Page 53 - Consumer Issues News Today

With several months remaining before the 2022 Midterm Election, older Ohioans have an opportunity to have their voice be heard on the issues that matter the most to them. The AARP Ohio Deciding Voices Listening Tour will be held in five cities, starting tomorrow in Cincinnati. AARP Ohio Manager of Advocacy and Outreach Kalitha Williams said candidates need to understand the challenges older Ohioans face. ...

From extreme drought to wet springs, Minnesota farmers are seeing firsthand the impact of climate change. To help address the growing threat, a new funding opportunity aims to give producers more tools to protect natural resources. The McKnight Foundation is giving the state $100,000 to bolster its Water Quality Certification Program. ...

There are fewer than five months to go until the November General Election, in which Pennsylvania voters will select a new governor and U.S. Senator. A new poll commissioned by AARP Pennsylvania showed how residents over 50 are feeling about the candidates and the issues. ...

Seven in 10 Americans view inflation as the most pressing issue facing the nation right now, and in Maine, a new report seeks to explore the causes, and what can be done to bring costs down. James Myall, economic policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy and the reports co-author, said a variety of factors have come into play. He explained it is partly about supply and demand, and how they have shifted throughout the pandemic, creating bottlenecks. ...

A new study shows that almost daily leaks along Americas 310,000-mile network of natural gas pipelines are causing death, injury and large-scale property damage. The report from the Arizona PIRG Education Fund finds over the past decade, pipeline incidents serious enough to require reporting occurred every 40 hours. Diane Brown - executive director with Arizona PIRG - said the report found between 2010 and 2021, 2,600 explosions killed 122 people, seriously injured 600 and cost Americans mo...

Theres been little change in the homeownership rate for Black families in 50 years, so some lenders are rethinking their practices to make buying a home more a reality than a dream. Research shows a 20%-30% gap between Black and white homeownership rates has persisted for more than 100 years, despite increases in Black homeownership in the mid-1900s. Among the many causes today include credit scores averaging around 649 for 60% of African Americans. ...

From the Frosted Elfin Butterfly to the Rusty Batch Bumble Bee, vital links of Ohios ecosystem are in trouble. This is Pollinator Week, bringing awareness to the crucial role of pollinators in our ecosystem and the challenges many of them face. Marci Lininger, director of the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative, explained roughly 40% of the worlds pollinators are at risk of extinction or decline. ...

More than 40% of older Michiganders live alone, and studies show the pandemic has exacerbated loneliness for many. The State of Michigan has renewed a partnership with GetSetUp, an online learning platform, which can help seniors learn how to stay social and connected from home. Kayla Smith, health promotion and wellness coordinator for the Michigan Bureau of Aging, Community Living and Supports, said the program has supported many older people in getting the hang of Zoom in a safe environment...

Through Friday, Maryland is hosting Protect Week, to help protect against elder financial abuse. Thats when someone illegally uses an older adults assets without permission. Jacke Schroeder is the director of elder abuse awareness and provides services to the survivors at CHANA in Baltimore. ...

Ahead of next Tuesdays primary election, new polling shows many Mainers are extremely motivated to vote, and reveals the issues that matter most to them. More than 90% of Maine voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who supports protecting Medicare and Social Security from cuts. Noël Bonam, state director of AARP Maine, which commissioned the poll, noted 88% of voters older than 50 said they plan to vote this midterm election, and said it is a big deal ...