Consumer News: US short 4 million housing units, industry report finds

Food labels may look the same but mean something new starting now

• No artificial colors can now be used on food labels even if natural dyes are added.

• FDA will let companies use these claims voluntarily without penalty.

• New natural color options are approved to help phase out synthetic dyes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced a shift in how it interprets no artificial colors.

Under the new approach, food makers may use statements like Made without artificial food colors or No artificial colorings on labels as long as the product doesnt contain petroleum-based synthetic dyes.

That means if a drink or snack is colored with FDA-approved natural sources like spirulina extract or beetroot red it can still wear that reassuring phrase.

We acknowledge that calling colors derived from natural sources artificial might be confusing for consumers and a hindrance for companies to explore alternative food coloring options, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., said in a news release

Were taking away that hindrance and making it easier for companies to use these colors in the foods our families eat every day.

Moving away from synthetic dyes

This isnt a mandatory rule that companies must follow its voluntary and backed by what the FDA calls enforcement discretion. In practice, that means the agency wont take legal action against companies that use these claims appropriately, even though theyre technically loosening the reins on old restrictions.

The change is part of a broader FDA and Health and Human Services push to encourage the food industry to move away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes and toward alternatives that come from more familiar sources.

The agency has also approved new natural color additives like beetroot red and expanded the use of others such as spirulina extract to give manufacturers more options.

What Consumers Should Know

• No artificial colors now has a new meaning. It doesnt automatically mean there are zero added colors it just means no petroleum-based synthetic dyes. Natural colorings (even ones added purposely) are okay under the new policy.

• This change is voluntary and not a guarantee of safety. It doesnt mean a product is healthier overall just that the specific synthetic dyes regulated under federal law arent present. Other ingredients like sugar, salt or preservatives may still be in the product.

• Keep reading labels. Dont rely solely on marketing claims. Check the ingredient list if youre avoiding certain additives or have specific dietary concerns.

The FDA is trying to make front-of-package claims more flexible and clearer in the long run and to encourage the food industry to explore naturally-sourced color options. But as with any label claim, a little skepticism and some label reading go a long way.

Your junk drawer could be hiding this weeks grocery budget

• Get a quick quote online, ship your device with a free label, and receive a digital Shop Card to use on groceries and more at Costco.

• Factory reset it, remove all personal accounts, and be honest about condition so your final payout doesnt get reduced after inspection.

• Electronics depreciate fast, so that unused phone or laptop is worth way more today than it will be next year.

That drawer full of outdated phones and dusty laptops could be worth real money at Costco. Money you can use on groceries, gas, or your next bulk haul.

Heres how to make the most of Costcos electronics trade-in program.

How the trade-in actually works

Costco partners with a company called Phobio, who handles the evaluation of your old tech and the actual payouts.

What you can trade in:

• Phones All the major brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Google, Huawei and OnePlus.
• Laptops Theyll buylaptops from Apple, Asus, HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, and MSI.
• Tablets Brands theyll currently buy include Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft.
• Smartwatches Apple, Samsung, and Garmin.
• Desktop computers Apple and Microsoft Surface Studio series.
• Media players like the Apple TV - Theyll only give you up to $5. (Youd be better off selling it on eBay if its in good working condition.)

The basic steps:

• Go to Costcos trade-in page and answer questions about your devices brand, model, age, and condition.
• Get an instant quote.
• Ship your device using the prepaid shipping label.
• After the inspection, youll receive a Digital Costco Shop Card within three to fivebusiness days for the amount of your trade-in.

If youre not familiar, the Costco Shop Card works just like cash at Costco warehouses, as well as on their website.

4 tips to get the highest payout

1. Be honest about the condition. Scratches, battery issues, or screen burn-in can lower your final value if theyre not disclosed. If Phobio finds damage you didnt list, theyll revise the offer. For this reason, it pays to be honest about the condition from the start. Youre not going to be able to pull a fast one on them, so dont even try.

2. Reset and remove accounts first.Be sure to factory reset your device and sign out of Apple ID, Google, or Samsung accounts. Also, turn off your Find My Phone feature before you do a reset. Keep in mind that devices with activation locks can be rejected and will be sent back to you.

3. Include chargers if asked. Some categories pay a bit more when you have the original accessories and include them in the trade. While its not huge money, it can bump up your total a little bit.

4. Trade in sooner, not later. Keep in mind that electronics lose value fast, so get out your old tech and maximize its current value. Last years phone might be worth solid grocery money today and almost nothing a year from now.

What kind of value are we talking about?

High-end, newer laptops can fetch hundreds of dollars, sometimes over $1,000 depending on how old it is and the specs.

Even many older phones can be worth $20 to $150, which can easily cover a week of household staples at Costco.

If you have multiple unused devices in your house, those smaller amounts can stack up pretty quickly.

Why this is better than tossing them

Old electronics contain valuable materials like gold and copper, plus battery components that shouldnt end up in landfills.

By trading them in, you keep hazardous waste out of the landfills and you put the reusable parts right back into new devices.

So, think of it this way youre decluttering, getting paid, and reducing waste all at once.

No Costco membership? You still have options

Other retailers offer similar programs, including Target and GameStop. You can also trade devices directly through brands like Apple and Samsung for store credit.

But if you already shop at Costco, the Shop Card payout makes this one especially practical since it goes straight toward your Costco shopping list.

Experts want permanent standard time to protect health, safety, and better sleep

• Sleep experts and a new survey show most Americans support ending seasonal clock changes.

• The call is for permanent standard time not daylight saving time because it better matches our biological clocks.

• Research and public health concerns point to improved sleep, safer mornings, and fewer health risks without biannual shifts.

Every March, most of the U.S. moves clocks ahead one hour for daylight saving time, a ritual most people know simply as spring forward.

But this year, before the clocks change on March 8, sleep experts are sounding an increasingly loud alarm they want the United States to abandon seasonal time shifts altogether and adopt permanent standard time.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), along with a coalition of sleep and health organizations, argues that the twice-yearly clock changing experiment has real effects on our sleep and health. And recent survey data suggest that a slim majority of adults (about 54%) would prefer to ditch the clock changes permanently a position that matches the experts recommendation.

When we spring forward for daylight saving time, we disrupt our bodys natural rhythm, damaging our sleep quality, mental health, and overall well-being, Dr. Karin Johnson, sleep medicine physician and co-chair of the coalitions steering committee, said in a news release.

Our internal clocks are extremely sensitive to natural light and environmental shifts. Even a one-hour change can have serious consequences for health and safety. We need to end the practice of seasonal time changes and stick with standard time.

How did experts and researchers figure this out?

The push toward permanent standard time isnt based on guesswork its grounded in evidence about how light and time shifts affect our internal rhythms. The coalition, which includes sleep doctors and scientists, points to data showing that sudden clock changes disrupt the bodys sleep-wake cycle.

This disruption isnt trivial. Losing an hour of sleep and shifting our daily schedule even by just sixty minutes can throw off the circadian rhythm that helps regulate when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy. As a result, experts say, people can experience mood disturbances, reduced alertness, and trouble getting restful sleep.

The AASMs call draws on survey results and existing research around public safety and health. It highlights that bodies respond to natural light patterns, and that standard time aligns with the sun better than daylight saving time does. That alignment, experts believe, may make it easier to wake up in the morning, sleep at night, and function well during the day.

What they found and why it matters

So, what did the experts conclude?

Their message is pretty simple: permanent standard time could be better for our health and safety than continuing seasonal clock changes.

The evidence and survey results suggest several key benefits of permanent standard time:

• More morning light: Standard time means sunrise comes earlier in the day, which can help people wake up more naturally and support healthy circadian rhythms.

• Safer streets: Dark winter mornings under permanent daylight savings time could mean more school-day darkness and potentially riskier commutes for kids and adults alike.

• Better sleep: Aligning daily schedules more closely with natural light patterns may make it easier for people to get the recommended hours of sleep a cornerstone of physical and mental health.

Experts say this isnt about nostalgia for a particular clock time its about aligning public policy with biology. With growing public support and mounting scientific concern, sleep organizations urge lawmakers to consider permanent standard time as a way to protect public health.

We have a rare opportunity where public opinion, scientific evidence, and common sense all point in the same direction, said Dr. Johnson. Permanent standard time would improve well-being, reduce accidents, and support healthy sleep for all Americans. Its time to stop the clock-changing experiment and adopt a policy that works with our biology, not against it.

This may be as good as it gets

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• 30-year fixed mortgage rates averaged6.11% as of Feb. 5, 2026, holding near its lowest level in years and remaining essentially flat from the previous weeks 6.10%.

• Fifteen-year fixed mortgage rates averaged5.50%, also slightly up week-to-week, but significantly below the 6.05% average a year ago.

• Rates remain lower than 2025 levels, offering buyers steadier borrowing costs heading into the spring home-buying season.

Freddie Macs latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) edged up to 6.11% last week a slight uptick from 6.10% the prior week, but still near its lowest levels in years.

The 15-year FRM averaged 5.50%, also inching up from the week before, but remaining well below the 6% level seen in early 2025.

Sam Khater, Freddie Macs chief economist, noted that the combination of more affordable rates and modestly better inventory could give prospective buyers a boost as spring approaches.

What it means for buyers

After years of historically low interest rates followed by sharp increases post-pandemic, mortgage costs this winter have flattened near 6% a pace that, while above the ultra-low pandemic era, marks a meaningful improvement from recent peaks. Average rates were closer to 6.89% a year ago, meaning todays buyers could see noticeably lower monthly payments on the same-priced home.

Economists and industry forecasts expect mortgage rates to stay in this range, near 6%, without dramatic swings in the short term offering some predictability to would-be buyers planning ahead.

Despite steadier rates, affordability pressures persist in many markets. Recent data indicate:

• In many major metro areas, renting remains cheaper than owning due to high home prices and mortgage borrowing costs, dampening purchase demand.

• Some regions continue to see tight inventories and rising prices, such as Hartford, where low months of supply are driving competition.

• However, other markets, like Houston, are experiencing improving affordability, with mortgage rates and prices both declining enough to expand buyer access.

• Across the U.S., more inventory and broader pricing stability are starting to balance the market after years of extreme tightness.

Spring buying season outlook

As the spring home-buying season gets underway, the combination of relatively stable mortgage rates and slowly improving supply could create opportunities for buyers who have been sidelined by affordability constraints. Experts caution that while rates may remain elevated compared to historical lows, the current environment offers more predictability and negotiation leverage than in the past few years.

For many buyers, this means locking in a rate near todays levels sooner rather than later and working closely with lenders to navigate regional market dynamics from competitive bidding in tight markets to discounts in areas with softer demand.

New data shows a continued decline in unwanted calls to start 2026

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. consumers received just under 3.9 billion robocalls in January 2026, according to YouMails monthly Robocall Index.

• That total marked a 5.6% drop from December 2025 and an 18% decline compared with January 2025.

• Despite the improvement, telemarketing and scam calls still made up the majority of robocalls nationwide.

U.S. robocall volumes continued to trend downward at the start of 2026, offering a rare bit of relief for consumers long frustrated by unwanted calls. New data from YouMail, a robocall protection app that tracks call activity nationwide, shows Januarys robocall traffic fell to just under 3.9 billion calls, one of the lowest monthly totals in years.

On a daily basis, Americans received an average of 125.2 million robocalls in January, or about 1,449 calls every second. That represents a noticeable improvement from December, when robocalls averaged 132.6 million per day and more than 1,500 per second. Januarys total was also only slightly higher by 3.8% than October 2025, which marked a multi-year low.

YouMail CEO Alex Quilici said the latest figures point to meaningful progress, though the issue remains widespread.

Encouraging start to the year

Its encouraging to see January 2026 with a meaningfully lower number of robocalls than December, Quilici said.

He noted that the past four months have averaged fewer than fourbillion robocalls, the first time that has happened since April 2022. However, the problem is far from solved, and it remains in consumers best interests to protect themselves with robocall-blocking apps.

Carriers have been rolling out the STIR/SHAKEN framework across their networks. This technology helps verify that caller ID you see on your phone is legitimate which makes it harder for scammers to spoof numbers to look local or trusted.

The Federal Communications Commission(FCC) requires all voice providers, including wireless carriers, to implement this system, which is central to reducing illegal robocalls.

The January decline was broad-based. All major categories of robocalls decreased during the month, including notification calls, payment reminders, and telemarketing or scam calls.

Notifications accounted for an estimated 1.10 billion calls, down just over 3% from December and representing about 28% of all robocalls. Payment reminder calls fell more sharply, dropping 11% to roughly 570 million calls. Telemarketing and scam calls declined by just over 4% to an estimated 2.18 billion calls.

Telemarketers and scammers

Even with that drop, telemarketing and scam robocalls remained the dominant category, making up about 57% of all robocalls placed in January. That translates to nearly 2.2 billion potentially unwanted or deceptive calls reaching consumers in a single month.

Among those, one campaign stood out as Januarys most annoying and potentially harmful. A robocall operation tied to a company calling itself Found Cash Now urged recipients to visit a website claiming it could help them recover unclaimed government money. The calls used a nearly identical message across tens of thousands of phone numbers, telling recipients they were owed exactly $5,286, warning the funds would be lost if not claimed quickly.

YouMail estimates the campaign alone may have generated more than 50 million calls in January. The identical dollar amount, lack of consumer consent, and reports of suspicious activity after visiting the website all point to a large-scale robocall scam, according to the company.