

Conservative House Republicans unveil plan to attack Biden admin policies. Here’s what they would target

Ken Tran, USA TODAY – March 20, 2024

WASHINGTON – The Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus made up of House Republicans, unveiled a course on Wednesday for dismantling many of President Joe Biden’s signature policies – though the proposal’s chances are slim for now.

As part of the RSC’s annual budget, first shared with USA TODAY, the group is pushing to roll back or loosen many of the Biden administration’s major federal rules and regulations.

Republicans in the group are taking aim at a wide range of policies, including initiates to combat climate change, a Defense Department policy reimbursing travel for service members who must cross state lines to receive abortions and Justice Department gun control regulations. In the budget, Republicans call for a return to former President Donald Trump’s approach during his term in office.

Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., speaks to reporters after dropping out of the race for Speaker of the House, and endorsed Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as House lawmakers seek to elect a new speaker in Washington.

“The RSC Budget would take bold and necessary action to rein in the Biden Administration’s dangerous regulatory regime, returning to the example set by former President Donald Trump,” the proposal reads, accusing Biden of implementing “a radical” agenda.

The conservative group, led by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., released their plan after Biden announced a federal budget earlier this month with an eye toward new social programs for housing, health care and child care.

But the budget framework from the GOP group, which comprises almost 80% of the House Republican conference, offers a preview into what policy priorities Republicans are itching to advance should they reclaim the White House, the Senate and hold on to the House.

The budget doesn’t just endorse a slate of GOP-led legislation. It also includes pushes meant to curtail the Biden White House’s executive authority “to restore the appropriate balance of power” between Congress and the presidency.

Included is Rep. Kat Cammack’s Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, or REINS ACT, that would require Congress to sign off on any rule from a presidential administration that has an economic impact of $100 million or more. The bill passed the House last year on a party-line vote, though it has little chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The proposal also goes after Biden for vetoing a bill passed last year that would have done away with a Labor Department rule for 401(k) plans. The rule allows fund managers to invest the retirement plans in “environmental, social and governance” funds (ESG) if it is in the best interest of the investor.

The funds are typically centered around “socially responsible companies” that focus on addressing environmental and social problems. Republicans have derided the rule as too “woke,” but the rule does not require investment into ESG funds.

Today, the RSC’s proposal is simply a conservative wish list, actions that have little chance of becoming law while Democrats control the Senate and Biden remains in the White House.

But as the presidential election and congressional races across the country pick up steam, the plan could reflect how Republicans are seeking to rally voters in the fall.

“It’s on us to reign in the executive branch and rescind their authority to make decisions that belong to the legislature,” Hern said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Our constituents sent us here to provide a check on the White House. We can’t be passive about it, it’s time for results.”

Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the 7th year running. See the top 20.

Business Insider

Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the 7th year running. See the top 20.

Beatrice Nolan and Ana Altchek – March 20, 2024

A woman in Helsinki, Finland — Helsinki, Finland.Lingxiao Xie/Getty Images

Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the seventh year in a row.
The World Happiness Report released its annual rankings of the happiest countries on Wednesday.
The US fell out of the top 20 as youth happiness plummeted.

Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year.

The World Happiness Report released its annual rankings of the happiest countries on Wednesday, with the majority of the top spots going to European nations.

The report, published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, relies on data from the Gallup World Poll, which is analyzed by some of the world’s leading well-being scientists.

The rankings represent the average view of life satisfaction in respective countries, known as “subjective well-being.”

Finland has managed to hold onto the top spot despite Denmark significantly closing the gap between first and second place.

On the flip side, Afghanistan, which was also ranked in last place in 2023, dropped even further for average happiness. America also saw a drop in perceived quality of life, dropping out of the top twenty countries for the first time since the report was published.

Young Americans ranked the lowest, with Gen Z loneliness increasing.

Here’s the full list of the top twenty happiest countries in the world, according to the report.

20. United Kingdom

According to the report, older people in the UK are significantly happier than younger age groups.

Despite the UK maintaining its ranking, a recent report from US nonprofit Sapien Labs’ Mental State of the World Report said that the UK is the second most miserable country in the world. It ranked below Ukraine, and the report indicated that factors like having a smartphone at a young age, eating highly processed foods, and decreased social relationships contributed.

19. Lithuania

Street in Lithuania — A street in LithuaniaRicardo Sergio Schmitz

While it’s No. 19 overall, Lithuania ranked as the happiest country for you people, according to the Gallup report. The country’s capital city, Vilnius, is known for attracting young workers from across the globe because of better work opportunities.

18. Czechia

Czechia maintained its ranking as 18 for the second year in a row. The country is known for its strong work-life balance and low cost of living.

According to the report, growing happiness in Czechia and other transition countries of Eastern Europe, like Lithuania and Slovenia, is partially why the US and Germany have fallen below the top 20 mark.

17. Ireland

Ireland has a slower pace of life and is full of cultural traditions, with drinking being a big one. It also has affordable healthcare and a good work-life balance where weekend getaways are common and encouraged.

16. Belgium

a view of wavre, belgium town hall — Wavre, Belgium.boerescul/Getty Images

Despite a high tax rate, many companies in Belgium offer perks like company cars, meal stipends, and affordable healthcare.

Antwerp, the biggest city in the Flanders region of Belgium, has previously been named one of the happiest cities in the world.

15. Canada

A man wrapped in two Canadian flag parades down an empty street. — A man wrapped in the Canadian flag.Dave Chan

Canada and the UK are the only countries with populations over 30 million that made the top 20 ranking in the report.

Older Canadians are significantly happier than younger age groups in the country. According to a breakdown of younger and older residents in each country, Canadians under 30 ranked 50 points lower than those 60 and older.

14. Austria

a photo of the Vienna, Austria Skyline. — Vienna, Austria.Giannis Alexopoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Many Americans have moved to Vienna and Linz for better work opportunities and overall quality of life. Shortages in engineering, nursing, and baking have opened up opportunities for people living in other countries.

One expat dad living in the country said his overall mental health improved in Austria and the move relieved some of his anxiety related to work. He also gets to travel more easily and spend more time with his family.

Austrians get 38 days of paid time off per year, with 25 days of paid vacation and an additional 13 public holidays off.

13. Kuwait

Kuwait downtown luxury — Downtown Kuwait.trabantos / Getty Images

Kuwait is newly ranked in the top 20 happiest countries. Workers in the private sector get 30 days of paid time off a year, one of the highest amounts of PTO in the world.

12. Costa Rica

Waterfall and pond in Nicoya, Costa Rica. — A waterfall in Nicoya, Costa Rica. underworld111/Getty Images

Costa Rica returned to the top 20 list after earning the same ranking in 2012, according to the Gallup report. Housing isn’t cheap, but some residents save money on utilities and transportation.

Others have reported improved mental health after moving there from the lifestyle and culture that centers around wildlife and nature.

11. New Zealand

Aerial View Of Auckland City's skyline in New Zealand at sunrise — Aerial View Of Auckland City’s skyline in New Zealand at sunrise.Jonathan Clark/Getty Images

According to some Americans who moved to New Zealand, housing costs are high, and buying options are limited. But work-life balance is better, and education and healthcare come at a lower cost.

Despite its high ranking, the report reveals that younger people living in New Zealand are significantly less happy than older residents. A separate list comparing young and older age groups in each country found that Kiwis 60 and older ranked in sixth place in happiness globally, while Kiwis under 30 ranked at 27.

10. Australia

The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. — The iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia. James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Australia has a reputation for offering one-of-a-kind experiences in nature, like snorkeling with turtles off the Great Barrier Reef or observing kangaroos in wildlife preserves. It’s also known for its laidback culture and relaxing vibe.

9. Switzerland

The Bernina Express train in Switzerland.Roberto Moiola/Getty Images

Switzerland was previously named the world’s best country by US News & World Report, and its business-friendly culture was a big part of the ranking.

Switzerland is a hub for raw materials like oil, and the country may also benefit from its historical stance of neutrality during international conflicts.

8. Luxembourg

Luxembourg city old town — The old town of Luxembourg City.Getty Images

Luxembourg is known for its rich history, tasty pastries, and fairytale aesthetic in some of its villages like Echternach.

According to an American student who moved there for grad school, the lower cost of tuition and cheaper healthcare necessities were a perk. Other notable factors included an efficient transportation system and a strong work-life balance that made a difference for her.

7. Norway

Norway maintained a high ranking in the report, but it also experienced a drop in scores among younger age groups.

While the weather doesn’t bode well for everyone, the country’s capital Oslo has previously been ranked as the best city in the world for work-life balance. Oslo has high employment opportunities in the life sciences, IT, and energy and environmental technology sectors.

6. The Netherlands

Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Mouneb Taim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A large part of Dutch culture lies in the concept of “niksen,” or doing nothing. Dutch residents value relaxation and tend to be friendly and welcoming to others.

The country is also known for its transportation system and Dutch-style home mortgages that make it easier for some residents to buy property.

5. Israel

Jerusalem, Israel — Israel.Nick Brundle Photography/Getty Images

Israel remained in the top five happiest countries in the world, moving down one ranking and 0.9 of a percentage point from last year. While the poll was taken before warfare in Gaza escalated, it was taken after the October 7 attack and hostage crisis.

With men and women joining the military at 18 years old, Israelis value living live in the present. The country also places high importance on community and family life, and less emphasis on work and status.

4. Sweden

Norrbro Bridge and the Royal Opera building in Stockholm, Sweden.Murat Taner/Getty Images

According to the Gallup report, older Swedish people are significantly happier than younger age groups in the country.

Sweden is known for its high level of safety and strong work-life balance. According to one consultant from California who moved to Sweden, it took two years to secure a full-time job but now she gets six weeks of paid vacation time and also secured a free master’s.

3. Iceland

Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland.Phillip Chow/Getty Images

Despite limited sunlight in the winters, Iceland managed to rank in the top three happiest countries for the second year in a row. While rent is rising in Iceland, it’s still cheaper than in other countries, and the cost of living is relatively low with healthcare heavily subsidized and nearly free.

2. Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Denmark is known for its “hygge” culture, which is the Danish concept of relaxing and enjoying simple comforts — the term is used in different settings to reinforce the idea of having fun.

The country is also known for its exceptional childcare, with Copenhagen ranked as one of the best places to raise children.

1. Finland

Market Square and Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral in Finland.Jon Hicks/Getty Images

Finland has a strong sense of democracy, and its public institutions and policies reinforce it.

Some attribute the high satisfaction of its residents to its welfare policy, which covers necessities for residents from “cradle to grave.” The policy offers free healthcare and free education from elementary school to college.

The U.S. is no longer one of the 20 happiest countries. If you’re young, you probably know why.

NBC News

The U.S. is no longer one of the 20 happiest countries. If you’re young, you probably know why.

Yuliya Talmazan – March 20, 2024

Happiness is a relative concept, but an annual index that tracks it in countries around the world has found that the United States and some Western European countries are falling in overall well-being because younger people are feeling less and less happy.

The U.S., in particular, dropped out of the top 20 for the first time, falling to 23rd place from 15th last year, driven by a large drop in the well-being of Americans under 30. The age disparity is stark: The U.S. ranks in the top 10 for those over 60, but for those under 30, it ranks 62nd, pulling down the overall score.

The report tracks trends in well-being rather than causes, but one of the editors of the report told NBC News that a myriad of factors, including economic inequality between generations in the U.S., are likely to blame for the low levels of happiness in American youth.

This makes the U.S., along with a handful of other countries, such as Canada, Germany and France, the global outliers — the report found that in many regions of the world, the young are still happier than the old.

The findings, announced Wednesday to mark the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness, are part of the World Happiness Report, which has been tracking well-being ratings around the world for more than a decade. It’s based on data collected by the research company Gallup and analysis by well-being academics led by the University of Oxford in the U.K.

Tuska 2023 (Vesa Moilanen / Sipa USA via Reuters file)

For the first time this year, the report gave separate rankings by age group, which in many cases vary widely from the overall happiness rankings for different nations. The report found that Lithuania topped the list for people under 30, while Denmark is the world’s happiest country for those aged 60 and older.

“We had picked up in recent years from scattered sources of data that child and youth well-being, particularly so in the United States, had seen a drop,” said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics and behavioral science at Oxford, who is one of the editors of the report. “That has pushed us for the first time to really slice and dice the data by these age categories, which we normally don’t do.”

The finding that in many but not all regions of the world, the young are still happier than the old, is consistent with the long-standing paradigm that people are the happiest in their younger years.

“To my surprise, youth well-being going off a cliff in the United States and North America, and to a lesser extent in Western Europe and Great Britain, is really explaining why the United States, Canada and the U.K. are getting lower and lower in the general population rankings,” De Neve said. “So that’s really explaining it because it’s not the case that the middle-aged or the people that are above 60 are dropping. If anything, the above 60s in the U.S. would be No. 10.”

Well-being for people under 30 in the U.S. ranks below the Dominican Republic, and is in line with countries such as Malaysia and Russia. Canada’s unhappy youth rank 58, four spots above the U.S.

When it comes to the tanking youth happiness in the U.S., De Neve said there is not a single smoking gun, but it is likely due to a combination of many factors ranging from political polarization to overuse of social media to uncertainty about the future and growing economic inequality between generations, with people under 30 struggling to get onto the real estate ladder.

“It’s a very complex time for youth, with lots of pressures and a lot of demands for their attention,” he added.

Meanwhile, the report also found that in countries of central and Eastern Europe, younger people are much happier than the old. But these countries have also seen the largest increases in happiness, for all ages. It was one of the biggest insights, De Neve said, that could be a big learning point.

“I think we can try and dig into why the U.S. is coming down in terms of wellbeing and mental health, but we should also try and learn from what, say, Lithuania is doing well,” he said.

The rankings are based on self-assessments by people in more than 140 countries, in which they rate their life on a scale from zero to 10, with the best possible life for them as a 10. Among the predictors of people’s happiness are not just economic well-being, the report says, but also other factors including freedom, life expectancy and social support.

This year, Finland remained on top of the list, and was followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. The lowest happiness scores were registered in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

The consistently high performance of Scandinavian nations is likely down to “a high sense of contentment” and high levels of trust in the society, De Neve said.

“They are obviously wealthy nations,” he added. But more than the high gross domestic product per capita, he said, wealth is also equally distributed, “they are amongst the most equal societies, so everybody benefits from the wealth that also underpins a welfare state, which provides psychological stability.”

US falls out of world’s top 20 happiest countries list for the first time ever

The Guardian

US falls out of world’s top 20 happiest countries list for the first time ever

Maya Yang – March 20, 2024

<span>Among people below the age of 30 from 2021 to 2023, the US ranks 62nd place in the World Happiness Report.</span><span>Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images</span> — Among people below the age of 30 from 2021 to 2023, the US ranks 62nd place in the World Happiness Report.Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

The US has fallen out of the top 20 happiest countries to live in for the first time ever, according to a new report.

In findings released on Wednesday, the World Happiness Report revealed that the US has slid from its 15th place last year to 23rd place this year.

The report, created via a partnership involving Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the World Happiness Report’s editorial board, pointed to happiness decreasing in all age groups for the US. It also found a significant decline among young people, who are now the least happy age group.

“This is a big change from 2006-10, when the young were happier than those in the midlife groups, and about as happy as those aged 60 and over. For the young, the happiness drop was about three-quarters of a point, and greater for females than males,” the report said.

Among people below the age of 30 from 2021 to 2023, the US ranks 62nd in happiness. Meanwhile, among those who are 60 and above, the US ranks 10th.

“In comparing generations, those born before 1965 are, on average, happier than those born since 1980. Among millennials, evaluation of one’s own life drops with each year of age, while among boomers life satisfaction increases with age,” according to a summary of the report.

Finland, for the seventh straight year, has been ranked the world’s happiest country. It is followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Israel. The least happy country is Afghanistan, the report said, followed by Lebanon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report’s rankings are not based on any index of factors including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption. Instead, the scores are based on individuals’ own assessments of their lives, according to researchers.