It's been nearly two decades since the 'shoe bomber' incident

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Nearly two decades after the shoe bomber, passengers may soon keep footwear on at security checkpoints

• TSA quietly tests changes amid ongoing complaints about travel hassles

• Move could ease long lines and boost traveler satisfaction at U.S. airports

Travelers weary of peeling off their shoes at airport security may finally get some relief. The Transportation Security Administration is preparing to roll out new procedures that would allow passengers to keep their shoes on while passing through standard screening checkpoints, according to people familiar with the plans.

The shift, first reported by Gate Access, a travel newsletter, hasnt been formally announced, but signals a significant change for an agency that has kept the footwear rule in place for nearly 20 years. The TSA confirmed in a statement that it is always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture, but added that any official updates would come through established channels.

A rule rooted in terror threats

The practice of removing shoes at airport security took hold after Richard Reid, infamously dubbed the shoe bomber, tried to ignite explosives hidden in his footwear during a 2001 flight from Paris to Miami. The attempt, though unsuccessful, sparked fears of similar plots in the tense aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Initially, shoe-screening policies varied from airport to airport. It wasnt until 2006 that the TSA formally mandated shoe removal for all passengers, citing intelligence about a continuing threat. The rule became one of the most unpopular travel measures, blamed for slowing down lines and subjecting millions of passengers to the indignity of walking barefoot or in socks through security checkpoints.

Complaints and exemptions

Frustration over the shoe rule has fueled interest in TSA PreCheck, the trusted-traveler program that lets members keep their shoes on during screening. Children 12 and under and passengers 75 and older have also been exempt from the requirement.

In April, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took to social media to crowdsource ideas on improving family travel. He later posted that its very clear that TSA is the #1 travel complaint.

If the planned change takes effect, it could dramatically improve the security experience for millions of travelersending one of the most visible legacies of post-9/11 aviation security.

No one seems to know, least of all the IRS

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• New law exempts up to $25,000 in tips from federal taxes, delivering on Trumps campaign pledge

• Unclear rules leave workers and employers guessing which tipsand jobsqualify

• IRS braces for administrative chaos amid staffing shortages and technological demands

A hallmark promise from Donald Trumps presidential campaign is now law, granting tipped workers a significant tax break. But even before the ink has dried, the new measure is sowing confusion across the service industry and posing major logistical challenges for the Internal Revenue Service.

Under the legislation, workers in jobs that customarily and regularly receive tips can exclude up to $25,000 in annual tip income from federal taxes.

The intent is to boost take-home pay for millions of restaurant servers, bartenders, hotel staff, and others who rely on customer gratuities. Yet critical details remain unresolved particularly around which tips count under the law and which workers are truly eligible.

Electronic tips in limbo

One of the thorniest questions is whether tips made via digital apps like Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App fall under the exemption. The statute refers specifically to cash tips, leaving ambiguity over electronic payments, which have become the norm in many businesses.

Historically, the IRS has treated electronic tips as taxable income, making the laws narrow language a potential flashpoint in future tax filings.

Businesses eye classification changes

Employers, meanwhile, are grappling with how the new tax rules might reshape hiring and compensation practices. Some labor experts warn that businesses could attempt to classify more positions as tipped to capitalize on the tax savings, potentially blurring legal lines under labor laws that strictly define which roles are tip-eligible.

Federal wage laws permit employers to pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour if they receive at least $30 a month in tips and ultimately earn the full federal minimum wage once gratuities are counted.

Businesses can also establish tip pools, but those pools face limits on which workers can participate without requiring employers to pay higher base wages.

IRS faces hurdles

For the IRS, the new law comes at a time of significant internal strain. Agency officials are warning that implementing the tax break will demand major updates to systems and processes, even as the IRS contends with an aging workforce and a potential exodus of experienced employees. Roughly 22% of the IRSs customer service staff and 27% of its technology workforce are expected to leave by years end.

If theres any significant tax law changeand Im not talking just about extenders but certain types of income not being taxablethat is going to introduce a tremendous amount of challenge that people need to be thinking about in terms of systems that we need to update, said Doug ODonnell, former acting IRS Commissioner, in a Bloomberg News report.

Until clear IRS guidance arrives, the burden of properly tracking and reporting tips will fall on workers and businesses alike an arrangement that risks costly mistakes, audits, and lost tax savings.

While Trumps no-tax-on-tips pledge sailed through Congress on a wave of political enthusiasm, the real-world path to delivering relief to workers is proving far more complex and could leave many service industry employees in limbo as the next tax season approaches.

The median home price is over $400,000, putting it out of reach for many buyers

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. median home-sale price reaches a record $400,125 amid declining mortgage rates
  

• Buyer demand remains resilient despite a slight dip in new listings and pending sales
  

• Touring activity and mortgage applications climb, offering signs of market stabilization

The median U.S. home-sale price surged to a record-breaking $400,125 during the four weeks ending June 29, according to a new housing market update from real estate brokerage Redfin. While the new high underscores ongoing market pressures, prospective homebuyers may find some solace as mortgage rates continue their downward trend.

Mortgage rates have eased in recent weeks, helping offset the impact of higher home prices. The weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 6.67% as of July 3, the lowest it has been since early April. Daily rates hovered slightly higher at 6.75%.

This reduction in borrowing costs has resulted in the median monthly mortgage payment falling to $2,742 the lowest level in four months and a modest 1.6% decrease year-over-year.

Demand and supply hold steady

Despite affordability challenges, homebuyer demand remains relatively strong:

• Mortgage-purchase applications rose 16% year-over-year, though they held flat week-over-week.

• Home touring activity, tracked by ShowingTime, climbed 32% from the beginning of the year notably higher than the 21% increase recorded at the same time last year.

• Google searches for home for sale reached their highest level in a year, suggesting sustained buyer interest.
  

However, pending sales a key indicator of market activity dropped 3.2% from the same time last year, marking the sharpest decline in nearly four months. This dip may reflect hesitancy among buyers still facing affordability constraints, despite improving rate conditions.

Sellers begin to change their minds

New listings edged down 0.7%, the first weekly decline in nearly six months, while the total number of active listings rose 14.1% year-over-year the smallest increase in over a year. The market's inventory now sits at 4.1 months of supply, inching toward a balanced market but still favoring sellers slightly.

Homes are staying on the market longer, with the median days on market rising to 37 days, up five days from the prior year. Additionally, only 36.3% of homes went off the market within two weeks, down from 40% a year ago.

Fewer bidding wars

With increased inventory and longer market times, competition among buyers has cooled slightly. The share of homes selling above list price dropped to 28.4%, down from 32%, while the average sale-to-list price ratio slipped to 99.1%, from 99.6% a year ago.

Market dynamics varied significantly by region:

• Detroit led all metros with a 10.1% year-over-year increase in median sale price, followed by Newark, N.J. (9.4%) and Cleveland (7.3%).

• On the flip side, Oakland, Calif., saw the largest decline at -3.7%, with San Diego and West Palm Beach, Fla., close behind at -3.4%.

• Virginia Beach, Va., led in pending sales growth (+7.4%), while San Jose, Calif., and Las Vegas saw steep double-digit declines.

• Tampa, Orlando and San Diego were among the metros with the largest year-over-year drop in new listings.

UCLA researchers say its more than just risk factors

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• UCLA Health researchers mapped four distinct pathways leading to Alzheimers disease using electronic health records.
  

• The findings suggest that tracking diagnostic sequences predicts Alzheimers risk better than analyzing isolated conditions.
  

• The study, validated with a nationally representative cohort, could transform early detection, personalized prevention, and intervention strategies.

Who is most at risk of developing Alzheimers disease? If doctors knew the definitive answer, it might lead to earlier treatment and diagnosis. Researchers at UCLA may have uncovered some helpful clues.

Writing in the journal eBioMedicine, the researchers at UCLA Health said they have identified four unique diagnostic pathways that can lead to Alzheimer's disease, offering a more nuanced understanding of how the neurodegenerative condition develops over time.

By analyzing electronic health records from nearly 25,000 patients, the study sheds light on how specific sequences of medical conditions not just individual risk factors can influence a persons likelihood of developing Alzheimers. The research marks a significant departure from traditional approaches that focus on isolated risk conditions.

Instead, UCLA scientists mapped the step-by-step clinical trajectories that precede an Alzheimers diagnosis, offering new tools for early detection and prevention.

Patterns, not just risk factors

We found that multi-step trajectories can indicate greater risk factors for Alzheimers disease than single conditions, said first author Mingzhou Fu, a medical informatics pre-doctoral student at UCLA. Understanding these pathways could fundamentally change how we approach early detection and prevention.

The study identified four primary diagnostic trajectories:

1. Mental Health Pathway Psychiatric conditions such as depression or anxiety that eventually lead to cognitive decline

2. Encephalopathy Pathway Disorders involving brain dysfunction that worsen progressively

3. Mild Cognitive Impairment Pathway A gradual decline in memory and cognitive functions, often preceding Alzheimer's
   

4. Vascular Disease Pathway Cardiovascular conditions like hypertension that heighten the risk of dementia
   

Each pathway was linked with distinct demographic and clinical features, suggesting that different subgroups of the population may be predisposed to different disease routes.

Chronology of conditions

The researchers found that 26% of all diagnostic sequences showed a consistent, directional order. For instance, patients with hypertension frequently developed depressive episodes before being diagnosed with Alzheimers. These patterns, according to the team, may be key to identifying at-risk patients earlier in their disease progression.

Recognizing these sequential patterns rather than focusing on diagnoses in isolation may help clinicians improve Alzheimers disease diagnosis, said Dr. Timothy Chang, the studys senior author and assistant professor of Neurology at UCLA Health.

The team validated their findings using the All of Us Research Program, a diverse and nationally representative database. The confirmation of these patterns across a wide population enhances the studys relevance and applicability to clinical practice nationwide.

The study concluded that the innovative use of longitudinal electronic health data signals a promising shift in Alzheimers research, moving toward predictive and personalized care models that could significantly improve patient outcomes.