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News Release | Consumer Protection

Statement on Wells Fargo’s response to “Debit Cards on Campus” report

Read U.S. PIRG's statement on Wells Fargo eliminating some fees for student on debit cards.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Antibiotics

Consumer campaign calls on Wendy’s to “hold the antibiotics” from its beef supply chain

Consumer and public health advocacy organization U.S. PIRG Education Fund is calling on Wendy’s to stop serving beef raised with the routine use of antibiotics. The U.S. PIRG Education Fund and its partner groups are calling on the third-largest burger chain in the United States to follow the lead of its rival, McDonald’s, which recently announced a detailed antibiotics policy for its beef supply chain. 

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Public Health, Consumer Protection

Tyson chicken strips recalled, may contain pieces of metal

Just seven weeks after Tyson Foods recalled chicken nuggets that could contain rubber, the poultry giant is recalling chicken strips that might contain metal. 

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Boeing Max planes have ‘optional’ safety mechanisms

Newly-revealed details by the New York Times about of the crash of two Boeing 737 Max 8 planes may stun even the most hardened observer. The planes lacked a safety feature that may have warned pilots about problems because it was not required and Boeing charged airlines extra to include it. Adam Garber, U.S. PIRG Education Fund Consumer Watchdog issued the following statement.

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News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Public Health

Illinois gets an ‘B-’ for efforts to address lead in school drinking water

Reacting to pervasive lead contamination in schools’ drinking water, Illinois PIRG Education Fund gave Illinois a B- grade today for addressing the problem, according to a new national report. In the second edition of Illinois PIRG Education Fund's Get The Lead Out study, the state showed good progress as Illinois received a D grade in 2017.

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News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Health Care

Prices of common medications can vary by hundreds of dollars

While many Americans struggle to afford their prescription drugs, U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s survey of retail prices of commonly-prescribed medications found patients can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars in some cases by shopping around at pharmacies within their communities.

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News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Campaign Finance Analysis: Small Donors a Small Factor in Chicago Mayoral Race

Analysis of Mayoral campaign finance reports through one week before Election Day shows that less than 1 percent of money raised has come from donors giving less than $150, while 97 percent has come from donors giving $1,000 or more. 

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News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Year-end report demonstrates ongoing problems with Peoples Gas pipe replacement program

A year-end report filed Friday provides additional evidence that the troubled Peoples Gas pipe replacement program is a bad deal for Chicago gas customers. The gas utility’s System Modernization Program (SMP) is delivering less value for more money, making it so increasing numbers of customers can’t afford their gas bills. Furthermore, Peoples Gas is failing to adequately track or report on its program as ordered by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).

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News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund

Caring For Caregivers

Illinois PIRG Education Fund hails the recommendation of the Chicago Resilient Families Task Force report to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to unpaid caregivers. The proposal is a creative way to ensure Americans can maintain their quality of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as technology changes the nature of work.

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Report | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2017

For over 30 years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund has conducted an annual survey of toy safety, which has led to over 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years, and has helped educate the public and policymakers on the need for continued action to protect the health and wellbeing of children.

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Lead In Fidget Spinners

While lead in toys has become less prevalent in recent years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested several models of one of today’s hottest toys, fidget spinners, for the toxic heavy metal. Laboratory results indicated that two fidget spinners purchased at Target and distributed by Bulls i Toy, L.L.C. contained extremely high levels of lead. U.S. PIRG Education Fund calls on Target and Bulls i Toy to immediately recall these two fidget spinners and investigate how such high levels of lead were found in these toys. Also, we call on the U.S.

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Report | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Tax

Offshore Shell Games 2017

This study explores how in 2016 Fortune 500 companies used tax haven subsidiaries to avoid paying taxes on much of their income. It reveals that tax haven use is now standard practice among the Fortune 500 and that a handful of the country’s biggest corporations benefit the most from offshore tax avoidance schemes. 

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Report | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Older Consumers in the Financial Marketplace

Older Americans are at risk of harm from predatory financial behavior. An analysis of more than 72,000 financial complaints submitted by older Americans (those 62 years of age and older) to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and contained in its Consumer Complaint Database suggests that mistreatment of older Americans by financial companies is widespread.

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Report | Illinois PIRG Education Fund | Antibiotics

Chain Reaction III

The third annual Chain Reaction report, which grades companies on their antibiotics policies and practices, found that 14 out of the top 25 restaurants in the U.S. have taken steps to restrict the routine use of antibiotics in the production of the chicken they serve, up from nine just one year ago. While restaurant chains made great progress on chicken, the groups who authored the report found that there were no new commitments to limit antibiotic use in beef and pork.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Protecting Consumers from Runaway Gas Bills | Abe Scarr

The Illinois Commerce Commission is considering action that could hike Chicago gas bills for decades to come.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Protecting Consumers from Runaway Gas Bills | Abe Scarr

The Illinois Commerce Commission is considering action that could hike Chicago gas bills for decades to come.

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Blog Post | Public Health

Calling for Big Action on Antibiotics in the Big Apple | Steve Blackledge

Last week, we were in New York City, where the United Nations General Assembly spent an entire day discussing antibiotic resistance, “the biggest threat to modern medicine.” Experts estimate that more than 700,000 people worldwide die from antibiotic-resistant infections each year, including 23,000 in the United States—a number that could grow to 10 million globally by 2050.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Consumers Count: Five years of the CFPB standing up for consumers | Kathryn Lee

This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau turns five years old! As part of our efforts to tell more people about the CFPB, we're cross-posting this video blog and comments written by Zixta Q. Martinez of the CFPB (check out the infographic at the end, too!).

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Blog Post | Transportation

Good Things Come to Those On Bikes | Sean Doyle

Pull the bike out of the closet, pump up those tires, and dust off the helmet because it's Bike to Work Week!

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News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund

New report shows how repowering buildings with electricity has become an ideal option for cutting pollution and fossil fuel use

Electric technologies are ready to replace the fossil fuels that heat roughly three out of four American homes, according to a new report from Illinois PIRG Education Fund, Environment Illinois Research & Policy Center, and Frontier Group. However, critical barriers must be overcome to maximize the new technologies’ potential to cut pollution, the study notes. 

Report | Illinois PIRG Education Fund

Electric Buildings

To prevent air and water pollution and the worst impacts of global warming, America must move toward meeting its energy needs with 100 percent renewable energy. Getting there will require that we get the most out of every bit of energy we use – and that we end the burning of fossil fuels in our homes and commercial buildings. 

Blog Post

What do steeply rising gas bills and the threat of disconnection mean for city residents as we head into another Chicago winter?

 

For several years, Illinois PIRG and our allies have been working to hold Peoples Gas accountable for its troubled pipe replacement program. As documented by the Illinois PIRG Education Fund report released in June, the program is mismanaged, misdirected, and a bad deal for Chicago.

News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Deadly infant products sold after recalls at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that discount stores T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods sold 19 different recalled products to consumers between 2014 and 2019. In the case of five products, the stores’ parent company TJX initiated the recall. The products included the Rock ‘N Play and Kids II inclined infant sleepers, which are responsible for a number of fatalities, rattles that can break and pose a choking hazard, and electronics that overheat or explode.

News Release | Illinois PIRG Education Fund

Quarterly report: Struggling Peoples Gas pipe program once again behind schedule, over budget

Peoples Gas released its third quarter report Friday on its troubled pipe replacement program, which was the subject of a highly critical Illinois PIRG Education Fund report in June. The report shows that for the seventh consecutive quarter --  a period that spans every quarterly report on the project -- the program is behind schedule and over budget. 

  • Trouble In Toyland
    Our report highlights the toys that have been recently recalled, explains the hazards they pose, and shines a spotlight on those that may still be available for sale online.
    Get the tips
  • Why are health experts alarmed?
    More than 93% of doctors are concerned about the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms, yet factory farms still use up to 70% of all antibiotics sold in the U.S.
    Learn why
  • Reclaim our democracy
    Our democracy is based on the principle of one person, one vote, but our research shows the increasing dominance of big money in our elections.
    Get the facts
  • PROTECT YOURSELF
    We've created consumer tips to help protect you from unfair bank fees, identity theft, loan rip-offs and more.
    Get the tips

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