Government & Policy
Legislation, executive orders, regulatory changes, and government actions that directly impact personal finances, taxes, benefits, or the economy.
Latest in Government & Policy
Shoppers are suing Costco and Amazon over tariff markups, but the government is refunding importers, not customers
Shoppers who paid tariff-inflated prices at Costco and Amazon are turning to the courts, filing class-action lawsuits that accuse the retailers of keeping government tariff...
Former SAVE-plan borrowers must pick a new repayment plan by about September 29 or a $0 payment can jump to hundreds
About 7.5 million borrowers who had been parked in the Saving on a Valuable Education plan are being pushed to choose a new way to...
Oregon is returning about $1.4 billion to taxpayers through its “kicker” credit this year
Oregon has certified a $1.41 billion revenue surplus for its most recent two-year budget cycle, and under a law unique to the state that money...
The maximum monthly SNAP benefit for a family of four has climbed to $994 in the 48 contiguous states
Households that rely on federal food aid are working with a slightly higher ceiling this year, though most will never see the full amount. Under...
The USDA plans to make every SNAP recipient reapply, starting in Minnesota
Federal agriculture officials have signaled that the roughly 42 million people who receive food-stamp benefits could eventually be required to reapply for them, and the...
Trump’s proposed $2,000 tariff-dividend checks still have not been introduced in Congress
President Trump’s promise of $2,000 tariff “dividend” checks remains just that, a promise, with no legislation to create the payments introduced in Congress nearly nine...
The government has refunded $100 billion in tariffs to importers, yet the shoppers who paid the higher prices are getting nothing back
The federal government has returned roughly $100 billion in import tariffs to the companies that paid them, according to an August 5 court filing, months...
Costco and Walmart shoppers have sued over tariff overcharges, but no refunds have been approved
Shoppers have filed class-action lawsuits against Costco and Walmart alleging the retailers charged tariff-driven markups and now stand to pocket government refunds without passing anything...
Colorado sends low-income residents up to $1,154 a year to help cover property taxes, rent, and heat
Colorado sets aside a yearly rebate worth as much as $1,154 for older and low-income residents who struggle to pay property taxes, rent, or heating...
Affordable Care Act premiums are more than doubling for about 20 million people
The amount that Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees pay for coverage has more than doubled on average, an increase that landed on roughly 20 million...
Pennsylvania is paying eligible seniors up to $1,000 to offset property taxes or rent
Pennsylvania is sending eligible older residents rebates worth as much as $1,000 to offset the property taxes or rent they paid last year, and the...
The SAVE student-loan plan is dead, and borrowers have until about late September to choose a new one
The Saving on a Valuable Education plan, known as SAVE, is finished, and roughly 7.5 million borrowers now face a hard choice with a short...
A Senate bill would send $600 per person in tariff rebates, but it still hasn’t moved in Congress
A Senate proposal would put $600 in the pocket of most American adults, plus another $600 for each of their children, drawn from the revenue...
Starting in 2026, 18 states will block SNAP shoppers from buying soda and candy with benefits
Beginning in 2026, 18 states have won federal approval to bar residents from using SNAP benefits to buy soda, candy, and other sugary items, the...
More than 4 million people have lost SNAP food aid this year
More than 4 million people have dropped off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the past year, one of the steepest declines the food-aid program...
Amazon is getting $600 million in tariff money back, and some shoppers could see a refund
Amazon told investors it collected about $600 million in tariff refunds in a single quarter, and it says a portion of that money will find...
A bill would let about 50,000 combat-injured veterans draw both retirement and disability pay
Tens of thousands of medically retired veterans lose part of their military retirement pay because of a decades-old federal offset, and a bill reintroduced in...
New SNAP rules changed how utilities count, and about 600,000 households will see smaller benefits
A change buried in the 2025 federal budget law is about to shrink the monthly grocery assistance that roughly 600,000 U.S. households draw through the...
Some states waive property taxes entirely for veterans rated 100% disabled
A veteran rated by the federal government as 100 percent disabled from service-connected conditions can, in many states, stop paying property taxes on a primary...
Many states let homeowners 65 and older defer property taxes until the home is sold
Property-tax bills do not pause when a paycheck stops, and for older homeowners who are rich in home equity but short on monthly cash, that...