Eleven years after a crash caused by a Toyota Camry that accelerated uncontrollably, killing three people and injuring several others, a judge upheld a jury’s finding that Toyota was liable for the incident, ordering the carmaker to pay $14 million.
Quality & Safety
Hazmat Crew Called To Disneyland After Geese Defecate On 17 People
By 6.12.17
Not all of the animals at Disneyland are of the fluffy, lovable, costumed variety, as a flock of birds proved at the theme park on Friday: According to police, 17 people were hit by a literal s**t-storm when a group of group of geese flew overhead and let loose. [More]
Three Brands Of Rawhide Chews Recalled After Reports Of Sickened Dogs
By 6.12.17
If you were planning to reward Fido for being a good boy while you were out with a tasty rawhide bone, you might want to check the label. Several brands of rawhide dog chews have been recalled over a potential chemical contamination that could sicken animals. [More]
Trader Joe’s Ice Cream Recalled Because Pieces Of Metal Aren’t Dessert
By 6.12.17
A big ol’ scoop of ice cream may be in order thanks to some sweltering hot temperatures making their way across the U.S. But if the carton you have in the freezer happens to be from Trader Joe’s you might want to pitch it instead: The grocery chain recalled all of its Matcha Tea Ice Cream over pesky metal pieces. [More]
12 States Say They Will Sue Trump Administration If EPA Rolls Back Vehicle Emissions Standards
By 6.9.17
The environmental fight between certain states and the Trump administration continues, with more than a dozen attorneys general putting the White House on alert that they will sue if the Environmental Protection Agency moves forward with its plan to undo automotive greenhouse gas emissions standards that the previous administration put in place. [More]
Woman Looking At Phone Trips Over Door On Sidewalk, Falls Into Utility Room
By 6.9.17 — Updated: 6.11.17
The hazards of distracted driving are well known, but inability to put down one’s mobile phone poses a danger to other forms of transportation, too. Just ask the 67-year-old woman in New Jersey who was walking while looking at her phone, and tumbled into a building’s basement when she didn’t see access doors that were open on the sidewalk. [More]
At Least 17 Lithium-Ion Batteries Have Exploded On Planes This Year
By 6.9.17
Many air travelers fly with multiple devices that use lithium-ion batteries: phones, laptops, tablets, e-readers, smartwatches, fitness band, and more. As these batteries have become so widely used, the number of incidents involving exploding lithium-ion batteries on planes also appears to be on the rise. [More]
Walmart Employees Break Car Windows, Save Infant Left In Hot Vehicle
By 6.9.17
When employees of a Walmart in South Carolina learned that there was a baby in a hot car in the store’s parking lot, they took action, breaking the closed windows and rescuing the shaking, sweating 6-month-old inside. Local police are now investigating the situation. [More]
FDA Requests Opioid Painkiller Be Removed From The Market, Citing Abuse Risks, HIV Outbreak
By 6.8.17
The Food and Drug Administration has asked Endo Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Opana ER, an extended-release semi-synthetic opioid painkiller, to remove the drug from the market, after the agency concluded that the drug’s potential for abuse outweighed its therapeutic value. [More]
Hyundai Recalls 600K Vehicles Over Parking Brake Issues, Hoods That Could Fly Up While Driving
By 6.8.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Owners of Hyundai vehicles should listen up, as the carmaker issued not one but two recalls today related to hoods that could fly up while driving and parking brake issues. [More]
Child Gates Recalled Because They Don’t Keep Kids Out, Could Strangle Them
By 6.8.17
Safety gates are intended to keep children (and sometimes pets) safe from hazards like falling down the stairs or getting into things they aren’t supposed to. But more than 25,000 safety gates are now under recall in the U.S. because they pose a strangulation hazard to youngsters. [More]
14 Filters You Should Be Changing At Home
By 6.8.17
Dryers that don’t dry, vacuum cleaners that don’t clean, and air conditioners that don’t cool may all be plagued by the same problem: a clogged or dirty filter. To keep many top-performing appliances in tip-top shape, you have to clean or replace a filter. In fact, that’s the first thing to check when something seems awry. When Consumer Reports tests vacuums, air conditioners, dishwashers, and other appliances, filter replacement is one of the things we consider as part of our ease-of-use score. [More]
800 Kids Have Died In Hot Cars: Why Aren’t Alert Systems Standard?
By 6.7.17 — Updated: 6.8.17
Since 1990, more than 800 children have died from heatstroke in hot cars, including nine children so far just this year. But despite the severity of this problem, technology that’s already available that can remind parents when their child is still in the back seat is not yet standard for all cars. Lawmakers, safety advocates, and parents who have experienced tragic losses want this to change. [More]
Cashews Sold At Aldi Recalled Because Glass Isn’t A Tasty Snack
By 6.7.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
If your afternoon snack today includes cashews you bought at Aldi, you might want to step away from the can: The packages of nuts have been recalled, as they could contain pieces of glass. [More]
‘Pink Slime’ Defamation Trial Underway In South Dakota
By 6.6.17
Five years after Beef Products Inc. first filed a lawsuit against ABC News, blaming it for tying its name to the idea of “pink slime” — what the meat processor calls lean finely textured beef products — the defamation trial is underway in South Dakota. [More]
Tuna Sold At Restaurants In Three States Recalled Over Potential Hepatitis A Contamination
By 6.6.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Update: The Food and Drug Administration has updated the list of restaurants affected by the recall after determining that they were shipped the frozen tuna. The below list has been updated.
If you’re a fan of yellowfin tuna, you might want to skip ordering it the next time you’re dining out, at least if you live in Texas, Oklahoma, or California, as the product may be contaminated with hepatitis A and has been linked to two recalls. [More]
Rising Number Of Bicycle Crashes Highlights Importance Of Wearing A Helmet
By 6.5.17
The number of cycling injuries among adults in the U.S. rose by about 6,500 each year between 1997 and 2013, and the medical costs associated with those injuries increased 137 percent, according to a new study published in the journal Injury Prevention. [More]
Some Google StreetView Cars Now Tracking Pollution
By 6.5.17
While we’ve grown used to the idea of Google’s StreetView cars zooming around town snapping photos for mapping purposes, some of those vehicles have been equipped with a pollution monitoring system to help researchers get a better picture of what is in the air we breathe every day. [More]
