Page 32 - Consumer Issues News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

The Iowa Utilities Board is taking public input this week on a proposed rate hike by one of the state's biggest gas and electric service providers. Advocates for lower-income Iowans and seniors are pushing back. Alliant Energy is proposing to increase natural gas and electric rates by nearly $300 million over the next two years, with a 13% hike in electricity rates and a 5% hike for gas, which would translate to paying $250 more per year for the average residential customer. ...

The Biden administration has proposed a rule to help people save more in retirement and avoid "junk" fees from unscrupulous financial advisers. According to the White House, a financial adviser may receive a commission as high as 6.5% to recommend some insurance products, posing a conflict of interest. Melondia Franklin Corpus, an educator for 36 years, finally reached her retirement milestone last May. ...

As the Food and Drug Administration warned more than two dozen over-the-counter eyedrops could potentially cause infection, partial vision loss and blindness, medical experts in the Commonwealth are urging residents to toss out and report suspected products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event portal. Dr. Richard Eiferman, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Louisville, explained the FDA requires a preservative be added to all eyedrops, and the recalled products either lacked the preservative or it was ineffective, leading to contamination. ...

A set of border security bills under consideration by Texas lawmakers will cause harm to migrants, residents, and state law - according to a state civil rights group. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is opposed to Senate Bill 11 - which would make it a state crime for illegally entering Texas from Mexico, and authorize state police to arrest violators. It's similar to legislation that failed to pass in an earlier session this year. ...

In Arkansas and across the nation, book bans are becoming more common. The American Library Association says there were almost 700 attempts to censor library materials nationwide from January to August, and more than 1,900 challenges of specific book titles. In Saline County, Patty Hector said she was removed from her position as library director for not banning books. ...