Report: Minnesota students paid $620K in TCF Bank card fees

April 14, 2019 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — TCF Bank made more than $620,000 in card fees from University of Minnesota students on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses last school year, according to a consumer advocacy...

Consumer groups warn of slime, toy ‘dangers’

November 20, 2018 GMT

Report: Prescription prices vary widely among pharmacies

September 4, 2018 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A new report from the New York Public Interest Research Group finds the cost of prescription drugs can vary widely among pharmacies even within the same region.

The report published Tuesday found instances where the same drug was sold at one pharmacy at prices that were $150 or more higher than at others. The report analyzed prices from a state health department website on drug pricing.

Uncollected bottle deposits to help clean Vermont water

June 3, 2018 GMT

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A new law will direct millions of dollars from Vermont's uncollected bottle deposit fund to the state's clean water program.

Vermont Public Radio reports that Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill into law on Wednesday.

Currently, the fund's money is returned to the beverage industry.

Report: States should replace bus fleets with electric buses

By STEVE LeBLANCMay 4, 2018 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — States should move quickly to replace their old, diesel-fueled bus fleets with electric-powered buses to help wean the country off fossil fuels.

That's the conclusion of a report released Thursday by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group in Boston. The report was authored by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Frontier Group, a liberal-leaning think tank.

Report: State transparency website should be easier to use

By STEVE LeBLANCApril 29, 2018 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is slipping when it comes to making it easy for residents to see how their tax dollars are being spent.

That's according to a report released this week by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, which gave the state a B-minus for its government spending transparency website , known as the Commonwealth's Financial Records Transparency Platform — or CTHRU for short.

Groups renew ethics reform push ahead of 6 corruption trials

January 4, 2018 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Government watchdog groups say a string of upcoming trials involving six former key figures in New York state politics will put the spotlight on the need for ethics reforms in Albany.

Leaders of groups such as the New York Public Interest Research Group say Thursday the separate trials scheduled to start in each of the next six months will keep the corruption issue in the public eye.

Colorado Springs chosen for pilot recycling program

December 11, 2017 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Association for Recycling chose Colorado Springs for its pilot recycling program in efforts to help boost the state's recycling rates.

The Gazette reports a study by Eco-Cycle and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group shows only 12 percent of waste produced in Colorado is recycled, compared with the national average of 34 percent.