Shortly after taking over as head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind warned carmakers, consumers, and anyone who would listen that 2015 could see more recalls than the recallapalooza that was 2014. Fast forward 12 months, and his prediction has become a reality. [More]
Government Policy
Britax Recalls 71,000 Car Seats For Fall Hazard, 49,000 Stroller Arms Over Choking Danger
By 1.21.16
When carrying precious cargo, you likely do everything in your power to make sure it doesn’t fall and break. Those precautions likely go double when that precious cargo is your child. To that end: Britax announced today that it would recall about 71,000 car seats equipped with handles that can break, leading the carriers to unexpectedly fall. [More]
TSA: More Guns Seized In 2015 Than Ever Before, Most Were Loaded
By 1.21.16
News flash: you can’t carry guns — unloaded or loaded — onto airplanes. And yet last year, Americans packed more firearms in their carry-ons than ever before, the Transportation Safety Administration says, most of which were loaded. [More]
Groups Ask FCC To Reform Set-Top Box Market, Say New Rules Could Save Consumers Billions Every Year
By 1.21.16
While the cable industry hasn’t fessed up to how much it makes leasing set-top boxes to their customers, in July, lawmakers crunched some numbers and found that it could be a $20 billion industry, with consumers paying up to $232 every year on that equipment. Two advocacy groups are now asking the Federal Communications Commission to begin a rulemaking proceeding to reform the video set-top box market, saying cable and pay-TV companies are overcharging consumers by $6 billion to $14 billion annually. [More]
“Buy Here, Pay Here” Dealer To Return $700K To Consumers Over Deceptive Lending Practices
By 1.21.16
Federal regulators continued their crackdown on not-so-upfront “buy-here, pay-here” auto dealers today, ordering a Colorado-based dealer to pay nearly $1 million in restitution and fines for operating an abusive financing scheme. [More]
Regulators Investigating 13 Hoverboard Companies, Amazon Announces Refunds For Scooter Owners
By 1.21.16
For nearly two months now, federal regulators have been working to get to the bottom of exploding hoverboards. This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced just which brands of self-balancing scooters they are investigating, while also offering a few safety tips for consumers who might already have one of the devices at home. [More]
Tesla Sues Supplier Over Falcon-Wing Door Misrepresentations, Demands For Payment
By 1.20.16
The super-cool, futuristic looking doors on Tesla’s Model X might be eye-catching, but they were apparently a source of consternation for the company and one of its suppliers, according to a new lawsuit. [More]
7 Things You Need To Know From Frontline’s Investigation On Supplements & Safety
By 1.20.16
They look like drugs, they’re regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but Frontline‘s new investigation found that supplements are very, very different. [More]
Ford Under Investigation For Door Latch Issues, Again
By 1.20.16
Just two months after federal regulators shut the book on a probe into why the door latches on certain Ford vehicles refused to stay shut, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a similar investigation into another set of sedans from the carmaker. [More]
Staples, Office Depot Extend Merger Deadline To Fight Antitrust Lawsuit
By 1.20.16
Just because the Federal Trade Commission went to court in an effort to block the pending merger of Staples and Office Depot, doesn’t mean the companies are putting the mega-deal behind them. In fact, the office-supply chains have extend the contract for their proposed $6.3 billion merger to allow more time to placate antitrust regulators. [More]
Dept. Of Education Working On Rules For Defense Of Repayment Law After Influx Of Claims
By 1.20.16
Under federal law, student loan borrowers may be eligible to have their debts discharged if they prove the school they attended deceived them with false promises related to their future careers. However, the measure has been used only sparingly in the past and few clear rules outline the forgiveness process. Now, after nearly two decades on the books, federal officials are finally getting around to crafting rules that could remove one roadblock for students seeking relief. [More]
Verizon Finally Catches Up To T-Mobile, AT&T; Launches Program To Free Up More Data For Mobile Subscribers
By 1.19.16
Last month, executives with Verizon said the company would one day test sponsored data. That day is apparently today, as the largest wireless provider in the U.S. launched FreeBee Data, its version of T-Mobile and AT&T’s programs that don’t ding users’ data plans when they access certain content. [More]
Judge Orders University Of Phoenix Parent Company To Turn Over Documents To Feds
By 1.19.16
Just because the University of Phoenix may be able to once again recruit on military bases and enroll new students using the military tuition assistance program doesn’t mean the for-profit college behemoth’s problems are behind it. Instead, a court ruled last week that the school’s parent company, Apollo Education Group, must provide records requested by federal investigators nearly six months ago. [More]
Trader Joe’s Recalls All Bags Of Raw Cashew Pieces Over Salmonella Concerns
By 1.19.16
If you like to grab a handful of nuts for a quick snack now and then, you might want to check that your stash doesn’t include raw cashew pieces from Trader Joe’s, as they may come with a side of salmonella. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalling 389K SUVs (Again) To Fix Wiring Issue That Can Lead To Sun Visors Catching Fire
By 1.15.16
In May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Fiat Chrysler over Jeep and Dodge SUVs that were recalled in July 2014 for a wiring issue that could cause sun visors to burst into flame. NHTSA wanted to see how effective that recall remedy had been, after post-recall reports of problems continued. Chrysler is now recalling almost 389,000 SUVs in the U.S. for a second time for that same issue. [More]
Big Tobacco Loses Legal Challenge To FDA Report On Menthol Cigarettes
By 1.15.16
A federal appeals court has stymied the tobacco industry’s attempt to challenge a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel report on the safety of menthol cigarettes. [More]
IRS: You’ll Have Until April 18 To File Your Taxes This Year
By 1.15.16
Already stressing over doing your income taxes? You’ll have a few more days of breathing room before they’re due this year: the Internal Revenue Service has set a filing deadline of April 18. [More]
Regulators Move To Ease Restrictions For Self-Driving Cars
By 1.14.16
With everyone from Google to Ford trying to get into the self-driving vehicle business, federal regulators say it may be time to ease up on some restrictions that the industry claims are slowing innovation in the relatively new field. [More]
