Axios

Without a federal law, surrogacy in the U.S. is governed by a patchwork of state regulations/

Why it matters: Confusing, varied local rules can determine everything from whether agreements are legally binding to who is recognized as a parent at birth.

More Americans are turning to surrogacy to build their families, as the practice becomes more common and more publicly discussed.

Why it matters: As surrogacy becomes more visible and accessible, ethical, legal and cultural tensions become harder to ignore.

Surrogacy in the U.S. can cost from $100,000 to more than $250,000.

Why it matters: High costs and limited insurance coverage make surrogacy inaccessible for many people seeking to build families.

MaRiahh Hodgkinson knows she has "unique" origins: She grew up with a mom and dad — and an "auntie" who gave birth to her in 1999.

The big picture: That has "always been a part of my family and story," she says. She doesn't even remember a time she was sat down and told about her parentage."

Americans desperately want day-to-day life to be more affordable. Right now, they aren't getting it.

The big picture: The pinch of high prices for food, energy, housing and more has driven seismic shifts in public opinion over the last four years. Since the onset of the Iran war, the cost of living looks likely to get worse, not better, at least in the near term.

A cultural shift toward downsizing fueled by a GLP-1 drug boom and slimming celebrities is destabilizing for people trying to achieve acceptance, mental health experts and body positivity advocates tell Axios.

Why it matters: Still, the body positivity movement, advocates say, is an ongoing fight that won't shrink with the trends.