When you hear the words “most wanted,” the first thing to come to mind is probably a list of (alleged) criminals being sought by the authorities. But when the National Transportation Safety Board releases a “most wanted” list it takes on an entirely different meaning: a list of the top 10 transportation safety improvements on the roster for the new year. [More]
Government Policy
More Cars Could Be Added To Massive Takata Airbag Recall
By 1.13.16
Five months after lowering the number of vehicles recalled due to shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, federal regulators are bracing to once again revise that figure upward, adding more vehicles to the years-long airbag defect list. [More]
Walmart Recalling 330,000 Electric Griddles That May Serve Up A Shock
By 1.13.16
You might shock yourself while cooking by how many ways you can figure out to melt cheese into and onto things, but you shouldn’t actually receive an electrical shock in the process. That’s Walmart’s cue to recall 330,000 electric griddles that could pose a shock hazard to home chefs. [More]
California Rejects VW Proposal To Fix Emissions-Cheating Vehicles
By 1.12.16
The California Air Resources Board has rejected Volkswagen’s recall plan for thousands of 2-liter vehicles sold in the state. The regulators also presented VW with a formal notice of air quality violations for its use of “defeat devices” to cheat on emissions tests in these cars. [More]
Pier 1 Imports Recalling 276K Swinging Chairs Because Falling Is Not Very Relaxing
By 1.12.16
The idea of swinging furniture is a soothing one: you climb in, set yourself to rocking, and away you go, blissfully swaying on a wave of relaxation. Unless, that is, the chair dumps you unceremoniously on the ground in the middle of your veg-out session. That’s why Pier 1 Imports is calling back 276,000 swinging chairs and stands, which can become unstable and lead to folks falling on their backsides. [More]
Carmakers, Regulators To Announce Agreement To Improve Vehicle Safety
By 1.12.16
Federal regulators and automakers from around the world are set to announce an agreement on Friday to reform and improve auto safety following a year of record fines and safety recalls. [More]
Bill Requiring Childproof Packs For Liquid Nicotine Heads To President’s Desk
By 1.12.16
The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, intended to reduce the odds of kids getting their little hands on tasty-looking – but poisonous – liquid nicotine, appears destined to be the first new federal law regulating e-cigarettes. Yesterday, Congress passed the measure, which now goes to the White House for President Obama’s signature. [More]
T-Mobile CEO John Legere Sorry For Cursing Out Critics On Twitter
By 1.11.16
Last week, T-Mobile CEO John Legere went on Twitter to post video responses to questions about his company’s Binge On program. While the rabble-rousing exec is often applauded for his plainspoken demeanor, he was roundly criticized for cursing out one pro-consumer group that has been critical of his company. After a few days to think about it, Legere is now apologizing. [More]
REAL ID Standard Implementation At Airports To Start January 2018
By 1.11.16
Hundreds of thousands of residents in five states and one U.S. territory will receive a two-year reprieve from having to use an additional form of identification when going through airport security, as the Department of Homeland Security extended the deadline for state drivers licenses to meet REAL ID standards. [More]
Volkswagen CEO: We Are Not Crooks
By 1.11.16
While Volkswagen is currently the target of numerous civil lawsuits — including one filed last week by the federal government — there is still the possibility VW could face criminal charges. But the company’s CEO contends that no real crime was actually committed. [More]
Mazda Adds 374,000 Vehicles To Takata Airbag Recall List
By 1.8.16
Weeks after federal regulators announced that additional vehicles would be added to the long list of those affected by Takata’s airbag defect, Mazda recalled 374,000 automobiles in the U.S. [More]
FCC Chair: 39% Of Rural America Lacks Broadband Access
By 1.8.16
If you live in the city, it’s almost a certainty that your property can get high-speed Internet access from at least one company. But for rural America, it’s a different story, with nearly 4-in-10 people lacking access to fixed-line broadband service. [More]
VW Reportedly Considering Buying Back More Than 50,000 Emissions-Cheating Cars In The U.S.
By 1.8.16
Volkswagen may buy back tens of thousands of vehicles in the United States if the company can’t find an easy way to remove “defeat devices” that allow the cars to evade emissions standards. [More]
United Airlines Fined $2.75M For Tarmac Delays, Treatment Of Disabled Passengers
By 1.8.16
In October, United Airlines apologized to a disabled passenger who ended up crawling off the plane after he was told he’d have to wait up to 50 minutes for a wheelchair. This is just one of several complaints related to United’s treatment of disabled passengers. When combined with penalties for stranding passengers on the tarmac for more than three hours, the airline now faces federal fines of $2. 75 million. [More]
Campbell Soup To Label Products Containing GMOs, Supports Mandatory Labeling
By 1.8.16
While some large food producers contend that mandatory labeling of products containing genetically modified or genetically engineered ingredients would be a burdensome and unnecessary requirement, the folks at Campbell Soup Company have decided to not only voluntarily label their GMO-containing products but to publicly support mandatory GMO labeling. [More]
T-Mobile CEO John Legere To Critics Of Binge On: “Who The F**k Are You?”
By 1.7.16
Earlier today, I predicted that there would be further slinging of words between T-Mobile and critics of its Binge On video streaming program. What I didn’t know at the time was that T-Mo CEO John Legere would go on Twitter to respond to, and profanely insult, those critics. [More]
Walgreens “Nice!” Orange Slices Recalled Because Glass Shards Have No Nutritional Value
By 1.7.16
If you shop at Walgreens, you’re probably familiar with its “Nice!” line of house-brand products, which includes bottles of mandarin orange slices. Unfortunately, some of those bottles might contain something that isn’t very nice: pieces of glass. [More]
T-Mobile Execs Say YouTube Is “Absurd” For Complaining About Downgraded Video Quality
By 1.7.16
The war of words between T-Mobile and YouTube continues, with executives from the wireless company claiming it’s “absurd” that the streaming service should care so much about T-Mo downgrading the quality of YouTube videos. [More]
