It was not exactly mourned by the types of auto hobbyists who read car magazines: If you'd ever driven a Versa rental car, you'd probably understand. It was a tiny thing even by subcompact standards, and not rich in features, style or horsepower. But what it was, was a relatively cheap and affordable new sedan you could purchase in the United States.
When Rep. Seth Moulton announced his plans to challenge Sen. Ed Markey last October, candidates flocked to the open race to replace him. So far, seven candidates have officially launched campaigns to represent Massachusetts's 6th Congressional District. They come from a variety of backgrounds, with some advertising their experience in the halls of power and others proudly labeling themselves as political outsiders. They share some commonalities, such as a disdain for the Trump administration and a stated desire to make life more affordable for residents.
Donald Trump claimed victory on the economy after 12 months back in office on Tuesday, declaring it to be the greatest first year in history as many Americans express alarm over the cost of living. In a stream-of-consciousness speech at the Detroit Economic Club, the US president delivered his gold-tinted view of how the economy has fared on his watch. Prices were down, he claimed, despite official data showing otherwise, and productivity was smashing expectations.
The used electric vehicle market is getting more interesting by the day. As new vehicles get more expensive, budget-conscious buyers will increasingly look to the used market. And in this category, EVs are increasingly hitting the sweet spot. After years of record new-EV sales, a wave of off-lease models is now hitting dealer lots, giving shoppers more choice, lower prices and vehicles that still offer the core EV advantages such as fewer moving parts, lower maintenance costs and no trips to the gas station.
The year 2025 is widely considered by real estate experts to be a year of normalization for the U.S. housing market, moving away from the extremes of the pandemic era. This shift is characterized by a more balanced market with increased inventory and a slower pace of price growth, though it is not expected to be a dramatic price correction or a buyer's market nationally.
A nerdy economics essay recently went viral. It asserted that the federal measure for the poverty line was woefully outdated and that for a family of four, the income needed today to function in American society was $140,000. The essay, by Michael Green, a financial market strategist, struck a nerve and set off another round of debate about affordability, focused this time on whether people with six-figure incomes should feel strapped.
As housing, utilities, and everyday costs of living continue to climb, a growing share of Massachusetts residents say the math of staying in the Bay State no longer works. In a recent Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll and an informal survey of Boston.com readers, residents said Massachusetts is just too expensive to get by. The Globe/Suffolk survey found that about one-third of Massachusetts voters have seriously considered leaving the state in the past year because of affordability pressures, even as a majority still believe the state is generally moving in the right direction.
As part of our big best cities survey for 2025, we asked residents of cities across the globe to rate the affordability of various activities in their hometown. They told us how they rate the cost of eating out, seeing a movie, grabbing a coffee, going to see art, watching live theatre or comedy, booking a live gig, getting a drink in a bar and going on a night out.
When you have a great candidate who's focused on the issues of the people and solutions for the people, along with an organized party doing year-round organizing, consistently showing up in communities, with the resources to communicate to the electorate, it produces wins, says Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party. This is going to be a great example of not just what happens in South Florida, but what can happen across the state.
Cleveland continues to rock and stand out as a popular place for prospective buyers looking for a bargain. The Realtor.com® November 2025 Housing Trends Report found that more and more buyers nationwide are seeking affordability in a high-cost, high-rate environment. But with national prices slipping and homes sitting longer on the market, more shoppers are redirecting their searches toward "refuge markets"- aka, traditionally lower-priced metros where each dollar goes further.
Affordability issues continued to push more buyers toward smaller, lower-cost metros throughout 2025, redefining further where Americans search for homes. The Realtor.com® November 2025 Housing Trends Report examined this shift in detail, noting that elevated rates and persistent price levels have encouraged movers to look beyond traditional hubs and into so-called "refuge markets". Providence, RI is one of the clearest examples of how that trend is reshaping regional demand, as the smaller metro as seen significant migration recently.
