Consumer News: Justice Department adds six landlords to rental price lawsuit

But oil prices are also higher, pulling the average gas price back to $3 a gallon

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The national average price for regular gasoline rose 2.5 cents last week to $3.00 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data.

• Diesel prices climbed 4.7 cents to $3.64 per gallon, marking a continued upward trend.

• A refinery fire in the Midwest and new U.S. sanctions on Russia contributed to higher fuel costs.

After weeks of relative calm at the pump, U.S. drivers are seeing gas prices tick upward once again. However, the price increase was largely confined to one region.

The national average price for regular gasoline increased by 2.5 cents per gallon over the past week, reaching $3.00, according to GasBuddys survey of more than 150,000 stations nationwide. Despite the rise, prices remain 10.8 cents lower than a month ago and 7.4 cents below where they stood at this time last year.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the increase was largely driven by a refinery fire in the Midwest, which temporarily disrupted supply and sent wholesale gasoline prices soaring in the region.

While the spike in prices in affected areas was significant, relief is likely in the weeks ahead as the situation stabilizes, De Haan noted in the companys blog.

He added that a potential U.S.-China trade deal could temporarily buoy oil prices.

Optimism about increased trade could keep the national average slightly above the $3 mark for a couple more weeks before dipping below $3 ahead of Thanksgiving, De Haan said.

Global factors push oil prices higher

Oil prices also edged higher last week after President Trump imposed new sanctions on Russia, prompting major buyers like China and India to reduce imports. The result: tighter global supply and solid gains for crude.

At the start of the week, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 3 cents to $61.53 per barrel, up sharply from $57.03 a week ago. Brent crude followed suit, rising to $65.96 per barrel from $60.72.

UBS commodities analyst Giovanni Staunovo said the full impact will depend on whether countries like India and Turkey cut their purchases of Russian oil and how quickly Russia finds alternative buyers.

Supplies tighten

The latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report showed modest drawdowns across key fuel inventories. Oil stockpiles dropped by 1 million barrels and now sit about 4% below typical seasonal levels. Gasoline inventories fell by 2.1 million barrels, while distillates (including diesel and heating oil) dropped by 1.5 million barrels.

Refinery utilization rose to 88.6%, but gasoline demand slipped slightly to 8.45 million barrels per day a sign that consumers may already be adjusting to higher prices.

The most common gas price nationwide is $2.89 per gallon, unchanged from last week, while the median price climbed to $2.87. Some drivers are paying much more the top 10% of U.S. stations are averaging $4.38 per gallon, compared to $2.41 at the cheapest 10%.

Lowest state averages:

• Mississippi: $2.54

• Louisiana: $2.56

• Oklahoma: $2.57

Highest state averages:

• California: $4.55

• Hawaii: $4.43

• Washington: $4.29

Michigan saw the largest weekly spike (+16.6), while Ohio drivers enjoyed the biggest drop (-12).

While geopolitical tensions and refinery disruptions are keeping prices elevated for now, analysts expect a modest retreat in the coming weeks. As refinery operations stabilize and seasonal demand wanes, motorists could see prices fall back below $3 per gallon before the Thanksgiving travel rush.

Users can go from chat to checkout in just a few clicks

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• PayPal partners with OpenAI to bring instant checkout and commerce directly into ChatGPT.
  

• ChatGPT users will be able to pay with PayPal, using cards, balances, or banks backed by PayPals buyer protections.
  

• Millions of merchants will gain access to ChatGPTs shopping audience through PayPals new Agentic Commerce Protocol integration.

PayPal is taking another major step in digital payments this time inside ChatGPT. The company has announced today that it will adopt the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), enabling millions of ChatGPT users to make instant purchases using PayPal and allowing merchants to sell their products directly within the chatbot experience.

The move could turn OpenAIs ChatGPT into a powerful new shopping platform, giving users the ability to go from chat to checkout in just a few taps, according to PayPal CEO Alex Chriss.

Hundreds of millions of people turn to ChatGPT each week for help with everyday tasks, including finding products they love, and over 400 million use PayPal to shop, Chriss said.

By partnering with OpenAI and adopting the Agentic Commerce Protocol, PayPal will power payments and commerce experiences that help people go from chat to checkout in just a few taps for our joint customer bases.

Seamless shopping

With this partnership, ChatGPT users will soon be able to use PayPals Instant Checkout a feature that integrates PayPals digital wallet, multiple funding options, including bank, balance, and cards, and the companys hallmark buyer and seller protections.

The system also extends PayPals post-purchase support, such as shipment tracking and dispute resolution, directly into the ChatGPT experience. For users, that means a familiar, secure, and fast checkout process when buying through conversational shopping interactions.

The impact could be even greater for businesses. PayPals integration with the Agentic Commerce Protocol will connect tens of millions of merchants from small businesses to global retail brands to ChatGPTs commerce ecosystem.

Through PayPals ACP server, merchants wont need to perform separate integrations to be discoverable or sell within ChatGPT. Instead, PayPal will handle payment processing, merchant routing, and validation behind the scenes. The platform will start surfacing product catalogs from categories such as fashion, beauty, electronics, and home improvement in 2026.

By effectively linking ChatGPT users with PayPals vast merchant base, this partnership could redefine how conversational AI facilitates online shopping.

Beyond checkout

The announcement also marks a deeper collaboration between PayPal and OpenAI beyond payments. PayPal plans to expand its use of ChatGPT Enterprise across its 24,000 employees, giving engineers access to tools like Codex to accelerate product development and improve customer experiences.

Free meals, fee waivers, and food-bank boosts from DoorDash during the SNAP funding cliff

• DoorDash is delivering one million free meals nationwide through its food-bank network.

• The company is waiving delivery and service fees on grocery orders for eligible SNAP (EBT) recipients at partner stores.

• Additional aid: DoorDash is also donating fresh and shelf-stable food and essentials from its DashMart locations to food banks.

With the looming threat of a funding interruption for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) potentially affecting more than 40 million Americans DoorDash is mobilizing an emergency response to address the immediate hunger risks.

Families, working households, seniors, and children could all face increased food insecurity if the programs benefits pause. Recognizing that gap, DoorDash has stepped up with a suite of consumer-facing and food-bank-facing actions aimed at helping people stretch their resources until the federal program is restored.

No one should go hungry in America period, Max Rettig, Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy at DoorDash, said in a news release.

Millions of families are worried right now about how theyll put food on the table. Fighting hunger is core to our mission at DoorDash, and were stepping up alongside leading grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap. We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isnt an option.

The specifics of the effort

Heres a breakdown of what DoorDash is doing:

• One million free meals via food-bank partners. Through its initiative called Project DASH, DoorDash is supporting over 300 food-bank and pantry partners across the country by waiving merchant/delivery fees and enabling distributions. This effort is estimated to equal about one million meals in November.

• Fee-free grocery orders for SNAP recipients. If you use your SNAP/EBT card and have it linked in your DoorDash account, then at participating grocery stores (including names like Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Ahold Delhaize brands, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, and Wegmans) youll get your delivery fee and service fee waived on one eligible order between November 1 and November 30.

• Food and essentials donations from DashMart. DoorDash will also donate fresh produce, shelf-stable items and household essentials from its DashMart fulfillment locations to food banks in communities that are likely to be impacted by any shortfall of SNAP benefits.

For consumers, this means if you receive SNAP benefits and shop through DoorDash at one of the designated grocery partners, you can take advantage of waived fees this coming November.

How to claim the deal

1. Make sure your DoorDash account is set up and your eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/EBT card is added under Account Payment Program Cards.

2. Between November 130, shop at one of the participating grocery partners (look for names like Sprouts, Dollar General, Hy-Vee, Wegmans, Giant Eagle, etc.) and place a grocery order through DoorDash.

3. At checkout, select your SNAP/EBT card for the grocery portion. Because of the special deal, the delivery fee and service fees on that eligible order will be waived. (If your cart includes items that are not SNAP-eligible, youll need a backup payment method for those & any tip.)

4. Tip: Make sure your order meets any minimum subtotal required by the grocery partner to qualify for the fee waiver. Double-check the Offers or Promotions tab in the app for any additional details.

The breakthrough approval is set to be available in November

• A brand-new drug has been approved that tackles moderate to severe hot flashes without using hormones.

• Called elinzanetant (brand name Lynkuet), it works by targeting neurokinin 1 and neurokinin 3 receptors in the brain.

• The approval is backed by robust clinical trial data and gives women a fresh treatment alternative for menopause-related vasomotor symptoms.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lynkuet (elinzanetant), manufactured by Bayer, for women with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) due to menopause.

This news is important because for many women, hormone therapy either isnt an option or isnt the ideal choice. With this new approval, theres a scientifically-backed, non-hormonal option stepping into the spotlight.

For more than a century, Bayer has been dedicated to pioneering advances in womens health, and this FDA approval represents a bold step forward our first hormone-free treatment for alleviating vasomotor symptoms of menopause, Christine Roth, Executive Vice President, Global Product Strategy and Commercialization said in a news release.

There is a need for more individualized approaches to menopause care, and Lynkuet addresses a significant gap in treatment options. The approval in the U.S. reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering science-driven solutions that meet womens evolving health care needs and empower them to take charge of their health at every stage of life.

What you need to know about Lynkuet

Lynkuet works differently from older hormone-based treatments.

Instead of supplementing estrogen or progestin, elinzanetant blocks two receptors in the brain neurokinin 1 (NK1) and neurokinin 3 (NK3). These receptors are part of the system that regulates body temperature, and when menopause disrupts that system, it can lead to those infamous hot flashes.

Grounded in science

The approval is grounded in three Phase III clinical trials (OASIS 1, OASIS 2, and OASIS 3) that together enrolled over 1,400 women. In the first two studies, women who took elinzanetant saw meaningful reductions in both the frequency and severity of hot flashes both during the day and at night. Study 3 extended the data up to 52 weeks to assess longer-term safety.

These three studies investigated the safety and efficacy of elinzanetant for the treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause, JoAnn Pinkerton, M.D., Professor and Director of Midlife Health at UVA Health and Lead Investigator on the OASIS 2 trial said in the news release.

Hot flashes, particularly when severe, can have an impact on womens daily lives and this approval provides health care providers with a new treatment option that can be used first-line for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause.

What this means for you

Starting in November 2025, Lynkuet is expected to become available in the U.S.

If youve been holding off hormone therapy or finding your current options lacking, this could offer a fresh route to get your sleep back, reduce those disruptive night sweats, and reclaim more comfortable days and nights.

Of course as with any treatment its important to talk with your health care provider to see whether this new medication is a good fit for you, especially since individual health situations vary. But the bottom line: menopause relief just got a little more flexible and for many women, that flexibility may make all the difference.

Its important that women know they have choices for treating moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause, and todays approval further expands a womans options for treating these symptoms, Claire Gill, President and Founder of the National Menopause Foundation, said in the news release.

Simple moves to stretch every gift card dollar

• Know the rules, then use them fast: Balances last 5 years; inactivity fees after 12 months; some states cash out small leftovers (e.g., CA
• Buy low, sell smart: Warehouse clubs = easy 20% off; sell via eBay for max value or Raise/CardCash for quick cash
• Add cards to your phone, photo front/back + receipt, set 30/60-day reminders, spend risky retailers quickly, and zero outprepaid balances by buying an Amazon e-gift for the exact amount

Americans buy billions of dollars worth of gift cards every year and then a shocking amount sits unused in walletsand junk drawers. A whopping $244 per person on average according to a Bankrate survey.

It's time tofix that. Heres a no-nonsense gift card playbook including tips to make them easier to use, howto buy cards at a discount, where to sell the duds, and how to keep from losing them.

First, the gift card rules worth knowing

Expiration:By federal law, the money on most gift cards cant expire for at least five years. If there's a date on the card and it expires, youre entitled to a free replacement from the store or brand with your remaining balance.

Fees: Dormancy/inactivity fees generally cant hit until 12 months of no use and even then, only once per month and only if they've warned you about this ahead of time.

Small leftover balances: Some states let you cash out smallerbalances. For example, California requires cash back on most store cards under $10. Ask at the customer service desk if this is an option in your state.

What this means for you:My general rule of thumb is to use cards sooner rather than later and thereby avoid store closures, policy changes, and plain old forgetfulness.

The best places to buy gift cards below face value

• Warehouse clubs: Costco, Sams Club, and BJs regularly sell popular restaurant and entertainment cards at 5%25% off. I often buy gift cards at Costco as you can buy a 4-pack of $25 gift cards for only $79.99, an easy 20% savings. Its nice to get the savings up front. If you already have a membership, this is the easiest win.

Reputable online marketplaces:

• Raise - The savings is not as good as a warehouse club, typically in the 3% -15% range. They offer a 90-day money back buyer guarantee which covers you if you buy an inactive card, get an inaccurate balance, or if the wrong card gets mailed to you.
• CardCash - They are similar to Raise, but they only offer a 45-day guarantee on their gift cards. But unlike Raise, they offer they ability to trade an unwanted card for other brands, sometimes giving you a better return than cashing out.

Pro tip: If you dont like fine print, stick to the warehouse clubs when buying gift cards. If youre comfortable following a couple of steps, marketplaces have the potential to save you more, just be sure to spend the balance right away.

The best places to sell unwanted gift cards

Have a card you wont use? Cashing out is better than letting it gather dust.

These fouroptions are worth a strong look:

• eBay Selling gift cards on eBay has the highest upside if the store or brand is hot and you run an auction or "Buy It Now" at market price. But keep in mind that category restrictions and selling fees do apply.
• GiftCash.com A very straightforward option: you enter the brand and balance and get back an instant cash offer. If you accept the offer, they'll pay you via ACH or PayPalafter verifying the card.
• Raise - You can list and set your price (youll pay a fee when it sells). Good for popular brands than move quickly.
• CardCash Theyll give you a quick quote for cash or trade which is handy. Expect less than face value, but its simple process and fast.

Reality check: You wont get dollar-for-dollar cash back when selling at the above spots. Popular stores fetch more and niche brands fetch less. Still, 7590% is common enough that it beats losing the whole thing.

Dont lose them: 5 tips that actually work

1. Add it to your phone right away.Many store and Apple Account cards can be redeemed/managed right in Wallet; follow the on-screen Redeem steps and itll live on your phone until you need it.

2. Photograph everything. Front, back, and the receipt. If a balance ever goes missing, you'll be able to use those photos asevidence with the issuer or marketplace.

3.Set a use-it reminder. Tell your phone to remind you in 30 days and again in 60 days. If you havent used the gift cardby then, plan a shopping trip or sell it.

4. Register the card if the brand allows it. Registration can help if the card is lost or if theres suspicious activity. (Not every brand offers this, but check.)

5. Spend store-specific cards quickly if you see bad news. If a retailer is rumored to be closing or restructuring, dont wait, use it SAP. Whether gift cards get honored can depend on a courts decision so spend it quickly.

Use-it-soon strategies (so the value doesnt vanish)

Attach the card to a real errand. For example, if you have a restaurant card in your wallet, put a lunch on the calendar this week. Have a Home Depot or Lowes gift card? Buy the air filters and light bulbs youre going to need anyway.

Keep track of your balance and split it smartly. For example, tell the cashier, Please put $X on this gift card and the rest on my credit card. That zeros out the card so youre not stuck with $2.17 forever.

Know your states cash-out rule. In some places you can ask for cash back on small leftovers (e.g., under $10 in California, under $5 in Oregon and Washington). Its worth a quick ask at customer service.

Smart way to use a remaining balance on a prepaid card

Chances are theres a mostly-spent prepaid Visa/Mastercard cash card in your wallet and youre not sure what to do with the leftovers.

Turn it into cash to spend on Amazon, right down to the last cent.

Heres what you do, find the exact remaining balance, then buy an Amazon gift card for that amount and add it to your account. Then you can toss the prepaid card knowing youve accounted for every cent.

Here are the exact steps:

1. On Amazon, buy an e-gift card for yourself - Go to Gift Cards eGift Card (or Reload your balance), choose Custom amount, and enter the exact card balance. Set delivery to your own email.
2. Register a billing ZIP (important) - On the cards website, add your name, address, and ZIP. Amazon runs an address match and unregistered cards often decline.
3. Buy the gift card with the prepaid card only - At checkout, add the prepaid card (as a new credit card) and make sure no other card is selected when paying.
4. Redeem instantly - Open the email youll get from Amazon, click Apply to your balance, and youve consolidated that odd leftover into your Amazon Gift Card balance.

Pro tip: Avoid trying to split an Amazon order across multiple credit cards. Amazon doesnt support split tender (gift card + credit card).

How to give a gift card the right way

I have two simple rules when it comes to gifting a gift card along with a couple of niceties:

1. Give a brand they already use. Grocery, gas, pharmacy, Target, Amazoncards that disappear into everyday spending get used fastest (and are less likely to be lost).
2. Avoid activation-fee traps when possible. Those general-purpose Visa/Mastercard gift cards sometimes charge purchase fees. If you want flexibility, consider a major merchant instead.

What if something goes wrong?

Did your balance disappear on a secondhand card? File a claim with the store or brand and include any evidence you might have like screenshots or receipts showing your previous balance.

Did the retailer suddenly stop accepting cards? If you just bought the gift card on a credit card and the retailer stopped honoring cards (e.g., due to a closure or bankruptcy), ask your card issuer for a chargeback for goods/services not provided.