Consumer News: Trump promises Americans $5,000 if Republicans win midterms — but can he do it?

New research suggests when food insecurity happens may matter when it comes to cognitive health

• Older adults who experienced food insecurity later in life had higher odds of probable dementia.

• The association was strongest among people who experienced food insecurity during both midlife and later life.

• Researchers say the findings show a connection, but they don't prove that food insecurity causes dementia.

Not always knowing whether you'll have enough food for yourself or your household can take a toll in many ways. Now, new research suggests that food insecurity later in life may also be connected with cognitive health.

A University of Michigan study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at whether food insecurity at different points in adulthood was associated with probable dementia later on. The researchers were particularly interested in whether the timing of food insecurity made a difference.

Researchers followed adults for more than 20 years

The study included 2,051 adults who were part of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative U.S. household survey that has followed families for decades.

Researchers examined food insecurity during two periods: 1999 to 2003, when participants were in midlife, and 2015 to 2019, when they were in later life. Food insecurity was measured using an established 18-question survey that assesses experiences related to having inadequate resources to obtain food.

Not only can we now track the changes one family experiences, but by collecting this information for decades, we can also examine different parts of the life course, researcher Noura Insolera said in a news release.

We have known for some time that hunger and nutritional deficiencies make it harder for children to learn in school, for example, but only by collecting this information year after year for many years can we look at something like the connections between food insecurity and dementia risk.

The researchers then assessed probable dementia in 2019 and 2021 using an eight-question screening tool called the AD8. A score of two or higher was considered probable dementia.

The analysis accounted for factors including age, sex, race and ethnicity, education, marital status, employment, homeownership, family income, and several health conditions.

The timing of food insecurity appeared to matter

After accounting for these factors, adults who experienced food insecurity only in later life had 1.85 times the odds of probable dementia compared with adults who remained food secure during both periods. Those who experienced food insecurity during both midlife and later life had 2.18 times the odds.

By comparison, food insecurity during midlife alone was not significantly associated with probable dementia.

The researchers also found that adults who experienced food insecurity during both periods had an estimated 40% probability of probable dementia, compared with 11% among those who remained food secure. Those who experienced food insecurity only during later life had an estimated 34% probability.

Still, these results don't establish cause and effect. The study was observational, meaning it identified an association rather than proving that food insecurity itself leads to dementia. The researchers noted that other factors connected with food insecurity could help explain the relationship.

The physical toll that a lack of nutrition has on the body is a tangible health issue, but the mental strain of worry and anxiety about where their next meal might come from is also a very real problem, Insolera said. Food insecurity causes both of these, and the combination of these adverse physical and mental conditions can create a problem that is larger than the sum of its parts.

Getting vaccinated this fall could help protect against serious flu illness

• Flu vaccination rates have dropped since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about the coming flu season.

• Cedars-Sinai recommends getting a flu shot in September or October, before flu activity typically increases.

• The vaccine remains the most powerful tool available to help prevent serious illness from influenza.

As fall approaches, health experts are preparing for another flu season and vaccination rates could play an important role in how it unfolds.

According to Cedars-Sinai, fewer people have been getting flu shots since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts are concerned that lower vaccination rates could contribute to a more difficult flu season.

An estimated 52% of people in the U.S. received a flu vaccine in 2021. During the 2025-2026 flu season, that figure dropped to less than 44%. Meanwhile, influenza continues to cause serious illness. During the 2024-2025 season, about 45,000 people in the U.S. died from flu and another 710,000 were hospitalized, according to the figures cited by Cedars-Sinai.

Michael Ben-Aderet, MD, a Cedars-Sinai infectious disease expert, says vaccination remains the strongest tool available for preventing serious illness from the flu.

As we get further away from the COVID-19 pandemic, weve seen an increase in vaccine hesitancy, and this flu season could be much worse if too few people get vaccinated, Dr. Ben-Aderet said in a news release.

The flu shot remains the most powerful tool available to help prevent serious illness caused by the influenza virus. I urge everyone eligible to receive the vaccine to get it.

When should you get your flu shot?

According to Dr. Ben-Aderet, September and October are the best times to get vaccinated. That's because flu activity typically begins picking up in November or December, while the body needs about two weeks to develop an immune response after vaccination.

The flu vaccine is recommended for eligible adults and children older than 6 months. For adults 65 and older, a high-dose flu vaccine is preferred when available because the immune response to vaccines can become weaker with age.

This year also brings another potential option: The FDA approved the first mRNA flu vaccine in August. The technology could allow vaccines to be developed more quickly, potentially helping them better match circulating flu strains if those strains change during the season.

However, Dr. Ben-Aderet notes that it isn't yet clear when the vaccine will become available or which patients will be eligible.

What consumers should know

For most people, getting vaccinated in the early fall can be a straightforward way to prepare for flu season. And if you do become sick, knowing what to watch for can help you decide when to seek care.

Flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, body aches, fatigue and headaches. Vomiting and diarrhea are more common in children. People can spread the virus starting about a day before symptoms appear and for five to seven days afterward.

Mild cases can generally be managed at home with rest and fluids. People at higher risk for serious illness including older adults and those with weakened immune systems or chronic health conditions should contact their doctor at the first sign of illness to discuss whether an antiviral medication could help. Antivirals work best when started within two days of symptoms beginning.

More severe symptoms, including trouble breathing, a very high fever, inability to keep fluids down or symptoms that aren't improving, warrant medical attention.

A new study suggests walking speed is closely linked with daily physical activity, though the relationship is more complicated over time

• Older adults who walked at faster speeds tended to have higher levels of daily physical activity.

• Physical activity energy expenditure dropped by nearly 17% over four years among study participants.

• Walking speed may be a useful indicator of physical function, but changes in walking speed alone dont tell the whole story.

Walking is one of the most common forms of physical activity among older adults, making walking ability an important part of staying independent and managing everyday activities. But physical activity tends to decline with age, particularly among adults in their 70s and beyond.

A new study from the University of Jyvskyl in Finland looked at whether an older adults preferred walking speed was connected to how physically active they were in their everyday lives.

Participants with faster walking speeds were, on average, more physically active in their daily lives than those who walked more slowly, researcher Joona Neuvonen said in a news release.

Walking speed measured under laboratory conditions may not fully reflect everyday mobility, as environmental barriers and opportunities influence movement in different ways.

How researchers studied walking and activity

The study used data from the AGNES study, which followed community-dwelling adults who were initially 75, 80 or 85 years old. Researchers ultimately analyzed data from 299 participants who had valid physical activity measurements at both the beginning and end of the four-year follow-up.

Participants completed a six-minute walking test in a laboratory, walking at their usual, comfortable pace along a 20-meter corridor. Researchers calculated each persons preferred walking speed based on the distance they covered.

The researchers also measured participants physical activity in their everyday lives using wearable technology. Participants wore a thigh-mounted movement sensor along with a heart-rate monitor. Combining those measurements allowed researchers to estimate physical activity energy expenditure, including activities that may involve relatively little movement but still require physical effort, such as lifting or carrying objects.

What the results could mean for older adults

Over the four-year study period, participants physical activity energy expenditure decreased by an average of 16.9 kilojoules per kilogram per day, or about 17%. Kilojoules are a unit of energy, similar to calories. The researchers used kilojoules per kilogram of body weight per day to estimate how much energy participants used through physical activity.

The study also revealed that faster preferred walking speeds were associated with greater daily physical activity.

Specifically, every one-kilometer-per-hour increase in preferred walking speed was associated with 4.7 additional kilojoules per kilogram per day of physical activity energy expenditure.

However, there was limited evidence that an individuals change in walking speed directly corresponded with their change in physical activity over those four years. In other words, walking speed appears to be closely related to activity levels, but a change in one doesnt necessarily predict a change in the other.

For consumers, the findings suggest that walking speed can be a useful piece of information when considering physical function in older age. But it shouldnt be viewed as a standalone measure of how active someone is.

New data reveals when scammers strike and which communication channels they prefer

• Scam texts have a rush hour: Fraudulent texts peak around noon ET and are roughly 50% more common on Fridays than at the beginning of the week.

• Different favor different channels: Toll often arrive by text or email, while IRS and tech-support are more likely to come by phone.

• Dont let familiar timing or brands fool you: Scammers use normal business hours and trusted names like Google, Apple, and Amazon to make messages seem legitimate.

Scammers apparently keep something resembling business hours.

New research from Malwarebytes found that fraudulent text messages in the U.S. aren't arriving randomly. They surge during daytime hours, peak around noon ET, and become increasingly common as the workweek progresses.

Friday is particularly busy

Malwarebytes found consumers receive roughly 50% more fraudulent texts on Fridays compared to the beginning of the week. Specifically, around noon ET, scam-text volume was about 874% higher than at 1 a.m.

But the bigger takeaway isn't simply to be suspicious of your phone around lunchtime on Friday.

The research suggests scammers are getting smarter about where they approach you, matching different with communication channels where they're more likely to seem legitimate.

Here's what to watch for.

Scam texts peak around lunchtime

Malwarebytes analyzed global threat data collected between April 15 and July 14, 2026, and found a clear pattern in the timing of these scam text messages.

In the U.S., scam texts were least common in the early-morning hours and climbed as Americans started their day, peaking around noon ET.

The takeaway for consumers is that just because you get a text during normal business hours doesnt mean its legitimate. Scammers know youre more likely to have your guard down during the day, compared to getting a text message at 11 p.m., when the timing alone immediately raises suspicion.

If a message says you owe a toll, have a package problem, or need to take immediate action on an account, don't click the link. Open the company's app or type its website into your browser yourself.

Pro tip: Slow your roll whenever a message combines urgency messaging with money. Pay today, your account will be suspended, your package can't be delivered, and final notice are all designed to get you acting before you start asking questions.

Different favor different places

Perhaps the most useful finding is that different tend to favor different communication channels.

For example, a whopping nine out of 10 toll arrive through text or email, according to Malwarebytes.

In contrast, IRS and tech-support are much more likely to reach consumers by phone. Romance favor social media, while job commonly arrive through email.

That's important because the communication method can make the scam seem more believable. An email from a supposed recruiter doesn't feel strange. Neither does a social-media message from someone who wants to get to know you or a text claiming there's a problem with a package.

Pro tip: When you're contacted unexpectedly, switch channels before responding. If your bank texts you, open its official app. If a company calls, hang up and call the number on its official website or the back of your card. If a recruiter emails you, visit the company's careers page and see if the job actually exists.

Don't trust the logo

Scammers also lean heavily on familiar brands.

The five most impersonated brands in Malwarebytes' data were Google, Microsoft, Apple, Roblox, and Amazon.

Seeing a familiar name tends to lower your defenses, especially when the message matches what that company normally sends, like an Amazon delivery notification or Google security alert.

Treat the logo and company name as part of the sales pitch, not proof that the message is authentic.

Give yourself 30 seconds

Before clicking, paying, or replying to an unexpected message, ask yourself these three questions:

• Was I expecting this?

• Is it creating urgency?

• Can I verify it another way?

And don't assume you're safe because it's Tuesday or 2 a.m. can absolutely arrive at any time.

The Malwarebytes data simply suggests scammers are getting better at figuring out when and where you're most likely to respond.