Unlike Nancy Nord (she’s the CPSC boss that tried to hint to Congress that her agency needed more funding through sly winks and interpretive dance numbers), the FDA chief is ignoring Bush’s “do not ask for more money” rule and demanding more funds.
Government Policy
Video Of Comcast's Opening Remarks During Net Neutrality Hearing With Seats Stuffed By Company Employees
By 2.27.08
Here’s a video of Comcast VP David Cohen’s opening remarks during the FCC hearing on Monday, the one where Comcast bused in employees. These employees all wore yellow highlighters to identify themselves to company organizers.
By 2.26.08
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A new meta-analysis showed that popular anemia drugs Aranesp and Procrit increase the risk of death in cancer patients by 10 percent, a statistically significant number. [NYT]
Comcast Stacks FCC Hearing Seats With Sleepy Shills
By 2.26.08
Comcast admitted to paying its employees to sit in at a F.C.C. hearing on net neutrality at the Harvard Law School today, depriving angry protesters from their right to sit in those folding chairs. Despite the venue being filled to over capacity, keeping some people from entering, not everyone inside seemed appreciative of their privilege. One Comcast employee admitted on tape, “I’m just getting paid to hold someone’s seat, I don’t even know what’s going on.” According to SaveTheInternet.com, the Comcast employees, “arrived en masse some 90 minutes before the hearing began and occupied almost every available seat, upon which many promptly fell asleep.” The stacked audience’s behavior was limited to wearing a yellow highlighter, sleeping during the proceedings, and loudly applauding when Comcast VP David Cohen got on the mic.
Scammy Computer Seller BlueHippo Settles With FTC For $5 Million
By 2.26.08
BlueHippo, the scammy “no credit check” computer seller accused in several states of taking money from customers without providing the computers and other electronics it supposedly sells, has settled with the FTC for $5 million. They did not admit wrongdoing.
TSA Takes "Rights Of Traveling Public" "Very Seriously"
By 2.26.08
THE QUOTE: “TSA takes the rights of the traveling public very seriously, and in implementing security screening measures, carefully weighs the intrusiveness of those measures against the need to prevent terrorist attacks involving aircraft. Balancing the same considerations, the courts have long approved searches of airline passengers and their bags for weapons and explosives as constitutionally permissible under what is now commonly referred to as the “administrative search” or “special needs” exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement.” (emphasis added)
Enzyte's Steve Warshak (And His Mom) Found Guilty!
By 2.23.08
Hooray! Steve Warshak, the snake oil salesman responsible for Enzyte (and consequently for those awful “Smiling Bob” ads) was found guilty today of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. So was his mom.
Meat Industry Wants To "Unrecall" Some Of That Potentially Tainted Beef
By 2.22.08
The Wall Street Journal says that that beef industry representatives have been talking with federal food-safety regulators about possibly “narrowing the scope” of the recent record-breaking beef recall that stemmed from an undercover video showing slaughter house workers hitting sick cows with forklifts and forcing them into the slaughter box. Cows that can not stand are not allowed into the food supply because they pose an increased risk of “mad cow” disease.
TSA Brings All The Signage Of Skiing To Security Lines, None Of The Fun
By 2.22.08
The TSA is testing a new crowd management system at two airports in Denver and Salt Lake City that they hope will make the security process less troublesome. No, the new system isn’t less invasive or more security-sensible, but it does give families with kids/strollers/bags their own lane, both for their sanity and for ours. Early reports indicate families are happy with it but too many casual travelers think they’re experts and head to the black diamond lane, which is only for people who walk briskly and frown a lot.
Librarian Takes Sprint Nextel & Wells-Fargo To Small Claims Court And Wins
By 2.22.08
Last December, Theodore Karantsalis received a letter from Sprint, where he was a customer, telling him that someone who banks with Wells-Fargo—where he’s not a customer—was presented with his invoice and personal data when they logged into their Wells-Fargo Checkfree account. The customer contacted Sprint, and Sprint contacted Karantsalis. Karantsalis decided that he’d deal with the issue on his own instead of bringing a lawyer into it or throwing his hands up in frustration, so he took both companies to small claims court.
Senate CPSC Reform Compromise Leaves Everyone Bitter, Unsatisfied
By 2.21.08
Nobody likes the compromise reached by Senators to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Industry thinks the revised plan goes too far, while consumer groups want more. For now, the compromise would allow the CPSC to operate without a quorum, inject needed cash into the Commission, and provide for several other nifty provisions.
CPSC Recalled Play Stove For Tipping, Ignored Real Ones?
By 2.21.08
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) did not protect consumers from the hazardous stoves because existing agency regulations require a prolonged dialogue with manufacturers of hazardous products, the consumer groups said.
Commerce Bank Accidentally Gives You $5 Million
By 2.21.08
Commerce Bank accidentally deposited $5 million into Benjamin Lovell’s account. He spent $2 million of it and now he’s being charged with grand larceny.
USPS & FTC Mail Out "Avoid ID Theft" Brochure
By 2.21.08
Today we received a handy brochure (PDF) in the mail from the postal service. “Deter, Detect, Defend,” it reads, and it offers a bunch of handy reminders of what to look out for when it comes to protecting your identity, and what to do if you suspect it’s been stolen. If yours was stolen (ha ha, we kid!), you can read read or download it from the FTC’s ID theft website.
TSA Won't Let Parents Bring Extra Baby Food In Anticipation Of Delays
By 2.20.08
Two Boston doctors brought, by their admission, “probably two and a half times as much as we’d need” of baby food on a recent flight from Chicago Midway Airport to Manchester, N.H. The TSA agent told them it was above the official limit and confiscated it. The parents argued that in light of record delays, winter weather, and stranded-on-the-tarmac stories, they wanted to be fully prepared. The TSA officers told them they’d need a doctor’s note to bring that much food on board—but, um, from another doctor who wasn’t one of the parents.
Sears Settles "Stove Tipping" Class Action Lawsuit
By 2.20.08
Consumer groups, which were not involved in the lawsuit, say more than 100 people have been killed or injured from scalding and burns caused by hot foods and liquids spilling from the stove top, or from being crushed by the weight of a stove that has tipped over.
Suggestion: Don't Try To Smuggle A Box Cutter Through Airport Security
By 2.20.08
The TSA says a 21 year-old man was caught smuggling a box cutter onto an airplane by hiding it inside a secret compartment inside a book. The man says he forgot the box cutter was inside the book.
