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August 2003 << Home >> October 2003

September 30, 2003	CU Testimony on the Do-Not-Call Registry James Guest, president of Consumers Union, testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
September 29, 2003	Proposed Logan General Hospital Reorganization Includes Up To $16 Million For New Health Care Foundation Southern District of West Virginia Bankruptcy Judge Ronald Pearson took under advisement the reorganization and distribution plan of Logan General Hospital on September 23, 2003.
September 26, 2003	Advocates Address CA Attorney General Regarding Health Impact Report Proposed Transaction Between Vista Hospital Systems, Inc. and French Hospital Medical Center, Seller and Universal Health Services, Buyer - San Luis Obispo.
September 24, 2003	CU Statement on Court Decision to Overturn the Do-Not-Call Registry An Oklohama court made the decision today to NOT give consumers the choice to be or not to be bothered by telemarketers.
September 23, 2003	California Governor Davis Signs Anti-Spam Law California Governor Gray Davis has signed into law new protections for consumers designed to help limit spam email. At the same time, Congress is considering a set of weaker proposals that could block states from enacting tougher laws to protect consumers from unwanted spam.
	It Shouldn’t Take a Tragedy: Reducing Injury Through Safer Design Speech by R. David Pittle, Ph.D., Senior Vice-President at the 17th Annual California Conference on Childhood Injury Control in Los Angeles. Theme: "It should not take staggering statistics from the emergency room to change corporate behavior in the boardroom."
September 22, 2003	FCC Approval of Merger Between HBC and Univision Results in One Company Dominating Hispanic Market Consumers Union says merger is another blow to media diversity and localism.
	CU Supports Improving 911 Service For Cell Phone Users Consumers Union sends letter supporting legislation to assist states in improving 911 service for cell phone users.
September 17, 2003	Deep-pocketed business groups ramp up efforts to pass consumer credit legislation A new report by the Center for Responsive Politics details the financial industry's big money lobbying campaign to block stronger identity theft and financial privacy protections for consumer in Congress.
	Testimony on Consumer Privacy and Government Technology in the Digital Media Marketplace CU is deeply concerned about piracy, and believes that copyright is crucial to the creation of content. Indeed, we wouldn’t have a business without the revenues that copyright allows us to generate through the production of our magazine. Read more...
September 15, 2003	Free TV Swallowed by Media Giants As public and congressional opposition to the new media ownership rules has mounted, proponents of the rule changes have begun to shift their arguments. To read report Click HERE
	Senate Vote Sept.16 Overturning FCC Media Ownership Rules Won’t Threaten “Free TV” In a last-ditch attempt to stem the overwhelming tide of public support for Sept. 16's Senate floor vote to overturn the FCC’s media ownership rules, TV industry giants now contend “free TV” will collapse without the consolidation of networks and independent stations and cross-ownership of TV stations and newspapers.
	Community Speaks Out Against Possible Closure Of Nonprofit Hospital In San Luis Obispo, California California’s most recent hospital conversion drew over a hundred residents and advocates to the Veterans’ Memorial Building. Dozens of concerned persons spoke out against the possible closure of French Hospital Medical Center.
September 12, 2003	CU Statement on Rush Limbaugh Reaction on Media Ownership Limbaugh whips up outrageous distortion of media ownership debate.
September 09, 2003	CU Joins Consumer Groups Urging Congress to Oppose the "Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act" Consumers Union Joins National and Local Consumer, Civil Rights and Privacy Groups urging Congress to Oppose HR 2622, the "Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act". Groups say credit reporting bill is a "Trojan Horse," and to oppose HR 2622 unless amendments protecting stronger state privacy laws are included..
	Cómo combatir el robo de su identidad En su edición de octubre de 2003, la revista Consumer Reports examina el tema del robo de identidad, incluyendo cómo ocurre este delito, cómo puede protegerse como consumidor, y qué pueden hacer los negocios y agencias del gobierno para proteger su información financiera.
	Consumer Reports Clasifica a la Toyota Sienna del 2004 como la mejor minivan Después de cinco años como líder entre las minivanes probadas por la revista Consumer Reports, la excelente Honda Odyssey ha sido desplazada como campeona. ¿La nueva lider? La rediseñada Toyota Sienna del 2004.
	Congress to Vote Wednesday (9/10) on Weak ID Theft Laws and Basic Consumer Credit Protections "The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act," HR 2622 would undermine states' tougher identity theft and financial privacy laws.
	The Federal Response To The 2003 Blackout: Time To Put The Public Interest First Statement of Dr. Mark N. Cooper on behalf of Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union. The press release is available here.
	California Legislature Passes Ephedra Ban Lawmakers in California have passed a state ban on dietary supplements containing ephedra. Similar bans of the hazardous dietary supplement already have been enacted by New York and Illinois.
	CU Says Cell Phone Industry's Voluntary Code Does Nothing To Meaningfully Improve Wireless Service For Consumers Industry plan represents blatant attempt to block real reform and establish true marketplace accountability.
September 08, 2003	Crisis In Financial Privacy Prompts Launch Of FinancialPrivacyNow.org Campaign Coinciding with the publication of Consumer Reports October cover story on the growing inability of Americans to protect their financial privacy, Consumers Union (CU), the magazine’s independent, non-profit publisher, announced a new campaign to engage the public in pressuring Congress to take immediate action.
	HMO or PPO: Picking a Managed-Care Plan The news ain’t great. Health-care costs have spiraled upward--about 12 percent on average in each of the past two years--and employers, who foot most of the bill, are planning to pass some of that increase to you.
	FCC: Cell Phones Must Work with Hearing Aids The six million people who use a hearing aid or have cochlear implants have always had trouble using digital cell phones, the type that accounts for 90 percent of the market. These phones emit a type of electromagnetic energy that interferes with the operation of hearing aids. Older analog cell phones don’t.
	Are You Losing Money on Discount Cards? Chances are, you have at least a couple of store-discount tabs threaded onto your keychain. Use them carefully. If you don’t, you could lose hundreds of dollars a year because the discounts don’t always register at the register.
	Keep Your Credit Safe The latest issue of Consumer Reports looks at the devastating problem of ID theft. We're working to protect your financial privacy. Click here to learn more.
	CR Tells You How to Combat Identity Theft In the October 2003 cover story titled "Stop Thieves From Stealing You," the experts at Consumer Reports take an in-depth look at identity theft and what consumers can do to prevent it.
September 04, 2003	Consumers Union Asks FCC to Rewrite Media Ownership Rules CU joins Consumer Federation of America in a petition to reconsider FCC rules; court's ruling leaves time for agency to correct mistakes
	FTC Study On ID Theft Shows Congress Needs To Act To Protect Consumers New stronger state laws in California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Texas, Virginia at risk of Congressional override.
	Consumers Union Slams Wireless Carriers For Delaying Cell Phone Number Portability Read our letter asking the FCC to take action.
	CU Praises Vote To Overturn FCC Media Ownership Rules The Senate Appropriations Committee’s vote to overturn a significant piece of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) irrational media consolidation order was an enormous victory for consumers.
September 02, 2003	Consumer Groups Urge Senate to Oppose Air Traffic Control Privatization Consumers Union joins other consumer groups in urging the Senate to oppose provisions in the recently filed conference report to Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act.

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