Page 59 - Consumer Issues News Today

As small towns struggle to recover from the pandemic, a grant program called Put Your Town on the Map aims to support ideas for revitalization. Even before COVID-19, many rural and small towns were already facing economic difficulties, for instance, young people leaving for the cities. Some towns had not regained unemployment levels from prior to the 2008 recession, and others have limited access to critical infrastructure such as broadband. ...

Many nonprofits and advocacy groups across Maine, and the nation, have seen fewer volunteers during the pandemic, but research shows donating your time to help others can improve physical and mental health. Volunteering can also provide a sense of purpose, teach new skills and help build and nurture relationships, according to the Mayo Clinic Health System. Carl Bucciantini, volunteer state president for AARP Maine, said everyone has valuable skills, expertise or opinions to offer. ...

A bill designed to eliminate state taxes on Social Security benefits by 2025 is making headway in the Nebraska Legislature. Sen. Brett Lindstrom - D-Omaha - introduced LB 825 and pointed out that states such as Florida and Texas are a lot warmer in the winter, and do not tax Social Security benefits. ...

By Jordyn Harrison for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Jordyn Harrison and Jonah Chester for Illinois News Connection reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service Collaboration From 100 feet in th­­e air, the parcel at 500 N. ...

Local organizations and governments in Oregon looking for funding for their projects now have an opportunity with AARPs Community Challenge Grant. Applications are open for the sixth annual program, which awards small grants to projects that help make communities more livable. Bandana Shrestha, state director of AARP Oregon, said challenge grants are designed to support projects that can be turned around quickly. ...

While it isnt a new concept, a new movement is growing in agriculture toward the use of practices that restore soil quality by mimicking nature. Restorative agriculture recognizes the key principles of keeping soil covered and undisrupted, maximizing crop diversity, keeping roots in the ground year-round and integrating livestock. Soil scientist and farmer Francis Thicke explained that these basic principles are found in natural ecologies such as forests and prairies. ...

Advocates for older Americans are calling on the state to require booster shots for people who live and work in nursing homes. AARP Nevada recently made the request in a letter to Gov. Steve Sisolak and to Richard Whitely, the director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. ...

Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill proponents say could benefit water quality not only locally, but in places as far-flung as the Gulf of Mexico. The proposal would update the states conservation programs and help local organizations set goals and implement projects to reduce the spread of excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, that end up in the water. Eliot Clay, state programs director for the Illinois Environmental Council, explained the nutrients can disrupt marine e...

By Sammy Fretwell, Adam Wagner and Anita Lee for McClatchy News and The Raleigh News and Observer, with support fromthe Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Raleigh News and Observer-Public News Service Collaboration Fins surfaced in the tidal creek, drawing Matt Wrights attention away from the boat in the growing dusk. The 48-year-old Illinois resident was on his first tour of a salt marsh when dolphins appea...

Farmers and ranchers in Montana and across the nation are calling on Congress to pass the American Beef Labeling Act. Most food is required to have country-of-origin labeling, but not beef and pork. From 2011 to 2015, beef and pork were included in the requirement, so consumers would know where their meat was born and raised. ...