Current Events in September 2025

A federal appeals court has vacated a U.S. District Court decision that halted mass firings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded the case for further proceedings. The panel stayed its decision to allow for a petition for re-hearing by the full court, holding that the firings cannot proceed until one week after the results of the petition, which could result in further delay and potentially reverse the decision. 

“Today’s decision is a deeply disturbing development in the ongoing campaign to shutter the CFPB, which has defended people from unscrupulous practices by credit reporting companies, Wall Street banks, and big corporations, said Lauren Saunders, director of federal advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center.

“The CFPB was created after millions of people lost their jobs and homes in the Great Recession and has helped return $21 billion to 200 million consumers harmed by companies that violated the law,” said Saunders. “People need the CFPB to prevent financial companies from running roughshod over families, Veterans, and older adults.” 

In her dissent, Judge Pillard wrote: “Congress created the CFPB, assigned it important missions and powers, and subjected its decisions to the strong presumption of judicial review that applies as a matter of course to the final actions of federal agencies. It is untenable to hold that same Congress meant the agency’s continued existence to be a matter of unilateral and unexplained presidential edict.”

The court’s decision is the latest development in a lawsuit filed in January by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), NCLC, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Virginia Poverty Law Center, CFPB Employee Association, and Pastor Eva Steege, against the CFPB and CFPB Acting Director Russell Vought, to challenge the unlawful dismantling of the CFPB. (Ms. Steege, 83, had reached out to the CFPB to help her receive loan forgiveness to pay down her student loan debt. She passed away in April, and her husband, Ted Steege, replaced her as plaintiff in the case.)

• Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days is officially returning October 7-8. 

• The retailer has several ways for shoppers to start saving now – three weeks ahead of the sales event. 

• Start your holiday shopping early with Amazon’s Holiday Shop and deals on millions of items across the site. 

It’s that time of year again: sales time! 

Amazon officially announced that its multi-day Prime Big Deal Days sales event will be returning October 7-8. 

While the sale is still a few weeks away from officially kicking off, shoppers can start saving on select sales today – and start preparing for holiday shopping. 

“Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days returns October 7–8, kicking off the 2025 holiday shopping season with millions of deals and deep discounts across popular categories like home, apparel, toys, and beauty,” the company wrote in a news release. 

“Starting October 7 at 12:01 a.m. PDT, Prime members can shop seasonal savings across Amazon’s wide selection—from beauty must-haves and top electronics to deals on some of the most anticipated gifts of the season.” 

What’s on sale now? 

Though Amazon is touting millions of items on sale, shoppers don’t have to wait to start saving. Here’s a look at some of the deals available now: 

• In-store grocery savings: Prime members can save $15 when they spend $55+ at Amazon Fresh through October 8. 

• Amazon devices on sale: A number of products in the Amazon suite of devices are half off right now, including: Kindle, Ring, Fire Tablets, Echo Dot, and more. 

• Prime card holders can save: The Prime Visa credit card comes with extra perks. For starters, upon approval for the card, consumers will receive a $150 Amazon gift card. Then, cardholders will receive extra cashback during Prime Big Deal Days, as well as on year-round purchases. 

• Gas savings: Starting October 3, Prime members can save up to $1.00/gallon on all gas purchases up to 35 gallons at any bp, Amoco, and ampm gas stations. 

• Kindle deals: Eligible Prime members can score up to three months free of Kindle Unlimited, and a select number of titles are currently 80% off. 

• Free McDonald’s: Between September 15 and October 5, Prime members who use their free GrubHub+ membership can get a free McDonald’s 10-piece chicken nugget every single day (on orders of at least $20). 

• Young adults save more: Prime’s Young Adult membership comes in at half the price of a traditional membership. Anyone aged 18-24 can get the first six months of Prime free, and then at $7.49/month or $69/year. 

• Artist merch: Those looking for artist merchandise can get 30% off when they shop through Amazon Music. 

Prepare for Prime Day

Shoppers must have a Prime membership to qualify for Prime Big Deal Days sales. For those without Prime accounts, you can get a 30-day free trial, before paying either $14.99/month or $139/year. 

During the sales, shoppers can take advantage of Amazon’s Holiday Shop. With curated gift guides, you can start getting your holiday shopping done ahead of time. 

• FICO’s inaugural Credit Insights report shows U.S. credit scores dipping as inflation and student loan payments weigh on consumers.
  

• Gen Z faces the steepest declines, with student loan debt driving higher financial volatility.
  

• Auto loans now rank above mortgages in repayment priority, underscoring a major shift in consumer payment behavior.
  

FICO, the analytics software firm behind the widely used FICO Score, has released its first-ever Credit Insights report, offering a detailed look at how consumer credit behavior is evolving amid inflation, resumed student loan payments, and shifting financial priorities. 

With 90% of top U.S. lenders relying on FICO Scores, the findings provide a window into how millions of Americans are managing debt in a changing economy.

The national average FICO Score now stands at 715, a two-point dip from 2024. While modest, the decline reflects higher credit card utilization and a rise in missed payments, some tied to the resumption of student loan delinquency reporting.

“Consumers are adapting — whether by prioritizing essential payments like auto loans, navigating the return of student loan obligations, or actively monitoring their credit health,” said Julie May, vice president and general manager of B2B Scores at FICO.

Younger borrowers hit hardest

The report highlights that Gen Z, ages 18 to 29, experienced the sharpest score decline, down three points year-over-year. Younger consumers also had more frequent large swings — with scores fluctuating by 50 points or more — reflecting greater financial instability. Student loan debt remains a central factor: 34% of Gen Z hold student loans, compared to just 17% of the overall population.

Nearly half of Gen Z respondents to a FICO/Harris Poll survey said they relied on credit cards or Buy Now, Pay Later loans in the past year after experiencing job or income loss.

The distribution of credit scores continues to fragment. Consumers in the middle score range (600–749) have declined, dropping from 38.1% of the population in 2021 to 33.8% in 2025. More borrowers are clustering at either the high or low ends, a reflection of the uneven “K-shaped” recovery.

“This data reflects a K-shaped economy, where consumers are experiencing different financial outcomes but also adapting in meaningful ways,” said Tommy Lee, senior director of Predictive Scores and Analytics at FICO.

Car payments now top priority

The traditional payment hierarchy has shifted. Consumers are now 19% more likely to pay their auto loans than mortgages, placing vehicles at the top of repayment priorities. Mortgages still rank higher than personal loans and credit cards, while student loans now sit at the bottom—even for higher-scoring borrowers.

This reprioritization highlights how borrowers are strategically protecting essential assets like transportation, often critical for maintaining employment.

The report also tracked delinquency rates since 2021:

• Auto loans: up 24%, with affordability a challenge across all score groups.

• Credit cards: up 48%, as utilization climbed to 35.5%.

• Mortgages: up 58%, though still below pre-pandemic levels.

• Personal loans: declining, aided by tighter underwriting standards.

Despite financial pressures, Americans are increasingly proactive about tracking their credit health. The survey found:

• 71% check their credit scores multiple times per year.

• Nearly half of Gen Z (46%) and Millennials (45%) monitor their scores monthly.

• 24% of Americans opened a new credit card in the past year, and 13% opened a personal loan as a financial cushion.

• In 2025, drivers are expected to spend less than 2% of disposable income on gas — the smallest share in two decades.

• The average price of regular gasoline is $3.12 per gallon, down compared to last week, last month, and last year, with most states seeing decreases except parts of the West Coast facing infrastructure-related increases.

• Prices range from as low as $2.68 in Mississippi to as high as $4.64 in California and Washington, though the median U.S. price is $2.95 per gallon, with many common prices under $3.

While restaurant bills can put a dent in your wallet, paying for the gasoline to get you to the restaurant won’t. A report by the Energy Information Administration found that drivers are expected to spend the smallest share of their disposable income on gasoline this year than at any time in the past two decades.

The agency’s report said less than 2% of people's personal disposable income will be spent on gasoline in 2025, down from an average of 2.4% over the previous decade. Excluding 2020, when the pandemic made gas incredibly cheap, that’s the lowest percentage since 2025.

According to GasBuddy data, the national average price of gasoline is down 3.6 cents in just the last week and stands at $3.12 per gallon.

That’s 1.8 cents lower than a month ago and is 2.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 2.6 cents in the last week and stands at $3.658 per gallon.

The West Coast is still expensive

“While gas prices fell in more states than they rose last week, the West Coast continues to face challenges, with Oregon and Washington seeing some of the largest increases due to regional infrastructure issues,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in the company’s blog. 

“The good news is that the transition to cheaper winter gasoline begins across most of the nation, and with improvements underway in the West Coast market, I expect that average gas prices will continue to decline in the weeks ahead in most states — assuming hurricane season remains quiet.”

Drivers have benefited in two ways. First, gas prices have remained stable for months, making it easier to budget for fuel. Second, adjusted for inflation, gas prices are about the same as they were five decades ago.

In 1970, the national average retail price of regular gasoline in the United States was about $0.36 per gallon. To put that in perspective, adjusted for inflation, that’s roughly $2.80–$3.00 per gallon in today’s dollars.

Below $3 a gallon

According to GasBuddy, the most common U.S. gas price encountered by motorists is $2.99 per gallon, unchanged from last week, followed by $2.89, $2.79, $3.09, and $2.69, rounding out the top five most common prices.

The median U.S. gas price is $2.95 per gallon, down 4 cents from last week and about 17 cents lower than the national average.

The top 10% of stations in the country average $4.45 per gallon, while the bottom 10% average $2.58 per gallon.

The states with the lowest average prices: Mississippi ($2.68), Oklahoma ($2.73), and Arkansas ($2.75).

The states with the highest average prices: California ($4.64), Washington ($4.64), and Hawaii ($4.45).

• Toxic fumes from engine oil and hydraulic fluids have been reported inside commercial aircraft cabins.

• Flight attendants and passengers have described symptoms ranging from headaches to breathing difficulties.

• Safety advocates are calling for more stringent monitoring and filtration systems.

For most travelers, stepping onto a plane means trusting in a finely tuned system of engineering and safety. But a little-known issue is troubling aviation experts: toxic fumes, sometimes known as “fume events,” can seep into commercial aircraft cabins, exposing passengers and crew to harmful chemicals, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Commercial jet engines use synthetic oils and hydraulic fluids that can contain toxic additives. Under certain conditions, such as faulty seals, overheating, or mechanical wear, small amounts of these substances can leak into the air supply. Because most modern airplanes use a system called “bleed air,” drawing cabin air directly from the engines, fumes can enter the cabin circulation system undetected.

Symptoms among passengers and crew

Flight attendants’ unions have long warned about the health effects of fume events. Symptoms reported include dizziness, nausea, headaches, breathing problems, and, in some cases, long-term neurological issues. Passengers often chalk these experiences up to motion sickness or jet lag, meaning the true extent of the problem may be underreported.

Airlines maintain that fume events are rare, but they do occur worldwide. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have both acknowledged the issue. 

However, there are currently no mandatory systems on most aircraft to detect or filter toxic fumes. Some newer planes, like the Boeing 787, avoid bleed-air systems altogether, but the majority of the global fleet still relies on older designs.

What consumers should know

• If you notice a strong chemical, oily, or “dirty socks” smell in the cabin, report it to the crew.

• Document any symptoms you experience during or after the flight.

• Flight attendants’ organizations recommend seeking medical attention if symptoms are severe or persistent.

Consumer safety groups are urging airlines to be more transparent about fume events and to install onboard sensors that can detect contaminated air in real time. Advocates argue that until detection and prevention become standard, passengers and crew remain vulnerable to invisible hazards at 30,000 feet.

• Elizabeth Warren and Steve Cohen reintroduce bill to prohibit employers from using credit reports in hiring

• Lawmakers say the practice is unfair, ineffective, and disproportionately harms minorities and women

• Nearly half of US employers rely on credit history despite no link to job performance

As the US labor market faces mounting strain, two senior Democrats in Washington are reviving efforts to block employers from screening job applicants based on their credit history. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee reintroduced legislation today that would ban the use of credit checks in hiring.

The lawmakers argue that financial struggles should not be a barrier to employment. “Nobody should be discriminated against and miss out on a job opportunity because of their financial history,” Warren said in a statement. Cohen added that credit scores are “an inaccurate way to predict future job performance or ability.”

Bill would amend fair credit law

The proposal would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to forbid employers from requiring or even suggesting applicants disclose their credit history. It would also bar credit reporting agencies from providing consumer reports to employers, and prohibit hiring decisions based on such information.

Versions of the legislation have surfaced since the aftermath of the 2008–09 recession, when household debt surged. Supporters say the practice has persisted despite evidence showing no correlation between credit history and job performance.

Disproportionate impact on minorities and women

According to Warren’s office, credit checks disproportionately disqualify people of color from job opportunities, while women are also more likely to suffer poor credit. Medical debt and periods of unemployment are the most common factors dragging down credit scores.

A 2012 survey by the think tank Demos found that one in 10 respondents reported being denied a job because of credit information. Nearly half of employers use credit reports in hiring, a 2023 Urban Institute report estimated.

Patchwork of state-level bans

Several states, including California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, have already moved to ban or restrict the use of credit checks in employment. New York City enacted its own ban in 2015, and lawmakers are now pushing for a statewide prohibition.

Supporters of the federal bill say national action is needed to ensure fairness across industries and regions. “We should be making the job application process fairer so people can succeed with good jobs, not adding obstacles,” Cohen said.