Break out the breath mints… The great de-masking is here, and it’s confusing. Last week a federal judge tossed the mask mandate for transportation. Airlines like United, American, and JetBlue dropped their mask rules in response (some pilots did so midflight). Uber and Lyft followed suit. But the Biden admin is appealing the ruling. Travelers now face a maze of rules heading into the busy summer travel season: masks are optional on flights, but must be on for public transit (subways, buses, cabs) in cities like NY and LA.
Putting the “more” in mortgage... It’s a hard time to be a house hunter. In the past two years, inventory sank to a 20-year low just as home prices started hitting record highs. Now mortgage rates are above 5% — their highest level in a decade. Soaring rates are making it more expensive for buyers to borrow $$, if they’re lucky enough to win a bid. Though rising rates are already starting to cool demand, experts expect housing prices to stay high for a while. Some economists even worry the US is at risk of another housing bubble.