Consumer News: Investors are snapping up fewer houses. Is that good for buyers?

Flexible monthly payments let users switch, keep, or return Apple products

• Apple Upgrade is a new U.S. payment program that lets customers pay monthly for eligible Apple devices.

• The program covers iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, with the option to upgrade, keep, or return the device at the end of the term.

• Customers can apply online or in stores, and monthly pricing starts at $11.99 for some devices.

For many consumers, buying a new smartphone or computer means making a big upfront purchase or committing to a lengthy financing plan.

Apple is introducing another option with the launch of Apple Upgrade, a new program now available in the United States that gives customers more flexibility in how they pay for and replace their devices.

Rather than purchasing a device outright, eligible customers can make monthly payments on select Apple products and decide later whether they want to upgrade to a newer model, purchase the device, or simply return it when their agreement ends. The new offering expands beyond the iPhone to include Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches, giving shoppers more choices across Apple's lineup.

At Apple, we put the customer at the center of everything we do, Karen Rasmussen, Apples vice president of the Apple Store online, said in a news release and were thrilled that Apple Upgrade offers our customers, both online and in-store, a more flexible way to pay for the products they love.

How the new program works

Apple Upgrade is available for eligible purchases made through Apple Stores, the Apple Store app, or Apple's website. Customers apply through the program during checkout, and approved applicants can choose from different agreement lengths depending on the product they select.

According to Apple, monthly payments start at $17.99 for an iPhone, $11.99 for an Apple Watch, $11.99 for an iPad, and $24.99 for a Mac. Customers can also lower their monthly payment by trading in an eligible device. Once the agreement ends, they have three options: return the device, purchase it by making a final payment, or upgrade to a newer eligible model.

Apple says the application process includes a soft credit check, which does not affect a consumer's credit score. Customers who use an Apple Card for their monthly payments can also receive 3% Daily Cash on those purchases.

What this means for consumers

The new program gives shoppers another way to spread out the cost of expensive technology while keeping their options open for future upgrades. Instead of deciding whether to buy a device outright or hold onto it for years, customers can choose the path that best fits their budget and how often they like to replace their electronics.

For people who prefer having the latest devices, Apple Upgrade may offer a more straightforward upgrade path. Others may appreciate the flexibility to purchase the device at the end of the agreement if they decide they want to keep it.

By expanding beyond iPhones to include Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches, Apple is giving consumers a single program that can cover several of its most popular products.

A week-by-week look at when shoppers may find the biggest savings on clothes, electronics, and more

• New research suggests back-to-school discounts are expected to climb through August before dropping off in September.

• Fashion and electronics are projected to see some of the biggest seasonal price reductions.

• Waiting until late August could help shoppers maximize savings on many back-to-school purchases.

As back-to-school shopping ramps up, many families are wondering whether it's better to buy now or wait for bigger discounts.

A new analysis from Decodo suggests that timing could make a noticeable difference, with discounts expected to increase steadily throughout August before tapering off once the school year begins.

According to the report, retailers tend to introduce modest promotions in late July, but deeper markdowns arrive as the season gains momentum. The researchers found that average discounts rise from about 21% before the season begins to a peak of roughly 34% during the last full week of August. After that, prices are projected to rebound quickly, returning to typical discount levels by the middle of September.

"Back-to-school discounts follow a clear pattern, with savings building throughout August before peaking in the final full week of the month, Gabriele Vitke, Product Marketing Team Lead at Decodo, said. While many parents start shopping as soon as school lists are released, our data suggests those who can wait a little longer are likely to benefit from significantly bigger discounts, particularly on clothing and electronics.

"If possible, plan purchases in advance and avoid leaving essential items until the very last minute. Striking the right balance between availability and timing can help families make the most of seasonal promotions while keeping back-to-school costs down."

How the research was conducted

The findings are based on Decodo's analysis of historical back-to-school pricing patterns using data collected through its Web Scraping API and its Dynamic Pricing Index.

Researchers examined pricing trends across U.S. retailers from July through September, using historical 2025 pricing data alongside current seasonal patterns to project this year's shopping trends.

The analysis tracked average weekly discounts across five major retail categories: fashion, electronics, marketplaces, DIY and home improvement, and groceries. Researchers also compared how individual retailers adjusted prices over the course of the season by measuring the difference between their regular discounts and their peak late-August promotions.

What it means for shoppers

The data suggests that patience may pay off for shoppers who have flexibility in when they buy.

Fashion posted the deepest expected discounts, reaching about 36% at its seasonal peak, while electronics showed one of the biggest jumps compared with its usual discount levels, increasing from about 17% to 25%.

Marketplaces, home improvement stores, and grocery retailers also showed larger promotions as the season progressed, though their discounts were generally smaller than those seen in apparel.

Among the retailers analyzed, Nordstrom was projected to offer the largest increase in seasonal discounts, followed closely by Macy's and Kroger. Meanwhile, Walmart's prices changed the least throughout the season, reflecting its everyday low-price approach rather than steep seasonal promotions.

For consumers, the findings suggest that shoppers who don't need supplies immediately may benefit from watching prices throughout August, comparing multiple retailers, and making larger purchases before discounts begin to disappear in early September.

Plaintiffs have waited for years for compensation

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Johnson & Johnson has agreed to commit $5.5 billion to settle approximately 76,000 remaining ovarian cancer claims involving its talc products.

• The agreement requires participation by law firms representing at least 95% of the remaining claims.

• The company continues to deny that its talc products cause cancer and does not admit wrongdoing under the proposed settlement.

The lawsuits have dragged on for more than a decade but a resolution may be in sight. Johnson & Johnson has reached a proposed $5.5 billion settlement that could end 15 years of litigation over allegations that its talc-based products caused ovarian cancer.

The agreement covers approximately 76,000 claims pending in federal and state courts. Johnson & Johnson said it reached the deal with the law firms leading the federal multidistrict litigation and related state proceedings.

The settlement is not yet guaranteed. It is contingent on several conditions, including the participation of firms representing at least 95% of the outstanding ovarian talc claims, according to the companys announcement.

Under the agreement, compensation would be calculated on a per-claim basis. Johnson & Johnson has committed $5.5 billion, with an initial payment of no more than $3 billion scheduled for 2027. Additional payments would not begin before 2028.

The company did not say how much individual claimants would receive. Those amounts will likely vary based on factors established under the settlement process.

Plaintiffs have waited years for compensation

Thousands of women and their families have accused Johnson & Johnson of failing to warn consumers about alleged cancer risks associated with products such as Johnsons Baby Powder. Some plaintiffs have won substantial jury verdicts, while Johnson & Johnson has prevailed in many other cases.

Chris Seeger, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, said the settlement would provide fair and meaningful compensation following years of litigation and three unsuccessful attempts by Johnson & Johnson to resolve the claims through bankruptcy.

Johnson & Johnson had sought to move its talc liabilities into subsidiaries that would file for Chapter 11 protection, a strategy sometimes called the Texas two-step. Courts rejected those efforts, including a proposed settlement of roughly $9 billion that a bankruptcy judge turned down in 2025.

The company then said it would return to the civil court system and fight the claims individually.

Recent ruling altered the legal landscape

The new agreement follows a July 22 court order directing plaintiffs to explain why their remaining cases should not be dismissed over questions about evidence showing that the companys products caused each claimants cancer.

Johnson & Johnson said plaintiffs attorneys withdrew causation experts in two cases selected as tests for the larger litigation. The company argues that those developments support its position that the claims lack reliable scientific evidence.

While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it, Erik Haas, Johnson & Johnsons worldwide vice president of litigation, said in the announcement.

Settlement does not mean the company has admitted that its products caused cancer. Johnson & Johnson continues to maintain that cosmetic talc is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause ovarian cancer.

Talc-based powder is no longer sold

Johnson & Johnson stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada in 2020 and discontinued it worldwide in 2023, replacing talc with cornstarch.

The company has separately settled about 95% of the lawsuits alleging its talc products caused mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos exposure. It has also resolved state consumer-protection claims and disputes with talc suppliers.

Johnson & Johnson retained responsibility for talc-related liabilities in the United States and Canada when it separated its consumer-products business, now known as Kenvue, in 2023.

Health officials dont think iceberg lettuce is the only cause

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• More than 11,500 confirmed or suspected Cyclospora illnesses have been reported across 41 states since May 1.

• A subset of 1,947 confirmed cases in nine states has been linked to recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce.

• Washing produce reduces risk but may not remove the parasite; consumers should discard recalled lettuce and seek care for persistent diarrhea.

Federal health officials are investigating more than 11,500 confirmed or suspected cases of cyclosporiasis reported across 41 states, making the 2026 seasonal surge much larger than initially reported.

Since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases acquired in the United States. At least 308 patients have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

The CDC is also aware of more than 7,400 additional cases reported by state and local health departments that have not yet been laboratory-confirmed and require further investigation. Combined, those figures indicate that more than 11,500 illnesses may be involved.

The cases are not necessarily part of a single outbreak or connected to the same food. The CDC is investigating several clusters, including a major outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce.

Lettuce outbreak is one part of the national increase

Of the nationwide cases, 1,947 confirmed illnesses in nine states have been associated with shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants.

Those states are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. At least 98 people have been hospitalized in that outbreak, and no deaths have been reported.

Patients became sick between June 22 and July 20. Health officials say the count will probably continue to increase because it can take up to six weeks to determine whether an illness is connected to a particular outbreak.

Epidemiological interviews and supply-chain tracing led investigators to Taylor Farms de Mexico, which supplied iceberg lettuce from growers in central Mexico. The company recalled all iceberg lettuce from that source on July 17.

The FDA initially reported a positive result from a lettuce sample collected at the border but later determined it was a false positive. The agency said that laboratory finding did not change the recall because patient interviews and traceback evidence continue to point to Taylor Farms lettuce.

Taco Bell said it stopped using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico on July 17.

Recalled lettuce had a wider distribution

Although confirmed illnesses in the lettuce outbreak have been reported in nine states, recalled products were distributed much more widely.

Food-service lettuce was sent to Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Recalled Marketside-brand products were sold at selected Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The retail recall includes Marketside Iceberg Salad in 12- and 24-ounce packages and Marketside Shredded Lettuce in 8- and 16-ounce packages. Affected products have Best if Used By dates from July 18 through Aug. 3. The FDA said distribution may have extended to other locations.

How consumers can reduce their risk

Consumers should discard recalled lettuce or return it to the store for a refund. Containers, refrigerator shelves, cutting boards, countertops, and utensils that touched the lettuce should be cleaned with hot, soapy water or placed in a dishwasher when appropriate.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite generally spread through food or water contaminated with fecal material. It is most often associated with raw produce.

Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly under clean running water can reduce the risk, even when packaging says the produce is pre-washed. However, washing and chemical sanitizers cannot guarantee that Cyclospora has been removed. Cooking produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit can kill the parasite.

The most common symptom is frequent watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, and fatigue. Some patients may experience fever, headache, body aches, or vomiting.

Symptoms usually begin about a week after exposure but can appear between two days and two weeks or longer afterward. Without treatment, the illness can persist for a month or more and may appear to improve before returning.

Consumers with persistent watery diarrhea should contact a healthcare provider and mention possible Cyclospora exposure. Routine stool examinations do not always test for the parasite, so patients may need to request a specific test.

New tracking data highlights where infections are rising and why it matters

• U.S. measles cases have already surpassed the total reported during all of 2025.

• CDC data shows vaccination rates among kindergarteners have fallen below the 95% level associated with community protection.

• Public health officials say tracking cases and vaccination coverage helps identify communities at greater risk for outbreaks.

Measles, a disease that was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, is making a concerning comeback.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) show that the number of confirmed measles cases has continued to climb in 2026, already exceeding the total reported during all of last year.

The CDC tracks confirmed cases reported by state and local health departments, while Johns Hopkins maintains an interactive U.S. Measles Tracker that maps cases at the county level alongside local vaccination rates. Together, the two resources provide a detailed picture of where the virus is spreading and how communities may be affected.

Although the organizations use slightly different reporting methods, both show the same overall trend: measles activity has increased significantly compared with recent years.

Halfway into 2026 the U.S. is experiencing the worst year for measles since 1991, AAP President Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP, said in a statement. We are witnessing an avoidable crisis that disproportionately hurts children.

These thousands of cases represent real people in communities across the country, including babies hospitalized with pneumonia, students who have missed weeks of school, and parents forced to miss work to stay home and care for sick children. After keeping measles under control for decades, the country has now experienced continuous outbreaks since January 2025. We should not accept this as our new normal. Unless we reverse this trend, Americas children will continue to pay the price.

What the latest data shows

According to Johns Hopkins, the U.S. had recorded more than 2,295 confirmed measles cases by late July, surpassing the 2,289 cases reported during all of 2025.

Researchers say this is the highest annual total since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. and the largest number of reported cases since 1991.

The CDC's surveillance data also highlights another important trend: vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarteners has declined. During the 2024-2025 school year, national coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was 92.5%, down from 95.2% in 2019-2020.

The agency notes that when vaccination coverage exceeds 95%, most people in a community are protected through community immunity. Local vaccination rates can vary considerably, however, creating pockets where outbreaks are more likely to occur if the virus is introduced.

The MMR vaccine has protected our communities for decades, Toluwalas A. Ajayi, M.D., Board chair, American Medical Association, said in a statement. There is no cure for measles, but vaccination is a safe and effective way to prevent it.

Choosing to vaccinate protects not only you and your family, but also babies, people with weakened immune systems, and others who cant be vaccinated. Protecting yourself helps protect your entire community. If you have questions about measles, please talk with your doctor.

What this means for consumers

For consumers, the latest data underscores the value of staying informed about measles activity in their communities. The Johns Hopkins tracker allows users to view confirmed cases and county-level vaccination rates, while the CDC updates national case counts and outbreak information as new reports become available.

Public health experts also emphasize that the MMR vaccine remains a safe and effective way to help prevent measles. Johns Hopkins researchers note that the overwhelming majority of confirmed cases have occurred in people who were unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.

Two shots of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles, Dr. Racine said. Thats why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine MMR vaccination for all children. The more of us who are immunized, the more difficult it is for the virus to spread. Its that simple.

As health officials continue monitoring outbreaks, these public data tools can help consumers better understand what's happening locally and follow updates as the situation evolves.