On the spectrum that runs from gross hyperbole to established fact, the statement “everything about owning a home is more expensive” currently sits far closer to the latter than it has in a long time.

An analysis conducted by the Wall Street Journal found that costs went up in the following categories between 2019 and 2025:

• Emergency repairs (up 175%)
• Home maintenance (85%)
• Insurance (72%)
• Interest (35%)
• Property taxes (31%)

Those cost increases have made it harder for middle-class Americans to join the ranks of homeowners. According to Redfin, homebuyers with a budget of $2,500/month in 2019 could have purchased a $517,500 home with 20% down at the then-common 3% interest rate without their budget spreadsheet throwing an #ERROR. Nowadays, with that same monthly budget, they could only afford a $384,000 home at the now-standard 6.5% interest rate.

Longtime homeowners feel the bite, too

In 2019, US homeowners spent an average of $9,000 per year on home improvement, maintenance, and emergency repairs. In 2025, they had to spend $12,500 for the same, according to Angi survey data.

While interest rates have risen, so have property valuations, keeping home prices high and igniting a cycle of property-tax reassessments in many parts of the country, raising taxes and straining affordability further.

What else is up? According to property management software Vantaca, HOA fees have gone up 51% from 2021 to 2025. And retail electricity rates. And labor and materials prices, which drive up maintenance and insurance costs.

Life is just a bowl of expenses: The current rate of inflation in the US is 4.2%, more than double the Federal Reserve’s traditional target of 2%. That means there are more demands on Americans’ budgets than there are relatives trying to log into their Disney+ account as the costs of food and housewares, as well as services like health insurance and childcare, rise alongside home expenses.—HVL

US, Iran, and mediators met in Switzerland for first round of talks. Negotiators worked through the night after Sunday’s talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland got chilly, wrapping up early this morning in local time. As Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived at the Bürgenstock resort for negotiations, President Trump posted on Truth Social that “we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” if they did not rein in Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian state media said Trump’s threat violated the agreement the two countries signed last Wednesday. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan announced that “encouraging progress” had been made. Talks are scheduled to continue for the rest of the week.

UK PM Keir Starmer announced his resignation. Standing outside 10 Downing Street this morning, Starmer announced that he had spoken to King Charles III about his intention to resign from the post, and that he will support an orderly transition of power to whomever his Labour Party selects as the next PM. Labour lost confidence in Starmer following a scandal involving his former ambassador to the US’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and the rise of his intraparty rival, Andy Burnham. A new leader is expected to be installed by the time Parliament returns in September from its summer recess. President Trump is now able to say I told you so, as he wrote on Truth Social yesterday that “Keir Starmer will resign,” sparking confusion and speculation.

Serena Williams will return to singles at Wimbledon. To quote Michael Scott, “OK, it’s happening. Everybody stay calm.” Tennis legend Serena Williams will compete in singles at Wimbledon next week after accepting a wild-card invitation, following rumors of her imminent return sparked by her recent doubles matches. It’s been almost four years since Williams, 44, “evolved away” from tennis after her run in the singles draw at the 2022 US Open. She will also compete in doubles at Wimbledon with her sister Venus, 46, on a wild-card invitation.—HVL

If Lou Bega and the Short Circuit movies taught us anything, it’s that No. 5 has value. The fifth installment of Toy Story is taking that lesson all the way to the piggy bank, notching the strongest box-office debut of 2026. In its opening weekend, the Disney and Pixar movie:

• Grossed $160 million domestically—a franchise best.
• Made $152 million overseas.
• Had the second-strongest animated debut ever, behind Pixar’s Incredibles 2 in 2018.

Like its predecessors, Toy Story 5 also has strong reviews from audiences and critics, so its mojo probably won’t collapse like the toys do when a human walks into the room.

To infinity and…even farther: Woody and the gang have been rounding up audiences for nearly 31 years. The first four movies brought in about $3 billion in total box-office revenue, and toys and merchandise tied to the movies raised the franchise’s total revenue to ~$16 billion, according to a Disney-commissioned economic study compiled by advisory firm Steward Redqueen reported on by Axios.

You’ve got a trend in me: The number of movie tickets sold in 2026 is up 7% so far from last year, according to research firm EntTelligence, and the domestic box office total is at its highest level since before the pandemic, per Rentrak.—BC

Fed food for thought: The Federal Reserve will publish the results of its yearly bank stress test on Wednesday. The annual checkup tests how 32 large banks would perform in the face of broader economic problems. Then, the Fed has some fresh inflation data to consider on Thursday, when its preferred price metric, the personal consumption expenditures price index, will be released. It’s the central bank’s first look at inflation since it opted to keep interest rates steady last week and signaled a potential rate hike later this year.

Amazon Prime Day runs Tuesday through Friday: Amazon, which measures days differently than most of us, has its annual sales event this week. Amazon typically holds Prime Day in July, but it moved the event a month earlier this year to better match up with consumer spending habits around the World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the US’ independence. Let your dogs know now that they may see an influx of delivery drivers in the coming days, so they can plan accordingly.

Cannes it: The annual Cannes Lions advertising festival kicks off in France today. An estimated 13,000 people are expected to attend the event, including more than 250 creators who will rub elbows with marketing execs all week long, Business Insider reported. Per Emarketer, spending on influencer marketing is expected to hit $12.42 billion this year.

But wait, there’s more:

• The US is already guaranteed a spot in the World Cup knockout round, but it still has a group stage game against Turkey on Thursday.
• Curb your…happiness. Larry David’s new sketch comedy show, Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, premieres on HBO on Friday.

Mondays are bad enough, so the Brew’s own Brendan Cosgrove scoured the internet for a positive news story to help you start the week off right.

About 39% of shoppers looking for a Father’s Day gift this year said they wanted something that would create a special memory, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics conducted before the holiday. Well, some gifts are more special than others, like the ones that make dad’s eyes mistier than a hydration break gone wrong.

Several people have posted social media videos of themselves surprising their soccer-crazy dads with tickets to a World Cup game. And making the purchase was quite the feat, requiring hours of monitoring resale sites and spending hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of dollars.

But it was worth it, according to Diana Figueira, who bought her dad $850 tickets to the Portugal–Democratic Republic of the Congo match. “Just seeing the excitement, seeing a dream come true for him, it just meant everything to me,” Figueira told NBC News.—BC