Evidentiary hearings are underway in a Washington, D.C., courtroom this week, to decide if a massive lawsuit against the cellphone industry will be allowed to go to trial.

Multiple families are suing most of the major wireless companies and their trade association, asking for hundreds of millions in damages, claiming cellphone use causes brain tumors.

Monique Solomon Martinazzi, a plaintiff whose husband Andy passed away at age 43, said he had a brain tumor which developed right where he used to hold his cellphone.

"When cellphones first came out he got one of the original battery-held Motorolas," Solomon Martinazzi recounted. "And it was held to his ear 6-7 hours a day. He was in commercial real estate. And we just felt so strongly that was the reason the brain tumor developed where it did."

The industry trade association and Motorola did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but they have said their products are safe and comply with all government standards.

The lawsuit claims the Federal Communications Commission standards are outdated and pointed to a government study showing exposure to cellphone radiation can cause brain and heart tumors in rats.

Industry lawyers argued in court if cellphones caused cancer, we'd be seeing an epidemic of tumors.

Ellie Marks, founder of the California Brain Tumor Association and another plaintiff whose husband Allan has had two brain surgeries so far, said the industry and the government are ignoring the evidence.

"There is a rise in primary brain tumors, especially gliomas, especially in the younger population," Marks pointed out. "These tumors used to only be seen in those over 65. Now we're seeing people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, perishing from this."

The families are claiming wrongful death, personal injury and loss of consortium.

Joel Moskowitz PhD, director of the Center for Family and Community Health in the School of Public Health at the University of California-Berkeley, said if a U.S. court rules cellphone use leads to brain cancer, the implications are huge.

"It probably would lead to many additional cases being filed by brain cancer victims," Moskowitz explained. "It also may force our government to finally take this issue seriously."

In related news, a judge in Canada recently ruled a class-action lawsuit can go forward against Apple and Samsung. The plaintiffs claimed cellphones emit more than the allowable levels of radiation, and the defendants knowingly harmed users.

Pennsylvania residents who need assistance filing their income tax returns can use the free services of the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program.

You do not have to be an AARP member or a senior citizen to get help.

Kathleen Hoffer, program coordinator for AARP Pennsylvania, said the full-service tax program assists Pennsylvanians with federal, state and local returns. She added their main focus is to serve individuals with low to moderate incomes.

"We helped nearly 74,000 people in Pennsylvania last year and it resulted in $52 million in refunds for those folks," Hoffer reported. "We're doing as best we can, but we could do better especially if we had more volunteers."

Hoffer emphasized the volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest changes to the tax code. The nationwide program is available through mid-April. Volunteers have helped 1.7 million people secure nearly $1.3 billion in total refunds.

Hoffer noted individuals in rural, underserved areas may struggle with tax preparation access and adds they are working to assist them through virtual appointments. She explained the program offers several options such as in-person and drop-off services for taxpayers to get assistance.

"We also have assisted tax preparation," Hoffer pointed out. "We have where they can come in and bring their tax documents. They basically work on their tax return themselves. But then we have a counselor who can advise them or answer questions. As they are doing their own returns."

Hoffer emphasized their biggest challenge is recruiting more volunteers. With additional help, they can serve a greater number of people. She added volunteers are needed for administrative tasks, greeting clients, communications and technology support.

Activists who believe Tesla CEO Elon Musk is overstepping his role in the Trump administration will protest today at a Tesla dealership in New Mexico's Sandoval County. Similar protests have taken place in Albuquerque and at Tesla dealerships nationwide.

Musk, the world's richest person, leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with saving money by firing federal employees and dismantling agencies.

Terry Eisenbart with Sandoval County Indivisible said many who have lost their jobs live in New Mexico.

"It is time to stand up and fight back with whatever is at our disposal," Eisenbart contended. "Peaceful protests are a huge way to gain the traction of the people that want to express themselves but don't even know where to begin."

Despite his previous vilification of electric vehicles, President Donald Trump went to bat for Musk's beleaguered car company on Tuesday. He showcased five Tesla vehicles in front of the White House and announced he had purchased one for $80,000. Musk donated $270 million to Trump's 2024 election campaign.

Eisenbart is especially concerned federal services she believes Americans want and need are being eliminated. She cited the closure of the Consumer Federal Protection Bureau on Feb. 8, which, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, called a "woke" and "weaponized" agency. Eisenbart stressed the closure hits close to home.

"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, when they shut it down the other day -- my sister has personally benefited by that -- and it made the whole difference in her life, by the actions that organization took on her behalf," Eisenbart explained.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was instrumental in establishing the independent agency after the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. DOGE claims total government savings of at least $105 billion so far but news agencies have not been able to verify the savings.


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To cast a primary election ballot in New Mexico, voters must declare a political party. But that could change if lawmakers pass Senate Bill 16 this month to adopt open primaries.

Supporters say New Mexico's electorate has changed, with 40% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 choosing not to affiliate with a party.

The state does allow same-day registration, but Sila Avcil - the executive director of the group New Mexico Open Elections - said that still means more paperwork and time is needed to vote in a primary for those who choose not to register with a political party.

"Under this bill," said Avcil, "what would happen is - if I'm a registered independent - I would just show up and say, 'I'm an Independent, here's verifying my registration, and today I would like to vote as a Democrat or a Republican or a Libertarian.'"

She said the bill would prohibit voters from participating in more than one party primary.

Critics of open primaries worry voters could affiliate with one party over another to influence that party's nomination, by choosing a candidate they feel would be easier to defeat in a general election.

Research shows the percentage of independent voters in New Mexico is growing.

From 2000 to 2022, Democratic registration declined from 52% of the electorate to 44%. At the same time, the state's Republican registration declined from 33-percent to 31-percent.

Avcil said the trend suggests a change would be helpful.

"I think this is the right time,," said Avcil, "because we constantly are seeing every year an increase in independent registration - particularly by young people. They're registering more and more as independent."

New Mexico is one of just 10 states with closed primaries. Avcil noted that this is the 10th year the bill has been introduced in the Legislature, but she said she believes there is more support this time around.