Consumer News: Modern apartments are the safest homes—and the key to solving the housing crisis

Amazon, Perplexity trade blows over "trespassing" and bullying

• Amazon is suing Perplexity for pretending to be human
• Perplexity says Amazon is bullying its competitors
• It's a fast-developing battle over the use of AI "agents"

Amazon filed a lawsuit Tuesday against AI startup Perplexity, accusing it of illegally accessing Amazon customer accounts and disguising automated browsing as human activity through its agentic shopping feature.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, marks one of the first major legal battles over how autonomous AI agents should interact with commercial websites. It underscores growing tension between major tech platforms and startups building tools that can independently navigate and act online.

Amazon alleges covert access and security risks

In the complaint, Amazon said Perplexitys Comet browser and its integrated Comet AI agent used automation to log in to Amazons site, browse listings, and place orders without authorization. The tech giant accused the startup of covertly accessing private accounts, posing security risks to customer data, and ignoring repeated requests to stop.

Rather than be transparent, Perplexity has purposely configured its CometAI software to not identify the Comet AI agents activities in the Amazon Store, Amazon said in the filing. Perplexitys misconduct must end. That Perplexitys trespass involves code rather than a lockpick makes it no less unlawful.

Amazon added that the automated tool degraded customers shopping experiences and interfered with its ability to deliver personalized recommendations built up over decades.

Perplexity accuses Amazon of bullying competitors

Perplexity, which has grown rapidly amid the boom in AI-driven assistants, has previously rejected Amazons claims, saying the company was using its market power to stifle innovation.

The startup said it had already received a legal threat from Amazon demanding that it block Comets AI agent from operating on its site. Bullying is when large corporations use legal threats and intimidation to block innovation and make life worse for people, Perplexity wrote in a blog post.

The company said its software keeps user credentials stored locally rather than on its servers, and that users have the right to choose whichever AI assistant they trust to handle online tasks. Easier shopping means more transactions and happier customers, the company said, according to a Reuters report. But Amazon doesnt caretheyre more interested in serving you ads.

The battle over AI agents heats up

The case highlights a brewing debate over how autonomous digital agentsAI tools capable of independently performing online actions such as searching, comparing, and purchasingshould be regulated.

Amazon itself is developing similar features, including Buy For Me, which lets users shop across brands within its app, and Rufus, an AI assistant designed to recommend items and manage shopping carts.

Perplexitys Comet browser represents a new generation of AI-enhanced interfaces designed to handle everything from writing emails to completing purchases. But as companies like Amazon tighten control over their ecosystems, questions about transparency, data access, and fair competition are moving from the engineering lab to the courtroom.

Whats next

Amazon is asking the court to bar Perplexity from using automated agents to access its site and to require the company to disclose how its system interacts with user accounts.

The outcome could set a precedent for how AI agents are allowed to interact with major online platformsa decision that may shape the future of automated web browsing and digital commerce.

But drivers shouldnt expect it to last

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The national average price of gasoline has dipped to $2.99 per gallon, down 1.4 cents from last week and nearly 15 cents from a month ago.

• Diesel prices rose 2.5 cents over the past week, averaging $3.66 per gallon nationwide.

• Analysts warn that recent declines may be temporary due to refinery issues and OPEC+ production changes.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen once again, landing just under the $3-per-gallon mark, according to GasBuddy data compiled from over 150,000 gas stations.

This weeks average sits at $2.99 per gallon, a 1.4-cent drop from the previous week and nearly 15 cents lower than one month ago. Compared to this time last year, drivers are paying about 6.6 cents less per gallon.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, says the reprieve may be brief.

Gas prices are likely to rebound soon in the Great Lakes states due to ongoing refinery challenges, while a new snag at a California refinery may slow the pace of declines on the West Coast, De Haan noted in the companys blog.

He added that while OPEC+ has approved another oil production increase for December, the group signaled a pause in further boosts from January through March a move that may stabilize prices in the near term. For now, GasBuddy said consumers can expect prices to hover in the low-$3 range, depending on regional refinery performance.

Oil markets remain stable

Oil markets were calm over the past week, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipping just 3 cents to $60.95 per barrel, while Brent crude edged down 4 cents to $64.73. Analysts say the market is balancing OPECs production moves with new sanctions on Russian exports and fluctuating U.S. inventory levels.

Oil prices have moved nearly sideways, said Giovanni Staunovo, UBS commodities analyst. Large U.S. inventory draws kept prices supported, while skepticism remains about how much Russian supply is actually affected by sanctions.

The latest EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report showed a 6.9-million-barrel decline in U.S. crude oil inventories, now about 6% below the seasonal average. Gasoline and distillate inventories also dropped 5.9 million and 3.4 million barrels, respectively keeping both below their five-year averages.

Refinery utilization fell to 86.6%, while gasoline demand rose to 8.9 million barrels per day, reflecting steady consumer travel activity.

Gas price breakdown

The most common price at U.S. pumps this week is $2.99 per gallon, though the spread is wide. The median price is $2.89, and the top 10% of stations average a steep $4.41 per gallon largely in high-cost states like California and Hawaii.

• Lowest averages: Oklahoma ($2.48), Texas ($2.48), Louisiana ($2.53)

• Highest averages: California ($4.61), Hawaii ($4.43), Washington ($4.23)

• Biggest price drops: Indiana (-13.3), Texas (-10.0), Michigan (-9.8)

With refinery outages, fluctuating oil supplies, and global production decisions all in play, industry experts predict price volatility in the weeks ahead. Still, if refinery bottlenecks ease and demand tapers with cooler weather, gas prices could slip further below $3 per gallon offering U.S. drivers a bit of year-end relief at the pump.

The National Council on Aging says 15% of seniors live below the poverty line

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The National Council on Aging says the 2026 Social Security COLA of 2.8% falls short of covering rising Medicare costs.

• Older Americans face increasing poverty, with 15% of people aged 65+ living below the poverty line.

• The NCOA urges stronger action to ensure all Americans can age with dignity and financial security.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is warning that the newly announced 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security in 2026 will not be enough to offset the growing expenses faced by older Americans, especially when it comes to health care.

In a statement, NCOA President and CEO Ramsey Alwin said that while the COLA mirrors inflation, it is woefully insufficient for seniors struggling with higher Medicare premiums, deductibles, and everyday living costs.

Older adults will once again be forced to make heart-wrenching decisions about whether to spend their fixed incomes on health care, food, or housing, Alwin said. Medicare costs are expected to rise between 4% and 12% next yearfar outpacing the COLA increase.

Growing poverty among older adults

Alwin pointed to alarming data showing that the poverty rate among people aged 65 and older climbed to 15% in 2024, affecting more than 9 million Americans. This makes older adults the only age group to experience an increase in poverty that year.

The poverty rate for older Americans is proof that the COLA does not reflect the true cost of living, Alwin said. We also know that poverty is a death sentence for too many.

NCOAs research, conducted in partnership with the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston, underscores that link: people age 60 and older earning $20,000 or less per year die an average of nine years earlier than those making $120,000 or more.

A call for change

Alwin urged policymakers and the public to address the structural inequities that continue to harm aging Americans.

Millions of our older family members and friends who have worked hard their entire lives still face devastating economic insecurity, she said. We must work together to create the conditions that enable every American to age well.

The new price will take effect in 2027

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has struck an agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to set a negotiated price for its blockbuster drug ingredient Semaglutide.

• The deal will apply under the U.S. Medicare prescription drug program and comes under the price-negotiation framework created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

• For consumers, this means that when the new price takes effect in 2027 under the current schedule, Medicare beneficiaries using Ozempic, Wegovy or other semaglutide-based medications may see improved access and potentially lower out-of-pocket costs.

Novo Nordisk has reached an agreement with the U.S. government for the negotiated price of its popular weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, that contain the active ingredient semaglutide.

The drugs, approved for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, are expensive in some cases more than $1,000 a month.

Because of its popularity and high cost, Medicare Part D flagged semaglutide for negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Acts drug-pricing provisions.

CMS indicated that for negotiation purposes, all formulations of semaglutide Ozempic, Wegovy, the oral form Rybelsus would be treated as a single product based on the active ingredient (active moiety) concept.

What the deal means for consumers

• Better bargaining power: Because Medicare now has the authority to negotiate with manufacturers, medications like semaglutide may be priced more affordably (at least for Medicare beneficiaries) than the original list price.

• Access issues to follow: If youre on Medicare and your doctor prescribes Wegovy or Ozempic, this deal could help reduce cost barriers, but only if your plan covers the medication for your indication and if your prescription aligns with eligibility rules.

• Plan design still matters: Even with a lower negotiated price, how much you end up paying depends on your Part D plans formulary, tier placement, co-pays/coinsurance, and whether your indication is covered (for example, Medicare historically has had limitations around covering weight-loss drugs under certain conditions).

• Timing is important: The new price is scheduled to take effect in 2027 under the current guidance. This means that until then, you may still face higher prevailing list prices (or coverage restrictions) and savings may be limited to whatever manufacturer and insurer discounts exist today.

• Watch for ripple effects: A negotiated price sets a benchmark. That may influence how private insurers, other federal/state programs, or pharmacies set their pricing or negotiation strategies for semaglutide. Over time, this could affect cash-pay patients, coverage for non-Medicare populations, and competition.

Why the company agreed and what it signals

From Novo Nordisks perspective this deal offered a path to stability. By agreeing now, the company may be managing risk: unpredictable policy outcomes, potential tax/penalties for non-participation, or delay in market access issues.

It also signals that even high-demand blockbuster drugs arent immune to policy pressure and public scrutiny over drug pricing. For consumers, this shift may reflect a growing emphasis on affordability and accessespecially for treatments that millions rely on.

For patients and advocacy groups, this is a win in principle: a major manufacturer agreeing to work within the Medicare negotiation framework may help reduce one major barrier cost. But its not a guarantee of low cost yet, and youll still need to engage proactively. Patients should consult their doctor, check plan coverage and ask about generics/alternatives and manufacturer assistance programs.