In the two years since we first covered the complicated rounding involved with soda bottle nutrition labels, some changes have been made with the goal of clearing up things like calorie count and serving size. But some questions still keep popping up, so it’s probably time for a refresher course. [More]
Pop quiz: What’s the best way to pass a proficiency test when you work for a highly scrutinized federal agency already under fire for ineptitude? If you answered “pay $200 to the instructor,” then maybe you are among those TSA agents getting the boot from Philadelphia International Airport. [More]
While recent action by the FCC created rules intended to curb the practice of “cramming” unauthorized third-party charges on consumers’ landline phone bills, it did nothing to stop the same from happening for wireless customers. Today, Senator Jay Rockefeller IV introduced legislation that would end the practice and direct the FCC to create rules covering wireless customers. [More]
The phrase “crime doesn’t pay” would probably more accurately be stated as “crime can pay quite well, at least until you get caught.” Just ask the operators of an Arizona-based health care telemarketing scam, who now have to surrender all their expensive toys to the federal government. [More]
The fatal disaster at BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico was the driving force behind its 2011 Worst Company In America win. But many voters also pointed to incidents at other BP facilities, like the Texas City refinery that released about 500,000 pounds of pollutants into the air over the course of 40 days. Now a group of more than 50,000 people are suing BP over that little oopsy. [More]
A preliminary investigation two years ago by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into whether older model Jeeps are at risk for fires has been recently expanded, prompting a new level in the probe that makes it likely that around 5.1 million vehicles could be recalled soon. [More]
The Justice Department is reportedly engaged in an anti-trust investigation into many areas where the cable TV industry might be acting inappropriately to try and quell competition from online video. Many consumers want to pick and choose what they watch, using services like Hulu and Netflix, whereas cable companies would like them to continue to pay for bundles of TV channels, even some they might not watch. [More]
As you may have heard, it’s a presidential election year, which means homeowners associations all around the country will be removing — and fining people for — political signs placed in residents’ front yards and windows. But the people of New Jersey are now free to announce their favorite candidates without fear of reprisal. [More]
Yesterday, we told you about how the state of Georgia was trying to decide whether to accept an “adopt-a-highway” application from a local Ku Klux Klan group or risk facing a lengthy legal battle by denying it. Now It looks like the state’s Dept. of Transportation has opted for the latter. [More]
Citizens living in Middleborough, Mass. who are accustomed to swearing loudly in public might be picturing $20 bills sprouting wings and fairly flying from their wallets, as residents approved the police chief’s proposed fine on public profanity we heard about in May. [More]
North Dakota has the rare boon of having a state budget that enjoys a nice little reserve, and as such, some of its residents say they shouldn’t have to pay property taxes any more. It’s not unheard of to scale back property taxes — California is one example of a state with lower taxes after passing a voter proposition — but the debate is stirring up emotions nonetheless. [More]
It’s one thing for your employer or potential employer to do a Google search on you, or scour through your public Facebook profile. It’s another for a company to market this information to employers and human resources departments for the express purpose of background screening. Doing so haphazardly could result in a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. [More]
When you see a stretch of road that has been “adopted” by a group or business that helps to remove litter from the highway in return for recognition from the state, the sponsor is often some civic group, union or social club. Occasionally, you get something like the stretch of I-95 near the Pennsylvania/Delaware border sponsored by a gentlemen’s club. But legislators in Georgia now find themselves in a bit of a pickle, having to pick between allowing the Ku Klux Klan to adopt a highway or facing a potentially lengthy and pricey legal battle. [More]
The short description on the Food & Drug Administration website says that the contraceptive pill Introvale is being recalled due to a “packaging flaw.” Well, that’s true, but that flaw is that the pills are in the wrong order. A three-month pack contains 84 “active” pills and seven placebo or “hey, it’s time for your period” pills. Some packs have the placebo pills in week 9 instead of week 13. Manufacturer Sandoz is recalling the affected lots, but since the pills are different colors, it’s not hard to tell whether your pills have been scrambled. [More]
Yes, it is tempting to lie about your income and taxes already paid on your tax return and collect a huge refund. It’s even more tempting to get that massive undeserved refund on a debit card. But that’s totally unusual, and would get the government’s attention, right? Not in Oregon, where a woman has been charged with filing fraudulent return using Turbotax, and spending the $2.1 million prepaid debit card holding her refund. [More]
If you’re imagining your organs being zapped through with invisible rays of unhealthy radiation while standing in an airport security full-body scanner, well, stop that. A new independent study into the devices used by the Transportation Security Administration found that they do not expose passengers to dangerous levels of radiation. [More]
UPDATE: The Corn Refiners Association has issued a statement to Consumerist. It has been added to the bottom of the post. [More]
Listen up, Transportation Security Administration — the House knows you desperately want to be cool and improve your image, and frisking internationally known superstars and other recognizable famous people isn’t helping. Which means when it comes to patting down Beyonce, don’t. [More]
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