Page 60 - Consumer Issues News Today

The Maryland Air National Guard is considering a proposal to establish airspace where military planes would fly as low as 100 feet over the Pennsylvania Wilds as part of combat training missions. Environmentalists worry about the impact on wildlife and community residents. If approved, the Maryland National Guard 175th Wing would control airspace in six northern Pennsylvania counties to fly A-10 Warthog aircraft within 100 to 8,000 feet above ground. ...

Time was, when someone told you, "Now, youre cooking with gas!" it was meant as a compliment. But research shows that using a gas cooktop or range can introduce dangerous pollutants in your home. According to the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, many retailers fail to adequately inform people of the dangers of cooking with gas, and should warn them at the point of sale. ...

Its been two months since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, which includes reforms that aim to bring down prescription medication costs, and advocates for people age 50 and older say its time for the Senate to get the job done. It could be a rare chance for bipartisanship in Congress. ...

A Wildlife Corridors Action Plan for New Mexico identifies 11 priority "safe passage" projects, such as underpasses and overpasses, to improve driver safety and connect more natural habitat for the states native wildlife. Garrett Vene Klasen, director of northern conservation for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, said the state has a high number of hot spots for wildlife-vehicle collisions, partly because climate change continues to compromise historic wildlife habitats. &a...

When people complained about errors on their credit reports last year, the big three credit-reporting agencies provided relief in just 2% of cases monitored by the feds - compared with 25% in 2019, according to the latest report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The report said Equifax, Experian and Transunion often failed to respond substantively to an error, especially if the consumer hired a third party, such as a credit-repair company or law firm. John Heath, directing attorney...

A Cleveland mans crusade to help Ohio families better protect their loved ones in nursing-home care from abuse and neglect will soon come to fruition. Esthers Law goes into effect March 23. It allows patients in Ohio long-term care facilities to install cameras or other electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. ...

As the cost of living skyrockets in Washington state, people needing in-home care are being squeezed, a state Senate bill would increase the amount of money they can keep after paying for care. The Personal Needs Allowance is the amount of income left over after the Medicaid copay for long-term care. Its currently set at $1,074 a month in Washington state, far lower than the national average. ...

Advocates for older New Yorkers say Gov. Kathy Hochuls proposed executive budget leaves people living in nursing homes behind, by not addressing a key program. AARP New York and other groups working on behalf of seniors said $20 million is needed for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which serves as an independent advocate for nursing-home residents and their families. ...

Ohio is the sixth-largest state with beginning farmers, and new funding is available to help those just entering the business to survive the challenges spurred by the pandemic. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Associations Beginning Farmer Program is taking applications for Pandemic Relief Microgrants ranging from $500 to $5,000. Program coordinator Robin Hackett explained the unpredictability and supply chain disruptions of the past two years have been especially tough for early career farm...

Not enough has been done to prevent another catastrophic power-grid failure such as the one in Texas last February, according to AARP Texas, which warns that consumers will foot the bill for what comes next. A rare winter storm left millions without power and 246 Texans dead, almost two-thirds of them age 60 or older. Tim Morstad, director of AARP Texas, estimated that gas and electric customers will pay more than $6 billion in their utility bills to cover cleanup costs from Winter Storm Uri, ...