Most grocery store chains are not warning their customers about dangerous food recalls. Find out if your store makes the grade.
Most grocery store chains are not warning their customers about dangerous food recalls. Find out if your store makes the grade.
Higher Ed
Automatic Textbook Billing
Textbook publishers continue to add to the financial burden of college through a variety of tactics such as automatically charging students for textbooks on their tuition bill. Many of these automatic billing contracts fail to deliver real savings for students, reduce faculty and student choice, and give even more power to a handful of big publishing companies.
Public Health
EPA review insists glyphosate not linked to cancer
On Jan. 30, EPA finalized its review of the main active ingredient in Bayer/Monsanto's ubiquitous weedkiller, Roundup. Despite its designation as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization's cancer research agency, the EPA reaffirmed its stance that glyphosate is not a carcinogen. Read more about our campaign to ban Roundup.
Solid Waste
New federal bill calls for U.S. to move beyond plastic
On Feb. 11, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal introduced legislation that would phase out unnecessary single-use plastics, which commonly end up clogging our landfills and polluting our environment. It also provides funding for recycling and composting infrastructure, and would shift the financial burden of managing waste and recyclables from town and city governments to the manufacturers.
Consumer Protection
More than 165,000 life-threatening infant sleepers recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Jan. 29 that four companies have issued recalls for more than 165,000 inclined infant sleepers, which fail to meet the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The CPSC's recall is an important step forward — we're continuing to urge manufacturers to stop producing these sleepers for good.
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U.S. PIRG is your advocate for the public interest, speaking out for healthier, safer, more secure lives for all of us.
News & Research
News Release
New report says deals with publishers could make college textbooks more expensive.
News Release | U.S. PIRG
The suit filed today against the U.S. Department of Energy challenges the agency’s decision not to update energy efficiency standards for incandescent light bulbs, which threatens to increase carbon pollution and increase consumer utility bills.
Blog Post
How to tune out the noise and focus on what matters.
News Release | U.S. PIRG
With the rise of software in everything from tablets to tractors, manufacturers have taken numerous steps to discourage or block independent repair. Because the ability to fix and tinker with our devices is critical to training future innovators, more than 175 professors, representing top universities from across the country and world, have signed a letter calling on legislators to support Right to Repair reforms.
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center
U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group released comprehensive fact sheets about plastic pollution on Thursday. Banning Single-Use Plastics puts forward specific policies to ban or restrict the worst plastic pollution, including plastic bags, foam cups and containers, and plastic straws and utensils.
RESOURCE
Get consumer tips
Our advocates have compiled tips on how to choose a credit card or a bank, how to protect your identity, and more.