CONSUMER CATCH-UP: EDD reinstates work search requirement, SCOTUS upholds Obamacare

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- EDD reinstates work search requirement for unemployed to continue to receive benefits

The Employment Development Department today announced that starting July 11, unemployed workers will once again be required to look for work in order to receive their benefits.

The work search requirement was suspended in March 2020 as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. During that time, workers certifying for benefits were allowed to answer "No," that they had not been looking for work in that time period. But in July, most claimants will have to answer "Yes" in order to maintain their benefits.

Different claim types, whether regular Unemployment Insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, will have different requirements for their work search requirement. The EDD says that their new Return to Work page will provide information on the different claims and their requirements.

The EDD will be sending notices to workers about the change. Individuals applying for new claims after July 11 will be required to register with CalJOBS, the largest job board in California.

Supreme Court upholds Obamacare in latest challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act from its latest challenge, ruling that the states suing had no standing.

The case questioned whether the individual mandate, which required people to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, could be separated from the rest of the law, or whether the entire act must be struck down. Ultimately, the court found that because the suing states -- Texas and 17 other GOP-led states -- were not required to pay anything under the mandate, they had no legal standing to challenge the law.

The court ruled 7-2 to strike down a lower court ruling. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, writing, "We conclude that the plaintiffs in this suit failed to show a concrete, particularized injury fairly traceable to the defendants' conduct in enforcing the specific statutory provision they attack as unconstitutional. They have failed to show that they have standing to attack as unconstitutional the Act's minimum essential coverage provision. Therefore, we reverse the Fifth Circuit's judgment in respect to standing, vacate the judgment, and remand the case with instructions to dismiss."

Although this case did not touch on the central arguments about "Obamacare," this is the third time the Supreme Court has upheld the healthcare law against legal challenges. 31 million Americans currently have access to healthcare through the ACA, a record high, the White House says.

Kohl's will be closed on Thanksgiving Day as retailers rethink holiday shopping season

On Thursday, Kohl's announced that all of their stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year.

The decision to close Kohl's stores on Thursday, November 25 was based on the positive response to last year's closure as well as customers' changing shopping preferences during the holiday season.

The company plans to approach Black Friday shopping as a week-long event, both online and in-person. Consumers can still shop at Kohls on Thanksgiving via their online store and their mobile app.

Kohl's is joining other major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Best Buy in remaining closed for the holiday.

Fake car rental websites on the rise as cost of rentals skyrockets

Anyone who's tried to hit the road in a rental car recently knows that prices are sky-high. That's why the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to watch out for scammers trying to take advantage of people shopping for a deal.

The BBB and Auto Rental News are reporting that con artists are creating fake websites designed to look like legitimate car rental companies. Some may have telltale red flags, such as misspellings, poor grammar, or URLs that are similar to well-known companies -- but aren't the same.

When victims make their bookings on these sites, they are instructed to purchase pre-paid gift cards as payment, and to read the card's PIN to the scammer over the phone. As soon as they do, their money is gone, with no car to be had.

Experts say that anytime a company or even government agency (scammers often pose as company or government employees) asks for payment over the phone in the form of gift cards, it's almost certainly a scam. Consumers are encouraged to use credit cards when booking online, as many cards offer more fraud protection than other forms of payment.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.