I’ve been using Arch, and very happy with it. Very low maintenance except updating once every one or two weeks.
I just installed Fedora. I think it’s good for a laptop which you plan to seldom open or update. I’ll continue using it.
I’ll stay far from Ubuntu, because I do not like snap - and it reminds me of Windows on how I have to tinker to avoid something the OS wants to push on me.
If you were considering Ubuntu then you’d like Debian - and wouldn’t go wrong with it.
Honestly the news seems to be about RHEL. Fedora should still be good.