The Canadian “give a penny, take a penny” tray industry has just been hit with some sad news. The new federal budget for our neighbors to the north has done away with the coin that costs more to make than it’s actually worth. [More]
Government Policy
Sorry, Sir, But You Can't Take Fireworks On A Cross-Country Flight
By 3.29.12
You know all those signs at the airport that say you can’t bring too many ounces of liquid or like, hazardous materials onboard? Fireworks and a water bottle filled with flash powder found in the backpack of a man flying out of Philadelphia would definitely count as the kind of explosive thing you aren’t supposed to have in your carry-on. [More]
Yahoo To Add "Do Not Track" Feature To Sites
By 3.29.12
Days after the Federal Trade Commission called on companies and lawmakers to beef up online privacy measures, the folks at Yahoo have announced they will be adding a “do not track” feature to its array of websites. [More]
Car Dealership And VA Team Up To Damage Wounded Veteran's Credit
By 3.29.12
When Kat and her husband traded in their old Ford Focus, the dealership told them that they would be able to pay off the loan faster than the couple could. This was true, if by “faster” they meant “not at all.” See, Kat’s husband was wounded while serving in Afghanistan, and is due a $19,000 grant from the Veterans Administration to buy a vehicle. This grant is a check cut directly to the dealership. Two months later, the VA, acting with all of the swiftness and efficiency that government agencies are known for, hasn’t sent the check yet. Naturally, instead of actually contacting the couple about the issue, the dealership just went ahead and didn’t pay off the loan as promised. They won’t until the check from the VA shows up. This is affecting Kat’s husband’s credit, and is just generally rude. [More]
Help Donald Duck File His 1941 Federal Tax Return
By 3.29.12
Filing a federal tax return is an ingrained habit now, but most middle-class Americans didn’t have to before World War II. The Revenue Act of 1942 made 15 million more people eligible to pay taxes. How could the government explain this to the masses? Cartoons! The U.S. Treasury department commissioned Disney to make a short animated film that explained how to fill out a simple tax return, and why paying income taxes was so important. (Spoiler alert: Defeating the Axis powers.) [More]
Organic Farmers Appeal Lawsuit To Preempt Monsanto From Suing Them
By 3.28.12
A month ago, a U.S. District Court threw out a lawsuit filed by a group of organic farmers who hoped to prevent lawsuits from seed titan Monsanto should their crops become contaminated by Monsanto’s patented, genetically modified seeds. Now those same farmers are hoping to get another day in court by appealing the case. [More]
Company Behind Billions Of Phony "Auto Warranty" Robocalls Shut Down By FTC
By 3.28.12
Have you ever answered a call from an unfamiliar number only to hear a recording tell you there is important information about your automobile warranty? You’re not alone, as the folks at the FTC have shut down an operation it says was responsible for billions of instances of deceptive dialing. [More]
What You Need To Know About Claiming Older Dependents On Taxes
By 3.28.12
If you look out financially for an older loved one, the government gives you a reward for your kindness come tax time. Those looking to claim people who aren’t their children as dependents when they file their taxes should go over the rules to make sure they qualify. [More]
Prostitute Blames McDonald's For Driving Her Into Profession
By 3.28.12
We’ve heard of people blaming McDonald’s for getting them fat or burning their grandchildren with hot liquid, but rare is the occasion that the fast food giant is accused of leading one into a life of prostitution. But if you live long enough, you see everything, hence a federal court case in which a woman accuses McDonald’s and her franchisee ex-husband of pushing her into the world’s oldest profession in the 1980s. [More]
Congress Mulls Over Bill That Would Hurt FCC's Ability To Regulate Mergers
By 3.27.12
To the cable, phone, wireless and broadcasting companies in the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission can sometimes seem to be a big wet blanket on all their merger-happy fun. Thus, Congress is now considering legislation that would revise the way the FCC does everything from introducing regulations to reviewing mergers. [More]
FTC Settles With RockYou Over Breach That Exposed 32 Million E-Mail Addresses & Passwords
By 3.27.12
More than two years after a breach at RockYou — the folks behind a number of popular Facebook apps and other online games like Zoo World — exposed the personal information of 32 million users to hackers, the company has finally reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. [More]
Census: More People Are Living In Urban Areas
By 3.27.12
More people are living in clusters rather than open spaces, with city life expanding in popularity in that hard-to-name decade that ended in 2010. U.S. Census data says 80.7 percent of Americans lived in urban zones in 2010, up nearly two percentage points from 2000. The rural population declined from 21 percent to 19.3 percent in the same span. [More]
FTC Report Pushes Companies, Congress To Improve Online Privacy
By 3.26.12
Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission released the results of its two-year look into what needs to be done about protecting the privacy of American consumers. It all seems to make good sense, but will anyone actually follow the FTC’s recommendations? [More]
BMW Recalls 1.3 Million Cars Because "Flaming Battery Cable" Is Not A Desired Dealer Upgrade
By 3.26.12
BMW has announced a worldwide recall of around 1.3 million 5- and 6-Series vehicles built between 2003 and 2010, because of a problem with a battery cable cover that could lead to some unpleasant results. [More]
Property Owners Find Out They've Moved From South To North Carolina
By 3.26.12
Back in the days of yore, say, a few hundred years ago, when you needed to mark a state line, well you could just hack a mark in a tree with a hatchet. But in the case of North and South Carolina property owners, when those trees eventually cease to exist, residents have to deal with the repercussions, as many are finding out they actually own property in the other state. [More]
Health Care Reform Makes Its Supreme Court Debut Today
By 3.26.12
When the president signed the Affordable Care Act into law, it was pretty clear that the legislation would ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. And now, two years later, the Supremes will be hearing its first arguments on the matter. [More]
Story About TSA Taking Soldier's Nail Clippers Still Isn't True, Years Later
By 3.23.12
Once again making the rounds on Facebook and in the blogosphere is the story of Indiana National Guard troops traveling home from Afghanistan. In the tale, one soldier was forced by the Transportation Security Administration to yield a pair of nail clippers. Seemed odd, as those soldiers were allowed to carry unloaded guns onto the flight. “What in the what?!?” you might be yelling. [More]
Report: Hunger Games Studio Goes After Anti-Hunger Organization
By 3.23.12
You probably haven’t heard that there’s a small independent movie — apparently based on a little-known series of books — called The Hunger Games that’s getting a limited release this weekend. Well, the studio behind that film is trying to stop an anti-hunger group from cashing in on the Hunger Games name. [More]
