Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Carson City veterans with a total service-connected disability rating can deduct $36,400 of assessed value, about $1,299 a year in property tax
A Carson City, Nevada, veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating can deduct $36,400 of assessed value from a property tax bill. The Carson City Assessor’s office puts that at about $1,299 a year in property tax savings for fiscal year 2026/2027. Lower ratings carry smaller deductions, and the page lists each one. The…
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Poll workers paid $2,700 or more in 2027 owe Social Security and Medicare taxes
Poll workers and other election staff paid $2,700 or more in 2027 owe Social Security and Medicare taxes on that pay. The Social Security Administration set the 2027 threshold for election officials and election workers at $2,700 in its annual determinations notice, which is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on Oct. 26. The…
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Hyundai must fix 94,622 Genesis sedans because seat motors can catch fire
Hyundai is recalling 94,622 older Genesis sedans because a stuck power-seat switch can overheat a seat motor and start a fire, whether the car is parked or moving. The repair does not exist yet, and federal safety officials are telling owners to park outdoors until it does. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) logged…
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Lexus will fix 68,356 NX SUVs free with a dashboard software update
Toyota is recalling 68,356 Lexus NX SUVs from the 2022 through 2024 model years because the dashboard may not warn the driver about serious engine trouble. Dealers will fix the problem with a software update at no charge, according to the federal recall record. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received Toyota’s report on…
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VA processed a record 3.11 million veterans’ disability claims in fiscal 2026
The Department of Veterans Affairs processed a record 3,111,399 disability compensation claims in fiscal 2026, up from the prior record of 3,001,734 in fiscal 2025. VA announced the totals on Oct. 15, 2026 and rounded them to 3.11 million. The agency says it had never before processed more than 3 million claims in a single…
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Federal funding for welfare cash aid and community health centers runs out December 31 unless Congress acts
Federal funding for the welfare cash program known as TANF and for community health centers is set to run out December 31, 2026, unless Congress acts. Both deadlines land after the November elections, and Holland & Knight, a law firm that tracks Congress, says both could ride on a year-end package. The dates are fixed…
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Renters on emergency housing vouchers who were under lease September 30 can switch to tenant protection vouchers before year-end
Households holding Emergency Housing Vouchers who were under lease on September 30, 2026 are now eligible for tenant protection vouchers, which are to be provided before the end of 2026. The provision sits in the short-term spending law Congress passed in September. The Congressional Research Service, which writes nonpartisan summaries for lawmakers, laid out the…
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Oregon landlords can raise rent up to 10% in 2027, up from 9.5%
Oregon’s maximum allowable rent increase for 2027 is 10 percent, up from 9.5 percent in 2026. The state Department of Administrative Services, which calculates the figure each year, published the new number on September 28, 2026. It is a ceiling, not an automatic raise. A landlord may increase rent by up to 10 percent in…
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Pennsylvania utilities cannot shut off service December 1 to March 31 for households at or below 250% of the poverty level
Pennsylvania’s winter shutoff ban starts December 1 and runs through March 31, and it reaches households with income well above the usual poverty line. The state’s Public Utility Commission says its Winter Moratorium protects consumers from utility termination between those two dates, with income guidelines that go up to 250 percent of the federal poverty…
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Massachusetts utilities start tiered discount rates November 1 as regulators seek longer shutoff protection
Massachusetts gas and electric utilities will begin offering tiered discount rates to income-eligible customers on November 1, 2026. The state Department of Public Utilities, known as the DPU, says so on its winter bills page, and the same page says the department has asked to lengthen the winter ban on heating shutoffs. The discount is…