North American Network

Don’t let the season of cheer become a season of scams: “A-A-R-P Texas” is providing older consumers—and their families—with information to stay safe from holiday-fraud. And, volunteer Eddie Orum says that scammers during the holidays often prey on people’s generosity… “Armed with dirty tricks, these ‘grinches’ might weave elaborate stories to pull at your heartstrings, as they slip their sticky f...

The holiday-deals have already begun—including online. Unfortunately, this means that scams are also more common. “A-A-R-P Mississippi’s” state-director, Kimberly L- Campbell, offers these tips… “The safest place to shop online is with retailers whom you trust. This includes either using their app, or typing their Web-address into your browser—rather than clicking on a link from a text, e-mail, or...

-- :60 -- “As veterans, you deserve a lot of things—including praise, honor, and respect. But, you certainly don’t deserve someone trying to take advantage of your service. And yet, veterans and their families are nearly 40-percent more likely to lose money to scams than civilians. In fact, ‘A-A-R-P’s Fraud-Watch Network’ also finds that 80-percent have experienced scams that specifically target v...

-- :60 -- “It’s that time of year again for nearly three-million older Pennsylvanians: Medicare’s open enrollment runs through December 7th. And, during this time, eligible recipients can join, switch, or drop a plan for the coming year. ‘A-A-R-P Pennsylvania’ wants everyone to know where they can turn for objective, easy-to-understand information: First, free counseling is available from Pennsylv...

-- :60 -- “As veterans, you deserve a lot of things—including praise, honor, and respect. But, you certainly don’t deserve someone trying to take advantage of your service. And yet, veterans and their families are nearly 40-percent more likely to lose money to scams than civilians. In fact, ‘A-A-R-P’s Fraud-Watch Network’ also finds that 80-percent have experienced scams that specifically target v...

November is “National Family-Caregivers Month”. And, “A-A-R-P Maryland” is reminding residents about resources that can help them support their loved-ones—while also taking care of themselves. Hank Greenberg is the group’s state-director… “No matter where Marylanders are right now in their own caregiving-journey, having information at their fingertips will truly make the process easier. Our ‘Famil...

-- :60 -- “New Jersey residents pay some of the highest property-taxes in the country; these sky-high taxes hurt homeowners, and are driving prices up for renters. But now, there’s some good news for New Jerseyans: ‘A-A-R-P’ fought to expand property-tax relief, through the ‘Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters’-program—also called ‘ANCHOR’. This new state-program will help...

(The updated rankings for all states—plus D.C.—are available at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/your-hospitals-safety-grade/state-rankings.) -- GENERAL/NATIONAL WRAP (:58) -- For 10 years now, “The Leapfrog Group” has assigned letter-grades to general-hospitals throughout the U-S—based on each hospital’s ability to prevent both medical errors and patient-harm. Katie Stewart is the organization...

Florida is already the third-most-populous state—plus the world’s 15th-largest economy. And, by 2030, it will be home to over 26-million residents—with one of the nation’s most-diverse populations. According to Kevin O’Farrell—of the “Florida Department of Education”—apprenticeships are helping the state manage its rapid growth… “Florida needs skilled talent in a broad range of growing industries....

Each November, the “E-P-A” marks “America Recycles Day”—which encourages all Americans to learn more about their local recycling-options. Melanie Bower—the senior sustainability-advisor at “Exxon-Mobil”—is among industry-leaders who are working to expand those options with new technology… “Today, many materials end up in the landfill because they are difficult to recycle; think about the bubble-wr...

NOVEMBER 16TH IS THIS YEAR’S “UTILITY-SCAM AWARENESS DAY”. AND, MONICA MARTINEZ—THE EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR OF “UTILITIES UNITED AGAINST SCAMS”—URGES EVERYONE TO LEARN HOW TO SPOT SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR… “UTILITY-SERVICES ARE VITAL TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. THAT’S WHY SCAMMERS ATTEMPT TO PROFIT FROM CUSTOMERS—ESPECIALLY LOWER-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND THE ELDERLY. COMMON SCAMS INVOLVE UNSOLICITED TELEPHONE-, ELE...

Medicare’s annual open-enrollment period is underway—which means that Medicare-related scams are on the rise. Bill Hawkins—of “A-A-R-P Alabama”—explains what to look out for… “Scammers are calling or even going door-to-door; they’re offering free gifts or limited-time offers. Others might call and claim that you’re due a refund of premiums that you’ve supposedly overpaid. Giving out your Medicare-...

-- English (:30) -- “Hey New Mexico, get ready to vote! ‘A-A-R-P New Mexico’ is empowering voters ‘50-plus’ to make their voices heard, on the issues that matter most. We have the information you need to be prepared to cast your vote. Make sure you know the latest voting-guidelines and -requirements—before you head to the ballot-box. Get a free copy of the ‘A-A-R-P New Mexico’ voter-guide at ‘a-a-...

November is “National Family-Caregivers Month”. And, “A-A-R-P Mississippi” is reminding residents about resources that can help them support their loved-ones—while also taking care of themselves. Kimberly L- Campbell is the group’s state-director… “No matter where Mississippians are right now in their own caregiving-journey, having information at their fingertips will truly make the process easier...

(These four soundbites are from Brad Anderson, AARP Iowa’s state director.) “One of the few issues [that] Republicans and Democrats agree on is that we need to keep ‘Social Security’ strong, for future generations. We want Iowans who are preparing to cast their votes [to] know where all the leading candidates for [the] U-S House and Senate stand on this issue. So, ‘A-A-R-P Iowa’ asked each candida...

Early voting in Maryland begins Thursday, October 27th. And, “A-A-R-P Maryland” is reminding residents about what they need to do, in order to cast their ballot. Hank Greenberg is the group’s state-director… “Election-laws and voting-places can change. And, that’s why we’ve collected all of the latest information—so that voters can be heard. See, this includes how to register, and what the rules a...

With this year’s general election almost here, voters statewide should make their voices heard—when it comes to public education. That’s according to Libby Cohen, of “Raise Your Hand Texas”… “Part of supporting local schools is exercising our right to vote: Public education has never been more important to our communities. And, the state’s future success depends on how well we educate our students...

(These five soundbites are from Dr. Rebecca Weast [as in “yeast”], a research scientist with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.) “Teen drivers have crash-rates that are nearly four times those of drivers who are 20 or older—due to their inexperience and immaturity. So, it’s critical that they’re in a vehicle that will provide good crash-protection. This means avoiding the smallest vehicle...

(These four soundbites are from Paula Cunningham, AARP Michigan’s state director.) “In our conversation, the leading gubernatorial candidates shared their thoughts on issues that our recent poll found to be the most important. These include: rising prices; the cost of prescription-drugs; election-security; voting-rights; and long-term care. The full conversation is now available online—at ‘a-a-r-p...

The percentage of Minnesota’s seniors who feel “in control” of their own health has jumped—from 29-percent last year, to 56-percent this year. That’s according to a new survey from “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota”. “Blue Cross”-ambassador, John Hines, discusses some of the other findings… “Older Minnesotans now report experiencing fewer negative emotions in regard to ‘COVID-19’ than they...

While more men than women are killed in vehicle-crashes, women remain more likely to be seriously injured. Could current crash-testing be biased? Jessica Jermakian [as in “make”], of the “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety”, believes that the answer is “no”… “Real-world crash-scenarios often favor men: They’re driving bigger, heavier vehicles—and they’re more often behind the wheel of the stri...

Consumers, throughout Massachusetts, are facing challenges—such as rising costs for everyday goods and services. That’s why “National Grid” has launched a program to help residents deal with higher energy-bills, as winter approaches. Marc Brown is the northeast regional-director for “Consumer Energy Alliance”… “Energy-costs continue to rise—due to inflation throughout the economy, existing regulat...

“A-A-R-P New Mexico” is urging people—especially those age-50-plus—to head to the polls, for the general election. It also has a one-stop place, where they can learn where and when to vote—along with important deadlines. Beth Velasquez is the group’s communications-director… “While New Mexico’s election-laws have largely stayed the same, we did experience a redistricting—meaning [that] some people...

-- English (:30) -- “Get the facts and take action—before a bad contractor takes advantage of you. Hurricane- and storm-recovery can be emotionally and financially challenging, without having to worry about being scammed by contractors. Find out how to protect yourself from fraud and scams, by reviewing ‘A-A-R-P Florida’s’ important disaster-recovery advice. From vetting contractors—to understandi...

Mississippi’s deadline for voter-registration is Monday, October 10th. And, “A-A-R-P Mississippi” is reminding residents about what they need to do, in order to cast their ballot. Kimberly L- Campbell is the group’s state-director… “Election-laws and voting-places can change. That’s why we’ve collected all of the latest information—so that voters can be heard. This includes how to register; what t...