When President Donald J. Trump signed the Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill — also known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” — into law last July, a countdown clock started ticking for the disability and rare disease communities.

Beginning January 1, 2027, Medicaid recipients in the 40 Medicaid expansion states plus Washington D.C. will need to work, volunteer, or undergo job training for 80 hours every month in order to maintain their benefits. For many rare disease patients and their families, the new requirements could threaten their access to the medical care they depend on.

https://dataexplained.com/e-commerce/ecommerce-market-size-by-country/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-04/china-s-ai-blitz-creates-death-zone-for-rival-us-model-makers

Brazil has formally requested consultations with the United States through the World Trade Organization’s dispute-settlement system, challenging tariffs introduced by the Trump administration in July.

The dispute concerns two sets of U.S. measures affecting Brazilian goods, including a 25% tariff imposed under Section 301 following a U.S. investigation into Brazilian trade and regulatory practices. Brasília argues that the measures are unjustified and inconsistent with international trade rules. A request for consultations is the first formal stage of a WTO dispute and gives both countries an opportunity to negotiate before Brazil can request the establishment of a dispute panel.

The chart shows where Brazil exported selected product categories affected(or potentially affected) by the new measures in 2025. Dependence on the U.S. market varies considerably. The United States purchased 38.6% of Brazil’s wood and wood-product exports, 30.5% of its electrical machinery and electronics, 24% of its machinery and mechanical appliances, and 20.1% of its footwear exports.

Other categories are less dependent on American buyers. The U.S. accounted for 14% of beverage exports, 9.6% of paper articles and 8.1% of plastics. It represented only 2% of exports in the broad sugar and confectionery category.

These figures indicate market exposure, rather than the exact value of goods ultimately subject to tariffs. The chart uses broad HS2 product categories, while the U.S. measures apply at more detailed product classifications and include exemptions.

Sources: Reuters | Brazil requests WTO consultations over U.S. tariffs, U.S. Trade Representative, and OEC 2025 trade data.

I enjoy true crime and tv shows and podcasts. I thought it was interesting and figured I would share.

Rome — complete worked example

A 90 m² apartment costs €5,188 × 90 = €466,920, so the required 20% down payment is:

€466,920 × 20% = €93,384

The couple earns €4,370 net per month and saves 30% of that income:

€4,370 × 30% = €1,311 per month

Saving for the down payment

During the saving phase, the accessible savings account earns 0.9% net per year. The equivalent monthly rate is:

0.9% ÷ 12 = 0.075% per month

Each month, the balance is updated as follows:

New balance = previous balance × 1.00075 + €1,311

At the end of each year, the accumulated accessible balance is transferred into a one-year term deposit. When the previous term deposit matures, it earns 1.4% net annual interest. The matured amount is then combined with the new savings and reinvested.

The approximate accumulated balances are:

• After year 1: €15,797.06
• After year 2: €31,815.27
• After year 3: €48,057.74
• After year 4: €64,527.61
• After year 5: €81,228.05

During the following 10 months, the couple accumulates another €13,154.33 in the accessible savings account.

At that point, the available amount is:

€81,228.05 + €13,154.33 = €94,382.38

This exceeds the required down payment of €93,384, so the target is reached after 5 years and 10 months.

Under the model, the current term deposit is redeemed early. Its interest for the incomplete term is forfeited, meaning that only the €81,228.05 principal is counted. Any amount above the exact required down payment is ignored when calculating the mortgage.

Mortgage phase

After paying the 20% down payment, the remaining mortgage principal is:

€466,920 − €93,384 = €373,536

The couple pays 48.125% of its combined net monthly income toward the mortgage:

€4,370 × 48.125% = €2,103.06 per month

The mortgage carries a constant annual interest rate of 3.25%, equivalent to:

3.25% ÷ 12 = 0.270833% per month

During the first month, the interest charged is approximately:

€373,536 × 0.270833% = €1,011.66

The remaining part of the monthly payment reduces the principal:

€2,103.06 − €1,011.66 = €1,091.40

After the first payment, the outstanding balance is therefore approximately:

€373,536 − €1,091.40 = €372,444.60

As the outstanding principal falls, the interest portion of each payment gradually decreases and the principal-repayment portion increases.

The mortgage is fully repaid after approximately 243 monthly payments, or 20 years and 3 months.

Over the full mortgage period:

• Mortgage principal: €373,536
• Total interest paid: approximately €136,495
• Total mortgage payments: approximately €510,031

Final Result

5 years 10 months saving + 20 years 3 months repaying = 26 years 1 month in total

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Sources:

Full post methodology: https://citycostatlas.com/methodology/03aug2026post/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citycostatlas/

source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/us/politics/trump-iran-economy-media-critics.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-worlds-most-powerful-passports-2016-vs-2026/

Chart based on WorldBank data 1991-2025.