Efficient water heaters will cut pollution, save money, save lives
Many households will save more than $170 each year in energy costs thanks to new water heater efficiency standards.
Good news
A round up of the latest good news, progress and actions in the public interest.
The Latest on Good news
STATEMENT: FDA says PFAS completely phased out of U.S. food packaging
Three big wins for the public interest in 2023
Updates
280 more school districts are getting clean buses
U.S. pledges to triple renewable energy by 2030
U.S. Postal Service is going electric
Featured Resources
Make the ringing stop
The Latest
Type
Broadband is the “new electricity”
The House should pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill on the House floor this week. Among other provisions, it allocates $65 billion to make fast broadband more available -- especially in rural and tribal areas -- and more affordable. That total includes about $14 billion to subsidize access and about $42 billion to deploy broadband. Also, broadband providers would be required to use a new pricing label based on the easy-to-read FDA nutrition labels. Photo of "Rural Broadband Buildout Project" by Maryland GovPics, via Flickr, some rights reserved.
Statement: U.S. PIRG applauds Senate introduction of the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act
The Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act (VCFCA) was reintroduced in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Wednesday. This bill would limit interest rates on loans and go a long way toward protecting consumers, especially veterans, who are often victimized by predatory lenders.
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau turns 10, the future is bright
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau celebrated its 10th birthday last Wednesday. It begins its second decade refocused on its mission of protecting you and me after a few years of, ironically, championing shady business practices over consumers. The agency’s first decade was full of success, setbacks, and promise.
Biden’s executive order supporting Right to Repair should boost campaign in Illinois
President Joe Biden signed a wide-ranging executive order Friday to “promote competition in the American economy.” The 72 different initiatives included an order calling on the “FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to issue rules against anti-competitive restrictions on using independent repair shops or doing DIY repairs of your own devices and equipment.” A fact sheet from the White House singles out cell phones and tractors as specific products subject to the order.
Senate confirms Lina Khan as Federal Trade Commission commissioner
The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Columbia University Professor Lina Khan, a noted antitrust and anti-monopoly law expert, as a Federal Trade Commission Commissioner. U.S. PIRG supported President Joe Biden's nomination of Khan to the FTC and called on senators to confirm her based on her almost unparalleled qualifications.