Car insurance costs in Arkansas jumped 25% between 2023 and 2024, a new report finds.

Why it matters: Rising insurance costs and other car-related expenses are creating an affordability crisis with little room to maneuver, as Axios' Courtenay Brown writes.

Driving the news: The average annual cost of full auto coverage increased 15% nationwide in 2024, per a report from Insurify, which helps drivers compare quotes from multiple providers.

• But drivers in some states got hit much worse.
• Rates skyrocketed 58% in Minnesota, 53% in Maryland and 48% in California, for example.

By the numbers: Arkansas drivers are paying an average of $2,430 for full coverage annually as of 2024.

• Americans broadly are paying an average of $2,313 for full annual coverage.

What they're saying: Insurance costs are driven by several factors, Insurify's Chase Gardner tells Axios.

• First is the likelihood that drivers will file a claim, and how much those claims will cost to pay out. Accident and theft rates, plus the cost of repair work and parts, all have an impact.
• Extreme weather plays a role too, Gardner says, with natural disasters like hail and wind leading to a spike in claims in several states.
• State policies also matter. California, for example, recently doubled its liability limits, which affords "more protection to drivers after an accident but pushes up premiums," per Insurify's report.

Stunning stat: Electric vehicles are now 24% more expensive to insure than their comparable internal-combustion brethren, Insurify found, in part because they're more expensive to repair after accidents.

• Yes, but: EV owners may still come out on top when factoring in fuel and regular maintenance savings — not to mention tax credits and incentives.

What's next: Car insurance rates are likely to increase just 5% nationwide and in Arkansas this year, Insurify predicts.

Tyson Foods hasn't seen increased absenteeism at its meatpacking plants related to the Trump administration's threats to deport immigrants, its CEO said Monday.

• All company employees are legally authorized to work there, he said, noting Tyson Foods was an early adopter of E-Verify and the IMAGE program.

The big picture: Donnie King, CEO since mid-2021, made the comments as part of the company's first-quarter earnings report.

• In a news release, King said the earnings were the company's best quarterly performance in more than two years.
• Tyson posted a net income of $359 million for the quarter, up from $107 a year earlier, noting stronger demand for beef and chicken.

State of play: Amid an on-again-off-again U.S. tariff war with Mexico, the company raised its 2025 outlook to flat to positive 1%.

• King said the company does contingency planning related to trade and supply chain.

The bottom line: "We look forward to working with the new administration and Congress to support the U.S. economy, and we'll continue to monitor or respond to new policies accordingly," King said.

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📱A bill that would ban cellphone use in Arkansas public schools passed a Senate committee hearing on Monday. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🏢 Fayetteville's planning commission will again consider a seven-story, 185-room housing development proposed for Dickson Street. (Fayetteville Flyer)

🗳️ Arkansas Democrats Quintessa Hathaway and Chris Jones were not elected to leadership roles with the Democratic National Committee over the weekend. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

The Fayetteville City Council meets tonight. Here are a few highlights of what you can expect members to vote on:

• The purchase of a Mack Roll Off dumpster truck for $251,400, plus fees up to 10% of the purchase price.
• The purchase of a Hyundai forklift for $50,000, plus fees.
• An appeal to consider a largescale development at 191 S. Hill, Ave. in Fayetteville.

Go to the meeting at 5:30pm or watch online.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was in Washington, D.C., last Friday. She was part of a White House Roundtable on school choice.

• She gave an extended interview to Fox News about education.