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Advocate Andy
Tennessee Physicians Speak Out on Abortion Rights as Anniversary of Dobbs Decision Approaches
Doctors say Tennessee abortion ban harms patients, reduces healthcare options. One day before the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision which essentially left regulation of abortion up to the states, a group of Tennessee physicians gathered to address the challenges they've seen for their patients as a result of the state's near-total ban on abortion.
Clergy Group Issues Call for Gun Reform
Pastors across the state call on policymakers to enact commonsense gun reforms. Pastors affiliated with the African American Clergy Collective held press conferences in cities across Tennessee this week calling on the General Assembly to enact gun reform during a planned special legislative session in August.
Chattanooga Pastors Push for Policy Change on Guns
Group calls on legislators to take action to protect citizens. A group of pastors and other advocates from Chattanooga joined under the banner of the Southern Christian Coalition to call on the Tennessee General Assembly to enact gun reform legislation in an upcoming special legislative session promised by Gov. Bill Lee.
Report Examines Impact of "Banking Deserts" in the South
Consumers in the South pay higher interest rates and face difficulties accessing credit. A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) makes clear the potentially devastating impact of banking deserts in the American South. The report notes that the South is home a large number of rural areas and many of these areas lack access to a full range of banking services.
Knoxville Advocates Call for Action on Gun Violence
Pastors and political leaders say legislature must act to preserve public safety. A group of advocates came together in Knoxville to urge that area's legislative leaders to take action on gun violence in an upcoming special legislative session proposed by Gov. Bill Lee.
Payment App Scams Target Military Community
Report shows scammers attempting to take advantage of servicemembers and their families through digital payment apps. A report released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shows that the top complaints among military servicemembers when it comes to consumer finance are about digital payment apps.
Report: Payday and Car Title Loans Drain $3 Billion a Year from Low-Wealth Communities
Triple-digit interest rates and car repossessions result in financial pain for borrowers. The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) released a report analyzing the impact of payday and car title lenders on communities. The research suggests that these lenders extract as much as $3 billion a year from low-wealth communities by charging triple-digit interest rates and repossessing the cars of delinquent borrowers.
Behn Announces Bid for State House Seat
Progressive activist seeks path to elected office in upcoming special election. An experienced progressive activist is seeking to take her advocacy to the Tennessee House of Representatives by winning election to a Nashville legislative seat.
Tennessee Lawmakers Speak at White House Event on Reproductive Rights
Trio of legislators speak out on importance of abortion access. Three Tennessee legislators joined a White House panel on reproductive freedom this week and shared their experiences as lawmakers in a state with some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Firearms Deaths Prompt Faith Leaders to Push for Gun Reforms
Tennessee pastors speak out on policy goals for August special legislative session. Following news of shooting deaths across the state in recent days - in cities ranging from Johnson City to Nashville to Collierville to Knoxville - a group of Tennessee pastors affiliated with the Southern Christian Coalition called on state policymakers to enact common sense gun reforms at an upcoming August special legislative session.
Phoenix Financial Services Fined for Illegal Medical Debt Collection
Debt collector must pay $1.6 million fine, refund affected consumers. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has initiated an enforcement action against Phoenix Financial Services for illegal medical debt collection.
Colorado Law Takes Aim at Predatory Lenders
New law will outlaw so-called "rent-a-bank" lending that allowed 225% interest rates. A new Colorado law will effectively outlaw the practice of "rent-a-bank" lending that has allowed nonbank lenders to charge interest rates of up to 225% on short-term loans.
Banking Chatbots Could be Harming Consumers
Study finds AI saves banks money, decreases quality of customer service. A new study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) suggests that the use of AI-powered chatbots by banks could be decreasing the quality of customer service and in some cases, causing consumer complaints to go unresolved.
Lee Plans Promotional Tour to Tout Transporation Initiatives
Events will focus on key infrastructure improvements resulting from recent legislative session. Gov. Bill Lee has announced he'll be traveling the state this month to promote key transportation projects funded by the state budget approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. Lee says the new projects will encourage businesses to locate and grow in Tennessee.
Advocates Call on Sen. Johnson to Take Action to Curb Gun Violence
Williamson County group pushes common sense gun reform. A group of activists gathered on Gun Violence Awareness Day (June 2nd) to call on Sen. Jack Johnson to take action to curb gun violence during an upcoming special legislative session on public safety.
Chattanooga Faith Leaders Call for Legislative Action on Gun Violence
Group hopeful for common sense gun reform in August legislative session. A group of Chattanooga-area faith leaders called on the community's legislative delegation to take action to curb gun violence in an upcoming special legislative session on public safety.
Consumer Bureau Warns of Risks of Payment Apps
Funds may not be insured, consumers could lose deposits. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is warning that consumers who use popular payment apps such as PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and others could be putting funds as risk as these apps do not always contain bank-level deposit insurance. The CFPB notes that many consumers, especially younger consumers, utilize such apps as a primary source of storing and expending funds.
Congressional Action Jeopardizes Student Debt Relief
Advocacy group calls on President Biden to veto measure, protect borrowers. An advocacy group that focuses on the interests of student loan borrowers is lamenting Congressional approval of a measure that effectively rolls back President Biden's student loan debt relief action.
Consumer Group Applauds Minnesota's 36% Interest Rate Cap on Payday Loans
Center for Responsible Lending calls on other states to follow suit. A consumer advocacy group that focuses on fairness in the financial marketplace is applauding a new Minnesota law that caps annual interest rates on payday loans at 36%.
OneMain to Pay $20 Million Penalty for Deceptive Practices
Company's illegal practices defrauded 25,000 borrowers. Installment lender OneMain Financial is being ordered to pay a $20 million penalty for using deceptive practices to profit from add-on products and for refusing to provide promised refunds to consumers.
Advocate Andy
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Andy Spears is a middle Tennessee writer and policy advocate. He reports on news around public policy issues - education, health care, consumer protection, and more.
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