A woman who filed a civil lawsuit against Halliburton for being the victim of a gang rape by her coworkers in Iraq will have her day in court, kangaroo court, thanks to the mandatory binding arbitration clause in her employment contract. Jamie Leigh Jones says she was drugged and raped by her fellow workers, then imprisoned inside a shipping container and left without food or water until the US embassy came to rescue after the State Department got calls from her father. She says she was told she would be fired if she sought medical treatment. [More]
Government Policy
By 12.13.07
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There are over 48 lawsuits out there against Advanced Medical Optics for selling Complete® MoisturePlus™ multipurpose contact lens solution that was recalled for giving people Acanthamoeba keratitis, aka, crazy fungus in your eye. Several of them are class actions. [PRWEB]
Liveblogging The Media Consolidation Showdown Between The FCC And The Senate Commerce Committee
By 12.13.07
Join us at 10 a.m. for the FCC’s showdown with the Senate Commerce Committee. The hearing comes one day after Democratic Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps pilloried Chairman Kevin Martin’s plan to allow one company to control a newspaper and television or radio station in the same city as: “a mish-mash of half-baked ideas.”
By 12.13.07
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Merck is recalling 1.2 million of its PedvaxHIB and Comvax vaccines after “quality-control checks found production equipment may not have been properly sterilized.” There have been no reports of problems—they’re just being extra careful. [Reuters]
By 12.13.07
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A private student loan company agreed to change its ways after being sued by the NY AG for deceptive marketing practices. The company licensed school colors, logos, team names, and and designed its materials to look like the University itself was making the loans. [NYT]
By 12.12.07
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There’s still no official FCC strategy for the nation’s switchover to digital television in February 2009, reports the General Accounting Office. We guess this will be one of those let-the-private-sector-sort-it-out “initiatives.” [Reuters]
By 12.12.07
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China will allow US food inspectors to be posted inside its factories. No doubt the factory owners will adapt by processing food outside the factory. [NYT]
3 oz Rule Applies To Christmas Items Too
By 12.12.07
The TSA’s 3 ounce liquid/gel rule doesn’t just apply to shampoo and lotion, it also also applies to festive season items like pies, jams, salsas, sauces, syrups, dips, lotions, creams, scented oil, liquid soaps, perfumes, and snow globes. They also don’t want you flying with wrapped gifts but that’s just kind of a “please, thanks,” they’re not going to confiscate your presents. Yet.
MP3s You've Ripped Yourself Are Still "Unauthorized" By The RIAA
By 12.11.07
Atlantic v. Howell is a bit unusual because the defendants, husband and wife Jeffrey and Pamela Howell, are defending themselves against the recording industry’s lawsuit without the benefit of a lawyer. They were sued by the RIAA in August 2006 after an investigator from SafeNet discovered evidence of file-sharing over the KaZaA network.
By 12.11.07
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Recalls: Oceanic and AERIS SCUBA Regulators (drowning), Trader Joe’s Pinjur (small pieces of glass), Eclipse® 1175e Elliptical Trainers (falling), WEE CHI Ceramic Hairstyling Irons (fire, burn), Gamenamics Air-Powered Hockey Tables (burn), AtHome America Four-wick Decorative Candles (fire), QVC Cook’s Essential Electric Toasters (fire).
By 12.11.07
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Sales of bagged salads are up, even though the FDA food safety czar says they are not safe to eat because of e. coli contamination. The most recent bagged salad recall was September of this year. People love bagged salad![Bizjournal]
"Why I Never Want Anything To Do With Verizon Ever Ever Again"
By 12.11.07
Verizon is finally installing FiOS in my area. But I’ll never use it. I’ll never sign up for another Verizon account in my life, and I’m encouraging my parents to change to a different service when their Verizon cell contracts end soon. Over the course of eight months, I’ve become completely appalled at the horrible customer service I’ve gotten from that company.
Store Found Not Responsible For Wild Goose Attacking Customer
By 12.11.07
There are legitimate lawsuits and then there’s this:
Get $25 From The Credit Card Companies
By 12.10.07
You may be entitled to a cash prize if you had a Visa, MasterCard, or Diner’s Club Cards during any time between February 1 1996 and November 8 2006. A successful class action lawsuit contended that credit card companies overcharged customers for foreign transactions and didn’t disclose the fees well enough. You can apply for a straight $25 refund, 1% of estimated foreign transactions, or annual estimation refund of 1-3% of foreign transactions for which you have records . Claim your moneys by filling out forms that were mailed to you, going to ccfsettlement.com, or calling 1-800-945-9890. It is not is necessary to have actually conducted foreign transactions to claim the money.
Most Recalled Meat Is Eaten, Never Recovered
By 12.9.07
Most recalled meat is eaten before it can be returned to the factory, according to a nauseating analysis by USA Today. Well-publicized and timely recalls catch slightly less than of all affected meat, a stunning accomplishment when compared to the recovery rates for tainted meat that sickens people.
Man Finds Used Condom In Southwestern Whopper, Sues Burger King
By 12.9.07
Van Miguel Hartless is suing the owner of a Rutland Burger King after biting into a Southwestern Whopper that contained a used condom. When Hartless complained to the manager, he “laughed off the incident.”
By 12.7.07
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TSA screener arrested for trespassing after flight attendants closed the cabin door while he was on board saying goodbye to his parents. [AP]
By 12.7.07
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More end of the year tax tips, this time from Bankrate. [Bankrate]
