Tell Whole Foods: Move Beyond Plastic
Whole Foods has led on plastics in the past, but the company recently got an "F" in a report by As You Sow for failing to tackle plastic pollution. Tell Whole Foods' CEO to get rid single-use plastics in its stores.
Consumer Protection
Illinois passes landmark bill to prevent predatory lending
The Illinois General Assembly has passed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act — endorsed by Illinois PIRG and more than 50 consumer, labor, community and civil rights organizations — which will institute a 36 percent interest rate cap on consumer loans. Too often, payday loans trap borrowers in cycles of debt through excessive and predatory interest rates.
COVID-19
Nursing Home Safety During COVID
Ongoing research by U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group, analyzing government data, shows that too many of the 1.3 million Americans residing in the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes are at risk due to dangerous shortages of personal protective equipment and/or staff.
Consumer Protection
Report finds ComEd scheme caused utility rate hikes for Illinoisans
Illinois PIRG has released "Guaranteed Profits, Broken Promises," a report examining years of actions that, according to federal prosecutors, constituted a corrupt bribery scheme on the part of the utility Commonwealth Edison to win favorable legislation. The report found that, as a result, Illinoisans have been paying 37 percent higher electricity delivery rates.
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News & Research
Exelon Corporation announced plans this morning to separate its regulated utility business from its generation and customer-facing power supply business, creating two publicly traded companies. Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), the electric utility serving northern Illinois, would, along with five other regulated electric and gas utilities, remain a subsidiary of Exelon Utilities.
Once again, product testing demonstrates that the risk of asbestos contamination in talc-based cosmetic products is simply too high to accept.
Farmers need software tools to fix their tractors but manufacturers such as John Deere won’t sell them, despite a 2018 agreement
We need to make it easier for clothing companies to reuse and recycle. Policy, data collection and nonprofits can help.
Here are some tips to help consumers protect themselves during and after a disaster, including how to spot possible opportunists, bad deals and con-artists.
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.