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Broad Coalition Urges Gov. Newsom to Sign AB489 and Protect Californians from Dangerous AI Medical Advice · Consumer Federation of America

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 23h

Dear @gavinnewsom.bsky.social @governor.ca.gov
Putting this in a format you seem to understand:

SIGN #AB489 & PROTECT CALIFORNIANS FROM DANGEROUS #AI MEDICAL ADVICE !!
Thank you for your ATTENTION to this matter
- CFA

This morning, a coalition of 19 consumer protection, digital rights, kids’ safety, suicide prevention, and healthcare union organizations sent a letter urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB489 into ...

New Report Discovers Mortgage Deserts Exist Nationwide, Most Often in Communities with a Higher-Than-Average Share of Black Residents · Consumer Federation of America

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 1d

NEW REPORT: “Mortgages remain scarce in too many places," said @sjccorn.bsky.social “From rural #Georgia to rural #Texas and from #Baltimore to #Detroit, without #mortgages, families cannot become #homeowners
#MortgageDeserts

A new report from the Consumer Federation of America, Mortgage Deserts: Mapping Which Rural and Urban Communities Remain Left Behind by Mortgage Finance, shows that despite decades of federal policy e...

Governor Newsom signs new laws to help reduce costs for families | Governor of California

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Reposted by Consumer Federation of America

Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety @autosafety4all.bsky.social · 2d

#California! Good news for car buyers. @governor.ca.gov just signed the Combating Auto Retail Scams Act, to make buying cars more affordable & less risky. Imagine having 3 days to return a used car for ANY reason, for a refund. Game changer! @consumerfed.bsky.social www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/06/g...

www.gov.ca.gov

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 2d

A proposed rule that would lower #FannieMae and #FreddieMac’s #AffordableHousing goals could make it harder for first-time #homebuyers to get a #mortgage, advocates at the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America (CFA) warned
@sjccorn.bsky.social

Trump Plan Could Make It Harder for First-Time Homebuyers To Get Mortgages

The FHFA is proposing a change that would weaken Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s affordable housing goals, consumer advocates warn.

www.newsweek.com

Using AI as a Therapist? Why Professionals Say You Should Think Again

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 3d

"These characters have already caused both physical and emotional damage that could have been avoided," and the companies "still haven't acted to address it," @benwinters.bsky.social, the CFA's director of #AI and privacy.

Chatbots can sound reassuring and comforting. They're designed to. But they aren't trained to be a mental health provider.

www.cnet.com

The Trump Administration Is Making it Even Harder to Get a Mortgage: How the Federal Housing Finance Agency is Abandoning Affordability In a Housing Crisis · Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 5d

Why is the #Trump Administration abandoning #AffordableHousing goals in the middle of a #HousingCrisis ?

Learn more in our latest blog by @sjccorn.bsky.social

In a new proposed rule, FHFA is weakening Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s Affordable Housing Goals. This new proposal will make our housing crisis worse and further limit access to homeownership, especia...

Travel, national parks and housing: what does the US government shutdown mean for everyday people?

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 6d

“By halting the very #agencies that safeguard families from predatory lenders, unfair fees and corporate abuse, the administration is abandoning Americans at the height of a widespread #affordability crisis.”
@erinwitte-cfa.bsky.social
#govermentshutdown

Several thousand federal employees will be furloughed or must do unpaid work. Regular people will feel it differently

www.theguardian.com

This Federal Food and Agriculture Work Will Cease During the Shutdown

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 6d

Under its contingency plan, the #CDC is suspending analysis of surveillance #data for reportable #diseases, including foodborne illness.

“This means that authorities may be slower to solve a nationwide #outbreak,” said Gremillion in a statement.

What you need to know about who’s still working and which programs will go dark now that the government shutdown has started.

civileats.com

Federal government shutdown threatens consumer protections

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 7d

Consumer advocates charge that the #shutdown will compound existing rollbacks in #ConsumerProtections and leave millions of #Americans exposed to risks in #Housing, #FoodSafety, #FinancialServices, and everyday household security.

Consumer Federation itemizes the risks to consumers Protection against predatory lenders, unfair fees, corporate abuse suspended, CFA charges Food saf

www.consumeraffairs.com

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 7d

This #GovernmentShutdown will highlight the damage done to #consumers when agencies are denied the ability to protect the American people.

CFA experts provide statements on how #governmentshutdown2025 will impact consumers.

Government Shutdown: CFA’s Impacts on Consumers · Consumer Federation of America

From day one, The Trump administration has been on a crusade to constrict the essential government services that consumers rely on. This government shutdown will highlight the damage done to consumers...

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 8d

CFA estimates that #SouthCarolina families are paying about 17% more for home #insurance than they did three years ago — an average increase of about $400 a year. Heller testified.

Full Story Here: www.wltx.com/article/news...

Ikea responds to Trump’s furniture tariffs

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 9d

"The #tariffs on heavy trucks will be especially harmful, as they will increase #transportation costs for a wide range of goods, and companies will eventually pass on most of these #costs to consumers.
Ethan Weiland told Newsweek

The Swedish company said it hopes to keep prices low but that the new duties make this "more difficult."

www.newsweek.com

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 10d

A report from CFA found that #homeowners saw a 24 percent increase in #insurance premiums over the past three years. From 2021 to 2024, the annual costs for a typical policy jumped by an average of $648 dollars across the country.

Full Story Here: www.investigatetv.com/video/2025/0...

How much do you know about insuring your home?

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 13d

There are nuances to #insurance policies so it pays to understand. And, with premiums up 24 percent over the past three years, according to the Consumer Federation of America, reviewing your coverage could save you #money.
@washingtonpost.com

Take this quiz on premiums, coverage and claims .

www.washingtonpost.com

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 14d

"The timing of these red flags is especially alarming given the larger trends in the market around the affordability of #cars," said Tara Mikkilineni, senior fellow at CFA

Full story here: www.scrippsnews.com/business/aut...

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 14d

“The #CFPB couldn’t have chosen a worse moment to shirk its duty to oversee major #financial institutions and help avert the next crisis,” said @erinwitte-cfa.bsky.social “Americans are drowning in #debt, putting corporations in a position of power to exploit them.”

National Consumer Law Center @nclc4consumers.bsky.social · 15d

“The CFPB’s plan to limit oversight of the debt collection, credit reporting, auto finance and remittance markets is yet another abrupt reversal from its mission to #ProtectConsumers from financial abuse.” @consumerfed.bsky.social www.nclc.org/cfpb-must-su...

CFPB Must Supervise Auto Finance, Debt Collection, Credit Reporting, and International Remittance Industries

Rigorous Supervision Is Needed to Protect People from Financial Abuse

www.nclc.org

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 15d

HAPPENING NOW: CFA's Director of Consumer Protection @erinwitte-cfa.bsky.social testifies in support of #Wyoming #ClickToCancel bill

www.youtube.com/live/0m1HLDB...

Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Tech. & Digital Innovation Tech., September 23, 2025 - PM

YouTube video by Wyoming Legislature

www.youtube.com

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 16d

Consumer rights groups say the rollback hurts customer experience. “Experiencing #flight delays and cancellations is extremely frustrating,” Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for CFA
#DOT #Airlines

Trump DOT nixes compensation requirement for airline delays and cancellations

The Trump administration is rolling back Biden-era consumer protections, including those that had yet to take off.

www.customerexperiencedive.com

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 17d

' #Delinquencies, #defaults, and #repossessions have shot up in recent years,' the Consumer Federation of America warned in recent analysis. #Auto

'It looks alarmingly similar to trends that were apparent before the #GreatRecession.'

Americans reach record car debt… experts fear a 2008-like collapse

The soaring cost of cars and insurance is pushing millions of Americans to the financial brink. Wall Street is nervous that could trigger a recession.

www.dailymail.co.uk

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Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 20d

In an untrustworthy information ecosystem, #AI abuse and #scams thrive, according to @benwinters.bsky.social

“[It] truly doesn't matter to them how people are impacted [...] so you see younger women actually being targeted.”

@teenvogue.com

AI "Love Island" Wellness Scams Are All Over TikTok. Did You Fall For One?

www.teenvogue.com

Online Marketplaces Are Fueling an American Product Safety Crisis · Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 20d

The Consumer Product Safety Commission ( #CPSC ) has already exceeded its 2024 record of 369 #recalls and #warnings, issuing 376 recalls and #safety warnings so far in 2025.

Why are there so many hazards to catch in the first place and what must be done to protect US families?
#OnlineMarketplaces

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the agency has already exceeded 2024's record of 369 recalls and warnings, issuing 376 recalls and safety warnings so far in 2025. Why are there...

Debunking The Deregulators: Fact-Checking the 2025 State-Level AI Policy Debate · Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Federation of America @consumerfed.bsky.social · 21d

TODAY: Ahead of the “Californication” of #AI hearing in #Congress, CFA brings the #Facts.

Of the 219 AI state-level bills signed into law, 136 (62%) are from states that Trump won in 2024.
( #Texas actually has the most )

Learn more in our latest blog.
@benwinters.bsky.social

Ahead of The House hearing on “AI at a Crossroads: A Nationwide Strategy or Californication?,” we aim to cut through the noise and provide lawmakers and the public with the necessary facts