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James R Hood

Consumers See Biden-Harris as Allies

Consumers See Biden-Harris as Allies

Whatever else you may say about it, the Biden-Harris Administration will be more aggressive in consumer protection, with swift action expected on student debt, predatory loans and product safety, all given short shrift in the Trump Administration. For evidence, look no further than Biden’s pick to lead the Consumer

Alcohol Linked to Cancer, Death

Alcohol Linked to Cancer, Death

It’s popularly believed that moderate drinking may be beneficial but a new study finds that alcohol consumption accounts for a considerable portion of cancer and mortality. A British study, meanwhile, compared the risks of drinking alcohol to smoking cigarettes. In the U.S. on average, the study found, alcohol

Add Video Calls to the List of Polluters

Add Video Calls to the List of Polluters

Trying to save the world? Turn off your video camera next time you’re on Zoom! It will not only hide your pandemic hair and guest bedroom clutter but will also measurably reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Sound ridiculous? It’s not really. Just one hour of videoconferencing or streaming, for

States Trying to Rein In Payday Loans

States Trying to Rein In Payday Loans

Illinois is the latest state to attempt to put a cap on consumer loans, responding to federal agencies easing regulations on predatory, high-cost lending including payday and car title loans. The measure had enjoyed strong backing from the Illinois Black Caucus and consumer groups. “The efforts of legislators to pass

Temperature Scanning Does Little to Detect COVID-19: Researchers

Temperature Scanning Does Little to Detect COVID-19: Researchers

Doing just about anything these days requires getting your temperature scanned. But does all that scanning really do anything to slow the spread of COVID-19? A new study says it doesn’t. Just having people stand in front of a scanner can result in a large number of false negatives,

Summer Camps Often Fail to Require Vaccinations, Study Shows

Summer Camps Often Fail to Require Vaccinations, Study Shows

Nearly half of summer camps surveyed by researchers didn’t have official policies requiring campers be vaccinated, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics. The lax policies raise the potential of camps becoming super-spreaders. “While all states require immunizations for children attending public schools, most don’t have the

AT&T Re-Imposes Data Caps

COVID-19 is raging more widely than ever but AT&T is re-imposing data caps on its customers, becoming the first major carrier to abandon the “Keep Americans Connected” pledge many of them adopted last year, according to a Law360.com report. The pledge, suggested by the Federal Communications Commission,