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By JOSH FUNK, AP Transportation Writer

The nation’s freight railroads are going to be able to try relying more on technology and inspect their tracks in person less often after the federal government approved their waiver request on Friday.

The Association of American Railroads trade group asked for the relief from inspection requirements that were written back in 1971 because railroads believe the automated track inspection technology they use today is so good at spotting problems early that human inspections aren’t needed as frequently. They say that extended tests that BNSF and Norfolk Southern ran show that safety actually improved even when human inspections were reduced from twice a week to twice a month.

The Federal Railroad Administration didn’t go quite that far in its decision, but the agency said railroads will be able to cut inspections down to only once a week under the approved waiver.

The railroads had also asked for permission to have up to three days to repair defects identified by the automated inspections. But the Federal Railroad Administration said any serious defects in the tracks must be repaired immediately and all defects should be addressed within 24 hours. read more

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump this week announced plans to weaken rules for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, set under former President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration said the rules, known formally as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards, are why new vehicles are too expensive, and that cutting them will drive down costs and make driving safer for Americans.

The new standards would drop the industry fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles to roughly 34.5 mpg in the 2031 model year, down from the goal of about 50.4 mpg that year under the Biden-era rule.

Here are the facts.

Affordability

TRUMP: EV-friendly policies “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse.”

THE FACTS: It’s true that gas mileage standards have played a role in rising vehicle prices in recent years, but experts say plenty of other factors have contributed, and some much more. read more

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration is hoping to cut visits to its field offices in half next year, a move that advocates for the agency fear signals more closures are coming.

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  Railroads will be allowed to reduce inspections and rely more on technology to spot track problems

Field offices have long been community-based branches that serve as the public face of the SSA, which provide in-person help for people applying for retirement and disability benefits, getting Social Security cards and other important services.

A November internal field office operating plan shared with The Associated Press outlines a proposed target of 50% fewer field office visitors in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal year 2025, or no more than 15 million field office visits by members of the public. Agency field offices saw more than 31.6 million field office visits from SSA recipients from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, according to the agency document. read more

Q. In a column last month discussing Social Security’s earning limits of $23,400 (“Timing is key for initiating survivor benefits”), you did not distinguish between work earnings and other income. The Social Security website makes a distinction. Can you clarify how Social Security treats different types of earnings when an individual files for a survivor benefit prior to reaching his full retirement age?

A. You are correct. The Social Security Administration (SSA) indicates that “only wages” count toward Social Security’s earnings limits of $23,400 in 2025. If you work for someone else, only your wages count. If you are self-employed, only your net earnings after expenses count. SSA does not count other government benefits, investment interest, pensions, annuities or capital gains. An employee’s contributions to a pension or retirement plan is counted if the contribution amount is included in the employee’s gross wages.

Because I referenced Heather Schreiber, a Social Security expert, in that column regarding the importance of timing, many readers wrote to Heather requesting clarifications and additional input. read more

By PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers’ mood improved slightly this month, with worries about inflation easing a bit, but remains gloomy.

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  Fed’s preferred inflation gauge stayed elevated in September as spending weakened

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, rose to 53.3 early this month from a final reading of 51 in November. The index beat the 52 mark that economists had forecast but is down considerably from 71.7 in January.

Consumers’ evaluation of current economic conditions slipped slightly, but their expectations for the future brightened somewhat. read more