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
The Latest
Type
What I decided to do after shopping for long-term care insurance
Before listening to In Case You Get Hit By a Bus, I didn’t know about insurance that covers the costs of long-term care, such as home health care or nursing home care, for people who need assistance with daily living activities.
How I’m supercharging my savings with socially responsible investing (SRI)
Getting my finances in order has been a work in progress over several years, starting with tackling credit card debt, paying off my car loan and then building an emergency fund. After clearing those hurdles, I set more defined financial goals and plans in motion this year, including automatic deposits into new investment accounts.
Statement: A true consumer’s champ clears hurdle to serve as CFPB director
Rohit Chopra will be the new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). By a vote of 50-48 on Thursday, the Senate confirmed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner will take on the top position at the CFPB. Mike Litt, U.S. PIRG’s consumer campaign director, issued the following statement.
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.