COLUMBUS, Ohio - Funding that would help bridge the digital divide in Ohio is in jeopardy.
House Bill 2, signed into law in May, created the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program with an initial $20 million investment. A co-sponsor, state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, said the House then approved $190 million for the program in its version of the biennial budget - but the Senate removed it.
"The program exists; the $20 million of funding exists," he said. "But unfortunately, the $190 million - which would really allow this program to take off - that continues to be a bit of a political football."
Stewart noted that one in four rural Ohioans lacks access to high-speed internet. House Bill 2 passed with bipartisan support. Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, expressed concern about increasing spending to expand broadband, noting that having access doesn't ensure that people have the capability to use it.
Stewart said the past year has shown how much more difficult it is to stay connected to friends, family and community services without internet access - connections that all have been shown to improve the adverse effects of social isolation.
"We've got 1 million unconnected Ohioans and the pandemic has really kind of poured gasoline on a situation that was already unacceptable," he said. "And we don't think it's a luxury in the 21st century - it is a necessity."
According to AARP Ohio, telehealth services available through high-speed internet make connecting to specialists and other medical providers easier for people age 50 and older, potentially improving health outcomes. And as many older adults want to remain in their home and community, Stewart said, closing the digital divide is crucial.
"If you live in Franklin County, you have reliable internet and you can get health care through telehealth visits with your doctor, even during a pandemic," he said. "If you live in Morgan County, in my district, you cannot. It's unacceptable."
It's estimated that more than 2,000 Ohioans already have reached out to the Ohio Senate to voice their opinions on the issue.
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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.
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April is Financial Literacy Month, when the focus is on learning smart money habits but also how to protect yourself from fraud.
One problem on the rise in the Southeast is the "impostor" scam, when scammers represent themselves as fake government agents or bogus businesses. They are really on the prowl for your cash and personal info, costing victims in North Carolina almost $190 million last year alone.
Natalya Rice, Southeast Regional attorney for the Federal Trade Commission, listed some key red flags to look out for.
"Utilizing a payment app, sometimes even cryptocurrency, things like that," Rice noted. "Anyone who contacts you from what seems like it could be a legitimate company or business, if they're asking you to send them money or some type of payment through one of these type of payment methods, that is a red flag that you're dealing with a scammer."
Other warning signs include requests to transfer your funds or even demands for a verification code to access an account. If you have concerns, Rice advised it is best to stop communication and contact the actual company directly. Still other scams big in the Southeast include online shopping, investments and job offers.
Nationwide, a record $10 billion was lost to scams in 2023.
More than 25,000 North Carolina residents reported possible identity theft last year. Rice recommends acting promptly when you realize or suspect you have been scammed. The first step is to contact your financial institution and report the incident to its fraud department. She added it is crucial to notify federal and state agencies for further investigation.
"You can go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and fill out a report there and let us know what happened," Rice noted. "In the state of North Carolina, there's also another place you'll want to report it to, and that's the North Carolina Attorney General's Office."
If you suspect your identity has been compromised, Rice stressed the FTC can assist you in developing a recovery plan. She added getting your money back is never guaranteed but the sooner a scam is reported, the sooner it can be investigated and other people can be warned.
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Advocates are cheering the General Assembly for legislation protecting Marylanders' data privacy and are calling on Gov. Wes Moore to sign the bill.
The Maryland Online Privacy Protection Act of 2024 would limit data collection by tech companies as well as their ability to bury unfavorable terms in complex license agreements.
R.J. Cross, director of the Don't Sell My Data Campaign for the Public Interest Research Group, said the new law is a win for consumers.
"No one reads those long privacy policies. They're often vague and full of legalese and so, hiding what a company wants to do with your data there is pretty duplicitous and not being consumer friendly," Cross contended. "The Maryland law takes a very different approach and said it's not enough; you can't just hide things in your fine print. You need to have good data practices that protect people upfront."
She pointed out the Maryland law would be one of the strongest in the nation. If Gov. Moore signs the bill, it would go into effect in October 2025.
The bill gives consumers the right to have some personal data deleted and places limits on the kind of widespread monitoring used to generate targeted advertising. Cross noted such data collection is common.
"A lot of our favorite websites and apps are gathering things like what you've searched for online, every website you visited, your location, maybe even your entire phone contact list," Cross outlined. "It has turned around and sold that information to companies that you've probably never even heard of."
With data breaches consistently making news, Cross added the bill will improve Marylanders' personal security.
"A lot of what this will do is limit how much data is being collected about you and sold, which will help your personal security in a big way," Cross explained. "The more data that companies collect about you, and the more they sell it to other companies, the more likely it's going to be exposed in a breach or a hack."
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