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Lower-income home shoppers in Twin Cities area saw fewer options, higher costs in 2024
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Oct. 24 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following analysis:
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Lower-income home shoppers in Twin Cities area saw fewer options, higher costs in 2024
Authors:
Erik Hembre, Senior Economist, Community Development and Engagement
Ben Horowitz, Senior Policy Analyst, Community Development and Engagement
Libby Starling, Senior Community Development Advisor, Community Development and Engagement
Maxine Xu, Data Scientist, Community Development and Engagement
From 2021 through 2024, the number of homes sold in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Oct. 24 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following analysis:
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Lower-income home shoppers in Twin Cities area saw fewer options, higher costs in 2024
Authors:
Erik Hembre, Senior Economist, Community Development and Engagement
Ben Horowitz, Senior Policy Analyst, Community Development and Engagement
Libby Starling, Senior Community Development Advisor, Community Development and Engagement
Maxine Xu, Data Scientist, Community Development and Engagement
From 2021 through 2024, the number of homes sold in the Twin Cities metropolitan area thatwere affordable to low- and moderate-income buyers dropped 61 percent. During the same time period, cash buyers captured an increasing share of such affordable homes. Looking at all single-family residential properties, regardless of affordability, investors' share of the Twin Cities area market increased from 4.2 percent to 4.7 percent.1
These findings, from an analysis to better understand the inventory of affordable homes, are part of the work that the Community Development and Engagement division at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis does to advance the economic well-being of low- and moderate-income households.
This analysis is informed by feedback from community development practitioners in our region. We frequently hear that home-buying conditions have deteriorated for low- and moderate-income home buyers. For example, we recently interviewed practitioners from community organizations in the Twin Cities area that serve such buyers. Several told us that the hardest part for their clients was finding--and successfully bidding on--a home. "It takes us about five months to get our clients into a home," one of them said. "It has a lot less to do with the downpayment assistance or getting [their loan processed] than it does with just finding a property. We've got a huge lack of inventory."
Our analysis uses data to examine how rapid changes in the housing market played out for low- and moderate-income households in the largest population center in the Ninth Federal Reserve District. The better we understand the effects of dynamics like these, the better we can pursue the Minneapolis Fed's overall mission to pursue a growing economy and stable financial system that work for all of us.
Multiple factors decreased the number of for-sale homes that are affordable
Beginning in 2022, increases in mortgage rates and changes in the supply of homes for sale contributed to a steep decline in the number of for-sale homes that are affordable to households earning 80 percent of area median income (AMI) in the core, seven-county Twin Cities metro area. For our analysis, "affordable" means a household's total housing costs would equal 28 percent or less of that income level. (See the appendix below for more on this.) Applying our affordability definition to property transaction and assessor data compiled by CoreLogic, we find that annual sales of such homes fluctuated between about 19,400 and 23,500 from 2012 to 2021. The number of affordable homes sold then dropped. It fell to 13,800 in 2022, 8,800 in 2023, and 9,300 in 2024. That's a 61 percent decline over a three-year period. (See Figure 1.) The number of homes for sale overall also dropped. However, the decline in sales of affordable homes was more than four times the 14 percent decline in sales of homes priced above our affordability threshold.
In 2022, households earning 80 percent of AMI could afford most homes costing $310,000 or less. In 2024, households at this income level could afford most homes costing $280,000 or less. We say "most" here because there is no single metro-wide or annual affordability threshold in our method. That's because we incorporate property taxes, which vary according to city and county rate schedules, and consider mortgage rates on a monthly basis. (See the appendix below for more on this.)
Rising mortgage rates explain much of the decline in affordability. In January 2021, the average 30-year-fixed mortgage rate bottomed out at 2.65 percent. A year later, it began to climb steeply. By October 2023, the rate had reached a peak of 7.79 percent. It remained above 6 percent through the end of 2024.
The changes drastically lowered the price threshold for buyers who use financing to purchase a home. Based on AMI data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the hypothetical, moderate-income Twin Cities area household we use as the model for our analysis earned $97,800 in 2024. At a 2.7 percent interest rate, this household could afford a home priced at about $354,000 or less. At an interest rate of 6.5 percent, they could acquire a home priced at $265,000 or less. In 2024, this change in mortgage rates, holding everything else constant, would have decreased the number of affordable homes sold in the Twin Cities area by 51 percent.
Other market forces could counteract mortgage rate increases. For example, earnings could increase, raising the income of our model household. Also, home price increases could slow. Both of these things did occur as mortgage rates rose from 2021 through late 2023. But on balance, the income growth and the slowdown in home price appreciation weren't enough to significantly counteract the increased cost of credit.
In the longer term, changes in income and housing price levels worked against affordability. From 2012 through 2024, home prices rose faster than income. On average, Twin Cities area home prices rose 38.6 percent during this period, while AMI rose 11.5 percent. (See Figure 2.)
Finally, growth in other inputs to homeownership costs, such as property taxes and property insurance, also contributed to reduced affordability. According to county property tax records for the Twin Cities area, from 2012 through 2024 the median monthly property tax payment rose from $172 to $381. The average property insurance payment increased from $177 to $235.
Gauging competition from investors and cash buyers
Thus far, we've discussed the supply of affordable homes on the market, not the types of buyers who are purchasing them. Through our engagement work in the Ninth District, we often hear concerns that households with lower incomes lose out to other groups in bidding wars for affordable homes. These concerns typically mention two groups of buyers that are doing the outbidding: purchasers with a lot of cash and investors that will use single-family homes as long-term rentals.
Cash buyers generally have an edge over shoppers who use a mortgage. Cash sales close quickly. There's less risk involved for the seller. Research has shown that sellers will generally choose cash offers even if they are lower than other offers, accepting a price 11 percent lower on average if the buyer uses cash.
Since 2021, cash buyers have acquired fewer homes in the Twin Cities metro area. But their share of affordable home purchases has simultaneously increased. (See Figure 3.) In 2023 and 2024, cash buyers bought 20 percent of higher-priced homes and 38 percent of affordable homes.
Not all cash purchasers are high-income buyers or investors. Nationally, about one in five people buying their primary residence uses cash. Older households are far more likely to purchase a home with cash. While only 7 percent of purchases by households headed by people under 42 use all-cash, over half of home purchases by households headed by people 68 and older do. As the share of older households continues to rise, we expect a rising share of cash purchases.
In other words, while the data show that cash purchases have captured an increasing share of the region's affordable homes, this information alone doesn't capture the full story of who is behind those purchases. To supplement the analysis of cash purchases, we look to data from our newly updated Investor Ownership of Twin Cities Residential Properties dashboard.
This tool, which is built on a dataset that compiles tax and real estate information from county assessors' offices, tracks the overall market share of investors in the Twin Cities area housing market. It shows that investors that own at least two properties in the Twin Cities area increased their ownership share of the market from 1.8 percent in 2006 to 3.9 percent in 2015. Through 2022, their share held fairly constant at around 4 percent of residential properties. It climbed to 4.6 percent in 2023 and 4.7 percent in 2024. The net increase from 2022 to 2024 represents more than 5,000 additional homes in their inventory.
The story of investor ownership varies considerably by neighborhood. On the one hand, investor ownership tends to be higher in lower-income neighborhoods. (See Figure 4). Investors own more than 10 percent of the single-family homes in many census tracts in North Minneapolis and the Frogtown area of St. Paul, for example.
On the other hand, investors' ownership share in such neighborhoods has generally been on the decline. (See Figure 5.) Neighborhoods with the largest share of investor ownership in 2019 tended to see declining rates of investor ownership even as investors increased their ownership share of homes metro-wide.
Taken together, data on cash purchases and investor ownership suggest that lower-income households seeking to finance a home are seeing relatively greater competition from cash buyers and investors today than they were a few years ago.
Better times on the horizon, or choppier waters ahead?
Using our definition of affordability, the number of affordable homes purchased fell from 23,500 in 2021 to 9,300 in 2024, a decline of 61 percent. There aren't many signs that moderate-income home buyers may find more options in the near future. Home prices are still going up. Other costs of ownership increased, too.
Community stakeholders' concerns about the competition low- and moderate-income buyers face as they shop for lower-priced homes likely reflect the higher share of such homes captured by cash buyers and investors. On the one hand, the number of cash buyers has declined. On the other hand, their share of home purchases has increased.
Broader trends are likely playing a role, too. People are moving less. Many home-owning households feel "locked in" to their historically low mortgage rates. And fewer homes are being built. These trends reduce the number of homes on the market.
Also, relatively low rent growth may have encouraged more renters to renew their leases instead of pursuing homeownership. Rising prices and mortgage rates could have discouraged still more would-be homeowners. This means that buyers with cash on hand, like wealthier owner-occupants or investors, are likely to represent a higher share of shoppers.
While the causes of today's housing challenges are varied, one approach to address them is straightforward. Research generally shows that making it easier to build homes doesn't just give shoppers more options. It also moderates price growth, keeping more of the existing housing stock affordable. That's true in both the homeownership and rental markets.
Supply-boosting approaches are likely to succeed despite short-term market conditions. That's especially important at a time when, as one loan counselor put it, "the low-income home-buying market has all the struggles you could think of. In this world right now, you almost have to show people that there is still an advantage to becoming a homeowner."
Appendix: Defining a measure of affordability that tracks households in the market
Data on home sales and property tax payments are derived from the CoreLogic deed transfer and property assessor datasets. Our affordability calculations are based on a model buyer who earns 80 percent of the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitans area's AMI for a household of four. This equaled $97,800 in 2024.2 We chose this income level to line up with many public programs aimed at supporting homeownership for low- to moderate-income families. Our goal is to provide an indicator of housing market options for moderate-income shoppers with sufficient savings and good credit who are interested in purchasing a home.
Our affordability threshold is based on expected monthly homeownership costs for every home sold in the core, seven-county Twin Cities area. (Of the seven counties--Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington--we exclude Washington from the analysis for data-availability reasons.)
The largest part of these monthly costs consists of a principal and interest payment on a mortgage. To calculate the mortgage payment, we assume our "model" home buyer has access to a 3.5 percent downpayment.3 We also assume they qualify for an average-rate, 30-year fixed mortgage in the month the property sold.
Private mortgage insurance, property taxes, and property insurance make up the rest of the monthly homeownership costs. Assessed property taxes are observed for most homes. For homes with missing property tax values, we assume annual property taxes are equal to 1.5 percent of the home value. We calculate private mortgage insurance as 0.55 percent of the outstanding mortgage balance. The annual property insurance payment is set as 0.64 percent of the home value based on the average reported costs in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey.
Mirroring the assumptions used by the Metropolitan Council, homes where this expected monthly cost is at or below 28 percent of the household's monthly income are deemed affordable.
Endnotes
1 These numbers include all types of single-family homes, including single-family detached homes, townhomes, and condominiums. This count includes all investors who own at least two homes in the seven-county Twin Cities area. To learn more, visit our Investor Ownership of Twin Cities Residential Properties dashboard.
2 All dollar figures in this article are inflation-adjusted and expressed in 2024 dollars.
3 Mortgage offerings like the Federal Housing Administration's enable buyers to purchase a qualifying home with a 3.5 percent downpayment. The National Association of REALTORS reports that the average first-time home buyer put down 9 percent on their home.
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Original text and figures here: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2025/lower-income-home-shoppers-in-twin-cities-area-saw-fewer-options-higher-costs-in-2024
FMCSA Removes PHOENIX ELD From List of Registered Devices
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued the following news release on Oct. 23, 2025:
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FMCSA Removes PHOENIX ELD from List of Registered Devices
Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed PHOENIX ELD from the agency's list of electronic logging devices (ELDs). This device was placed on the Revoked Devices list due to the company's failure to meet the minimum requirements established in Title 49 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 395.
"This action reflects
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued the following news release on Oct. 23, 2025:
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FMCSA Removes PHOENIX ELD from List of Registered Devices
Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed PHOENIX ELD from the agency's list of electronic logging devices (ELDs). This device was placed on the Revoked Devices list due to the company's failure to meet the minimum requirements established in Title 49 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 395.
"This action reflectsFMCSA's continued commitment to ensuring that only compliant, reliable ELDs are in use and is part of the agency's ongoing efforts to remove non-compliant, unsafe devices from operation," said FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs.
The removal is effective October 23, 2025 for the following device:
* ELD Provider: Phoenix ELD
ELD Name: PHOENIX ELD
Model Number: PHOELD
ELD Identifier: PRS973
Motor carriers have up to 60 days to replace the revoked ELD with a compliant ELD. FMCSA will send an industry-wide email to inform motor carriers that anyone using the revoked ELD must take the following steps:
1. Discontinue using the revoked ELD and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.
2. Replace the revoked ELD with a compliant ELD from the Registered Devices list before December 22, 2025.
Prior to December 22, 2025, safety officials are encouraged not to cite drivers using this revoked ELD for 395.8(a)(1) - "No record of duty status" or 395.22(a) - "Failing to use a registered ELD." Instead, safety officials should request the driver's paper logs, logging software, or use the ELD display as a back-up method to review the hours-of-service data.
Beginning December 22, 2025, motor carriers who continue to use the revoked device listed above will be considered as operating without an ELD. Safety officials who encounter a driver using a revoked device on or after December 22, 2025 should cite 395.8(a)(1), and place the driver out-of-service (OOS) in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance OOS Criteria.
If the ELD provider corrects all identified deficiencies for its device, FMCSA will place the ELD back on the list of registered devices and inform the industry of the update. However, FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance issues in the event that the deficiencies are not addressed by the ELD provider.
For more information on ELDs, visit FMCSA's ELD website (https://eld.fmcsa.dot.gov/).
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Original text here: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/fmcsa-removes-phoenix-eld-list-registered-devices
Department of Energy: Secretary Wright Acts to Unleash American Industry and Innovation With Newly Proposed Rules
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following news release on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Secretary Wright Acts to Unleash American Industry and Innovation with Newly Proposed Rules
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today to initiate rulemaking procedures with a proposed rule to rapidly accelerate the interconnection of large loads, including data centers, positioning the United States to lead in AI innovation and in the revitalization of domestic manufacturing. Secretary Wright's proposed rule allows customers
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following news release on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Secretary Wright Acts to Unleash American Industry and Innovation with Newly Proposed Rules
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today to initiate rulemaking procedures with a proposed rule to rapidly accelerate the interconnection of large loads, including data centers, positioning the United States to lead in AI innovation and in the revitalization of domestic manufacturing. Secretary Wright's proposed rule allows customersto file joint, co-located load and generation interconnection requests. It will also significantly reduce study times and grid upgrade costs, while reducing the time needed for additional generation and power to come online. The proposed rule advances President Trump's agenda to ensure all Americans and domestic industries have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity.
Secretary Wright also directed FERC today to initiate rulemaking procedures with a proposed rule to remove unnecessary burdens for preliminary hydroelectric power permits. Secretary Wright's proposed rule clarifies that third parties do not have veto rights over the issuance of preliminary hydroelectric power permits.
President Trump and Secretary Wright have been clear: The United States is experiencing an unprecedented surge in electricity demand and the United States' ability to remain at the forefront of technological innovation depends on an affordable, reliable, and secure supply of energy.
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The Honorable David Rosner, Chairman The Honorable Laura Swett, Commissioner The Honorable Lindsay S. See, Commissioner The Honorable Judy W. Chang, Commissioner Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20426
Re: Secretary of Energy s Direction that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Initiate Rulemaking Procedures and Proposal Regarding Hydroelectric Power Preliminary Permits Pursuant to the Secretary s Authority Under Section 403 of the Department of Energy OrganizationAct
Dear Chairman Rosner and Commissioners,
For America to continue dominating global energy markets, we must remove unnecessary burdens to the development of critical infrastructure, including hydropower projects.
Congress authorized and empowered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) to issue "licenses for the purpose of construction, operating, and maintaining dams, water conduits, reservoirs, power house, transmission lines, or other project works necessary or convenient for the development and improvement of navigation and for the development, transmission, and utilization of power across, along, from, or in any of the streams or other bodies of water over which Congress has jurisdiction under its authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States, or upon any part of the public lands and reservations of the United States (including the 'T' _tern ones .... it ies) ,,/1
Regarding reservations, "licenses shall be issued within any reservation only after a finding by the Commission that the license will not interfere or be inconsistent with the purpose for which such reservation was created or acquired, and shall be subject to and contain such conditions as the Secretary of the department under whose supervision such reservation falls shall deem necessary for the adequate protection and utilization of such reservation[.]"/2
Congress also authorized and empowered the Commission to "issue preliminary permits for the purpose of enabling applicants for a license ... to secure the data and to perform the acts required by section 802 of [the Federal Power Act (FPA).],,/3 Before granting an application for a preliminary permit, the Commission "shall at once give notice of such application in writing to any State or municipality likely to be interested in or affected by such application; and shall also publish notice of such application once each week for four weeks in a daily or weekly newspaper published in the county or counties in which the project or any part hereof or the lands affected thereby are situated.?"
The Commission's longstanding policy has been to grant applications for preliminary permits over the opposition of third parties, such as federal land managers, similarly affected agencies, or Tribes, as applicable.f The reason is simple. The Commission views preliminary permits as "encouraging hydroelectric development by affording its holder priority of application (i.e., guaranteed first-to- file status) with respect to the filing of development applications for the affected site.?" Preliminary permits are "issued only to allow the permit holder to investigate the feasibility of a project while the permittee conducts investigations and secures necessary data to determine the feasibility of the proposed project and to prepare a license application, it grants no land-disturbing or other property rights."?
However, in recent orders, the Commission denied a series of applications for preliminary permits on the basis that third parties responsible for the lands on which the projects were to be located opposed the preliminary permit." The Commission explained that it previously "denied preliminary permits for projects at federal facilities where the agency that operates the facility indicates that it opposes the project or where a federal land managing agency opposes permit issuance."?
In these orders, the Commission has created an untenable regime whereby it has effectively delegated its exclusive statutory authority to issue preliminary permits to third parties. Thus, to be granted a preliminary permit, the sole purpose of which is to provide applicants priority and the ability to conduct feasibility investigations.!'' applicants must now receive approval from the Commission and a third party, ultimately to the detriment of hydroelectric development. An applicant now "must dance to two fiddlers[.],,/11 "One, FERC, has a long hydroelectric licensing history, with printed decisions comprising many volumes, with the respective roles of state, federal and Indian parties carefully spelled out in the statute.?'? The other, a third party, such as a federal land manager, similarly affected agency, or Tribe, as applicable, "has no licensing history ... [and] no statutory guidance on the participation of the same parties who will appear at FERC. This ... is an unreasonable result, and not one to be ascribed to Congress .... "/13 The FPA authorizes and empowers the Commission to issue preliminary permits; it does not provide veto authority to third parties.
As the President explained, the United States is experiencing an unprecedented surge in electricity demand and the United States' ability to remain at the forefront of technological innovation depends on a reliable supply of energy from non-intermittent dispatchable generation sources."
Thus, pursuant to my authority under section 403 of the Department of Energy Organization Act,/15 I attach for the Commission's consideration, the enclosed notice of proposed rulemaking that amends the Commission's regulations to conform to the Commission's statutory authority and to clarify that no third party has veto rights over the issuance of preliminary permits.
On behalf of the American people, I look forward to your immediate and final action (and no later than December 18, 2025) to provide assurance to the hydroelectric industry./l6"
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1/ 16 U.S.C. Sec. 797(e). See State of Cal. ex ref. State WaterRes. Control Bd. v. FERC, 966 F.2d 1541, 1561 (9th Cir. 1992) (California v. FERC) ("The exclusive jurisdiction ofFERC over federal hydro-electric development first created in 1920 was reinforced in 1935 and remains unimpaired by the terms or any necessary inference of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.").
2/ 16 U.S.C. Sec. 797(e).
3/ 16 U.S.C. Sec. 797(f).
4. Id.
5/ See, e.g., Pumped Hydro Storage LLC, 171 FERC ~ 61,137 (2020) (issuing a preliminary permit over Tribal opposition); Navajo Energy Storage Station LLC, 174 FERC ~ 61,106 (2021) (Navajo Storage) (issuing a preliminary permit over the Navajo Nation's opposition).
6/ Mt. Hope Waterpower Project LLP, 116 FERC ~ 61,232, at P 4 (2006).
7/ Navajo Storage, 174 FERC ~ 61,106 at P 14. See also Three Mile Falls Hydro, LLC, 102 FERC ~ 61,301, at P 6 (2003) ("the very purpose of the preliminary permit is to give the applicant time to undertake the examinations to determine whether and with what design the project is feasible.").
8/ See, e.g., Nature & People First Arizona PHS, LLC, 186 FERC ~ 61,117 (2024); Nature & People First New Mexico PHS, LLC, 186 FERC ~ 61,118 (2024); Nature & People First Arizona PHS, LLC, 186 FERC ~ 61,119 (2024); W Navajo Pumped Storage 1, LLC W Navajo Pumped Storage 2, LLC, 186 FERC ~ 61,120 (2024).
9/ See, e.g., Nature & People First Arizona PHS, LLC, 186 FERC ~ 61,117 at 12 (citing See Freedom Works, LLC, 167 FERC ~ 62,026 (20 19) (denying a permit application when the U.S. Forest Service stated it was unlikely to grant the applicant a special use permit to access the Monongahela National Forest); Advanced Hydropower, Inc., 160 FERC ~ 62,213, at P 6 (2017) (denying a permit application because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opposed the issuance of a permit); Owyhee Hydro, LLC, 153 FERC ~ 62,133 (2015) (denying a permit application when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation stated that it would not authorize private development of its Anderson Ranch dam)). See also Nature & People First Arizona PHS, LLC, 186 FERC ~ 61,117 at 15 ("As noted, we have recently revised this policy when permits have been opposed by federal land managers or similarly affected federal agencies. We believe that our trust responsibility to Tribes counsels a similar policy in cases involving Tribal lands .... ")
10/ 16 U.S.C. Sec. 798(a); 18 C.P.R. Sec. 4.80 (2025).
11/ California v. FERC, 966 F.2d at 1560.
12/ Id. at 1560-1561.
13/ Id. at 1561. There is also the real problem of gamesmanship. The Commission's new policy provides third parties with unfettered discretion. For example, an objector can support its preferred application over a competing application for reasons completely divorced from the statutory requirements, and can thereby ensure that its preferred application obtains first-to-file status. 18 C.F.R Sec. 4.37 (2025).
14/ Exec. Order No. 14262, 90 Fed Reg. 15521 (Apr. 8, 2025).
15/ "The Secretary ... [is] authorized to propose rules, regulations, and statements of policy of general applicability with respect to any function within the jurisdiction of the Commission under section 402 of this Act." 42 U.S.C. Sec. 7173(a). "NEPA does not apply to rulemaking actions proposed by the Secretary pursuant to section 403(a) of the DOE Act ... because such proposals are not final agency action." DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures, Sec. 2.1 (c)(8) (2025).
16/ "The Commission ... shall consider and take final action on any proposal made by the Secretary ... in an expeditious manner in accordance with such reasonable time limits as may be set by the Secretary for the completion of action by the Commission on any such proposal." 42 U.S.C. Sec. 7173(b).
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Original text here: https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-wright-acts-unleash-american-industry-and-innovation-newly-proposed-rules
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving Scepter Gas & Oil Combination Fuel Containers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Name of Product: Scepter Gas and Oil Combination Fuel Containers
Hazard: The recalled fuel containers violate the mandatory safety standards for portable fuel containers because they lack flame mitigation devices required under the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act, posing a deadly risk of flash fire. In addition, the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act requires all closures on portable gasoline fuel containers to be child resistant. The spout on the product is not child-resistant,
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Name of Product: Scepter Gas and Oil Combination Fuel Containers
Hazard: The recalled fuel containers violate the mandatory safety standards for portable fuel containers because they lack flame mitigation devices required under the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act, posing a deadly risk of flash fire. In addition, the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act requires all closures on portable gasoline fuel containers to be child resistant. The spout on the product is not child-resistant,posing a risk of burn and poisoning to children.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: October 23, 2025
Units: About 840
Consumer Contact: Pro Recycle collect at 514-887-7309 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by email at prorecycle@hotmail.ca.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves Scepter B62 gas and oil fuel containers. The recalled combination fuel containers are red with black caps and yellow spouts on each end. They have dual chambers with a 6-liter gas capacity on one side and 2.5-liter oil capacity on the other. "Scepter" and "Essence Danger" are embossed on the side of the container.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the fuel containers, place them out of reach of children, and contact Pro Recycle to return the product free of charge for a full refund.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Sold At: Amazon from September 2024 through July 2025 for about $40.
Importer(s): Pro Recycle of Montreal, Quebec of Canada
Manufactured In: Canada
Recall number: 26-047
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Scepter-Fuel-Containers-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Flash-Fire-Burn-and-Child-Poisoning-Violates-Mandatory-Standards-for-Portable-Fuel-Containers-Imported-by-Pro-Recycle
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving LEACHOI Bed Rail
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Name of Product: LEACHOI Bed Rail
Hazard: The recalled bed rails violate the mandatory standard for adult portable bed rails because when the bed rails are attached to a bed, users can become entrapped within the bed rail or between the bed rail and the side of the mattress, posing a serious entrapment hazard and risk of death by asphyxiation. In addition, the bed rails do not bear the required hazard warning labels.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: October 23, 2025
Units: About
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Name of Product: LEACHOI Bed Rail
Hazard: The recalled bed rails violate the mandatory standard for adult portable bed rails because when the bed rails are attached to a bed, users can become entrapped within the bed rail or between the bed rail and the side of the mattress, posing a serious entrapment hazard and risk of death by asphyxiation. In addition, the bed rails do not bear the required hazard warning labels.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: October 23, 2025
Units: About7,800
Consumer Contact: LEACHOI via email at leachoidirect@163.com, or online at https://leachoi.com/leachoi-bed-rail-safety-recall/ or https://leachoi.com/ and click "Recall" at the top of the page for more information.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves LEACHOI Bed Rails, ASIN B0BZVCG2R5. The bed rail comes in black/silver and weighs 7.72 pounds. The product measures 15.6 inches by 25.4 inches by 24 inches.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled adult portable bed rails immediately and contact LEACHOI Store to obtain a refund. Consumers should follow these disposal steps:
* Remove the bed rail handle, U-shaped frame, side handle, and extension tubes (if present).
* Write "RECALLED" on upper rail handle and silver U-shaped frame with a permanent marker.
* Using scissors, cut the black fabric mesh bag off the upper rail and cut the black safety strap in half (if present).
* Write the buyer's name on a piece of paper next to the disassembled product.
* Take a photo and upload it online at https://leachoi.com/leachoi-bed-rail-safety-recall/.
* Dispose of the recalled product in accordance with local requirements.
Consumers who have difficulty with any disposal step or need additional instruction should contact LEACHOI Store.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Sold At: Amazon from March 2025 through September 2025 for about $40.
Manufacturer(s): Mobility Source Medical Technology Co., Ltd, of China
Retailer: Shenzhen Gu Lang Technology Co., Ltd. dba LEACHOI, of China
Manufactured In: China
Recall number: 26-037
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/LEACHOI-Adult-Portable-Bed-Rails-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Entrapment-and-Asphyxiation-Violates-Mandatory-Standard-for-Adult-Portable-Bed-Rails-Sold-on-Amazon-by-LEACHOI
Bahamas to Improve Reliability and Efficiency of Electricity Service With IDB Support
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Bahamas to Improve Reliability and Efficiency of Electricity Service with IDB Support
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$90 million loan to support improvements in the reliability and efficiency of electricity service in The Bahamas. This operation is the second in a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) approved in 2020 to finance larger programmatic support to the energy sector and promote renewable energy in the country.
This new operation aims to enhance
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Bahamas to Improve Reliability and Efficiency of Electricity Service with IDB Support
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$90 million loan to support improvements in the reliability and efficiency of electricity service in The Bahamas. This operation is the second in a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) approved in 2020 to finance larger programmatic support to the energy sector and promote renewable energy in the country.
This new operation aims to enhancethe efficiency of electricity metering, optimize grid management, and strengthen the institutional capacity of the state-owned utility, The Bahamas Power and Light Company (BPL). It will benefit approximately 352,000 people (85% of the country's population) across New Providence and the Family Islands through installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and modern smart meters, at no acquisition or installation cost to users.
The smart meters will be equipped with prepayment functionality, allowing BPL customers to better manage their electricity usage in real time. This will be particularly beneficial to vulnerable populations, numbering about 41,000 people.
Residents in the Family Islands will also benefit from an improved monitoring system based on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology, which will enhance electricity-grid management in distribution and transmission networks.
The program will develop a Geographical Information System (GIS) with digital mapping of existing electrical infrastructure. These developments will improve resilience with faster detection and restoration time, better emergency response, and enhanced quality of electricity service.
Furthermore, it will support enhancements to BPL's data-management system, reinforce its medium- and long-term energy planning capabilities, improve financial management and corporate governance, and promote capacity building in information technology and big-data analytics.
The program will contribute significantly to the energy transformation reforms currently being implemented by the country, aimed at having more sustainable, efficient, and affordable delivery of electricity services.
The US$90 million loan has a 25-year amortization period, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/bahamas-improve-reliability-and-efficiency-electricity-service-idb-support
AFCENT Battle Lab Hosts Hackathon 25.4, Seeking Innovative Solutions for Warfighting Challenges
SHAW AFB, South Carolina, Oct. 24 -- The U.S. Air Forces Central, the air component of U.S. Central Command, issued the following news:
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AFCENT Battle Lab Hosts Hackathon 25.4, Seeking Innovative Solutions for Warfighting Challenges
By Master Sgt. Zachary Vucic, Air Forces Central Public Affairs
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)'s Command Battle Lab recently concluded a successful Hackathon at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, from Sept. 9-12, 2025. The event brought together Airmen of various career fields, industry experts and academic researchers to collaborate on innovative
... Show Full Article
SHAW AFB, South Carolina, Oct. 24 -- The U.S. Air Forces Central, the air component of U.S. Central Command, issued the following news:
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AFCENT Battle Lab Hosts Hackathon 25.4, Seeking Innovative Solutions for Warfighting Challenges
By Master Sgt. Zachary Vucic, Air Forces Central Public Affairs
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)'s Command Battle Lab recently concluded a successful Hackathon at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, from Sept. 9-12, 2025. The event brought together Airmen of various career fields, industry experts and academic researchers to collaborate on innovativesolutions designed to enhance operational efficiency and bolster warfighting capabilities for the Combined Forces Air Component Commander.
The Battle Lab welcomed participants and observers alike. The four-day event centered around five key challenges and addressed real-world operational use cases. Participants developed cutting-edge solutions, and the final judging and awards celebrated their ingenuity.
"This is the fourth iteration of the Hackathon that the AFCENT Battle Lab has conducted," said Master Sgt. Darren Heller, the senior enlisted leader of the AFCENT Battle Lab. "This one was distinctly satisfying because while the use cases were very specific, we had input from the majority of the directorates. AFCENT/A6 (Communications Directorate) in particular was vital to the advancement of our drone swarming capability as their insights shaped how we can employ thousands of sUAS autonomously and simultaneously."
The five use cases included:
* Drone Swarming: Exploring single-interface drone management, secure mission parameter updates mid-flight, and optimized network infrastructure.
* Joint Automated Warfighting System Large Language Model: Aimed at improved targeting and drone tasking through proprietary AI.
* Awards Dashboard: Developing a Microsoft Power BI solution to automate the awards and decoration process, projected to save 2,500-3,500 hours annually and eliminating an estimated 10,000 emails per six-month deployment rotation.
* Nebula: Creating a centralized health status dashboard for all AFCENT intelligence systems, applications, and programs to enhance situational awareness and reduce downtime.
* Project Eagle: Transforming weekly activity report data into a dynamic dashboard providing a comprehensive overview of safety posture and operational status.
Teams received guidance and support from technical experts throughout the event, fostering collaboration between diverse groups and ensuring a wide range of perspectives contributed to the solutions.
"The teams' engagement this week was a masterclass in what can be accomplished when people are focused on delivering results to the warfighter through cooperative engagement within teams, pushed by competitive engagement across teams," said Col. Tory Kindrick, the chief innovation officer of AFCENT. " Airmen and civilians from multiple units and a variety of industry partners leveraged their expertise and skills to drive together toward practical solutions to make the warfighters' life better."
The AFCENT Battle Lab is heavily focused on rapid innovation to meet the ever-changing landscape in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. Their work, in conjunction with forged partnerships with civilian contractors and academic contributors, aims to apply data-driven solutions to the modern challenges faced by AFCENT Airmen.
"This is Airmen proving that they are the innovative key to successful problem solving!" Kindrick said. "Whether tackling a direct tasking from the commander or a user-identified problem set, our AFCENT Airmen are analyzing issues, identifying requirements, and using their expertise and creativity to quickly find solutions - everything from concepts needing further exploration toward a final product all the way to fully-developed solutions ready to implement."
Hackathon 25.4 concluded with actionable data to further development of prototype efforts, with some use cases ready for immediate implementation.
The Battle Lab comprises Airmen with specific skill sets, regardless of if that skillset is related to their primary career field in the Air Force.
For additional background information on the efforts of the Battle Lab, please see the related article covering Hackathon 25.3
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Original text here: https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/4316180/afcent-battle-lab-hosts-hackathon-254-seeking-innovative-solutions-for-warfight/
