Seven state attorneys general, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU have sued to overturn the so-called “conscience” rule, which allows doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers to refuse to perform procedures or dispense medication that conflicts with their beliefs.
Government Policy
Two Wisconsin Walmarts Evacuated Due To Mysterious Odors, FBI Investigates
By 1.16.09
The FBI is investigating an incident in which a mysterious chemical was released in a Wisconsin Walmart sending 47 people to the hospital — and is not investigating a Walmart in the same county that had to be evacuated the next day due to an odoriferous sewer problem. What an odd coincidence.
Whole Foods Fires Employee For Stopping Shoplifter
By 1.16.09
It must be pretty easy to shoplift at Whole Foods because if any of their employees touch you, they’ll be fired.
By 1.16.09
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Bad news! This uterus has been recalled because it presents a potential choking hazard. [iheartguts.com]
500,000 Stork Craft Cribs Recalled
By 1.16.09
More killer cribs are on the loose, this time from Stork Craft. The CPSC has issued a recall for all Stork Craft cribs “with manufacturing and distribution dates between May 2000 and November 2008,” because the metal support brackets can crack and break, creating a suffocation danger. If you own one, call Stork Craft at 866-361-3321 to order a free bracket replacement kit, or click here.
Pool Operators Slow To Comply With New Safety Law; Make Sure They Do
By 1.15.09
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act—which requires filtration systems to have special safety covers—was named after a 7-year-old who was killed in 2002 when she was trapped at the bottom of a hot tub by “hundreds of pounds of suction force.” It’s not the sort of accident that happens frequently, but when it does it’s a grisly and horrific event. Unfortunately, despite the law being in effect since the middle of last month, and the fact that pool operators have known about it for over a year, CNN reports that many pools still haven’t been brought into compliance.
Coke Sued Over VitaminWater Claims
By 1.15.09
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has announced a class-action lawsuit against Coca-Cola over its VitaminWater line, on the grounds that it makes deceptive claims about the nutritional benefits of its drinks.
UPS Inadvertently Busts Mail Order Pot Scheme By Delivering Brick Of Marijuana To Wrong Address
By 1.15.09
UPS delivered a package to a Texas man expecting some tools he had ordered. Instead, the man found a 30-pound brick of marijuana.
Credit Card Scammers Convince Cashier To Call Fake Number To Approve $8,000 Purchase
By 1.15.09
These two guys somehow managed to make off with an $8,000 purchase at Hattiesburg Cycles in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, by telling the cashier that they were expecting their (fake) credit card to be denied, and to call a phone number to validate it. The catch: they gave the cashier the phone number to call.
AT&T's 'American Idol' Text Message Stunt Backfires
By 1.15.09
AT&T spammed a “‘significant number’ of its 75 million customers” yesterday with text messages advertising the premiere of American Idol. AT&T also pissed off a significant number of its 75 million customers in the process, and the company’s justification for the blitz isn’t exactly making AT&T sound smart when it comes to understanding what qualifies as spam.
FTC Sues Indiana Company For Failing To Honor Rebates
By 1.14.09
The Federal Trade Commission has charged Wintergreen Systems, an Indiana-based electronics reseller owned by John Levy, with failing to honor mail-in-rebate offers for thousands of customers. The FTC’s conditions for settling the lawsuit require Levy and his company to “be barred from any involvement in the development, marketing, fulfillment, or funding of any rebate program.” There’s also a $330,000 judgment, which the company will not have to pay (more on that below). Both Wintergreen Systems and its parent company, Market Development Specialists (MDS), resold electronics through companies like Office Depot, PC Connection, Buy.com, PCMall, and Woot.com.
Scammed In The Home Depot Parking Lot: Jerks Convince Elderly Man To Hand Over $9,000
By 1.14.09
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel two scammers convinced an elderly man that they’d found a bag of money in a Home Depot parking lot — and that they’d split it with him if he gave them a “good faith cash payment.”
Amazon Loses Challenge On NY State Sales Tax
By 1.14.09
A New York state Supreme Court justice threw out Amazon’s sales tax lawsuit earlier today, opening the way for New York to begin collecting sales taxes on Amazon purchases.
Pediatric Dentist Sues Parents Over Negative Yelp Review
By 1.13.09
California dentist Yvonne Wong has sued two parents who complained in a review on Yelp that their child received mercury fillings and left Wong’s office feeling light-headed from laughing gas. Wong claims “it never occurred to her to contact the boy’s parents” before filing her libel suit, although the dentist clearly doesn’t have the best counsel. Her lawyer also tried to sue Yelp, apparently unaware that web sites publishing third-party content are protected under federal law.
Airline Fines Fall Even As Complaints Rise
By 1.13.09
Claiming it had better things to do, the Department of Transportation issued only $1.2 million in airline fines last year, even as consumer complaints over fees and delays continued to rise. Five years ago, the agency issued over $8 million in fines, but now, they say they’re too busy working on “consumer rulemaking” and “consumer forums” to ensure that airlines honor consumer protection laws.
Tax Cat's 8 Tips For Choosing A Tax Preparer
By 1.13.09
Tax Cat here. It’s that time of year again when our thoughts turn from the lovely holiday season to the pile of receipts and other crap that we don’t want to deal with — taxes. If you’re thinking of hiring someone to prepare your taxes this year — the IRS has some tips that will help you choose a qualified professional.
There's Salmonella In The Peanut Butter… Again
By 1.12.09
For the past three months or so, the FDA and the CDC have been working to find the source of an outbreak of salmonella typhimurium that has sickened at least 400 people nationwide. Now the Minnesota Department of Health thinks they may have found the answer in a jar of institutional peanut butter not sold to the public.
Dell Settles With 34 States Over Anti-Consumer Practices
By 1.12.09
A $3.35 million settlement has been reached with 34 states in the suit against Dell alleging deceptive practices like misleading consumers about financing terms, rebates, and warranties. The states are…
