A pair of similarly named Chicago Polish sausage establishments — Jim’s Original Polish and Jim’s Original Chicago — are locked in a federal court battle over business names and marketing practices. [More]
Government Policy
White House Picks Princeton Prof. Krueger For Top Economic Adviser Gig
By 8.29.11
Now that economic adviser — and Consumerist pal — Austan Goolsbee has departed the White House, President Obama has a spot to fill. Today he announced the choice of Princeton labor economist Alan Krueger to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. [More]
California Considering Ban On Styrofoam To-Go Containers
By 8.29.11
Though many of the large fast food chains ditched Styrofoam containers many moons ago, there are still plenty of restaurants that continue to use Styrofoam for packing up to-go orders for customers. But a bill before the California State Assembly could put an end to that in the Golden State. [More]
Federal Court: Massachusetts Law Against Recording Of On-The-Job Cops Is Unconstitutional
By 8.29.11
A federal appeals court ruled that the people have the right to record police officers when they’re on the job in public. A U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals judge found that a Massachusetts law used to ban such actions is unconstitutional. [More]
Lawsuit: Background-Check Service Incorrectly Reporting People As Sex Offenders
By 8.26.11
This may actually be worse than having the world think you’re dead. A new class-action suit claims that a credit and background checking company is reporting “hundreds or thousands of consumers as sex offenders in consumer reports provided to employers.” [More]
Thief Allegedly Crashes Stolen Semi Into Porn Shop, Swipes $800 Toy
By 8.26.11
A suspected thief was so determined to nab an $800 sex doll that he allegedly stole a semi, crashed it into an adult shop and made off with the prize. [More]
Hells Angels Sue L.A. T-Shirt Maker For Copyright Infringement
By 8.26.11
It seems the Hells Angels aren’t cool with the idea of an L.A. fashion boutique slapping its name on a t-shirt. The notorious motorcycle club is suing the designer and several online retailers for copyright infringement. The shirt in question bears the message: “My boyfriend’s a Hells Angel.” [More]
Defense Department Employee Accused Of Taking Bribe
By 8.26.11
Bidding wars for defense contracts make particularly fertile ground for corruption, and a federal employee may have gotten caught with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. Federal authorities have accused an Afghanistan-based U.S. Department of Defense employee of taking a bribe from a company there in exchange for helping to secure a government contract. The suspect was caught with a backpack stuffed with $95,000 in alleged bribe money. [More]
If You Must Pee At A Supermarket, Don't Do It On The Floor
By 8.25.11
Some people are afraid of relieving themselves in public bathrooms, while others have no qualms about heeding nature’s call no matter the time or place. A 62-year-old man in Holmes Beach, Fla. allegedly falls into the latter category, judging by the way he up and let it flow on a supermarket floor. He was arrested for indecent exposure in public and driving with a suspended license, which had been revoked from an earlier DUI charge. [More]
FDA Says Some Cancer Drugs Are In Short Supply
By 8.25.11
According to the Food and Drug Administration, several generic cancer drugs are suffering dwindling supplies, creating stumbling blocks for treatment programs. The past two years have yielded sizable spikes in shortages, many of which are generic injections used to treat testicular and breast cancer. [More]
I Fought A Sleazy Towing Company And Won
By 8.24.11
The bad news was that Anne’s car was illegally towed from the parking lot of her friend’s apartment complex while she was visiting him. The good news: this friend is a lawyer, who researched the situation and determined precisely why the tow was illegal. [More]
Botox Now Approved To Keep Your Overactive Bladder Wrinkle-Free
By 8.24.11
Before it became a party favor passed around by the vanity-obsessed set, Botox was considered to have several non-cosmetic therapeutic purposes, many involving the treatment of muscle spasms. And today it was announced that the popular wrinkle-fighting drug has been approved for use by some people suffering from overactive bladder. [More]
Russia Wants To Connect With Alaska Via Tunnel
By 8.24.11
In what at a first glance seems like an supervillain plot from a James Bond movie, Russia wants to dig a 64-mile tunnel that connects Siberia and Alaska. The $65 billion project would allow for travel via a high-speed railway and connect the countries with energy links and fiber optic cable. [More]
Samsung Cites 1968 Movie To Prove It Didn't Rip Off iPad
By 8.24.11
Responding to Apple’s lawsuit alleging it copied designs for the iPad and iPhone, Samsung’s lawyers have pulled out video evidence from the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In a 1-minute clip, the lawyers imply that the iPad-style form factor predates Apple’s devices. [More]
Judge: Companies Can Offer Cloud Music Storage Without Label Consent
By 8.23.11
Amazon, Google and other companies that allow users to store their music on cloud servers are within the law, according to a federal judge who ruled that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 protects the business model. The judge ruled in favor of cloud storage service MP3tunes, which was sued by record label EMI. [More]
Philips Recalls 1.86 Million Potentially Plummeting Compact Fluorescent Flood Lamps
By 8.22.11
Philips and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a few weeks ago the recall of about 1.86 million compact fluorescent floodlamps sold under the EnergySaver and Marathon brands between 2007 and 2010. The reflector around the lamp can come unglued, shattering on the ground or floor. This actually happened to a Consumerist reader, who sent in photos of the glass-shard carnage. [More]
Social Security Disability Payments Could Dry Up In 2017
By 8.22.11
The Social Security disability fund may not be able to make payments come 2017, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). [More]
Fed Doled Out $1.2 Trillion In Secret Loans To Giant Banks, Brokerages
By 8.22.11
The Federal Reserve got loan-happy from 2007 to 2010, handing out mega funding to several top banks and brokerage firms, such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Bank of America. The secretive financial agreements were meant to stop the economy from plunging into depression. [More]
