Page 32 - Consumer Issues News Today

/PRNewswire/ -- May is Older Americans Month – a time when the country pauses to recognize the contributions of past and present older persons to the country....

State leaders in Maine are calling attention to the growing number of fatalities on U.S. roads and highways due to distracted driving. The soundscape of texts and phone calls, the monitoring of GPS maps and even eating in the car are causing drivers to take their eyes off the road and their hands off the wheel. ...

AARP Ohio is seeking volunteers for the Ohio State Fair and other events this summer. Nearly a quarter of Ohioans spend time volunteering with community groups and organizations. Kelley Neal, program specialist for AARP Ohio, said as more baby boomers retire, it is expected many more residents will seek out ways to give back within the next decade. ...

In the hopes of warning seniors about the dangers of online scams, AARP Virginia is hosting its annual Scam Jam April 29. Members of law enforcement as well as scam victims will be speaking about what people should look for to avoid being scammed. According to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center, Virginians were scammed out of $205 million in 2022 with more than 11,000 victims across the state. ...

Many Americans experience depression or anxiety, but a new Texas study shows a regular phone call to those suffering can reduce symptoms. Known as "Sunshine Calls", the study recruited 240 mostly homebound, older adults suffering from depressive symptoms. Mini Kahlon, Ph.D., study author and associate professor of population health, Dell Med, University of Texas at Austin, said the phone calls were made by people who were not health-care professionals but had been briefly tra...

A Virginia group is working to bolster the states health care workforce. The Virginia Rural Health Associations Workforce Initiative is a collaboration with local workforce boards to train people in a variety of health care jobs. They can learn the skills to become licensed practical nurses, certified medical assistants, or to achieve other associate degree-level jobs. ...

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is calling on banks, bank customers and other interested stakeholders to share their views on compe...

Minnesota has taken a big step in unlocking more funds from Congress to secure clean energy projects. The state was under pressure to come up with its share of matching dollars tied to a pair of major federal policies. This week, Gov. ...

Coloradans can now submit comments on Xcel Energys proposal to increase base rates for electricity. Bill Levis, an AARP Colorado volunteer and former director of the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel, charged with protecting consumers, said Xcel has maintained robust profits while hiking utility bills year after year, a practice he calls "pancaking," which stacks costs onto customers. He argued many Coloradans trying to get by on Social Security cannot afford additional rat...

UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect amendments to the legislation since the original story was filed. (6:43 p.m. MST, Apr. ...