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We begin with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s recent settlement with Dollar General, following allegations that prices listed on shelves didn’t match what customers were charged at checkout. We break down what the settlement means for shoppers across the Commonwealth, why price‑accuracy violations matter, and what consumers can do to protect themselves from overcharges in an era of rising costs and shrinking margins.

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Then we turn to a different kind of deficit: America’s growing social isolation. The Barnes Family Foundation, based in Bethlehem, has released its first Social Connection in America report — a sweeping look at how connected (or disconnected) people feel today. The findings are stark: disengagement is widespread, and certain groups — including people with lower incomes, less education, those who have never married, LGBTQ+ individuals, and some racial and ethnic communities — are especially at risk of social isolation. Yet, in a hopeful counterpoint, 72% of Americans still report a sense of belonging in their neighborhoods.