While current FCC rules require cellphone makers to offer devices that won’t interfere with hearing aids and cochlear implants, not all wireless devices are included. Today, the Commission made two moves intended to include this compatibility on all wireless phones. [More]
Government Policy
FDA Signs Off On Genetically Modified Salmon Without Labeling
By 11.19.15
While genetically modified agricultural products have been used in the U.S. for quite some time, the Food and Drug Administration had yet to approve the food use of any genetically engineered (GE) animals — until today. This morning, the agency announced the approval of an application for a salmon engineered to grow to market size faster than other farm-raised Atlantic salmon. [More]
Nearly 120,000 VW Owners Accept “Goodwill Package,” Carmaker To Present Plan For Emissions Fix Friday
By 11.19.15
Last week, Volkswagen announced it would try to win over hundreds of thousands of consumers still waiting to hear just how the carmaker plans to fix their “clean diesel” vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests by offering owners $1,000 in cash and credits. While the “goodwill package” was seen by some as a means to buy more time, it’s apparently working: nearly 120,000 individuals have taken the company up on its offer. [More]
FTC Bans Wire Transfers, Reloadable Cash Cards, And Payment Orders In Phone Transactions
By 11.18.15
We’ve shared warnings about many different types of telemarketing scams, but they all have one thing in common: they extract money from their victims using quick and untraceable methods like wire transfers or prepaid debit cards. Today, the Federal Trade Commission announced an amendment to current telemarketing rules that’s meant to protect consumers from fraud over the phone lines. [More]
Regulators Take Action Against Online Lender For Deceiving Borrowers On Default Charges
By 11.18.15
When a company’s name has the word “integrity” in it, you may assume it’s a wholesome, truthful operation forthcoming with information that its customers would find beneficial. That apparently wasn’t the case with Integrity Advance, as federal regulators accused the short-term online lender of deceiving borrowers about the true cost of its loans. [More]
Regulators Close Investigation Into Ford Door Latch Issues
By 11.18.15
More than a year after opening a probe into why the door latches on certain Ford vehicles refused to stay shut, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed the door (horrible pun) on the investigation after determining a recall initiated by the carmaker fixed the problem. [More]
Feds File Criminal, Civil Cases Against More Than 100 Supplement Companies
By 11.17.15
A sweeping multi-agency federal investigation has resulted in a slew of criminal and civil charges being brought against more than 100 companies that either make or market supposed dietary supplements for selling products that allegedly contain ingredients other than those listed on the label, or products that make unsubstantiated health or disease-treatment claims. [More]
Corinthian College’s Misleading Job-Placement Info Could Result In Faster Debt Relief For Students
By 11.17.15
Thousands of students affected by the abrupt closure of for-profit college educator Corinthian Colleges’ Wyotech, Heald College and Everest University campuses could soon have more options when it comes to receiving debt relief after a joint investigation by the California Attorney General’s office and the Department of Education found additional evidence that the schools misrepresented job placement rates for several programs in order to enroll students. [More]
Tyson Recalls 50,000 Pounds Of Chicken Wings Because They Don’t Smell Right, Could Cause Illness
By 11.17.15
If those Tyson hot wings sitting in the freezer don’t smell quite right, then they might be part of the company’s latest recall of more than 50,000 pounds of cooked chicken wings that could cause people who eat them to become sick. [More]
Phone Companies Can Filter Out Robocalls, They Just Aren’t Doing It
By 11.17.15
Even in an age when everyone has Caller ID on their cellphones and landlines, when more than 200 million numbers are listed on the national Do Not Call Registry, our phones are still inundated with unwanted auto-dialed and prerecorded calls. And though state and federal regulators regularly shut down illegal telemarketing operations, it can seem like a game of Whac-A-Mole, with new robocallers popping up to replace the old ones. [More]
UPDATE: For-Profit Education Company EDMC Agrees To Pay $95.5M To Settle Fraud, Recruitment Violations
By 11.16.15
UPDATE: Education Management Corporation, the operator of for-profit college chains such as Brown Mackie College, Argosy University and the Art Institutes, will pay $95.5 million to settle claims it violated state and federal False Claims Act (FCA) provisions regarding its recruiting practices. [More]
The FDA Will Now Have Oversight Of Fresh Produce Safety Before Anyone Gets Sick
By 11.13.15
No one expects to add more fresh fruit and vegetables to their diet and end up with a stomach bug, a serious illness, or dead. Yet that’s beginning to happen, with multi-state outbreaks of food-borne illness, especially in items like fruit and salad greens that are generally eaten without cooking, and apparently not washed sufficiently. The Food and Drug Administration wants to change that. [More]
Internet Giants Come Out In Support Of Municipal Broadband
By 11.13.15
Nearly half the states in the U.S. have laws that ban or severely limit cities and counties from operating broadband networks or from selling that service directly to consumers. This week, a trade group representing the biggest names on the Internet — Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, reddit, Yelp, among others — came out in support of breaking down these anti-consumer barriers. [More]
Feds Shut Down Phony Apple, Microsoft, Google Tech Support Scammers
By 11.13.15
While consumers are much more tech-savvy today than we were during the days of Windows 3.1 and baud modems, there are still a lot of people whose tech-insecurity makes them potential prey for bogus tech support businesses that make money by convincing victims their computers are infected with viruses. [More]
Kia Recalling 256K Soul Compact SUVs Over Possible Steering Failure
By 11.13.15
Cars will take you wherever you want to go — that is, if you can point them in the right direction. That’s why steering is so important, and why Kia Motors is recalling more than 256,000 Soul compact SUVs in the United States, over concern that defective glue could make the steering system fall apart. [More]
SpaghettiOs Recalled Because Red Plastic Pieces Are Not A New Flavor
By 11.13.15
After some customers complained, the Campbell Soup Company discovered that the red plastic lining of cans of Original flavor SpaghettiOs has peeled off, ending up in the tomato sauce and posing a choking hazard. The recall includes 355,000 cans, which seems like a massive amount, but is quite small compared to the total number of SpaghettiOs cans sold nationwide. [More]
Rolls-Royce Recalls One Car… Yes, You Read That Right
By 11.11.15
In the past year, automakers have recalled millions upon millions of vehicle for airbag issues. Bucking that trend is Rolls-Royce, which announced this week that it would recall one car. That’s right a single – very expensive – vehicle because of a problem with the safety device. [More]
Cheerios Protein Has Slightly More Protein, More Sugar Than Regular Cheerios
By 11.10.15
If you follow current food trends, you know that Americans are losing interest in breakfast cereal, but can’t get enough protein. Cereal companies see those trends, and are ready to respond with new products to entice customers back to their aisle. For example, General Mills started a line called Cheerios Protein to supplement their classic Cheerios. The problem: while Cheerios Protein has more protein per serving, it also has a lot more sugar. [More]
