Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
BRONX, New York, Nov. 21 -- Montefiore Einstein issued the following news release:
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Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Dramatically Reverses the Outlook of Lung Cancer Through Novel Screening, Early Intervention, Precision Care and Community Engagement
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Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is proud to announce that for the first time in decades, more people in its community are being diagnosed with stage I, versus stage IV lung cancer. The five-year survival rate for stage I or II lung
... Show Full Article
BRONX, New York, Nov. 21 -- Montefiore Einstein issued the following news release:
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Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Dramatically Reverses the Outlook of Lung Cancer Through Novel Screening, Early Intervention, Precision Care and Community Engagement
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Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is proud to announce that for the first time in decades, more people in its community are being diagnosed with stage I, versus stage IV lung cancer. The five-year survival rate for stage I or II lungcancer is more than 65%, compared to just 8% for later-stage III and IV disease, according to the American Lung Association. MECCC clinicians are now finding cancers when they are most treatable and curable thanks to enhanced screening, novel care, access to clinical trials, and community education.
For several decades, the Bronx has experienced higher-than-average lung cancer mortality rates compared with other New York City boroughs, primarily due to Bronxites being diagnosed at later stages of disease. Today's lifesaving "stage shift," driven by MECCC's internationally acclaimed lung team, is expected to drive up survival rates. Early detection enables 95% of lung cancer operations at Montefiore Einstein to be performed with minimally invasive "lung sparing" techniques. This allows greater preservation of normal lung function so Bronx residents can return to enjoying full lives post-cancer treatment.
"It is nothing short of remarkable to see our comprehensive cancer efforts completely change the trajectory of lung cancer care and survival over the last four years," said Brendon Stiles, M.D., professor and chief, thoracic surgery and surgical oncology, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and associate director, Surgical Services, MECCC. "With our patient-first philosophy and comprehensive suite of programs like our incidental lung nodule clinic, we're screening more people earlier and are enrolling approximately 20% of our patients with screen detected lung cancer into clinical trials to ensure Bronx residents benefit from tomorrow's cancer therapies, today."
Introducing New Ways to Address an Old Problem
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. A combination of factors contributes to lung cancer, including air pollution, exposure to radon (a natural, radioactive gas), tobacco use, secondhand smoke, and genetics.
To identify cancer at an earlier stage, MECCC ramped up the low dose lung cancer screening program and introduced a Follow-Up ASsessmenT of Lung Nodules (FAST) Clinic. The clinic leverages artificial intelligence and clinical education to guide patients with lung nodules unexpectedly found during X-rays or chest scans, unrelated to cancer care at Montefiore Einstein (like trauma, chest pain, or cardiac workups). The team is also exploring blood-based assays to triage people who have the highest risk of cancer and to ensure expedited care. Since its opening in 2021, the FAST clinic has received more than 1,000 referrals, and of these referrals more than 80 patients have been diagnosed with lung cancer and cared for at MECCC.
These efforts are supported by a robust clinical trial program exploring the use of precision medicine and targeted therapies for individuals with high-risk early stage lung cancer to those with more advanced disease.
The Center of it All
A key contributor to MECCC's success in reversing the severity of lung disease in the Bronx is that its patients are at the center of every effort. Drawing from the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research, MECCC's lung team co-created educational materials in partnership with its Bronx community that were relevant and language appropriate. This content is coupled with trained nurse and peer navigators to address social hardships that are often overlooked in daily practice, for instance lack of transportation.
The achievement in reversing late stage lung cancer diagnoses follows MECCC's lung cancer team recognition this past September by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer for delivering outstanding cancer care. This same team, which was nominated by patients, family members and caregivers for that honor, was the only award recipient in North America.
"When an irregularity was found on my CT scan, Dr. Stiles quickly arranged for my surgery," said Paulie Ammirato, a Bronx resident and former engineering director at Montefiore, who had stage IA lung cancer. "Everything went as planned and I recovered earlier than expected. Any spot on a lung must be looked at as soon as possible. Don't delay care. With the quick treatment and support of Dr. Stiles and his excellent team, I'm healthy and back to my active lifestyle. There's nothing more important than your health and I'm forever thankful for this team and the excellent nursing care at Montefiore for their follow through. They were my guardian angels."
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About Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and a national leader in cancer research and clinical care located in the racially and ethnically diverse borough of the Bronx, N.Y. MECCC combines the exceptional science of Albert Einstein College of Medicine with the multidisciplinary and team-based approach to cancer clinical care at Montefiore Health System. Founded in 1971 and an NCI-designated cancer center since 1972, MECCC is redefining excellence in cancer research, clinical care, education and training, and community outreach and engagement. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cancer for all, especially people from historically underrepresented groups.
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Original text here: https://montefioreeinstein.org/news/2025/11/20/late-stage-lung-cancer-diagnoses-plummet-new-low-bronx
[Category: Health Care]
Human Rights First Condemns Gov. Abbott's Unlawful Attack on America's Largest Muslim Civil-Rights Organization
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Human Rights First issued the following news:
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Human Rights First Condemns Gov. Abbott's Unlawful Attack on America's Largest Muslim Civil-Rights Organization
Human Rights First roundly condemns Governor Abbott's recent designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a foreign terrorist organization. Governor Abbott has no authority to declare any American institution a terrorist group, nor does he have any cause for such a proclamation.
CAIR is a duly registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and our nation's largest Muslim civil rights and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Human Rights First issued the following news:
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Human Rights First Condemns Gov. Abbott's Unlawful Attack on America's Largest Muslim Civil-Rights Organization
Human Rights First roundly condemns Governor Abbott's recent designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a foreign terrorist organization. Governor Abbott has no authority to declare any American institution a terrorist group, nor does he have any cause for such a proclamation.
CAIR is a duly registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and our nation's largest Muslim civil rights andadvocacy organization. The Governor's unfounded accusations that CAIR seeks to "forcibly impose Sharia Law" follows growing anti-Muslim and anti-democratic rhetoric grounded in mounting efforts to cast immigrants and communities of color in a threatening light. This act by the Governor also reflects the politically motivated targeting of the nonprofit sector by the Trump administration.
"Governor Abbott has made no attempt to hide his anti-Muslim and anti-democracy agenda with this action," said Associate Director of Democracy Protection, Hanah Stiverson. "His disregard for democratic norms and constitutional rights is horrifying and is yet another example of the dangerous misuse of this designation by this administration and its loyalists."
Human Rights First President and CEO Uzra Zeya added, "Governor Abbott's attempted ban on a renowned non-profit champion for religious freedom and equality should alarm all Americans. But sadly, his actions fit a pattern of anti-Muslim actions by President Trump and his allies, from the Trump Travel Ban 2.0 to the vilification of patriotic Muslim-American public servants. The Governor's actions are as unlawful as they are un-American."
Human Rights First urges congressional leaders and other elected officials to speak out against this blatant political attack and push back against any federal actions that support these efforts.
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Original text here: https://humanrightsfirst.org/library/human-rights-first-condemns-gov-abbotts-unlawful-attack-on-americas-largest-muslim-civil-rights-organization/
[Category: Sociological]
FFRF Action Fund: Florida 'Theocrats' Want All Public School Teachers to Recite 'so Help Me God'
MADISON, Wisconsin, Nov. 21 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on Nov. 20, 2025:
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Fla. 'Theocrats' want all public school teachers to recite "so help me God"
FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrats of the Week" are two Florida legislators who want every teacher in the state to recite "so help me God" as part of a loyalty oath before taking on the duties of a public school teacher.
Florida state Sen. Clay
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, Nov. 21 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on Nov. 20, 2025:
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Fla. 'Theocrats' want all public school teachers to recite "so help me God"
FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrats of the Week" are two Florida legislators who want every teacher in the state to recite "so help me God" as part of a loyalty oath before taking on the duties of a public school teacher.
Florida state Sen. ClayYarborough and state Rep. Tom Fabricio are leading companionbills in the Florida legislature that would require all teachers in the state to "subscribe" to a specific oath, which notably ends with a reference to God. The Senate bill modifies the oath so it would also apply to administrators, pre-K teachers and college professors.
The oath, as written in the legislation, reads: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and the Constitution and Government of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified for employment as a classroom teacher in this state; that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of a classroom teacher in a professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan manner; that I will uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and professional ethics; that I will foster a respectful learning environment for all students which promotes critical thinking, civic responsibility, and lifelong learning; and that I will serve as a positive role model in both conduct and character, so help me God."
The oath's end glaringly falls in line with the Christian nationalist movement to install religion at the forefront of our secular public school system, alongside the Trump administration's efforts to politicize education and defund secular public education across the country. Its requirement for teachers to act in a "nonpartisan manner" points to the Trump administration's attack on LGBTQ-plus or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) materials in schools, demonizing any inclusive initiatives in education as political fodder.
Notably, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has launched nonstop attacks on Florida's public schools, placing restrictions on LGBTQ-plus materials, installing inaccurate history curricula standards and requiring teachers to undergo distorted civic trainings. DeSantis' leadership undoubtedly matches the second Trump administration's efforts to dismantle public education across the United States.
The House bill has been sitting in Florida's Student Academic Success Subcommittee since October, while the Senate bill has not moved since its introduction in early November.
A similar oath exists in South Carolina for election workers, requiring poll workers to swear "so help me God" before taking on their duties. In October, FFRF Action Fund's parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Jim Reel, an atheist who sought to become a poll worker for the 2024 election but was not allowed to substitute a secular affirmation for the state's required religious oath.
FFRF Action Fund asserts that religious oaths have no place in school systems or government jobs. Yarborough and Fabricio overstepped the constitutional separation of state and church when including "so help me God" in their oath for public teachers. Public schools must remain secular, serving teachers and students of all religions and nonreligion.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/fla-theocrats-want-all-public-school-teachers-to-recite-so-help-me-god/
[Category: Sociological]
Community Coalition Calls for Air Monitoring and Transparency After Artesia Refinery Explosion
SANTA FE, New Mexico, Nov. 21 -- WildEarth Guardians issued the following news release:
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Community Coalition Calls for Air Monitoring and Transparency After Artesia Refinery Explosion
Heart of oil country in Permian Basin lacks meaningful air quality data and public health protections
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CARLSBAD, N.M. - In the wake of the recent explosion at the HF Sinclair refinery in Artesia that injured multiple workers and rattled nearby neighborhoods, the Permian Basin Climate Justice Coalition (PBCJC) is calling on the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to immediately expand independent air-quality
... Show Full Article
SANTA FE, New Mexico, Nov. 21 -- WildEarth Guardians issued the following news release:
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Community Coalition Calls for Air Monitoring and Transparency After Artesia Refinery Explosion
Heart of oil country in Permian Basin lacks meaningful air quality data and public health protections
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CARLSBAD, N.M. - In the wake of the recent explosion at the HF Sinclair refinery in Artesia that injured multiple workers and rattled nearby neighborhoods, the Permian Basin Climate Justice Coalition (PBCJC) is calling on the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to immediately expand independent air-qualitymonitoring and public health protections for southeastern New Mexico residents.
"Families in Artesia deserve to know what's in the air they're breathing - not days later, not filtered through corporate PR, but in real time," said Charlie Barrett, a thermographer for Oilfield Witness, and a representative of the PBCJC. "Over nearly four years of employing optical gas imaging at the HF Sinclair Navajo Refinery, I have documented persistent emissions and filed evidence-based complaints--yet New Mexico's regulatory agencies have not once responded. The recent explosion underlines the risk communities bear when industry privatizes profits and socializes harm to the community."
The coalition's letter, sent today to NMED Secretary James Kenney, urges the state to:
* Install a permanent, state-operated air monitor in Artesia;
* Provide real-time, publicly accessible air-quality data;
* Develop clear community health guidance for industrial emergencies;
* Hold a public meeting in Artesia within 30 days to brief residents on air safety and monitoring plans; and
* Deploy a mobile air monitoring unit in the Permian as promised in a 2022 settlement agreement with WildEarth Guardians
According to the New Mexico Environment Department's 2024 Air Monitoring Network Review, the agency operates only 20 monitoring sites statewide, with just two located in the Permian Basin region (Carlsbad and Hobbs). Neither captures emissions from the Artesia refinery or surrounding neighborhoods.
"Our coalition has documented countless spills, leaks, and releases across the Permian. When something like this happens, people deserve truth and transparency," said Melissa Troutman, Climate & Health Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. "Numerous studies now document the health impacts experienced by people living in the oilfields. Air monitoring shouldn't be optional in communities surrounded by refineries and fracking sites."
The PBCJC represents over 20 community, environmental, and public health organizations working to protect the people, land, and water of the Permian Basin. The coalition's platform calls for stronger enforcement, public health protections, and a just transition away from fossil fuel dependence that has turned southeastern New Mexico into a "national sacrifice zone."
"If industry pollutes it, the state must monitor it," the coalition wrote in its letter. "No family should have to wonder if it's safe for their children to breathe."
Letter available here (https://pdf.wildearthguardians.org/support_docs/PBCJC%20Artesia%20Explosion%20letter%20.pdf)
Additional Statements from Coalition Members:
"This refinery explosion shows exactly why strong public air monitoring matters. Right now, all of southeast New Mexico has only two state-run air monitors, which is wholly inadequate. Our communities shouldn't have to wonder what's in the air after an industrial disaster. We deserve real-time public data and real protection."
* Haley Jones, Organizer, Citizens Caring for the Future
"Pleas adhere to your regulatory authority and protect human health and the environment!"
* Manuel Pino, Laguna Acoma Coalition For A Safe Environment
"There is a serious lack of emergency responders and designated safety shelters where the public - especially in rural and tribal areas - can go in times of dire need such as the Artesia factory explosion and the 2016 WPX chemical storage facility in Nageezi. One of the first responsibilities of NMED and NMDOH should be to train and equip communities to properly care for residents that are displaced, exposed or injured, as well as effectively coordinate with state police, ambulance and fire stations to minimize damage in a disaster."
* Teresa Seamster, Air Quality Researcher, Counselor Chapter Health Impact Assessment Committee
"Air pollutants are a leading cause of mortality, asthma and now we are learning - dementia. The people in the Permian basin deserve protection from these harms, but action cannot be taken until the state acts to collect data and provide families with real-time information so they can protect themselves, their children and the elderly when ozone precursors, VOC's and particulates rise to dangerous levels. The state cannot continue to depend on the EPA to take action to protect its own residents. They are depending on NMED to take action."
* Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy
"The environmental impacts of outdated, unsafe facilities put our communities at risk every day, not just when terrible accidents like this one happen. We owe the people of the Permian Basin and elsewhere safeguards against both catastrophic as well as persistent toxic pollution."
* Carlos Matutes, New Mexico State Director, GreenLatinos
"As a mom living in Sulphur, I can't help but feel a deep sense of fear when I hear about tragedies like the Artesia refinery explosion. It's a harsh reminder that our communities are often surrounded by industries that could explode at any moment, putting our families at risk. Seeing this happen to others makes my concerns feel even more real. We need to hold these companies accountable for their actions and ensure that our voices are heard. I hope this helps shine a light on the urgent need for safety and transparency. Our families deserve better than this."
* Roishetta Ozane, Founder, Vessel Project of Louisiana
"As healthcare and public health professionals, we strongly support these critical recommendations. It is important to note that the refinery in Artesia is directly across the highway from an elementary school and next to the low income neighborhood that it serves. Families and communities deserve to know what they are breathing, what protective steps to take, and how to access health resources."
* Shelley Mann-Lev, Executive Director, Healthy Climate New Mexico
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Original text here: https://wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/community-coalition-calls-for-air-monitoring-and-transparency-after-artesia-refinery-explosion/
[Category: Environment]
Broad Coalition Warns Congress: Proposed Legislation Would Supercharge Predatory, App-Based Payday Lending Amid a National Affordability Crisis
DURHAM, North Carolina, Nov. 21 -- The Center for Responsible Lending issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025:
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Broad Coalition Warns Congress: Proposed Legislation Would Supercharge Predatory, App-Based Payday Lending Amid a National Affordability Crisis
WASHINGTON, DC - Nearly 200 labor, consumer, and civil rights organizations today issued a stark warning to Congress: as families struggle under record affordability pressures, legislation poised for reintroduction -- modeled on last year's H.R. 7428 -- would open the door for payday loan apps to take even more from the already
... Show Full Article
DURHAM, North Carolina, Nov. 21 -- The Center for Responsible Lending issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025:
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Broad Coalition Warns Congress: Proposed Legislation Would Supercharge Predatory, App-Based Payday Lending Amid a National Affordability Crisis
WASHINGTON, DC - Nearly 200 labor, consumer, and civil rights organizations today issued a stark warning to Congress: as families struggle under record affordability pressures, legislation poised for reintroduction -- modeled on last year's H.R. 7428 -- would open the door for payday loan apps to take even more from the alreadystretched-thin paychecks of military servicemembers and other workers.
At a moment when groceries, rent, and other necessities cost more than ever, the coalition stressed that Congress must not allow predatory lenders to disguise loans with sky-high interest rates as harmless "earned wage access" products. If similar to last year's bill, the legislation would falsely declare that these loans "are not credit" and therefore not subject to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), which would gut basic cost transparency and protections.
Among the bill's harms would be to:
* Hide the true cost of borrowing by removing requirements to disclose loans' Annual Percentage Rate (APR), a crucial standardized measurement of price;
* Exempt payday loan app companies from needing to comply with the Military Lending Act's consumer protections for servicemembers, including a strong cost cap and ban on forced arbitration;
* Encourage a business model where workers must pay to be paid; and
* Fuel state-level efforts to dismantle safeguards against predatory payday loans.
"A bill like last Congress's H.R. 7428 would hand payday loan apps a free pass to trap servicemembers in debt," said Nadine Chabrier, senior litigation and policy counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. "This type of legislation would prevent all consumers from making an apples-to-apples comparison of the cost of payday loan apps with other forms of credit."
"Payday loan apps that claim to be offering access to 'earned wages' are following a long line of payday lender attempts to evade the law so they can exploit people with rates over 300% APR, but numerous courts have been uniformly rejecting the charade that these loans are not loans, and Congress should too," said Lauren Saunders, associate director and director of federal advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center.
The coalition letter highlights mounting evidence of harm from payday loan apps including litigation by the New York Attorney General:
* DailyPay pushed users into smaller, more frequent loans to rack up fees, averaging over $300 in revenue per worker each year. One worker took out 450 loans in under two years, paying nearly $1,400 in fees.
* MoneyLion advertised "0% APR," yet nearly nine out of ten advances carried fees, averaging over 800% APR once fees and tips were included. Lenders capped loan sizes so users were forced to take multiple loans -- nearly two million loans were taken within minutes of the previous one.
The letter flags that the legislation, if similar to H.R. 7428, would "not stop all of the 'multiple strategies that lenders use to make tips almost as certain as required fees.'" The letter also cites research from CRL that found multiplying fees associated with payday loan apps, including that overdraft fees increased 56% on average after people began using an app, and that users who had not been overdrafting previously started to overdraft 2.3 times on average over the three months after their first app-based payday loan.
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November 20, 2025
Rep. Bryan Steil, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, 20515
Re: Opposition to earned wage payday loan exemption from TILA
Dear Rep. Steil,
The 189 undersigned labor, consumer, civil rights, and community organizations write to express our opposition to any bill, similar to last year's H.R. 7428 (Steil), that exempts earned wage payday loans from the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Doing so would endorse a form of loan that makes workers pay to be paid and would facilitate new evasions by payday lenders. A TILA exemption would also deprive servicemembers of the protections of the Military Lending Act and override the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's well-reasoned explanation published last year that these paycheck advances are loans and their hidden costs are finance charges.
Earned wage advances are loans made to workers ahead of payday that are repaid on payday. Earned wage payday loans are targeted at low-wage workers, who are disproportionately people of color.
Several courts have recently rejected claims that these loans are not loans, and two recently ruled that the Military Lending Act applies to protect servicemembers.1 The amount of the loan is tied to the wages that have been earned but are not due until payday. Some earned wage advances are offered through employers, usually with fees, others have no connection to wages or payroll and are repaid by debiting bank accounts, and collect purportedly voluntary "tips." Both models push fast cash but charge instant access fees as high as $7.99 though the cost of sending money instantly is only pennies.
1 See Revell v. Grant Money, --- F.Supp.3d ---- 2025 WL 3167318 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 5, 2025) (TILA and MLA apply); Vickery v. Empower Finance, Inc., 2025 WL 2841686 (N.D. Cal. Oct. 7, 2025) (Empower's earned wage cash advances were credit and instant access fees were finance charges under TILA and the Military Lending Act, and therefore MLA's ban on forced arbitration applied); Moss v. Cleo AI, --F.Supp.3d ----, 2025 WL 2592265 (W.D. Wash. Sept. 8, 2025) (plaintiff adequately pled that Cleo's advances are credit and its expedite fees and subscription fees are finance charges covered by TILA, as well as by the Military Lending Act's 36% rate cap and ban on forced arbitration); Golubiewski v. Activehours, 2025 WL 2484192 (M.D. Penn. Aug. 28, 2025) (plaintiff plausibly alleged that EarnIn offered credit covered by TILA and Pennsylvania usury statute); Johnson v. Activehours, 2025 WL 2299425 (D. Md. Aug. 8, 2025) (plaintiff plausibly alleged that EarnIn offered credit covered by TILA and Maryland law); Orubo v. Activehours, 780 F.Supp.3d 927 (N.D. Cal. 2025) (plaintiff plausibly alleged that EarnIn's advances were credit covered by TILA and by Georgia payday loan law).
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California data based on nearly 6 million transactions shows how the costs of these advances add up.2 Including all of the costs, the average annual percentage rate (APR) for these advances is over 330% for both the employer-based companies that charge fees and for the companies that collect "tips." Tip-based companies collected tips 73% of the time, generating $17.55 million in tip revenue plus another $6.24 million in other fees, likely expedite fees.
Workers get very little credit, with a typical advance of $40 to $100 for 10 days. The fees add up, as the average worker takes out about 36 loans a year, and some over 200.
New research and investigations reveal increased overdraft fees and multiplying fees associated with these cash advance apps. The Center for Responsible Lending found:
* Overdrafts increased 56% on average after people began using a cash advance app. Users who had not been overdrafting previously started to overdraft 2.3 times on average, and as many as 35 times, in the next three months.3
The New York Attorney General found:
* DailyPay pushed users to take out smaller and smaller loans to increase fees, counting on an average of over $300 a year per worker, with one worker taking out more than 450 loans in less than two years paying nearly $1,400 in fees.4
* Money Lion promoted 0% APR and "no interest" but nearly nine out of ten advances had fees, and the average cost with fees and tips was over 800% APR. They limited loan size so that users needed to take out multiple loans with multiple fees, often within minutes of each other, to get the advertised loan size.5
The District of Columbia's Attorney General alleged:
* EarnIn lured consumers in with false claims of free advances for loans within minutes, while hiding fees needed to get the instant loans promised and artificially limiting loan size to increase fees. The average interest rate on Earnin's instant loans is over 300%.6 The CFPB studied employer-based advances and found that few employers cover the cost of earned wage products, and when they do, nearly all workers paid a fee for expedited access to their funds, with roughly 90% of workers paying at least one fee.7
2 See National Consumer Law Center, Data on Earned Wage Advances and Fintech Payday Loan "Tips" Show High Costs for Low-Wage Workers (Apr. 10, 2023); Calif. Dep't of Fin'l Prot'n & Innov., 2021 Earned Wage Access Data Findings (Analysis completed Q1 2023) ("CA DFPI EWA Data").
3 Lucia Constantine, et al, Center for Responsible Lending, Not Free: The Large Hidden Costs of SmallDollar Loans Made Through Cash Advance Apps at 6 (April 2024).
4 See National Consumer Law Center, DailyPay Extracts Hundreds of Dollars From Low-Wage Workers' Pay (May 8, 2025) (summarizing complaint by New York Attorney General).
5 See National Consumer Law Center, MoneyLion's Costly "0% APR" "Earned Wage" Payday Loans (May 22, 2025) (summarizing complaint by New York Attorney General).
6 Complaint for Violations of the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, District of Columbia v. ActiveHours Inc.d/b/a EarnIn (D.C. Sup. Ct. filed Nov. 19, 2024); see also DC Attorney General, Press Release, Attorney General Schwalb Sues "Pay Advance" Company EarnIn for Deceiving More Than 20,000 DC Borrowers (Nov. 19, 2024).
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Exempting earned wage payday loans from TILA would obscure the relative cost of these fintech cash advances. Consumers would not be able to compare high-cost earned wage advances to other credit options. Just like traditional payday lenders, it is no surprise that these lenders want to avoid disclosing a 330% APR, especially given the way the loans roll over and over. TILA already exempts advances with fees of $5.00 or less, or $7.50 or less for loans over $75, from APR disclosures. But higher-cost advances should not be allowed to hide the APR.
Servicemembers would not be protected by the Military Lending Act. Declaring that earned wage payday loans are not credit would make earned wage payday loans exempt from the MLA, including the MLA's 36% rate cap, ban on forced arbitration, and ban on requiring repayment from allotment of military salaries.
A TILA exemption would facilitate evasion by payday lenders. A broad definition of "earned wage access service" could extend to any loan that is "based on the consumer's representations and the provider's reasonable determination of the consumer's earned but unpaid income." That vague definition could easily be exploited by traditional payday lenders.
A TILA exemption would perpetuate the myth that these fintech cash advances are not credit. The bill would be used to persuade state legislators to enact bills based on the model bill by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)8 in order to exempt these advances from state credit laws, including fee and rate caps. These lenders are following the payday lenders' model, just like traditional payday lenders took root by convincing legislators that their loans were not loans and were instead only a modest fee for deferring cashing of a check.
A TILA exemption would contradict the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) interpretation in 2024 that payday advances are loans and that instant access fees and tips are finance charges.9 A bill might purport to give the CFPB authority to regulate these advances, but the CFPB already has ample authority. Declaring that earned wage payday loans are not loans would limit the CFPB's options in how to ensure that consumers receive clear information and how to prevent evasions of federal lending laws.
The protections pushed by the industry are not meaningful. Last year's bill purported to offer a number of protections that would apply to fintech cash advances. But the bill largely codified lenders' current business model without adding significant new protections. Companies do not need to file civil suits, use third-party debt collectors or sell to debt buyers when they are able to collect 97% of the time through their stranglehold over the consumer's paycheck or bank account.10 The bill also required compliance with the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, but the...
7 See CFPB, Data Spotlight: Developments in the Paycheck Advance Market (July 18, 2024).
8 See ALEC, Earned Wage Access Act.
9 See CFPB, CFPB Proposes Interpretive Rule to Ensure Workers Know the Costs and Fees of Paycheck Advance Products (July 18, 2024).
10 See Financial Health Network, "Earned Wage Access and Direct-to-Consumer Advance Usage Trends" at 2 (April 2021) (finding that advances "were recouped successfully at least 97% of the time"); Calif. Dep't of Fin'l Prot'n & Innov., Initial Statement of Reasons For The Proposed Adoption Of Regulations Under The California Consumer Financial Protection Law And The California Financing Law, California Deferred Deposit Transaction Law, And California Student Loan Servicing Act Pro 01-21 at 24-25 (March 17, 2023) ("These successful collection rates significantly exceed the rates of the DFPI's CFL and CDDTL licensees, who offer credit under those laws. Furthermore, such income-based advance models would be unsustainable if the majority of consumers did not repay providers, and providers employ language in advertising and consumer communications that reflects this reality. In light of these considerations, to consider earned wage access companies to be offering a product that is not credit would elevate form over substance.").
11 CA DFPI EWA Data at 61.
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...EFTA's ban on compulsory repayment of credit by preauthorized electronic fund transfer would not apply if the advances are not credit. The bill limited certain repercussions of not tipping enough but did not stop all of the "multiple strategies that lenders use to make tips almost as certain as required fees."11
The costs of fintech cash advances fall primarily on low-wage workers who need a living wage, not a product that just makes them pay to be paid. Balloon-payment loans should not be exempted from credit laws, however they are styled, as they merely lead to a cycle of reborrowing where each advance repays the previous one without providing new liquidity.
For these reasons, we oppose any bill, similar to last year's Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act, that exempts earned wage payday loans from TILA.
Yours very truly,
View co-signers here: https://www.responsiblelending.org/sites/default/files/nodes/files/research-publication/coalition-crl-federal-ewa-bill-general-opposition-nov2025.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.responsiblelending.org/media/broad-coalition-warns-congress-proposed-legislation-would-supercharge-predatory-app-based
[Category: Financial Services]
Brady Responds to Nomination of New ATF Director
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued the following news release on Nov. 19, 2025:
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Brady Responds to Nomination of New ATF Director
Nominee Robert Cekada is a 20-year veteran of ATF, with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement
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This week, the U.S. Senate received the nomination of Robert Cekada to be the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from the Trump administration. Cekada is currently the Deputy Director of ATF.
Josh Scharff, Brady General Counsel and Director of Programs, said:
Every federal agency
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued the following news release on Nov. 19, 2025:
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Brady Responds to Nomination of New ATF Director
Nominee Robert Cekada is a 20-year veteran of ATF, with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement
*
This week, the U.S. Senate received the nomination of Robert Cekada to be the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from the Trump administration. Cekada is currently the Deputy Director of ATF.
Josh Scharff, Brady General Counsel and Director of Programs, said:
Every federal agencydeserves a Senate-confirmed leader who believes in the mission and takes the job with the utmost seriousness. To fulfill its mission of enhancing public safety, ATF's mandate states: 'To curb the illegal use of firearms and enforce the Federal firearms laws, ATF issues firearms licenses and conducts firearms licensee qualification and compliance inspections.' But in the past 9 months, the Trump administration's actions have directly contradicted the ATF's mission - by impairing industry oversight, diverting resources from gun crime and trafficking investigations to immigration enforcement, scaling back on transparency, and repealing rules that were keeping communities safe.
Brady looks forward to learning more about Deputy Director Cekada's strategic vision and plan for the only federal agency responsible for oversight and accountability of the gun industry. We are eager to hear from the nominee how he intends to get ATF back on track to accomplish its mission and do what's needed to keep American families safe.
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Original text here: https://www.bradyunited.org/press/cekada-atf-director
[Category: Political]
Better Markets: Fact Sheet - Sports Betting Scandals Prove Risks of Prediction Markets
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Financial Services] -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, posted the following news release:
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Fact Sheet: Sports Betting Scandals Prove Risks of Prediction Markets
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Benjamin Schiffrin, Director of Securities Policy for Better Markets, issued the following statement in connection with Better Markets' new Fact Sheet, " Sports Betting Scandals Show the Perils of Prediction Markets ":
"Legalized sports betting has led to scandals that call into question
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Financial Services] -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, posted the following news release:
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Fact Sheet: Sports Betting Scandals Prove Risks of Prediction Markets
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Benjamin Schiffrin, Director of Securities Policy for Better Markets, issued the following statement in connection with Better Markets' new Fact Sheet, " Sports Betting Scandals Show the Perils of Prediction Markets ":
"Legalized sports betting has led to scandals that call into questionthe integrity of our nation's sporting events, and the same thing will happen to our elections if election betting becomes just as widespread as betting on sports. Legalized sports betting has also led to a gambling addiction epidemic in this country, and the spread of sports betting on underregulated prediction markets will only make the problem worse."
Our new fact sheet discusses the risks inherent in election betting and sports gambling on prediction markets and their regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Key points include:
* Just as betting scandals have compromised the integrity of professional sports, election betting enabled by prediction markets threatens to compromise the integrity of our democracy. A high-earning, successful MLB pitcher recently jeopardized his career and freedom by manipulating games to profit from a gambling scheme, demonstrating how vulnerable even already well-positioned individuals are to the temptation to compromise their values and careers for financial gain. Candidates and politicians could do the same.
* Prediction markets that offer sports wagers provide the same functional experience as a sportsbook and should be subject to the same rules. Both prediction markets and sportsbooks offer the public the opportunity to win money by wagering on the winner of a sporting event, whether a team will cover the spread, and whether the teams will reach the "over" in terms of total points scored. The public deserves the same protections no matter which platform they engage.
* The CFTC has no business regulating election betting or sports gambling. It has no expertise in either. The CFTC's mandate is to regulate derivatives contracts with real economic value, such as to hedge against price fluctuations in commodities or financial assets; election betting and sports gambling have no such function.
The fact sheet is available online here (https://bettermarkets.org/analysis/sports-betting-scandals-show-the-perils-of-prediction-markets/).
Better Markets is a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to promote the public interest in the financial markets, support the financial reform of Wall Street and make our financial system work for all Americans again. Better Markets works with alliesincluding many in financeto promote pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies that help build a stronger, safer financial system that protects and promotes Americans' jobs, savings, retirements and more. To learn more, visit www.bettermarkets.org.
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Original text here: https://bettermarkets.org/newsroom/fact-sheet-sports-betting-scandals-prove-risks-of-prediction-markets/
