Leaking AA & AAA Batteries

Something happened with batteries about 10 years ago. I agree, energizers are way more likely to leak than any brand. Hell, even the harbor freight batteries are better than energizers.
I have also noticed a big decline in car battery life lately. I have always used Deka batteries and would get 5-7 years out of one. I recently had two die prematurely. One was 1.5 year and the other 4.