When consumers try take the truck in for warranty repair, dealerships say the dashboards aren’t on a recall list, so they can’t do anything. The only thing Dodge will say is that they’re “reviewing records.”
Government Policy
6 Muslims Who Were Arrested On A Flight Sue Passengers For Reporting Them As Potential Terrorists
By 5.10.07
Now the 6 arrested passengers are suing their accusers. Boy, there was sure a whole lot of nasty racism going on that day. It’s hard to figure out who should sue who, isn’t it? Psst, the airline probably has more money. —MEGHANN MARCO
Tainted Chinese Product Was "Wheat Flour" And It Was Also Fed To Fish
By 5.10.07
We’ve decided to take a week off and let the chemical melamine write the blog, because our feeble minds can not comprehend the extent of the contamination that has entered our food supply. Today’s news is that it is not “wheat gluten” that contaminated the pet food that has killed thousands and thousands of pets, but “wheat flour.” What’s more, the wheat flour was also used as food for fish that were meant for human consumption.
KFC Claims Trademark Infringement Over Tiny English Pub's "Family Feast"
By 5.10.07
Do not be so bold as to name a menu item “Family Feast,” even if you sell the item once a year on Christmas and you own a tiny pub on top of a remote mountain in England. What? Didn’t you know that KFC’s trademark applies to people who live on top of mountains and own pubs and have their picture taken with sheep wandering around? Tracy Daly is such a person, and she has received a very serious legal threat from KFC over an item on her menu called, “Family Feast.”
Walmart Caught Incorrectly Tagging Food As Organic
By 5.9.07
People in Wisconsin take their organic food seriously, Walmart. Don’t mess with Wisconsin. They wear cheese on their heads, for pete’s sake.
How Crooks Steal or "Skim" Your ATM Card
By 5.9.07
Why do we suddenly want to watch The Departed? Anyway, after talking with the detective the Today show set up their own skimming operation in Times Square. Just about 1/2 of the people who used the ATM fell for a skimming box located just outside the door where the swipe pad that unlocks the door would normally be. Sad.—MEGHANN MARCO
Best Buy Employee Confesses To Scams Similar To Ones Outlined In Racketeering Lawsuit
By 5.9.07
We thought the scam mentioned in the racketeering lawsuit sounded familiar—it was. A Best Buy employee emailed us on April 4, 2007 to confess to the type of behavior mentioned in the lawsuit.
SNL: Training The Crack TSA Team In The Fight Against Liquids
By 5.9.07
A decently humorous (a smile creaked on our craggy face) SNL skit underlining the absurdity of the TSA’s anti-liquid rules.
Best Buy, Microsoft Accused Of Racketeering
By 5.9.07
When you think RICO you think Al Capone, or maybe Tony Soprano if you watch too much HBO. You don’t really think of Best Buy and Microsoft, do you? James Odom does. He’s the original plaintiff in a now 4 year old class action lawsuit that just won’t go away for Best Buy and Microsoft, one that now includes racketeering charges.
Box Cutter Found On United Airlines Flight Causes Delay
By 5.9.07
A box cutter was found by a passenger on United flight 490 from Denver to Dallas Tuesday, causing a delay of almost two hours while the passengers were rescreened. From the AP:
Flight 490 had left the gate and was taxiing toward a runway when the passenger found the cutting instrument and notified a flight attendant, United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said.
FDA/USDA Says Melamine-Fed Pigs And Chickens OK To Eat
By 5.8.07
The FDA and USDA today jointly announced that swine and poultry fatted on feed containing wheat gluten laced with melamine pose a “very low risk” if you eat them.
"Cocaine" Energy Drink Withdrawn Because Everyone Hates Its Name
By 5.8.07
The company that made an energy drink called “Cocaine” took its product off the streets amidst haters getting all up in its grill over its “edgy” name.
12 Year Old Boy: TSA Stole My Birthday Money
By 5.8.07
A 12 year old buy from Sacramento, California flew home from a family trip, only to discover that his $265 in birthday money had been stolen by a TSA agent. Sadly for the kid, it seems that the San Diego airport doesn’t have cameras, and, naturally, the inspector that stole the cash didn’t leave his number.
“Can’t we just check the video, can’t we just check the camera I mean I can describe the suitcase it had a yellow ribbon on it, she says we don’t have camera’s back there,” says Kim.
Verizon Claims Disclosing Customer Records To The NSA Is "Free Speech"
By 5.7.07
“In fact, Verizon basically argues that the entire lawsuit is a giant SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) suit, and that the case is an attempt to deter the company from exercising its First Amendment right to turn over customer calling information to government security services.
There's Salmonella In The Target Risotto
By 5.7.07
Like that Archer Farms Four Cheese Risotto you bought from Target? Too bad, throw it out. Random testing by the FDA found salmonella contamination. Don’t you dare eat the following:
USDA Denies Seal Of Inspection To 20 Million Chickens Fed Tainted Pet Food
By 5.6.07
Pet food tainted with melamine may have been consumed by up to 20 million chickens destined for your dinner plate. The federal government is not taking the matter lightly. The USDA, FDA, and EPA are conducting a risk assessment to determine if the chicken is safe for human consumption. Until the assessment is complete, the USDA will not issue the poultry a seal of inspection, which is required for the meat to be sold commercially. The results of the assessment should be announced early next week.
The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Thursday that no evidence indicated any harm to humans from chicken or pork that had entered the market after having eaten melamine-contaminated feed.
— CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
TSA Loses Hard Drive Containing Personal Information For 100,000 Workers
By 5.6.07
The Transportation Security Administration, the division of the Department of Homeland Security charged with keeping bombs and pies away from planes, has misplaced an external hard drive containing social security numbers, bank data, and payroll information for 100,000 employees. We say “misplaced” because the TSA is not sure if the laptop was stolen, or “is still within headquarters.”
FCC Chairman Orders Telecoms To Restore Access To Free Iowa-Based Conference Call Providers
By 5.5.07
The Chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin, has issued a stern rebuke to the telecoms that blocked their subscribers from accessing free Iowa-based conference call providers. Quoth the Chairman:
We actually contacted the companies that were listed in the press [reports] and said our rules prohibit you from blocking consumers’ access to any of the service providers… One had stopped blocking, but we heard complaints the next week that they were restricting access, sort of narrowing the pipe. We called them back and said, no, no, you can’t artificially degrade [service] either.
We think you should celebrate this reversal with your friends on a free Iowa-based conference call. If the service is blocked, or in any way degraded, don’t hesitate to fill out the FTC’s consumer complaint form. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
