What's Happening

US News

A Clean Bill (of Expenses)

What's going on: America already has the world’s most expensive health care system — and it’s about to get pricier. States are giving Americans covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) a sneak peek at what their 2026 premiums will likely be. It might be the scariest thing we’ve seen this month. The health policy group KFF estimates Americans will pay roughly $1,900 on average next year — more than double current prices and the biggest jump since the ACA entered the marketplace in 2014. The price spike ties back to Washington’s latest standoff. With the government shutdown now in its 23rd day, Congress has yet to reach a deal to extend the pandemic-era subsidies that cover most ACA premiums.

What it means: That sticker shock could hit hard. If lawmakers don’t act, anyone earning at least $65,000 annually will be on the hook for the full cost of their ACA plan once pandemic-era subsidies expire in December. Those subsidies — which helped low-income Americans by paying for 89% of premiums this year — are a lifeline for millions. Even if Democrats and Republicans cut a last-minute deal, experts warn it may come too late: Open enrollment starts in less than two weeks. Some families are already bracing for impossible choices: A Georgia consumer advocacy group said people told them they may have to choose between paying their mortgage or their health insurance. The clock is ticking.

Related: Federal Workers Turn to Food Banks Amid Shutdown (CNN)

International

About Those Jewels…

What's going on: We’re not saying we’d plan a museum heist…but after robbers made off with priceless royal jewels from the Louvre — at the respectable hour of 9:30 am, no less (as the internet noted, these thieves have “better work-life balance than us”) — we’ve been transfixed. Here’s where things stand: Police still haven’t caught the robbers, who made off on scooters, à la The Lizzie McGuire Movie. The museum’s director admitted the incident was “a terrible failure” and offered to resign. Oh, and the stolen items — worth an estimated $102 million — are uninsured (really). Meanwhile, we’re quickly learning that selling stolen crown jewels isn’t as easy as listing them on Poshmark. As Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI’s National Art Crime Team, told The Washington Post: The real art “isn’t the stealing, it’s the selling.”

Tell me more: Most experts believe the pieces could be sold for parts. Empress Marie-Louise’s emerald necklace and earrings may have been cut into smaller pieces, and the metals melted down into a silvery goo. Still, Wittman says there’s a chance — if these criminal masterminds care about history and art at all — that they kept the pieces intact, hoping the French government will offer a reward. We much prefer that option, as we can’t stop picturing some diva burglar walking around her apartment wearing Queen Marie-Amélie’s tiara (extra points if she’s also singing into a hairbrush like Sabrina Carpenter). 

Related: When the Louvre Heist Is Your Whole Personality (theSkimm)

Health

Testosterone's Having a Midlife Moment

What's going on: Menopause doesn’t exactly arrive with a welcome basket — unless you count hot flashes, brain fog, and moods that could melt steel. Now, after years of patching symptoms one product at a time, more women are turning to testosterone for relief, according to The Cut. They say it helps boost energy, lift libido, and steady emotions. The catch? The FDA hasn’t approved a single testosterone product for women. Some doctors still prescribe it off-label as creams and patches — often with little oversight. “Most of my friends are on it,” one woman told The Cut. “They mostly do the pellet — the shot in your butt.” In 2019, international medical groups endorsed testosterone for postmenopausal women with low sexual desire, but only four countries actually sell it.

Tell me more: Women 35+ already spend about $13 billion a year managing menopause symptoms — a number expected to hit $24 billion by 2030 — all chasing relief. Doctors say they’re frustrated with the FDA’s inaction, especially as more women ask about testosterone. Meanwhile, higher doses remain understudied, and researchers warn of side effects like acne, hair loss, voice changes, hairy chins — even, in rare cases, full beards. Until the science catches up, many women may have no choice but to bet on testosterone, hoping it will boost their mood, energy, or sleep.

Related: Menopause Is Inevitable — But Can You Hit Snooze? (Everyday Health)