Back in 2012, store-brand macaroni and cheese was recalled because it might have contained pieces of metal, leading us to call it “Mac ‘N’ Cheese ‘N’ Metal Shards.” Now a brand-name version of that product is available, since Kraft has recalled 242,000 cases of its signature boxed macaroni and cheese. It could possibly contain small pieces of metal, which is not an appropriate spice to add to macaroni and cheese. [More]
Government Policy
Trader Joe’s Recalls Walnuts Over Salmonella Concerns
By 3.17.15
If you’ve got some raw walnuts from Trader Joe’s sitting in your pantry, you should check the label because they might be among those nuts recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. [More]
Big Data Is Here To Stay. So Can We Use It To Make Recalls Actually Work?
By 3.16.15
Sometimes products are unsafe. From bacteria-filled food to shrapnel-shooting airbags, on occasion even the most conscientious company will find itself needing to recall a product if it turns out to be harmful to consumers. But recalls are a big pain in the butt all around. One of the biggest issues? Actually letting consumers know that the stuff in their hands or on their shelves has, in fact, actually been recalled. [More]
Are Pension Advance Companies The New Payday Loan Lender?
By 3.16.15
While many consumers who are short on cash between paychecks might seek help from the often predatory payday lending industry, more and more retirees are turning to their equivalent – pension advance lenders – when struggling to make ends meet, sometime with devastating results. [More]
Virginia Limits Retention Of License Plate Capture Data To 7 Days
By 3.16.15
We’ve shared with you before the that both private companies and law enforcement are combining images of motorists’ license plates with geographic data about where those plates were spotted. Some states have passed laws limiting how long this data can stay in databases or banning its collection altogether, and Virginia has joined that list as of this month. [More]
Health Officials Link Blue Bell Ice Cream Products To Listeriosis Outbreak; Company Recalls Treats
By 3.16.15
Three months after candy apples contaminated with Listeria bacteria were linked to seven deaths, another sweet treat may contain the bacteria and could be a contributing factor in at least three deaths. [More]
What Net Neutrality Opponents Are Saying Now — And Why It’s A Lot Of Hot Air
By 3.13.15
While supporters of an open internet are excited about the FCC’s recent net neutrality ruling, some folks in the telecom and ISP world are a whole lot less happy. Many of the big businesses affected by the rule had their say in February when the vote happened, but the recent release of the full rule (all 400 pages of it) this week has become an opportunity for many groups afraid of new regulation to once again put their concerns front and center in the limelight. [More]
Kia Recalls 200,000 Soul Compact Cars Because Gas Pedals Shouldn’t Break In Half
By 3.13.15
The accelerator pedal might just be one of the more important components of a vehicle, so when reports start surfacing that the pedal might break or bend, that’s kind of a big deal. Such is the case for more than 200,000 Kia Soul vehicles that are now subject to a safety recall. [More]
Lawsuit That Brought GM Ignition Switch Defect To Light Settled For Second Time
By 3.13.15
The lawsuit filed by the family of a Georgia woman who died in a 2010 car accident that spurred the recall of 2.5 million General Motors vehicles with faulty ignition switches has been settled out of court. [More]
NHTSA Chief Says Takata More “Forthcoming” With Investigation, Senators Send Letter Urging Cooperation
By 3.13.15
A week after Japanese auto parts maker Takata said it would double its production of replacement airbags and three weeks after U.S. federal regulators began imposing a $14,000 per day fine against the company, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the company is being more forthcoming with information related to an investigation into millions of defective airbags. [More]
Poll: Most People Will Use Tax Refunds To Pay Down Debt, Build Savings
By 3.12.15
Are you expecting a tax refund this year? While making changes to how much tax you have withheld from your paychecks during the rest of the year can get you slightly larger checks all year long, most people keep things as they are and enjoy receiving a windfall at the beginning of the year. What do they do with that refund, though? [More]
FTC Chair Edith Ramirez Talks Privacy, Data Security
By 3.12.15
You may now be able to change your thermostat from another continent, your fridge might know when you need to buy more eggs, and your connected TV recommends shows and movies. But is your data being used for things other than keeping your house warm, your eggs in stock, and your kids entertained — and, just as importantly — is it secure? [More]
Study: Raising Legal Age To Buy Cigarettes To 21 Would Result In Fewer Smokers
By 3.12.15
By this point everyone can agree that smoking is harmful to your health, and yet there are still new smokers starting up the habit year after year. A new study from the Institute of Medicine says that swell in numbers could be curbed by raising the legal age to buy cigarettes to 21. [More]
FTC Orders Company That Swindled Tens Of Millions From Seniors To Pay $10M Judgment
By 3.12.15
We’ve said it too many times to count at this point, but scammers who take advantage of senior citizens are the worst. Today, the Federal Trade Commission made sure there was one less scammer out there by permanently barring the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar fraud from all future telemarketing activities. [More]
Will Congress Try To Kill The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?
By 3.12.15
Since its creation as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reforms, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been a target of pro-bank, anti-regulation lawmakers who contend that the agency lacks legislative oversight and puts too much authority in the hands of a single director. With the recent political power shift in the Senate and another presidential election on the horizon, some advocates are concerned that the anti-CFPB movement may take hold on Capitol Hill. [More]
Why Do Robocalls Continue In An Age Of “Do Not Call” And Strict Telemarketing Rules?
By 3.12.15
Even though millions of Americans are on the federal Do Not Call list to limit unwanted telemarketing calls, and even though it’s illegal for anyone to make a commercial prerecorded robocall to a consumer who hasn’t given their express consent to receive such calls, the problem persists and is getting worse, with no cure-all solution in the offing. [More]
Senators Urge FDA To Investigate Allegations That Purina’s Beneful Dry Kibble Includes Toxins
By 3.12.15
Several weeks after a lawsuit filed in California claimed that thousands of dogs became ill or died after eating Purina’s Beneful kibble, two senators are urging the Food & Drug Administration to open an investigation into the allegations. [More]
IRS Impersonation Scam Is Largest In History, Cost Consumers $15.5M
By 3.12.15
The 2015 tax season has been fraught with complications, from the fraudulent use of tax returns to the “dirty dozen” scams meant to tear consumers away from their money. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing exploring ways in which consumers could better be protected from such hustles, federal investigators divulged more information about one of the most prevalent tax-time scams in recent years, saying it has now targeted 366,000 taxpayers to the tune of $15.5 million. [More]
