An executive order issued this week bans federal employees from texting while driving when using government vehicles or phones, or while on government business. Given the safety risks of texting while driving, we think this was a good move, and hope that it extends to the general population. Take our poll and tell us what you think, inside.
Quality & Safety
Target Must Pay $600,000 To Settle Lead Paint Charges
By 10.1.09
Looks like the CPSC can afford donuts tomorrow for their office: Target has agreed to pay $600,000 for selling toys with too much lead on them from May 2006 to August 2007, reports Reuters. The fine “resolves allegations” over the issue, so now Target can focus on what it does best, which is act crazy.
Customer Claims McDonald's Gave Her Mucus-Filled Iced Tea
By 9.30.09
Say you’re driving along sipping your iced tea when you suddenly realize that your mouth is full of something slimy. You would probably freak out. One McDonald’s customer says this happened to her and she is definitely freaking out.
Toyota Recalls 3.8 Mil Cars For Stuck Gas Pedal Danger
By 9.29.09
Toyota is recalling 3.8 million cars and warning owners of certain late-model cars to immediately remove their driver’s side floor mat to avoid accelerators getting stuck. The affected Toyota and Lexus models are:
Guy Can't Get His Car Back Until December Because Part Is Unavailable
By 9.28.09
Neal can’t get his 2007 Ford Freestyle fixed because Ford tells him the part is backordered until December, and his Ford dealership will only cover a rental for part of the timespan as his car sits in the dealership. He writes:
Tylenol Voluntarily Recalls Children's Medicines
By 9.25.09
Concerned about bacterial contamination, Tylenol is recalling certain children’s liquid medication products manufactured during a certain period in 2008. While the risk of infection is low when the medicines are ingested, still: eww, bacteria.
FDA Banned Flavored Cigs, But Not Menthols. Why?
By 9.23.09
Back in June we noted that the FDA was about to get a lot more say over the tobacco industry if the Senate approved a new bill. Well they did, and so yesterday the FDA flexed its new muscles by banning fruit, herb, spice, and candy flavorings from cigarettes. That’s right: clove cigarettes were just banned by the FDA, which is bad news for gothy teens and great news for everyone else.
Surprise! Frappuccinos And Coolatas Are Not Health Food
By 9.23.09
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have just released the findings of a 2007 study on “blended coffee beverages” served by Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks. The conclusion: “Calories in blended coffee beverages are high … modifying standard formulations of blended coffee beverages, such as using low-fat milk or smaller serving sizes, would also reduce calorie content.” Um, yeah.
Crash Test Wars: 1959 Chevy Bel Air VS 2009 Chevy Malibu
By 9.23.09
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) celebrated its 50th anniversary the same way we all celebrate our major milestones: by smashing up a classic car and putting footage of it on the Internet.
Ban On Long Tarmac Delays Close To Being Passed
By 9.23.09
If Senator Barbara Boxer has her way, the Senate’s Federal Aviation Administration Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act will soon require airlines to “deplane passengers after three hours and would require [the airlines] to provide basic services such as food and water while they are waiting on planes.” The requirement is in the current version of the bill, and Boxer and another Democrat, Senator Amy Klobuchar, have threatened to filibuster it if the language is removed.
Homes With Cats 8 Times More Likely To Contain MRSA
By 9.23.09
You may have thought you could only get MRSA at hospitals and the beach, but apparently researchers have discovered that it can be transmitted via pets and lead to repeat infections, reports the New York Times. One recent case involved a baby elephant and 20 human caretakers at the San Diego Zoo last year, but at the domestic level it looks like cats (and dogs, but not to the same degree) somehow contribute to cycle of infection at home.
Yeah, Your Eyes Are Discolored And Red, But Your Lashes Look Great!
By 9.18.09
Lash-lengthening drug Latisse can make your eyelashes longer — but it can have some pretty hardcore side effects for a cosmetic. The FDA has issued a warning letter to the manufacturer (PDF) of the glaucoma-drug-turned-cosmetic-product, saying that many claims on its website are misleading and, in fact, unlawful.
Maker of Yummy Vat-Grown Fungus Sued Over "Dangerous Reactions"
By 9.17.09
The food-safety watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest report that an Arizona woman is suing the makers of Quorn, a meat substitute made from vat-grown fungus. According to the CPSI, the company does not disclose “the fact that some people have serious allergic reactions to the main ingredient in its Quorn line of meat substitutes.” The lead plaintiff in the class-action suit, Kathy Cardinale, says that she became violently ill when eating Quorn’s Chik’n Patties. “I felt like the soles of my feet were going to come out of my mouth, I was vomiting so hard,” she said.
Candy or Medicine?
By 9.14.09
I suppose we can’t expect little kids to tell the difference, huh? The University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital and the Finger Lakes Regional Poison & Drug Information Center created this chart to help you grown-ups test your ability to identify delicious candies vs pharmaceuticals. It must have been sort of fun to find ones that matched.
By 9.10.09
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Great news, homeowners! Drywall manufactured in China from waste byproducts may have a horrible stench and corrode everything in your house, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission has concluded that at least it’s not radioactive. [Consumer Reports Safety]
New FoodSafety Website Helps You Stop Accidentally Poisoning Your Family
By 9.10.09
The USDA and Health and Human Services (HHS) today unveiled a new website focused on food safety at foodsafety.gov. It’s got lots of info on how to keep food from spoiling, but better still it’s a good launching pad for filing complaints, or keeping track of what’s going on in your state (check the “state agency” widget in the bottom right column).
What's In Your Herbal Remedies and Supplements?
By 9.8.09
In the wake of FDA warnings about steroids in nutritional supplements, federal officials are studying ways to improve safety in dietary supplements. Mean time, we’ve got a few consumer tips for those of you who take supplements, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal:
