INTERNACIONAL
The surprising hidden cost quietly adding nearly $132K to new home prices revealed
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Government regulations are adding nearly $132,000 to the cost of newly built houses, according to a new report released as Americans struggle to become homeowners.
The findings show that more than one-quarter of the final prices of newly constructed homes come as housing affordability remains a top concern nationwide, with elevated mortgage rates and limited inventory putting homeownership out of reach for many families.
The issue is also expected to be a key focus heading into the 2026 midterm elections, as lawmakers face growing pressure to address high housing costs and the affordability crisis overall.
AMERICA’S HOUSING MARKET COULD RUN OUT OF SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOMES
Housing industry leaders say states that have prioritized homebuilding have been better positioned to accommodate population growth and economic expansion. (Joshua Lott/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which commissioned the report, argues that regulations imposed by federal, state and local governments have become a major driver of the nation’s housing shortage and affordability challenges.
The study found regulations add an average of $131,734 to the cost of a newly built home, representing 26.4% of the final sale price. The estimate, based on the average new-home price of $499,500, marks the largest increase between consecutive NAHB surveys since the organization began tracking the data in 2011.
Regulatory costs have climbed a whopping 40% since 2021.
«We update our study every five years and this reinforces what we have been saying all along — that the cost to build a single-family home in this country continues to escalate and exacerbate the housing affordability crisis,» NAHB President and CEO Jim Tobin told Fox News Digital. «We’re up 40% over the last five years, and now regulatory burdens at every level of government are totaling more than $130,000 for the cost of a new home.»
NAHB estimates the U.S. faces a structural housing shortage of 1.2 million homes, arguing rising regulatory costs make it more difficult to increase supply.
Tobin said regulatory costs vary across the country, with states in the Southeast, including Texas, Florida and the Carolinas, generally maintaining a lower-cost regulatory environment than states such as California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois.
AMERICANS KEEP MOVING TO TEXAS AND FLORIDA — BUT ONE OTHER RED STATE IS GROWING EVEN FASTER
The NAHB report comes as housing affordability remains a top concern nationwide, with elevated mortgage rates and limited inventory putting homeownership out of reach for many families. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
He also said he expects regulatory costs to continue rising, but believes policymakers can help slow the pace through reforms.
«Anything we can do to lower that cost, I think would be really important,» Tobin said.
He pointed to the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which would streamline permitting, reduce barriers to new construction and expand financing tools intended to increase the nation’s housing supply.
The White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the report’s findings.
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NAHB said the study is not intended to argue that all regulations should be eliminated but to quantify their cumulative effect on housing affordability.
«While regulations are important, they can go too far,» Tobin told Fox News Digital. «We need to make sure health and safety are protected while getting rid of the more onerous and costly regulations that do nothing more than drive up costs and keep Americans out of homeownership.»
The analysis is based on surveys of 54 land developers and 337 single-family builders conducted in March 2026.
housing, economy, regulation, politics, midterm elections, costs
INTERNACIONAL
Florida sues Netflix, alleges streamer tracked children after promising families privacy
Texas lawsuit targets Netflix over user data
Fox News correspondent Madeleine Rivera reports on Netflix countering a Texas lawsuit that accuses it of privacy violations and using addictive design to target children on ‘Fox Report.’
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Netflix on Wednesday, accusing the streaming giant of misleading subscribers by promising an ad-free, privacy-focused service while secretly collecting years of behavioral data — including from children’s profiles — to build the advertising business it long insisted it would never create.
The 66-page lawsuit alleges Netflix built its brand by assuring consumers that paying a monthly subscription meant they could avoid the surveillance-driven advertising model used by other major technology companies. Instead, Florida alleges Netflix quietly collected extensive user data before launching its ad-supported platform in November 2022.
«Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance. That was false,» Uthmeier said in a news release announcing the lawsuit. «Netflix collected detailed data on children and families, designed its product to keep kids watching, and then commercialized that information to launch the advertising business it promised never to build. Parents, not corporate executives, direct the upbringing of their children. Netflix should expect to be held accountable.»
The complaint points to repeated public statements from Netflix executives who touted the company as different from advertising-supported competitors. Among them, the lawsuit cites former CEO Reed Hastings, who said during a 2020 earnings call that Netflix was «not integrating everybody’s data,» adding, «We don’t collect anything,» and describing the streaming service as «the safe respite» from companies that exploit users through advertising.
WASHINGTON POST FACES CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT ALLEGING ‘SURVEILLANCE PRICING’ OF SUBSCRIBERS
The Netflix logo is shown on one of their buildings in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Dec. 2, 2025. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
Florida alleges those assurances were misleading because Netflix built what the lawsuit describes as a massive behavioral-data operation that records how subscribers use the platform. According to the complaint, Netflix tracks billions of user interactions, including what subscribers watch, search for, pause, rewind, skip and abandon, along with information about their devices and locations. The state alleges Netflix uses that information to improve its recommendation systems and support its advertising business.
The lawsuit places particular emphasis on Netflix’s Kids Profiles, which the company markets as dedicated spaces designed for children. Florida alleges Netflix encouraged parents to create children’s profiles by describing them as «Great for kids» and a child’s «own space» while continuing to collect and analyze children’s viewing behavior through the same telemetry systems used for adult accounts.
PARENTS PUSH CONGRESS TO ACT ON KIDS’ ONLINE SAFETY AFTER JURIES FIND META AND YOUTUBE LIABLE FOR HARM
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a lawsuit accusing Netflix of misleading subscribers about its data collection practices and children’s privacy. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Florida also accuses Netflix of using so-called «dark patterns» to keep viewers engaged. The complaint alleges autoplay, which is enabled by default on Kids Profiles, is intentionally designed to extend viewing sessions, increase binge watching and generate additional behavioral data, particularly from children.
The state further alleges Netflix expanded into the advertising business it once rejected by allowing advertisers and advertising technology companies to use subscriber data for audience targeting and campaign measurement after launching its ad-supported tier in November 2022.
The lawsuit accuses Netflix of violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. Among other claims, Florida alleges Netflix unlawfully shared sensitive personal data collected from children without obtaining the consent required under state law.
MARYLAND MOVES TO BAN SURVEILLANCE PRICING IN GROCERY STORES
In this photo illustration, the logos of media service providers, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu are displayed on the screen of an Apple MacBook Pro screen. (Chesnot)
Uthmeier is asking the court to permanently block the alleged practices, order Netflix to delete data the state says was deceptively collected from Floridians, stop using historical subscriber data to support its advertising business, purge behavioral data collected through Kids Profiles, prohibit the use of alleged dark-pattern designs and impose civil penalties authorized under Florida law.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
politics, technology, privacy, florida, netflix
INTERNACIONAL
Ukraine strikes deep into Russia’s Arctic gas heartland as Trump pushes Putin toward peace
Kushner and Witkoff meet with Russian and Ukrainian presidents
Fox News reporter Stephanie Bennett has the latest on U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the Trump administration pushes to revive stalled peace negotiations, with discussions focusing on a potential path toward ending the war and broader diplomatic efforts on ‘Special Report.’
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Ukrainian drones struck deep into Russia’s Arctic north Wednesday, sparking a fire at an industrial facility in Novy Urengoy, a city in the heart of Russia’s most important natural-gas producing region, according to Russian officials and the Associated Press.
Regional Gov. Dmitry Artyukhov said Russian air defenses repelled the attack but falling drone debris caused a fire at an industrial site. He did not identify the facility, and the extent of the damage was still being assessed, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Ukrainian defense manufacturer Fire Point appeared to claim involvement, posting: «Guess who covered more than 3,300 km and successfully hit the target.»
The extraordinary strike comes as Washington makes a renewed push to end the more than four-year war even as Russia and Ukraine intensify long-range attacks on each other.
UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR’S BIGGEST ATTACKS
Flames and smoke rise from an industrial facility in Novy Urengoy, in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, after a Ukrainian drone attack on Sept. 9, 2026. Russian officials said air defenses repelled the attack but falling debris sparked a fire. (East2West)
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he had just spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested both Moscow and Kyiv may be prepared to negotiate.
«We had a great conversation. He is wanting to make a deal. And if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that would be very nice,» Trump said.
Asked what was holding up an agreement, Trump pointed to the personal animosity between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling them «two people that hate each other.»
«These are two people that are tired of fighting,» Trump added.
Trump’s comments followed a weekend diplomatic push by U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who traveled to Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to revive negotiations. The talks produced no breakthrough, according to the Associated Press.
RUSSIAN STRIKES CONTINUE FOLLOWING VISIT BY WITKOFF AND KUSHNER TO KYIV
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attend talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russia resumed major missile and drone attacks on Kyiv shortly after the American delegation left Ukraine, killing five people and wounding 35 on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
A European intelligence source told Fox News Digital that the simultaneous diplomacy and military escalation reflects a long-standing dilemma for Western governments trying to engage Moscow.
«You have to talk, you have to explain,» the source said, arguing that communication is necessary to prevent misunderstandings.
RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY
Smoke and flames rise over Moscow on June 18, 2026, following a Ukrainian drone attack that hit the Kapotnya oil refinery and other targets in the Russian capital. (East2West)
But the source said Russian officials can interpret Western outreach differently.
«Whenever you talk with them, they consider that this is a Western weakness,» the source said, adding that the assessment was based in part on informal contacts with Russian officials.
The source also said Putin’s recent emphasis on Russian «military progress in Ukraine» appeared aimed in part at Washington, projecting strength as U.S. officials seek to revive negotiations.
The escalation is taking an increasing toll on civilians. The United Nations said last month that Russian attacks killed or wounded more Ukrainian civilians in July than in any month since March 2022, with 437 killed and more than 2,600 wounded.
More than 16,800 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 51,000 wounded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilians and says its strikes are aimed at military and military-related facilities.
DRONE OFFENSIVE HITS RUSSIAN OIL TANKERS AND REFINERIES AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’ AS MOSCOW BANS DIESEL EXPORTS
A rescuer works at the site of a Russian drone strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, in a picture released on April 30. (Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Civil Administration Serhiy Lysak via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)
United24 described Wednesday’s attack as the deepest Ukrainian drone strike inside Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Novy Urengoy lies roughly 1,740 miles from Ukraine’s border. Artem Zhoga, Putin’s envoy to Russia’s Urals Federal District, said a Ukrainian drone had attempted to strike a fuel-and-energy facility in Yamal, according to Meduza.
The city sits in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the country’s dominant natural-gas producing region. About 80% of Russia’s natural gas is extracted there, according to Interfax data cited by the Associated Press.
Artyukhov said there were no reported casualties.
The attack was part of a broader Ukrainian drone assault on Russia. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces also struck targets around the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, including a naval base, an oil-loading terminal, military port facilities and warships capable of carrying cruise missiles, according to the Associated Press.
Russian authorities said four people, including a child, were killed and 29 wounded in the Novorossiysk attack.
Firefighters work at a site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, in this handout picture released Sept. 9, 2026. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv/Handout via Reuters)
Russia, meanwhile, continued its own long-range campaign against Ukraine Wednesday. Russian drones struck the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, killing two civilians and wounding three, while another wave of attacks on Kyiv killed one person and wounded 14, according to Reuters.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
russia, ukraine, wars, foreign affairs, national security
INTERNACIONAL
El vencimiento del TPS podría amenazar el flujo de remesas hacia El Salvador, según Alianza Américas
La incertidumbre por el vencimiento del TPS puede afectar el envío de remesas hacia El Salvador y dejar expuestas a más de 170,000 personas que han vivido durante décadas en Estados Unidos, advirtió Óscar Chacón, asesor de estrategias y cofundador de Alianza Américas.
Durante una entrevista en Frente a Frente, Chacón sostuvo que el fin de la protección obliga a muchas familias a destinar recursos a asesoría legal, trámites migratorios o la posibilidad de perder el empleo.
Esa reorientación de los gastos puede reducir el dinero disponible para los hogares que dependen de los envíos desde Estados Unidos. El asesor afirmó que millones de familias salvadoreñas reciben apoyo por medio de las remesas familiares.
Chacón dijo que tenía conocimiento de una reducción de las remesas durante los meses previos frente al año anterior, aunque aclaró que no había actualizado ese dato antes de la entrevista.
Si los beneficiarios que pierden el TPS ven reducidos sus ingresos o solo encuentran trabajos peor remunerados, tendrán menos capacidad para ayudar económicamente a sus familiares en El Salvador, planteó.
Aportes de los salvadoreños con TPS a Estados Unidos
El posible impacto en las remesas ocurre pese a los aportes que los salvadoreños amparados por TPS han realizado durante décadas en Estados Unidos, según Chacón.
El especialista sostuvo que esa población ha contribuido mediante el pago de impuestos, su presencia en el mercado laboral y la riqueza que su trabajo ha generado para las empresas estadounidenses.
A su juicio, el aporte no puede medirse únicamente en cientos de millones, sino en miles de millones de dólares acumulados a lo largo de 25 años.
Chacón también mencionó una dimensión que, según dijo, suele quedar fuera de la discusión pública: la contribución cultural de los inmigrantes salvadoreños y de la población extranjera en general.
El asesor agregó que la población inmigrante aporta juventud a una sociedad estadounidense que debe financiar jubilaciones y servicios de salud para las personas retiradas.
Los salvadoreños protegidos por TPS, sostuvo, han contribuido a esos sistemas sin tener certeza de que podrán acceder a esos beneficios futuros.
TPS: Óscar Chacón descarta una prórroga automática
La situación actual de los beneficiarios, según Chacón, ocurre pese a los aportes acumulados durante más de dos décadas y media en Estados Unidos.
El TPS para más de 170,000 salvadoreños llegó a su vencimiento el 9 de septiembre de 2026 sin una renovación formal anunciada por el Gobierno de Estados Unidos, afirmó el cofundador de Alianza Américas.
Durante la entrevista, rechazó la versión que circuló en redes sociales sobre una extensión automática de seis meses si las autoridades no emitían un anuncio. “No es cierto”, respondió.
Chacón explicó que el secretario de Seguridad Nacional puede postergar la fecha final del programa. Esa decisión podría alcanzar hasta 18 meses, pero depende de la discreción de esa autoridad y debe estar respaldada por un documento escrito.
El especialista diferenció una postergación de la fecha de finalización de una renovación formal del Estatus de Protección Temporal. Aunque son trámites parecidos, una ampliación del plazo no equivale a mantener vigente la protección migratoria.
A falta de una comunicación oficial, Chacón consideró “prácticamente una imposibilidad” una renovación formal para los salvadoreños. Añadió que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional todavía podía anunciar un período adicional para que las familias se prepararan.
TPS y 25 años de arraigo salvadoreño
La preocupación por una eventual salida se explica por el tiempo que los beneficiarios han permanecido en Estados Unidos. Chacón recordó que el TPS fue otorgado en 2001 a salvadoreños que ya residían en ese país.
Algunos habían permanecido entre ocho, 10 y 12 años sin autorización migratoria antes de inscribirse en el programa. El TPS les permitió evitar la deportación y obtener autorización para trabajar.
A partir de esa protección, muchas personas formaron familias, tuvieron hijos y nietos, compraron casas, abrieron empresas y reunieron bienes en Estados Unidos.
El cofundador de Alianza Américas sostuvo que la finalización del TPS afecta a una población que construyó durante más de 25 años su vida familiar, laboral y económica fuera de El Salvador.
“Estamos enfrentando el fin de sus vidas”, expresó al describir la situación de personas que, en muchos casos, no conocen otra realidad laboral o familiar distinta a la que tienen en Estados Unidos.
Chacón planteó tres escenarios generales: regresar a El Salvador, salir hacia un tercer país o permanecer en Estados Unidos sin la cobertura migratoria que les otorgaba el TPS.
El efecto del fin del programa, sin embargo, no será igual para todos. Cada persona debe revisar cuál era su condición migratoria previa antes de registrarse en el TPS.
Al concluir la protección, el beneficiario vuelve a la situación que tenía antes de su inscripción original. Si una persona tenía abierto un proceso de deportación cuando solicitó el TPS, podría retornar a esa condición.
Por esa razón, Chacón señaló que no hay una respuesta uniforme sobre las opciones o los plazos de cada salvadoreño. Cada expediente requiere una evaluación individual.
El asesor lamentó que no exista un acceso sencillo a asesoría jurídica especializada. Dijo que incluso las personas con capacidad para pagar un abogado pueden enfrentar dificultades para encontrar profesionales con experiencia en estos asuntos.
El Salvador y las dificultades de un retorno masivo
Dentro de esas alternativas, el regreso a El Salvador aparece como la opción formal más cercana. Sin embargo, Chacón cuestionó que el país tenga condiciones para recibir y reinsertar a más de 170,000 personas.
El asesor afirmó que buena parte de los beneficiarios tiene más de 50 o 60 años. A su juicio, ese grupo enfrentaría dificultades para obtener empleo por la discriminación laboral relacionada con la edad y por la escasez de plazas formales.
“Si sos mayor de 35, a veces ya no te quieren emplear”, dijo al referirse a las barreras que, según él, existen para las personas mayores en el mercado de trabajo salvadoreño.
Chacón también cuestionó la idea de que todos los retornados puedan abrir pequeños negocios. Señaló que El Salvador mantiene una alta presencia de economía informal, lo que limita esa posibilidad.
El cofundador de Alianza Américas sostuvo que los gobiernos salvadoreños no se prepararon desde 2001 para una posible finalización del TPS. Afirmó que se asumió que el programa se mantendría de forma indefinida.
Más de 850,000 salvadoreños sin papeles
El desafío de un retorno no se limitaría a quienes tuvieron TPS. Chacón estimó que, además de los más de 170,000 beneficiarios del programa, hay más de 850,000 salvadoreños sin papeles en Estados Unidos.
La suma de ambos grupos supera el millón de personas. Para el entrevistado, un retorno masivo de esa dimensión representaría un desafío que El Salvador no está en condiciones de asumir.
Chacón afirmó que el escenario migratorio del Gobierno de Donald Trump apunta a devolver a sus países de origen a quienes no tienen autorización migratoria para permanecer en Estados Unidos.
“No estamos en una condición óptima” para recibir a los salvadoreños que pierden el TPS, manifestó. Añadió que el desafío sería aún mayor si las medidas alcanzan a un número más amplio de compatriotas sin documentos.
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