Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Oil-heated homes face an average $2,115 winter heating bill, EIA forecasts
A home that heats with oil is forecast to spend an average of $2,115 from November through March, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says in its Winter Fuels Outlook, published October 6. That is 21 percent more than last winter, and the most of any heating fuel. The same week, EIA’s first heating-oil survey…
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Trump’s order directs Treasury to defer federal diesel excise taxes incurred October 5 through December 31, but does not cancel them
The one thing President Trump’s diesel order does not say is when the deferred tax has to be paid. Executive Order 14435, signed October 5, 2026, directs the Treasury Department to postpone payment of federal diesel excise taxes incurred from October 5 through December 31, 2026. It does not cancel them. The order’s text leaves…
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Walmart offers refunds or store credit on about 4.48 million recalled grill brushes
A metal-bristle grill brush bought at Walmart between January 2021 and August 2026 can be returned for a full refund or for credit at any Walmart store or on Walmart.com. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on October 1 as recall 27-010, covering about 4.48 million brushes, or 4,477,655 by its count,…
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Medicaid enrollees flagged under the work rule states must start by January 1 get 30 calendar days to prove they comply before losing coverage
Medicaid’s new work rule gives a flagged enrollee 30 calendar days to show they comply before a state can deny or end their coverage. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) set that step in an interim final rule issued June 1, 2026, and its fact sheet says states must generally put the requirement…
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USDA lists a December 1 target for Nebraska’s SNAP soda limit while it reviews a new request, followed by targets for SNAP purchase limits in Wyoming on February 1, Kansas and Missouri on February 15, and Hawaii and Ohio on April 1
Ohio is on USDA’s list of states with a SNAP purchase limit planned for 2027. The SNAP food restriction waiver table, updated October 13, 2026, gives April 1, 2027 as Ohio’s target date for limiting sugar-sweetened beverages. The same table lists Wyoming on February 1, Kansas and Missouri on February 15, and Hawaii on April…
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SSA’s own 2026 example shows an SSI recipient earning $317 a month in wages still collects $878 in federal SSI
An SSI recipient who earns $317 a month in wages still collects $878 in federal Supplemental Security Income, according to the worked example in Social Security’s own 2026 edition of Understanding Supplemental Security Income. The example uses the 2026 federal rate of $994 a month and shows that only $116 of the $317 is counted…
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TransUnion settlement pays some consumers $100 automatically and about $1,000 with a claim filed by October 30 over false bankruptcy remarks
Two weeks remain to file a claim in the TransUnion bankruptcy-remark settlement. People in the settlement’s “No Bankruptcy Group” get an automatic payment of $100 without doing anything, and the settlement website says a valid claim should raise that to approximately $1,000. The claim deadline is October 30, 2026, according to the official settlement website…
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Renters at properties of Greystar, Camden and dozens of other landlords using RealPage software have until January 29, 2027 to claim from a $359.9 million fund
The court hearing that decides whether $359,925,000 in rent-fixing settlements gets final approval is scheduled for October 15, 2026, and the claim window stays open for another three and a half months after it. The settlement website lists January 29, 2027 as the date claims must be submitted online or received. The money, about $359.9…
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Navy Federal will automatically cancel loans opened by impersonators and pay $250 more to members who file a claim by November 29
Members of Navy Federal Credit Union who got a settlement notice for a fraudulent personal loan have until November 29 to submit a claim form for an extra $250, and the loan itself is dealt with whether or not they file. Under the proposed settlement of Edey v. Navy Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal will…
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Apple’s $250 million settlement pays $25 per eligible iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16, adjusted pro rata to as much as $95, with claims due December 21
The claim window for Apple’s $250 million Siri and Apple Intelligence settlement has been open since September 21, and it closes December 21, 2026. The settlement website says each person who files a valid claim receives $25 per eligible device, and that the amount can be adjusted pro rata, up to a maximum of $95…