NEW AUBURN, Wis. – There is an inattentive driving wreck somewhere in Wisconsin every 20 minutes, says Joel Brodd, an attorney who practices in New Auburn.

Over the past few years, Brodd has given talks to thousands of high school students, trying to educate them about the dangers of distracted driving.

But he says it's not just a young person's problem – adults actually have a higher risk of dying in a distracted driving crash.

"You cognitively are distracted when you're concentrating on a text or you're listening on the phone,” he points out. “You are visually distracted when you are reading a text. And you are manually distracted because you have your hands off the wheel, at least one of them, or you're looking away from the wheel."

Brodd says distracted driving jeopardizes the driver, the passengers and everyone nearby.

A recent AT and T survey showed 61 percent of drivers admit they text while driving.

The number of convictions for texting while driving in Wisconsin is steadily increasing, which prompts Brodd to say everyone needs to be educated as to the risk.

According to Brodd, when a driver is talking on a cell phone while driving, that person has a four-fold increase in the chance of being in a wreck.

"Talking on a cell phone is about the same risk as driving drunk, in terms of a distraction,” he maintains. “If you're texting and driving, the risk is twice as much as driving drunk, and most people don't recognize that, and I think that's why it's a very significant problem."

Wisconsin Transportation Department statistics show that nearly twice as many adults die in distracted driving accidents than teenagers.

Last year, Illinois banned handheld cell phone usage while driving.

There are range of solutions to the problem, including simply turning off the cell phone and high-tech devices that prevent it.

But Brodd says the answer is not legal or technological, it's education.

"You can hurt yourself or you can hurt others, and why would you want to do that?” he states. “Why would you voluntarily want to drive drunk? Why would you voluntarily want to text, and increase the risk of hurting yourself or hurting others?"





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Air travelers could face fewer obstacles in securing a refund if their flight is canceled or changed under new federal rules announced Wednesday.

The moves are being praised by watchdog groups. The Department of Transportation said airlines are now required to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when they are owed one.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said some carriers have not adhered to standards, leaving passengers in a bind.

"They would drag their feet, and they would say, 'Well, you bought your ticket from a ticket agent, so we don't know where your money is. Or, here, have a voucher,'" Murray explained.

Amid higher complaint volumes, companies will be forced to act quickly. The new rules, which are being phased in, provide clearer definitions for travel disruptions, including delays of at least three hours on a domestic flight and six hours on international flights. A key industry group responded to the announcement by touting transparency efforts among carriers.

Murray acknowledged most people are not frequent flyers, and it is hard for them to keep up on all the least practices and policies among airlines.

"The average person only flies once every 18 months," Murray pointed out. "This will just bring transparency to that process and it kind of evens the playing field."

Murray added it could come in handy for Midwestern customers when a winter storm wreaks havoc on air travel. The new rules also require refunds for baggage fees when a piece of luggage is delayed by 12 hours or more for domestic flights. And there must be upfront disclosure on fees for first and second checked bags and carry-on bags.


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Wisconsin lawmakers recently debated reforms for payday loans. Efforts to protect consumers come amid new research about financial pain associated with cash advances offered through smartphone apps. The Center for Responsible Lending is out with findings that detail how "earned wage advances" from digital platforms come with extra costs disguised as things like tips. Traditional payday lenders are often criticized for charging excessive interest rates on loans that are usually around $500.

Lucia Constantine, a researcher with the Center for Responsible Lending, said customers are usually seeking smaller amounts from the apps, but she warns they can be just as costly.

"They are trapping consumers in a cycle of borrowing that is similar to that of a payday loan, " she said.

The report said after using these financial products, customers are seeing overdrafts on their checking accounts increase by 56% on average. Industry leaders deny they're barraging consumers with hidden fees, stressing that features such as suggested tips are optional. More broadly, a bipartisan payday loan reform bill in the Wisconsin Legislature failed to advance this month.

Constantine said like longstanding payday lenders, these cash advance apps can be hard to regulate. Meanwhile, she urged those in a bind to explore other options.

"[They should] try talking to their friends and family as a first source. The other option which I would recommend is reaching out to their credit union or banking institution to see if they can get some sort of small-dollar loan," she said.

She noted places such as credit unions typically provide more transparency on loan costs. According to the report, three-quarters of consumers took out at least one advance on the same day or day after a re-payment was posted.


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Food prices remain high, in Montana and across the country.

A new report by the Federal Trade Commission says the country's largest grocery companies are gouging consumers, by keeping prices artificially high.

Many grocers, retailers and wholesalers have consolidated to cut costs. Grocers continue to blame supply chain problems, even though regulators have said most of those issues have been resolved.

President of the advocacy group Farm Action, Angela Huffman, said retailers were doing more than making up for lost revenue during the pandemic-era supply chain disruptions - and the FTC report says they continue to do so.

"In 2021, the retailer revenues, they rose to more than 6% higher than their total costs, and that those profits are still going up," said Huffman. "So, in the first nine months of 2023, the profits increased to 7%."

At nearly 6.5%, Montana had the nation's ninth-highest grocery price increase in 2023.

The FTC data show Amazon, Kroger and WalMart each gained market share during and after the pandemic - while profits continued to rise.

Other large retailers and wholesalers have consolidated, which they say gives them more buying power and the ability to pass those savings on to customers.

Huffman said that isn't what's happening, and calls on regulators to fine the grocers, or more.

"This would be kind of the farthest extent of what they could do, but go so far as breaking them up," said Huffman. "In years past, they broke up the telephone companies and the railroads and, you know, that would be the ideal outcome for us, is to take away their excessive power."

Huffman also points to a 150% increase in egg prices in 2023, which producers blamed on the avian flu. The FTC says the disease did not justify the drastic price hike.