Page 24 - Consumer Issues News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Chilly temperatures in Indiana mean turning up the thermostat at home, which can pose challenges for families on a tight budget. Indiana's Energy Assistance Program provides a one-time annual amount to approved households to help with their heating costs, usually if utilities have been or are about to be disconnected. Thomas Hartnett-Russell, community programs manager for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, said energy costs have risen faster than the general inflation rate this year, which has spurred more requests for relief. ...

New federal legislation would classify discriminatory book bans as violations of federal civil rights law. The Books Save Lives Act would ensure public and school libraries maintain a diverse collection of authors, and would direct government officials to report on the effects of book bans on underrepresented communities. Rep. ...

Researchers at the University of Montana have been awarded more than more than $12 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue their work on a tuberculosis vaccine. It is the latest step toward developing the inoculation, which is especially important in the world's underdeveloped countries. The grant to the University of Montana's Center for Translational Medicine will be used to advance a promising vaccine candidate from the pretrial stage to clinical trials; the last stage before it is approved for clinical use. ...

Democrats in Congress reintroduced legislation this week to protect consumers who win lawsuits against big corporations from being overtaxed by the Internal Revenue Service. The bill would ensure people who win fraud cases receive the full amount of damages, rather than being unfairly taxed on fees awarded to their attorneys. While serving in the Navy, Mario Montemayor bought a BMW in San Diego ten years ago for $30,000. ...

Overall, more Coloradans are getting the care they need to stay healthy compared to previous years, according to a new analysis of data in the Colorado All Payer Claims Database. Cari Frank - vice president for communications with the Center for Improving Value in Health Care - said the percentage of people accessing preventative services, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, has been on the rise between 2013 to 2021. "Both of those have gone up over time," said Frank. " ...