Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Medicare Advantage plan counts drop in 28 states and Washington, D.C., for 2027, as the national total slips to about 5,532
The federal tally of Medicare Advantage plans is thinner for 2027, and the loss is not spread evenly. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services counts about 5,532 plans for next year, compared with 5,553 in 2026, while its state sheets show 28 states and Washington, D.C., losing plans and 21 states adding them. A…
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A 100% disabled veteran with a spouse and one child gets $4,318.99 a month from the VA in 2026
The 100% row of VA’s 2026 disability table shows how a household gets counted. A veteran rated totally disabled who has a spouse and one child is listed at $4,318.99 a month, while the same veteran with nobody else on the award is listed lower. The distance between those two numbers is set by paperwork…
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Prosecutors say an Illinois woman hid her mother’s body in a garage freezer for two years while collecting her Social Security
Prosecutors say an Illinois woman kept her mother’s body in a garage deep freezer for two years while Social Security benefits in the mother’s name kept being collected. Her case sits inside a Justice Department sweep that charged 17 people in 11 federal districts between Aug. 21 and Sept. 18, with intended losses of $1.34…
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Progressive and State Farm drivers in Colorado and Washington can claim from auto-insurance settlements worth $15.2 million and $8.8 million
Two auto-insurance settlements are taking claims at the same time, one in Colorado and one in Washington. Progressive Direct and Progressive Preferred customers in Colorado whose cars were totaled share a settlement of about $15.2 million, with claims due by Feb. 5, 2027. State Farm customers in Washington share up to $8.8 million over underinsured-motorist…
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Land Rover and Jaguar will fix 23,677 SUVs free, including Defenders and Range Rovers that can lose drive power
Jaguar Land Rover North America is recalling 23,677 SUVs, including Land Rover Defenders and Range Rovers, because an electrical part can fail and cut drive power while the vehicle is moving. Dealers will install a software update at no charge. Owner letters are not expected until Nov. 13, so the notice in the mailbox is…
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A Texas couple were convicted of taking at least $9.5 million from 700-plus investors
A federal jury in Texas found Marina Brooks, 70, and Charles Brooks, 74, of Irving guilty on Sept. 28 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors say the couple took at least $9.5 million from more than 700 investors, many of them drawn in by radio ads. The Brookses have been convicted but not sentenced,…
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LiveHealth Online users can claim from a $2.04 million privacy settlement until Oct. 30
People who used the appointment booking tool on LiveHealth Online have until Oct. 30 to file a claim in a $2.04 million privacy settlement. The case accuses the telehealth company behind the service of sharing customers’ medical information with outside companies without permission. Each valid claim gets a share of the fund, and the size…
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Levoit air purifier buyers can claim a $10 digital payment from a $15 million ‘True HEPA’ settlement by Nov. 3
Buyers of Levoit Core and EverestAir air purifiers and replacement filters can file for a $10 digital payment from a $15 million settlement over “True HEPA” labeling. The claim window closes Nov. 3. The settlement website warns that the payment may shrink if the number of valid claims grows too large for the fund. Claim…
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Newsom lets California stations sell cheaper winter-blend gas a month early, citing an estimated $428 hit per household
California gas stations can start selling winter-blend gasoline right away, a little over a month ahead of the usual Nov. 1 switch, under an action Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Sept. 28. His office paired the announcement with an estimated $428 hit per California household from fuel costs over seven months. The release does not say…
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The poorest fifth of households spends nearly 10% of income on home energy bills
The lowest-income fifth of U.S. households spent 9.86% of income on electricity and natural gas in 2025, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). That is nearly 10 cents of every dollar, up from 9.38% the year before. The figure appears in NEADA’s winter heating report, released September 14, ahead of a heating…