The health risks associated with gas-burning stoves have caused a recent stir and fears of a government ban on the appliances, but a Michigan lawmaker said it would be going too far.

Gas stoves are known to emit nitrogen dioxide, and without proper ventilation, studies have shown indoor air pollution can worsen, causing respiratory illnesses.

A recent study found 13% of childhood asthma cases are attributable to gas stove emissions.

Dr. John Levy, professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University, said the structure of a home can determine the risks.

"For many people, things like gas stoves could actually be their highest source of air pollution exposure," Levy pointed out. "That itself is important."

Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., said a prohibition on gas appliances would prevent Americans from choosing the oven which works best for them. His bill, The S.T.O.V.E. Act, or "Stop Trying to Obsessively Vilify Energy," would bar the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves.

Natural gas is used in more than a third of homes nationwide, but not every household can easily swap out their appliances, especially renters and low-income households, where the majority of asthmatic children live.

Levy pointed out studies have shown improved ventilation in these homes pays for itself when it comes to asthma-related health care costs.

"If we're thinking about folks who maybe are on Medicaid, this actually could be a wise government investment to try to reduce health care costs and health burdens," Levy contended.

The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, offers homeowners tax incentives for swapping out gas stoves for electric induction versions, as well as other energy-efficient appliances.

Levy added he would like to see a renewed focus on gas stoves to improve building codes, especially in low-income housing and disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Dollar-store chains are rapidly growing across the country, with more locations than McDonald's, Starbucks, Target and Walmart combined, according to a new report, which claims their rapid growth is due in part to targeting low-income communities.

The report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance claimed Dollar General and Dollar Tree -- which owns Family Dollar -- choose disenfranchised areas, and Black and Latino neighborhoods in or near urban centers, to set up shop.

Aaron Weber, a concerned citizen in Micanopy, said he fought a dollar store entering his community, based on what he argued are plaguing America with increased risks of obesity, diabetes and cancer.

"They are a public health disaster from what they sell," Weber stressed. "I'd rather have a liquor store in my community than a dollar store, because liquor stores only sell alcohol, and dollar stores sell alcohol plus a lot of processed foods, a lot of stuff that's high in sugar, cigarettes too."

The chains have become a go-to grocery destination for cash-strapped shoppers, though Dollar Tree recently announced it will no longer sell eggs because the cost skyrocketed during the fall. In a statement, the Dollar General Corporation said the Institute "is not a reliable source for information regarding Dollar General, or our efforts to meet the value and convenience needs of millions of Americans for nearly 85 years."

Kennedy Smith, senior researcher at the Institute, said its investigation indicates the stores are a threat to existing businesses, especially food stores.

"And the concern there is that, by edging out stores that provide good, healthy food options for communities, they are actually creating food deserts, or exacerbating food deserts that may already exist," Smith explained.

Dollar General said it offers fresh produce in more than 3,000 stores, with plans to do so in about 2,000 more this year. The company added its stores are often in locations other retailers have chosen not to serve.

Smith, however, describes tactics used to drive local grocers and retailers out of business. The report said since 2019, people in 75 cities and towns have organized to block new locations being built.


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The collapse of two banks has put the U.S. financial sector into focus this week.

Some are considering the alternative structures of institutions like credit unions. Troy Stang is the president and CEO of the GoWest Credit Union Association, which represents more than 300 credit unions in Oregon and five other states.

He said tumult in the financial market historically generates interest in the local structure of credit unions.

"Whether it was with the dot-com bust, whether it was with the activities that led up to the Great Recession," said Stang, "consumers at their kitchen tables started having these conversations more intentionally about who is it that we do our financial services with?"

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse is the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history. To get depositors their money, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has stepped in.

Stang noted that the National Share Insurance Fund administered by the National Credit Union Administration is the equivalent regulator for his institutions and is paid for by the credit union system.

Stang said credit unions are not-for-profit and member-owned.

"We're not accountable to Wall Street investors," said Stang. "We're not accountable to other forces outside of our membership. And so it's a much different model."

Stang said many of the credit unions in his association have spent the last week reassuring customers and noting differences in their institutions' structure from others.

He added that a strong financial system is important for consumers, regardless of which institution they bank with.

Renters these days are getting hit with all kinds of extra charges, and consumer advocates want the federal government to crack down on the so-called "junk rental fees."

A new report from the National Consumer Law Center found many landlords charge excessive fees, not just for utilities but to process a rental application, move trash to the bins, allow roommates or pets, accept certain forms of payment or notify you of late payment.

April Kuehnhoff, senior attorney at the center, said with rents already sky-high, all extra fees must be disclosed ahead of time.

"There are fees that people can't opt out of, so it's very difficult to comparison shop or to actually know how much does it cost to rent this apartment," Kuehnhoff explained.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission are both looking into the issue of junk fees. Advocates want the government to crack down on abuses by large landlords and debt collectors, and work with private companies such as Zillow and Apartments.com to make sure fees are disclosed upfront.

Kuehnhoff pointed out pest-control fees may even be illegal.

"The duty of a landlord is to provide a habitable space," Kuehnhoff stressed. "So you should be delivering an apartment that's free of rodents free of cockroaches, and it shouldn't be up to the tenant to pay an additional sum."

The California Legislature is considering Senate Bill 611, which would force landlords to disclose upfront the true rent and any required fees. It is part of a six-bill legislative package to combat junk fees in housing, hotels, car rentals, ticketing, electric-vehicle purchases and small-business financing.


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