Ali Budner

Latest Stories (35)

Work requirements for SNAP over 50 included in debt ceiling talks

May 23, 2023
Some Congressional Republicans want older Americans to prove that they work or are looking for work to get those benefits.
A sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits is displayed at a Brooklyn grocery store in New York City.
Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images

The steel sector is carbon-intensive. "Green steel" could be a game changer.

May 22, 2023
If you use renewable energy to make hydrogen and use the hydrogen to manufacture steel, the process would be friendlier to the environment.
Green hydrogen could be a way to wean raw steel production off coal, said Aaron Bergman of Resources for the Future. One barrier, though, is the limited supply of the substance.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Public spending on preschool hasn’t gone up in two decades

May 18, 2023
A new report finds that funding has stagnated in the last two decades. Some states are trying to buck the trend.
Public funding for preschools has stagnated in the last 20 years. Some states like New Jersey are looking to change that.
Daria Nipot / Getty Images

Flood insurance program updates hit homeowners hard

May 16, 2023
In some counties, the rates for property owners have increased on average more than 600 percent.
The federal government's flood insurance program is now more accurate in its risk assessment. That's affecting the price of buying insurance for many homeowners.
David Greedy/Getty Images

New mammogram age guidelines could detect cancer earlier — and add costs for women

May 15, 2023
Preventative mammograms are covered by most insurance providers. But follow-up exams might not be.
New federal guidelines aim to screen women earlier for breast cancer, but that could tack on additional costs for many people.
Pascal Lachenaud/AFP via Getty Images

Nearly half of small businesses believe the economy won’t improve in the next 6 months

May 10, 2023
When it comes to sales, inventory, hiring, credit conditions and more, small business owners are wary.
An April survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent business found that owners are struggling with inflation and other macro-economic issues.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Big banks are succeeding at turning a profit, struggling to meet climate commitments

Apr 27, 2023
Two recent studies show the biggest banks are still not doing enough to meet the goals of the Paris Climate agreement.
If banks over-invest in fossil fuels, "They're going to suffer consequences in terms of profitability later on," said UC Santa Cruz professor Galina Hale.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Prescribed burns need insurance. It's increasingly hard to get

Apr 26, 2023
Why companies that conduct controlled burns are having a harder time finding insurance policies willing to cover them.
Firefighters light a controlled burn during the Mosquito Fire in Foresthill, California.
Eric Thayer/Getty Images

More and more Americans are choosing cremation

Apr 18, 2023
That may in part be because of cost — cremation tends to be less expensive than burials — but also because of the creative creation remains market. Loved ones have options to create jewelry, paperweights, tattoos, even fireworks, from cremated remains.
Thomas Demarczyk/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Texas lawmakers want state-funded power plants to improve grid reliability

Apr 13, 2023
Blackouts and brownouts are becoming more common thanks to climate change. Grid managers say backup electricity options are essential — but at what cost?
Texas lawmakers are debating a bill that would fund new natural gas plants to act as a sort of fleet of emergency generators. Above, transmission towers near Houston.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images