Current Events in February 2025

The Senate today confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the nation's highest health official and he was sworn in a short time later by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch in an Oval Office ceremony.

It was perhaps the most controversial of President Trump's recent Cabinet nominations. Critics condemned what they said were Kennedy's fringe views on health and nutrition, noting that he is not a doctor or recognized academic in the field.

Dr. Peter G. Lurie, president of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest condemned Kennedy as "without doubt the most inappropriate choice to lead Health and Human Services in the history of the agency."

He said Kennedy has "a demonstrated talent for getting people to believe things that are not true" and went on to list them:  

• He questions whether germs cause infectious disease. 
• He believes we should pause infectious disease research and drug development research for ‘about eight years.’ 
• He believes unpasteurized milk is safe to drink. 

Lurie said Kennedy has consistently spread misinformation about vaccines for years, including the debunked claim that they cause autism, that there is no safe or effective vaccine, that the polio vaccine killed more people than it saved, and that COVID-19 vaccine authorization should have been revoked in the middle of the pandemic. 

Trump took issue with the critics. “There’s no better person to lead our campaign of historic reforms and historic faith in American health care,” he said.

Most Republican Senators sided with Kennedy in a 52-48 vote, with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the lone holdout.

Himself a polio survivor, McConnell said Kennedy had "a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions."

At the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy will be in charge of a $2 trillion budget covering 13 divisions, including the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kennedy has labeled some of these agencies as corrupt and has said they were puppets of the pharmaceutical industry. 

The drug industry awaits awaiting Kennedy's tenure with trepidation and the food industry is not far behind. Besides questioning vaccines and arguing that Americans are over-medicated, Kennedy has been critical of processed food and the weight-loss drugs that, like Ozempic, have won large numbers of enthusiastic users. He has vowed to address the "sick food system," sending shock waves through the food and restaurant industries. 

About RFK Jr.

Over his 40-year career, Mr. Kennedy established two groundbreaking organizations. He founded the world’s largest clean water advocacy group, Waterkeeper Alliance, and served as its longtime chairman and attorney. It now protects 5.9 million square miles of waterways with more than 300 Waterkeeper groups and 1 million volunteers in the United States and 46 other countries.

He also founded Children’s Health Defense, a mass membership organization where he served as chairman and chief litigation counsel in its campaign to address childhood chronic disease and toxic exposures. He is the nephew of America’s 35th President, John F. Kennedy, and the son of his Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy

Eating food is becoming riskier. A new report from U.S. PIRG shows that more Americans got sick from contaminated food in 2024 compared to the previous year. Even more alarming, the number of people who were hospitalized or died from foodborne illnesses doubled, according to U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s new report, Food for Thought 2025.

Key findings

• More than 500 people were hospitalized or died from contaminated food in 2024, up from about 240 in 2023.
• Recalls due to Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli increased significantly, making up 39% of all recalls.
• One-third of all food recalls were caused by undeclared allergens or ingredients that could make people sick.

In total, nearly 1,400 people got sick in 2024—98% of them from just 13 major outbreaks. Most of these outbreaks were caused by Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli.

“This tells us that some companies aren’t doing enough to prevent bacteria from contaminating our food,” said Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog Director at U.S. PIRG Education Fund. She added that many companies also fail to test food properly, allowing contaminated products to reach consumers.

The numbers confirm that food safety was a big issue in 2024. Some major recalls made headlines, including Boar’s Head deli meats and McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. While recalls of meat and poultry decreased, the FDA saw a rise in recalls of other foods, including fruits, vegetables, and snacks.

“Once again, everything from soup to nuts threatened our health in 2024,” Murray said. “If food producers and packagers just focused more on being sanitary and labeling packages for allergens, our food would be so much safer.”

Good news for home shoppers – mortgage rates dipped again this week.

Freddie Mac reports its Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.87% this week.

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continued to inch down this week, reaching its lowest level thus far in 2025,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. 

“Recent mortgage rate stability is benefitting potential buyers, as purchase demand is stronger than this time last year. This is an indication that a thaw in buyer activity could be on the horizon.”

February began with an increase in mortgage applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. But Joel Kan, MBA’s deputy chief economist, attributed that to a slight dip in rates the previous week.

Kan said the average loan size for refinance borrowers increased, as these borrowers tend to be more responsive to a given change in rates. Purchase applications were down from the previous week’s level but were slightly ahead of last year’s pace.

In December, the combination of high mortgage rates and high home prices kept many buyers on the sidelines. There were so few buyers that 73,000 homeowners took their properties off the market, according to CoreLogic.

The data firms also reported that affordability tumbled to the lowest level in decades despite home price growth slowing from previous years. Growth in home prices continued, but there were stark divisions between the areas of the country with gains and areas that were at risk of price declines.

The 2024-2025 flu season appears to be a nasty one. Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a rising number of visits to healthcare facilities to treat flu symptoms.

The CDC reports clinical labs found the flu virus in nearly 32% of the specimens that were submitted for analysis. 

“As of February 7, 2025, the amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek healthcare is at a very high level,” the CDC said. “Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country.”

According to the CDC, 7.8% of visits to healthcare providers in the last week were for treatment of a respiratory illness, an increase from the previous week. The health agency also reported an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases but said cases of RSV were declining.

The CDC also monitors viral activity in wastewater across the U.S. to gauge the severity of a respiratory outbreak. Its latest analysis found “very high” levels of influenza presence, “high” levels of COVID-19 and a “moderate” level of RSV.

In the United States, flu season usually occurs in the fall and winter. While influenza viruses spread year-round, most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February. As the CDC chart below graphically illustrates, February is usually the peak month for infections.

Serious cases of influenza should be treated by a healthcare professional. For less severe cases, the Mayo Clinic suggests these treatments may provide relief:

• Drink plenty of liquids. Choose water, juice and warm soups to help keep fluids in your body.

• Rest. Get more sleep to help your immune system fight infection. You may need to change your activity level, depending on your symptoms.

• Consider pain relievers. Use acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) for fever, headache or achiness associated with influenza. Children and teens recovering from flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal condition.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety regularly tests vehicles for how they perform in a crash. Now, IIHS is measuring how well cars and trucks avoid crashes.

The analysis focuses on the significant strides automakers have made in enhancing automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, following the introduction of a more rigorous front crash prevention evaluation in 2024. This advancement is expected to save lives by addressing the most dangerous types of front-to-rear crashes, according to IIHS President David Harkey.

The latest evaluation saw 22 out of 30 vehicles earn a good or acceptable rating, a notable improvement from April when only three of the first 10 small SUVs tested met this standard. Vehicles that excel in this new test are required to prevent or substantially mitigate crashes at higher speeds.

Among the vehicles receiving good ratings for their standard systems are:

• Acura ZDX

• BMW X5 and X6

• Cadillac Lyriq

• Chevrolet Blazer EV

• Genesis GV80

• Honda Prologue

• Hyundai Santa Fe

• Kia EV9

• Kia Sorento

• Lexus NX

• Subaru Forester

• Toyota Camry

• Toyota Crown Signia

• Toyota Tacoma. 

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with an optional system, also earned a good rating. 

Acceptable ratings

Acceptable ratings were given to the standard systems on the Genesis G80, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Sonata, Jeep Wagoneer, and Mazda CX-50, as well as an optional system on the Acura MDX.

The Ford Expedition received a marginal rating, while the Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Buick Envista, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Trax, Kia Seltos, and Nissan Altima were rated poor.

The updated IIHS test includes trials at speeds of 31, 37, and 43 mph, and evaluates performance with a motorcycle target and a semitrailer, in addition to a passenger car. This reflects a broader range of real-world crash scenarios, including those resulting in serious injuries or fatalities. Annually, over 400 people die in rear-end crashes with semitrailers, and more than 200 motorcyclists are killed in rear impacts.

Good-rated systems provided timely forward collision warnings and stopped completely before impact in trials with passenger car targets. They also performed well in most motorcycle scenarios and issued timely warnings in semitrailer trials. However, some vehicles struggled to stop before hitting the motorcycle target, though they did slow significantly.

Acceptable-rated systems generally stopped before impact and issued timely warnings in most trials, but their performance was less effective at higher speeds, particularly with motorcycle targets. Poor-rated vehicles failed to prevent collisions with motorcycle targets even at the lowest test speeds and struggled with timely warnings.

Email Mark Huffman mhuffman@consumeraffairs.com

Last year was marked by a large number of retail store closings and it appears that trend will continue in 2025.

JCPenny is the latest retailer to serve notice that its footprint will get smaller – but not by much. The company said it expects to shutter only eight stores in the U.S. – just 2% of the total. However, that may be just the tip of the iceberg.

A report by Coresight Research predicts 15,000 retail stores will close up shop in 2025, roughly double the number that closed in 2024. The report suggests it has less to do with economic conditions and more about changes in consumer behavior.

Consumers have shifted more of their purchases to online retailers such as Amazon, putting a dent in the profits of traditional department stores. Exceptions are retailers that also sell groceries, such as Walmart, Costco and Target.

Competition from Chinese retailers have also taken a larger share of U.S. consumers’ budgets. Coresight points to Shein and Temu, which ship inexpensive products to U.S. consumers, as major headaches for American retailers.

In other words, the shift in the retail landscape is being driven by how a new generation of American consumers shop. Retailers that haven’t adapted are shrinking, or disappearing altogether.

2024 closings

In 2024, these U.S. retailers closed locations:

• Walgreens

• CVS Health

• Big Lots

• Conn's

• Rue21

• 7-Eleven

• Rite Aid

• 99 Cents Only Stores

• American Freight

• Family Dollar

• DK

• LL Flooring

• Footlocker

• Express

• Alimentation Couche-Tard

• Dollar General

• Macy's

• The Body Shop

• Save A Lot

• Bath & Body Works

• Dollar Tree

• Soft Surroundings

• Sam Ash Music

• Sleep Number

• Burlington Stores

• Stop & Shop

• Office Depot

• Ted Baker

• Carter's

While it might appear that home prices are still rising nearly everywhere, there’s growing evidence that some sellers are ready to make a deal in order to entice buyers put off by both prices and mortgage rates.

Real estate marketplace Zillow reports nearly 23% of home sellers reduced their listing prices in January, marking the highest share for this month in Zillow's recorded history. This trend underscores the increasing negotiating power buyers wield, despite persistently high mortgage rates, as the home shopping season kicks off.

While regional competition varies, the San Francisco Bay Area and the coastal Northeast remain fiercely competitive. However, Zillow said most buyers nationwide are likely to encounter price reductions on their preferred listings.

"Homeowners are finally returning to the market as the effects of rate lock ease over time, but buyers are still grappling with high monthly costs," Skylar Olsen, Zillow's chief economist, said in a press release. 

"Sellers are in a favorable position and are willing to make price cuts to close deals. Home equity is near record highs, and the general economy and financial markets are surprisingly strong. Homes are selling faster than they did before the pandemic."

Home prices have continued to rise even as sales have slowed, confounding many buyers who expect supply and demand to work in their favor. But lower than normal inventory levels have kept prices near record highs.

Huge gains since the pandemic

Home values have surged by 44% compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a 2.6% increase year over year. However, appreciation rates differ significantly across the country, ranging from an 8.1% rise in San Jose to a 3.4% decline in Austin.

Mortgage rates climbed to 7.04% in January, the highest since May and notably above the mid-6% rates from the previous January. This increase has posed additional challenges for buyers, leading to a 3.6% year-over-year decline in newly pending sales.

Sellers appear less perturbed by rate fluctuations. New listings from existing homeowners rose by nearly 12% year over year. The grip of "rate lock" is loosening as homeowners accumulate equity and face compelling reasons to sell. Zillow's surveys reveal that 78% of recent sellers were motivated by life events, such as job changes or family size adjustments.

Fewer sellers became buyers

Interestingly, only 54% of sellers purchased another home, the lowest proportion since 2018 and a drop from 70% last year. New listings are increasing most rapidly in costly Western markets, with Portland, Seattle, Denver, and San Francisco leading the surge.

Despite buyer challenges, a significant number of sellers are achieving more than their asking prices. Nearly 25% of homes sold in December exceeded their original listing prices, compared to about 19% before the pandemic.

Although high rates are a hurdle, buyers have opportunities to secure deals. Zillow's market heat index indicates that buyers had more negotiating leverage than in any January over the past five years.

Most Americans plan to save money on Valentine's Day celebrations this year, a new survey finds.

Only 20% of American couples said they will spend more money on Valentine's Day in 2025, compared with most saying they are spending less because of reasons including inflation, savings, unaffordability and the future of the economy, according to a survey of 1,115 Americans between Jan. 28 and 29 by reviews-service Trustpilot.

Some 42% of survey respondents said they will celebrate the holiday by going out for dinner, a cheaper option compared with only 28% saying they will exchange gifts.

And 52% said they expect their significant other to spend less than $50 on Valentine's Day.

Still, 73% of survey respondents said they plan to celebrate the holiday, but 77% said they'd rather spend the money on a financial goal.

"Most people still want to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but they’re thinking twice before splurging," said Dana Bodine, U.S. vice president of marketing at Trustpilot.

"Financial concerns are top of mind, but traditions persist, so that means we're seeing adjustments to how people celebrate," she added. "Hard-earned money needs to go further — meaning consumers need to stretch their dollars with sure bets."

Email Dieter Holger at dholger@consumeraffairs.com.

Hundreds of thousands of children could lose money for food if plans to cut government spending go through.

At least 359,000 infants and children could lose their automatic eligibility for a government program funding groceries and other nutrition among pregnant women if leaked budget cuts happen, according to a policy brief by the National WIC Association, a nonprofit advocating for the nutritional health of women, infants and children.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has suggested that $2.5 trillion of budget cuts are possible.

A "menu" for cuts acquired by POLITICO showed they could indirectly harm the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which had a more than $7 billion budget in 2024, the National WIC Association said.

The program provides healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education and referrals to other services, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The cuts would happen through a mechanism called "adjunct eligibility," which allows families to qualify for WIC by providing proof of participation in other government welfare programs, the National WIC Association said.

Email Dieter Holger at dholger@consumeraffairs.com.

During the housing market crash of 2009 there was a surge in foreclosures. Since then, foreclosures have been rare. Until last month.

ATTOM, a curator of real estate data, reports an 8% increase in foreclosure filings compared to the previous month, totaling 30,816 properties. While that’s a significant one-month jump, the company said the numbers reflect a 7% decrease from the same period last year, indicating a complex landscape for foreclosure activity as the year begins.

Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, commented on the findings, suggesting that the increase might partly be due to a post-holiday catch-up in filings. 

"It's too early to know if 2025 will shift from the general 2024 trends of a continued decline in foreclosure activity,” Barber said in a press release. “We will keep a close eye on the market to see how interest rates, inflation, employment shifts, and other market dynamics impact foreclosures in 2025." 

The report highlights a monthly increase in completed foreclosures (REO) in 30 states, with lenders repossessing 2,973 properties in January, marking a slight rise from the previous month but a significant 25% drop from the previous year. Notable increases in REOs were observed in Arizona (up 73%), Virginia (up 57%), and South Carolina (up 55%).

Cities with the most filings

Among metropolitan areas with populations over 200,000, Detroit led with 164 REOs, followed by Chicago and Riverside, Calif. The states with the highest foreclosure rates included Delaware, Nevada, and Indiana, with Delaware experiencing one foreclosure filing for every 1,839 housing units.

Foreclosure starts also saw an 8% increase from the previous month, with 20,994 properties entering the foreclosure process. However, this figure represents a 4% decrease from January 2024. Texas, California, and Florida led the nation in foreclosure starts, with significant activity also noted in major metropolitan areas like Chicago, New York, and Houston.

The foreclosures that caused the housing market crash were largely due to subprime mortgages and lax lending standards. It’s not clear what was behind January’s increase.

Inflation picked up speed in January as the cost of rent and home ownership continued to rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% last month after a 0.4% increase in December.

For the last 12 months, the nation’s inflation rate rose to 3%. The cost of shelter accounted for 30% of last month’s increase.

The energy index rose 1.1% over the month, as the gasoline index increased 1.8%. The index for food also increased in January, rising 0.4%.

In a shift from previous months, the index for food at home – the category for grocery prices – rose 0.5% while the index for food away from home – the category for restaurants –  increased just 0.2%.

In spite of last month’s jump in grocery prices, the index for food at home index is up less than 2% over the last 12 months. Within that index the cost of  meats, poultry, fish, and eggs surged 6.1%, driven largely by the price of eggs. The cost of eggs alone is up 53% over the last 12 months. The cost of dairy and related products is up 1.2%.

The cost of rent has risen by 0.3% for each of the last four months and is up 4.2% over the last 12 months. The cost of owning a home gained 0.3% in January and is up 4.6% year-over-year.

The cost of car insurance also spiked last month, rising 2%. Insurance premiums are up over 11% over the last 12 months.

Last year was a challenging time to sell a home. But if you thought fewer homes being sold would pull down prices, you would be mistaken.

In fact, the U.S. housing market experienced a notable surge in home prices during the fourth quarter of 2024, with 89% of metro areas witnessing an increase in single-family existing home sales prices. This marks a rise from 87% in the previous quarter, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors.

The national median price for single-family existing homes climbed 4.8% year-over-year to $410,100. Notably, 14% of the 226 tracked metro areas recorded double-digit annual price appreciation, a significant jump from 7% in the third quarter.

"Record-high home prices and the accompanying housing wealth gains are definitely good news for property owners," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a press release. "However, renters who are looking to transition into homeownership face significant hurdles."

The South led the nation with the largest share of single-family existing-home sales at 45.1%, experiencing a year-over-year price increase of 2.1%. Other regions also saw price hikes, with the Northeast up by 10.6%, the Midwest by 8.0%, and the West by 4.0%.

The Midwest dominated the list of top-performing metro areas, but Jackson, Mississippi, led the nation with a 28.7% increase in median home prices. Other notable markets included Peoria, Illinois (19.6%), and Chattanooga, Tennessee-Georgia (18.2%).

California remained home to eight of the top 10 most expensive markets, with San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara topping the list at a median price of $1,920,000.

A few metros saw lower prices

Despite the overall rise in prices, nearly 11% of markets saw declines, down from 13% in the previous quarter. Yun noted that workers with the flexibility to relocate might find more affordable housing options elsewhere.

Housing affordability showed slight improvement, with the monthly mortgage payment on a typical single-family home with a 20% down payment decreasing to $2,124, down 1.7% from a year ago. First-time buyers also saw improved conditions, with the monthly payment on a typical starter home dropping to $2,083.

A family needed a qualifying income of at least $100,000 to afford a 10% down payment mortgage in 43.8% of markets, while only 2.2% of markets required less than $50,000, consistent with the previous quarter.

Email Mark Huffman mhuffman@consumeraffairs.com

Poor insurance settlements and delayed claims often plague buyers of health and car insurance.

The good news? Complaining often works.

Only 4.1% of complaints against insurers ended with the company's position being upheld in 2024, compared with around 26% of cases ending with the insurer's position overturned or a compromise on an insurance settlement, according to a review of National Association of Insurance Commissioners data by insurance-comparison website ValuePenguin.

The findings show that appeals largely work, ValuePenguin insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar said.

"If your insurance company refuses to settle a claim in a way you think is fair or if they drop your coverage without proper reason, you have a right to appeal the company’s decision," Sangameshwar said. "The benefit of the appeal is that it forces your insurer to tell you why they’ve made their decision — and they also have to let you know you can dispute their decision."

What are most insurance complaints about?

Claim handling made up the biggest share of complaints about insurance in 2024, accounting for around 65% of cases, ValuePenguin said.

Claim handling included around 22% of complaints about delays and 12% for unsatisfactory settlements or offers.

Companies are required under regulations to respond to and resolve claims promptly, although no timelines are given, Value Penguin said.

Sangameshwar said delays can be because of incomplete or inaccurate documentation or paperwork problems from the insurance claimant.

"However, delays also come from the insurance company themselves, who may delay the process citing a need for further investigation," she said. "Or the insurer may be swamped with a high volume of claims — which is usually the case in the aftermath of a major natural disaster like a hurricane."

What kinds of insurance get the most complaints?

Accident and health insurance and car insurance drew the most complaints by far in 2024, accounting for around 37% and 35%, respectively, ValuePenguin said.

Between 2021 and 2024, ValuePenguin said accident and health insurance complaints grew around 17% and car insurance complaints increased around 32%. 

But complaints rose across the board except for liability insurance, which had a decrease of 31%.

At the more specific coverage level, private passenger car insurance, or personal auto insurance, got the most complaints at around 18% in 2024.

Following private passenger car insurance are general homeowners insurance at around 10% of complaints and individual accident and health insurance at 9%.

It is important for buyers of homeowners and car insurance to understand their coverage limits and excluded perils to avoid making claims that get denied, Sangameshwar said.

"They should also include insurance in their disaster prep, like making an inventory of all the valuable items in their home to find out how much they stand to lose in a disaster situation and making sure they have enough insurance to cover those losses," she said.

For health insurance, Sangameshwar said claimants should work with patient advocates, experts who help navigate the healthcare system.

Patient advocates can be enlisted for free through the Patient Advocate Foundation.

"Advocates can help policyholders understand their insurance policies, ensure that insurers are honoring their commitments, and assist with appealing denied claims and checking medical billing to see that policyholders aren’t overcharged," she said.

Tips for filing an insurance complaint

ValuePenguin has the following advice for filing an insurance complaint:

• A complaint requires documentation. "Make sure you document everything while dealing with your insurer," Sangameshwar said. "You’ll need to fill out a complaint form, submit a detailed account of what happened, and provide supporting documents, emails and a log of phone calls, photographs or screenshots."
• While complaints with your state’s Department of Insurance are meant to be a last resort, you can sometimes bypass the internal appeal process with your insurer. This could include a scenario where the insurance company isn’t complying with a reasonable time frame for an internal appeal (this standard varies by state), or if the insurance company waives its right to an internal review.
• In the case of health insurance claims, a patient facing a life-threatening health crisis can request an expedited internal and external appeal at the same time. Pushing for a faster decision can be critical to accessing coverage for life-saving medicine or helping offset high care costs.

Email Dieter Holger at dholger@consumeraffairs.com.

President Trump has nominated Jonathan McKernan to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

If confirmed by the Senate, McKernan would replace Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who is serving as acting bureau director.

The vacancy was created when Trump fired Rohit Chopra on Feb. 1. He had headed the consumer watchdog agency since October 2021.

Earlier this week, McKernan stepped down as a member of the FDIC board after Trump nominated Rodney Hood as a member. He said on a post on X that if Hood is confirmed, the number of Republicans on the Board would exceed the maximum allowed under federal law. No more than three members of the FDIC board may be members of the same party. Shortly after that, Trump nominated McKernan as CFPB Director.

McKernan joined the FDIC board in January, 2023. Before that, he served as counsel to then-Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., on the staff of the Senate Banking Committee. He also was Senior Counsel at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a Senior Policy Advisor at the Treasury Department. McKernan also was a Senior Financial Policy Advisor to then-Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tn.

From November 2023 to May 2024, McKernan was co–chairman of a special committee of the FDIC Board that oversaw an independent third-party review of allegations of sexual harassment and professional misconduct at the FDIC, as well as issues relating to the FDIC’s workplace culture.