Big changes are imminent in the way homes are bought and sold, as the new forms for transactions in California come out today.

The forms are linked to the proposed legal settlement by the National Association of Realtors, which ends the long-standing practice of having a home seller's agent pay a commission to the buyer's agent. It benefited buyers who may not have saved up enough money to pay their agent.

George Lopez, a real estate agent in Indian Wells, explained buyers will now have to negotiate a separate contract to hire and pay their own agent.

"Even with these changes, a buyer can still purchase a home without having the money to pay their agent," Lopez explained. "The general public needs to understand that the real estate commissions have been, and will always be, negotiable - and that if they don't have money to pay their agent, they can still potentially negotiate it in their sale."

The lawsuit contended the old way of selling homes tended to drive up costs, as buyers' agents had more incentive to steer people to sellers willing to pay a higher commission. The changes are intended to empower homebuyers to negotiate for a better deal.

Lopez thinks most sellers will still offer to pay a real estate broker, rather than risk losing out on a big chunk of the prospective buyer pool. But it will have to be negotiated in the offer, as commissions will no longer be stated in the Multiple Listing Service. The changes also mean buyers' agents cannot just meet prospective clients "on the fly" anymore, to go check out a home for sale.

"You have to meet me at the office; we have to have a meeting," Lopez pointed out. "We have to have an agreement in place that said that you're hiring me, or I can't show you any homes."

The new forms real estate agents use to complete transactions will take effect nationwide on Aug. 17.


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A new tool aims to equip Oregonians with the knowledge they need to take control of their personal data and protect their privacy online.

Oregon Consumer Justice created the guide after the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act took effect last summer, empowering residents to control how businesses collect and use their personal data. The guide explained how to request records of collected and sold personal information.

Malena Lechon-Galdos, program coordinator for the Portland-based nonprofit suma, which helped work on the guide, said most people do not understand how much of their data, from internet search histories to social security numbers, is being collected, bought and sold.

"The internet is a tool that everyone at this point needs to utilize, even if it's getting basic resources," Lechon-Galdos pointed out. "How can we do it in a way that is safe?"

The guide includes step-by-step instructions on how to opt out of targeted advertising and stop the sale of personal data.

Cookies, explained Lechon-Galdos, help websites track the personal information people enter, as well as users' locations. All the information is bought and sold by data brokers to create personalized advertisements. Information can also be purchased by federal agencies and used in investigations, Lechon-Galdos added, which has raised concerns about warrantless surveillance.

"What we want the community to know is there are risks here," Lechon-Galdos stressed. "Here is how to mitigate some of these risks so you can feel more knowledgeable, more in control."

The new tool addresses barriers to digital rights awareness, Lechon-Galdos noted, including complex jargon and limited tech access. Oregon Consumer Justice said it hopes the information will help build a network of informed data privacy advocates.


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West Virginia coal miners filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to temporarily halt the Trump administration's layoffs impacting the Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health houses the program, which offers the screenings free of charge.

Travis Parsons, director of occupational safety and health for the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America and a native West Virginian, said a majority, some 80% to 90% of workers at the program, have now lost their jobs.

"We always lean on NIOSH for research," Parsons noted. "Any time we had a new OSHA rule, we leaned on them for their expertise and to create a safer workplace."

The class action lawsuit against the federal government was filed on behalf of miners by Appalachian Mountain Advocates, Mountain State Justice and Petsonk Labor and Employment Law. Modern changes in mining technology have allowed miners to dig deeper into rock, increasing their exposure to silica dust, which has driven up rates of black lung disease, according to the American Journal of Managed Care.

Parsons added the program NIOSH has unique tasks and expertise which cannot be easily transferred to other agencies.

"They're the only agency in the country that certified respirators and tested respirators," Parsons pointed out.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates around 20% of coal miners in Central Appalachia have been diagnosed with black lung disease.


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Fear, shame, and helplessness are feelings Minnesota fraud victims describe after losing their life savings to a scam.

They're hopeful about a path to financial recovery as state lawmakers finalize a new tool to lean on.

Under a bill poised for final passage, Minnesota would join a handful of other states in creating a Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund.

A percentage of money collected from civil penalties leveled against suspected fraudsters would be diverted into a state-managed account.

That money would be divvied up among people who've had trouble recovering money in their cases.

Dennis Anderson of Maplewood told lawmakers that was the situation for him.

"It can happen to anyone," said Anderson. "Scammers exploit emotions and fears, robbing us from our financial security."

Anderson lost $20,000 after getting a frantic call from someone posing as his grandson about a legal matter.

The legislation is now part of a large omnibus bill as lawmakers near the end of session.

The measure has bipartisan support, although some Republicans want more transparency in how the money is handled. Sponsors say the plan has enough guardrails.

State Senator Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, is the bill's main sponsor.

She said those guardrails include caps on how much money can go into the restitution fund, before the rest is moved into the general fund.

She noted that they also added language that a victim who receives restitution won't have to list it on their tax return. Rest said it's one way to make them feel better moving on from what happened.

"People lose their dignity over it," said Rest. "Sometimes they have risked a lot of their retirement income. They feel embarrassed, and by having a restitution account, it allows some restoration of that dignity."

AARP Minnesota worked closely with lawmakers on this plan.

It highlights data from the first three quarters of 2024, when the Federal Trade Commission received more than 22,000 fraud reports from Minnesotans, with losses totaling nearly $103 million.