Page 37 - Consumer Issues News Today

The Town of Ticonderoga has received a Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant from the state. The $10 million grant will go toward a series of projects designed to revitalize some buildings and align with the communitys vision. Numerous projects were submitted in the towns application, but not every one of them will make the cut after being vetted by the state. ...

Worsening environmental conditions because of extreme weather and climate change are cited as why proactive legislation is needed by the New Mexico Legislature this session. Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque, is co-sponsoring the Public Health and Climate Resiliency Act, noting the state is prone to drought, extreme heat, wildfires and subsequent flooding, all of which can affect peoples health. ...

Broadband internet is increasingly seen as a necessity, but many rural Arkansas communities still lack high-speed broadband service. Arkansas ranks 49th among states for internet accessibility, according to the website BroadbandNow. AARP Arkansas State Director Ashley McBride said the digital divide was exposed during the pandemic, so the state has implemented a series of programs to increase online access. ...

Learning how to manage your finances is an important skill, but one educators believe many young people lack. A bill in the Idaho Legislature would work to fix it with financial literacy courses for high school students. Todd Christensen, chief marketing officer for CapEd Credit Union, which has branches in the Treasure Valley and Magic Valley and works to teach young people about finances, said research shows they lack knowledge of many basic money management principles. ...

Groups that advocate for older Americans are speaking out about the overuse of psychotropic medications in nursing homes. Last November, the federal government reported that 80% of nursing facility residents they studied received these medications, which are supposed to treat conditions like psychosis, convulsions, depression and anxiety. But Eric Carlson, author of a new policy brief from the nonprofit Justice in Aging, said residents are sometimes being sedated as a form of chemical restra...

Residential utility shutoffs are up by 228%, and electric bills by 17%, a recent report by the Energy and Policy Institute and Center for Biological Diversity said. Legislation introduced earlier this year by state Democratic Representative Lisa Willner and Republican representative Jason Nemes, both of Louisville, aims to rein in disconnections. Chris Woolery, residential energy coordinator with the nonprofit Mountain Association, said House Bill 66 would create a 30 day grace period protecti...

Protesters will be in Palm Springs at noon today to draw attention to ongoing negotiations on a huge international trade deal, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Trade negotiators from the U.S. and 13 other countries are attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference over the next two weeks. ...

A Goldman Sachs survey finds that 70% of small business owners give the federal government a grade of "C or below" for the effectiveness of programs, services and tax credits available to them. An overwhelming majority say it is important for Congress to modernize the Small Business Administration. The SBA is the government agency tasked with ensuring the health and vitality of the nations entrepreneurial community. ...

For their next act in life, retired attorneys in Montana are providing free legal advice on civil matters over the phone. The Second Act Justice Project from the Montana Legal Services Association recruits emeritus volunteers - that is, lawyers who are retired but have active attorney status - so they can provide pro bono advice for low income Montanans. Dan McLean is one of about 70 active volunteers. ...

As a showdown looms in Congress over whether to raise the federal debt ceiling, AARP Arizona is among the groups voicing concerns about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Dana Marie Kennedy, state director of AARP Arizona, said they are programs Arizonans have paid into and now depend on for their livelihoods. Despite leaders in both parties insisting Social Security and Medicare are "off the table," she said some Republican lawmakers are still eyeing trimming these p...