Kroger has announced the recall of their store brand “mustard” and “southern-style” potato salad because it may contain dangerous e. coli bacteria. Oh no!
Government Policy
Best Buy Employee Caught Stealing $13,000 In Gift Cards
By 8.31.07
Best Buy employee Olivia Bailey, 18, was accused last week of stealing $13,000 from a Best Buy store in Lawrence, NY by using fraudulently obtained credit card numbers to purchase gift cards.
Over 10,000,000 Items Recalled For Lead Contamination In 2007
By 8.30.07
With the recall of some Thomas & Friends and Sponge Bob toys on August 22, the total number of products recalled due to lead contamination in 2007 reached 10,020,300, according to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. None of the items were manufactured in the US, so the recall responsibility and cost falls squarely on the shoulders of the US importers. We took at look back at 2007’s lead recalls to try to understand the scope of the problem.
By 8.30.07
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Toys “R” Us Imaginarium Wooden Coloring Cases (lead paint), B&F System Emergency Tool Kits (fire and shock), Berko Electric Toe-Space Heaters (fire), Aloha Housewares “Aloha Breeze” Portable Electric Heaters (fire), Life Is Good Zippity Hoodie and Sherpa Full Zip Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings (strangulation).
Bagged Spinich Recalled For Salmonella
By 8.30.07
Metz Fresh LLC has recalled bagged spinach sold in the continental US and Canada after one sample tested positive for salmonella. There have been no illnesses reported so far.
Home Depot Fires Another Employee For Stopping A Thief
By 8.29.07
Attention Home Depot Employees: They really will fire you if you attempt to stop a crime in progress. That’s what happened to 24-year-old Dustin Chester. He worked at a Home Depot in Murfreesboro, Tennessee until he caught and restrained a thief who he caught prying open a soda machine with a crowbar. Now he’s unemployed.
By 8.29.07
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Gerber Legendary Blades Pocket Knives (laceration), M&J Engineering Swivels for Scuba Diving Masks (drowning)
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin Suspects "Astroturfing" By Cable Companies
By 8.29.07
la carte cable is really the result of a well-organized lobbying effort by the cable companies.
By 8.29.07
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Oregon Scientific Weather Radios (failure to receive national weather service alerts), Toddler and Youth Nylon Bucket Hats sold at Bass Pro Shops (strangulation), Bella Cucina Death by Chocolate cookies (undisclosed walnuts).
Meet The X-MET3000TXR+ Handheld Lead Detector
By 8.29.07
In response to growing concerns about toxic levels of lead in paint and metal on children’s toys, Oxford Instruments has developed a hand held electronic lead detector, a veritable rock boulder on the tracks of the Chinese Poison Train.
FTC To Monsanto: Dairies' Hormone-Free Milk Ads Not Misleading
By 8.29.07
The FTC rebuffed chemical giant Monsanto’s request for action against dairies advertising their milk as being hormone-free, the Miami Herald reports.
IRS Still Warning People About Email Phishing Scams
By 8.28.07
The new IRS email phishing scam involves a fake customer satisfaction survey that asks for sensitive personal information such as your SSN, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and even the security code from the back of the card.
By 8.28.07
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Kids Watering Cans (lead), Caterpillar Steel-toed Logger Boots (not actually shock resistant).
If You Buy Expensive Electronics, Be Careful. You Might Be Being Followed…
By 8.27.07
Hey there, he’s a tip from our good friends up in Canada: If you’re buying expensive electronics don’t assume you’re not being followed to your next destination!
Lawsuits Of The Week
By 8.27.07
Sutton vs McDonald’s Corporation (PDF) Frank Sutton orders a Mickey D’s Chicken Sandwich on August 8th, 2005. Bites into the sandwich and hot lava grease exploded on his lips. When approached about the matter, the McDonald’s worker says something to the effect of, “This is what happens to the sandwiches when they aren’t drained completely.” Sutton wants $2 mil for his damaged puckers. While that might seem steep, McDonald’s should make be making sure their employees are properly draining the chicken sandwiches.
Avoid Checking Valuables At The Philadelphia International Airport
By 8.27.07
According to evidence the Philadelphia Inquirer calls “anecdotal,” there seems to be a theft problem going on at the Philadelphia International Airport. Recently, quite a few baggage handlers were fired by US Airways for cooking the overtime logs in an attempt to get paid for work they never did.
By 8.27.07
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China pledges to increase product quality standards in the wake of recent recalls, makes point of noting how 50% of its goods are made by foreign companies. [NYT]
Time Warner Repairman Jailed For Sexual Assault
By 8.26.07
If a creepy Time Warner repairman says he wants to ‘be with you’ while on a service call, you probably shouldn’t let him back in your house. After making the comment, Steven James Hernandez was dispatched back to the house to fix a problem outside; instead, he decided to bang on the 28 year-old woman’s door. From KENS 5:
Police said the banging at the door lasted at least 15 minutes, and the man at the door was Hernandez.
