Consumer News: House passes bill aimed at shielding consumers from data center electricity costs

Beyond inflation, the economic impact is uncertain

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Bank of America says Brent crude could rise above $150 a barrel if oil supplies tighten further. That is a risk scenario, not the banks main forecast.

• If crude climbed from roughly $100 to $150 and the full increase reached the pump, it would add about $1.19 per gallon to gasoline and diesel.

• Diesel could face additional pressure because supplies of the fuel are already tight, raising costs for trucking and deliveries.

Bank of America is warning that crude oil could climb above $150 a barrel if supply disruptions worsen. The banks year-end forecast for Brent crude is $95 a barrel, making $150 a potential outcome under more severe conditions rather than its expected price.

For drivers, the difference could be substantial. A barrel contains 42 gallons, so a $50 increase in crude works out to about $1.19 per gallon before changes in refining costs, distribution and taxes. If that entire increase reached consumers, the national average for regular gasoline could approach $5.67 a gallon, compared with $4.48 in the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly survey. A 15-gallon fill-up would cost about $18 more.

That calculation is an illustration, not a pump-price forecast. Retail prices do not move in perfect step with crude. They also depend on how much gasoline refineries produce, local supplies and the costs of getting fuel to stations.

Diesel could prove especially costly

The greater threat comes from the impact of diesel, the fuel that moves food and merchandise through the economy. The same crude-price calculation would put diesel near $7.72 a gallon, up from the EIAs latest national average of $6.53. A truck buying 100 gallons would pay roughly $119 more for that fill-up.

Diesel could rise by more or less than that estimate. The EIA says refining margins for diesel and other distillate fuels have been particularly high, reflecting disrupted refinery output and tight supplies. Those pressures can push diesel prices up even when crude prices hold steady.

Higher diesel costs reach beyond people who drive diesel vehicles. Trucks, farm equipment and construction machinery use the fuel, so a sustained increase can raise the cost of moving food and other goods. Businesses may eventually pass some of those costs to customers.

The key question is whether a jump in crude would last. A brief spike might have a smaller effect at the pump; a prolonged disruption would give higher oil costs more time to work through gasoline and diesel prices.

The settlement stems from a 2022 recall

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay nearly $385 million to settle government allegations involving the manufacture of powdered infant formula and nutritional products.

• The Justice Department alleged that conditions at Abbotts Michigan plant put formula at an unacceptable risk of bacterial contamination.

• The settlement includes no finding of liability. Abbott says testing found no Cronobacter sakazakii in unopened formula from the homes of infants investigated during the 2022 recall.

Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay $384,999,040 to resolve allegations that it supplied powdered infant formula and nutritional products to government programs despite manufacturing conditions that failed to meet safety requirements.

The Justice Department said the allegations cover products made at Abbott facilities in Sturgis, Michigan, and Casa Grande, Arizona, between 2018 and 2022. The civil case focused on purchases made through programs including WIC, which helps eligible families buy infant formula, and Medicaid.

According to the governments complaint, roof leaks at the Sturgis plant allowed water to drip over equipment, while cracks and pits in equipment used to turn liquid formula into powder increased the risk of microorganisms growing. Prosecutors also alleged that Abbott failed to adequately investigate potential contamination and withheld some test results from the Food and Drug Administration.

The case stems from the period surrounding Abbotts 2022 recall of certain Similac, Alimentum and EleCare powdered formulas. The recall and temporary closure of the Sturgis plant contributed to a nationwide formula shortage.

The settlement resolves claims that Abbott caused improper charges to be submitted to government programs for products made under those conditions. About $348.7 million will go to the federal government and $36.3 million to certain states, according to the Justice Department.

The companys position

In its statement, Abbott emphasized that the settlement does not establish fault or liability. The company said government testing of unopened formula from the homes of infants investigated at the time of the recall was negative for Cronobacter sakazakii. It also said no unopened, distributed Abbott formula has tested positive for the bacterium.

That distinction matters: the government alleged an unacceptable risk of contamination from manufacturing conditions; the settlement does not establish that the recalled formula caused an infants illness.

Nothing matters more than the safety and quality of Abbott's products, Abbott said in its statement. We make infant formula with the same care we would for our own families and are deeply committed to earning and maintaining caregivers' trust. As we move forward, Abbott remains focused on serving the families who depend on us every day.

The Justice Department said the resolved claims remain allegations and that there has been no determination of liability.

Officials caution consumers not to eat the meat because it has not been inspected

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Star Meat Delivery is recalling about 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products that were produced without federal inspection.

• The meat was sent through a Georgia distributor to stores and restaurants nationwide. Shipping boxes may carry a false USDA inspection mark reading EST. 1363.

• No illnesses or injuries have been confirmed, but consumers should throw away affected meat or return it to the store.

Star Meat Delivery Inc. is recalling approximately 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products that were produced without federal inspection, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service.

USDA has listed this recall as Class I, the highest threat level.

The products were shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, and then sent to retail stores and restaurants nationwide. They include goat cuts, sliced beef, oxtail, short ribs, ground pork, chorizo, pork chops and other cuts. The meat was produced on various dates before September 22, 2026.

Shipping boxes bear a false USDA mark of inspection with the establishment number EST. 1363. FSIS says that number does not have a federal grant of inspection. Shoppers may have difficulty identifying the meat by its original label because stores may have placed their own price and handling stickers on individual packages.

Potential danger

FSIS discovered the problem during surveillance activities. The agency says food produced without inspection may contain harmful bacteria, undeclared allergens or other contaminants. It has received no confirmed reports of illness or injury linked to the recalled products.

The agency is concerned that some of the meat may still be in consumers refrigerators or freezers. Consumers should not eat it; they should throw it away or return it to the place of purchase. Restaurants and retailers should stop serving or selling the recalled products.

FSIS says it may add products to the recall as more information becomes available. Consumers can check the recall notice and available product labels or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider.

Google search data show the two companies rank No. 1 in roughly nine out of 10 states

• Walmart and Amazon dominate: The two companies rank as the most-searched employer for careers in 46 of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

• Hometown companies can still win: H-E-B tops Texas, while Nike, Target, and Alaska Airlines lead in their home states, according to the rankings.

• Searches don't equal job applicants: The study measured Google searches for "[Company] Careers," meaning the numbers don't show how many individual people actually applied for jobs.

If you're looking for a new job, there's a good chance Walmart or Amazon is somewhere on your radar.

New Google search data show just how thoroughly the two corporate giants dominate Americans' searches for potential employers.

Researchers at Hirocom analyzed average monthly Google searches for "[Company] Careers" for 187 major U.S. employers from September 2025 through August 2026.

Walmart ranked No. 1 for career-related searches in 33 states, while Amazon took the top spot in 13 states.

Combined, the two companies finished first in 46 of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C. roughly nine out of 10.

In Alabama, for example, "Walmart Careers" averaged 27,100 monthly searches compared with 18,100 for Amazon. In New York, the positions were reversed, with Amazon averaging 33,100 searches compared with Walmart's 27,100.

But the states where neither company finished first might be the most interesting.

Hometown favorites beat the giants

In Texas, H-E-B blew past both Walmart and Amazon. "H-E-B Careers" averaged 246,000 monthly searches, compared with 165,000 for Walmart and 135,000 for Amazon. FedEx and Target rounded out the state's top five.

The only other states where an employer different than Walmart or Amazon ranked first were:

• Alaska: Alaska Airlines, with 880 average monthly searches, although Walmart also recorded 880.

• Minnesota: Hometown favorite Target took the top spot.

• Oregon: Nike, with 5,400 monthly searches, tied in search volume with Walmart.

• Washington: Google and Microsoft recorded the highest search volume.

The results show that major regional and hometown employers can still compete with retail giants like Walmart and Amazon.

Other regional names also cracked the top five without taking the No. 1 spot. Fidelity Investments was second in New Hampshire, Duke Energy ranked fourth in North Carolina, and Delta Air Lines was fifth in New York.

What the numbers don't tell us

There's an important catch with the rankings. The researchers used Google Keyword Planner to measure average monthly searches for the phrase "[Company] Careers."

That doesnt mean 246,000 different Texans searched for H-E-B jobs. The same person could search multiple times, and someone searching from one state could be interested in a job located somewhere else.

So the results shouldn't be interpreted as a ranking of where Americans most want to work or how many people actually applied for jobs at each company.

Instead, they're a snapshot of which major employers are generating the most career-related Google search activity. And on that measure, Walmart and Amazon are difficult to escape.