In recent months, consumers have seen two very different advertising campaigns built on an attitude of “Ooops. Please forgive us.” [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Chrysler Recalls 25,000 Dodge Caliber & Jeep Compass Vehicles Over Sticky Pedals
By 6.5.10
In the history of the auto industry, 2010 will likely go down as the Year of the Sticky Pedal, as U.S. automaker Chrysler becomes the third car manufacturer this year to issue a recall over potentially stuck accelerators. [More]
McDonald's Recalls Shrek Drinking Glasses, And Not Just Because Latest Movie Sucks
By 6.4.10
No, this isn’t a hoax like yesterday’s McRibbles reports. McDonald’s, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, has announced a voluntary recall of their Shrek Forever After Collectible Drinking Glasses because of a risk of exposure to cadmium. [More]
Ford Shutters Mercury Brand; Octogenarians Everywhere Weep
By 6.2.10
In news that will impact the parking lots of retirement homes nationwide, Ford will announce today that they have decided to pull the plug on its Mercury brand of vehicles after 71 years of blandness. [More]
PediaCare Pulled From Stores, Victim Of Latest Tylenol Recall
By 6.1.10
Blacksmith Brands bought the PediaCare line of children’s cough and cold medicines from Johnson & Johnson last November. Unfortunately, the company hadn’t switched production over to a different facility, so last Friday it had to recall nearly 100,000 bottles that are guilty by association. There have been no complaints so far about the products, but when your manufacturer is under investigation by the FDA’s criminal division you tend to want to play it safe. [More]
NHTSA Warns Of Possible Stuck Accelerators In 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Vehicles
By 6.1.10
Over the weekend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it had opened a formal investigation to examine allegations of accelerator pedals in model year 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles “becoming trapped in the depressed position after the driver releases the pedal to decelerate.” [More]
Tylenol Recall Factory Was Staffed With Undertrained Temps
By 5.31.10
The manufacturing plant that has been the cause of Johnson & Johnson’s latest in a string of recalls has already been described as dirty and poorly maintained. It turns out that it was also staffed with temps and contract employees who weren’t properly trained, according to tax records and an FDA inspection report filed earlier this year. [More]
Criminal Charges Are Possible For Tylenol Recall Scandal
By 5.27.10
CNN is reporting that the FDA has referred the Tylenol recall case to their criminal division for investigation. At issue is a pattern of non-compliance with FDA warnings and failures by management of McNeil to investigate and provide a timely resolution to serious problems with the product. These problems include excess amounts of the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen. [More]
54,000 More HP Batteries Recalled
By 5.24.10
Hewlett-Packard doesn’t just make props for cringeworthy feature length commercials; the company also sells batteries that sometimes catch fire. A year ago HP recalled about 70,000 bad batteries, and now it’s added another 54,000 to the list. [More]
Congress May Consider Banning Drop-Side Cribs
By 5.24.10
Kirsten Gillibrand, a senator from New York, is apparently unsatisfied with the CPSC’s pledge to implement a voluntary ban of drop-side cribs. Gillibrand plans to introduce legislation this week that would outlaw the sale of drop-side cribs and ban them from daycare centers and hotels. Earlier this month, the CPSC said that this crib design has killed at least 32 infants and toddlers since 2000, that over 7 million drop-side cribs have been recalled since 2005. [More]
Trader Joe's, Walmart Sprouts Recalled For Salmonella
By 5.22.10
Sprouts sold at Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Kings Super Market, Numero Uno Stores, Cárdenas Markets, Gonzalez Northgate Markets, Wal-Mart stores, Jons Markets, and Canton Foods have been recalled after an outbreak of salmonella sickened more than 20 people in 10 states. [More]
900,000 Walmart GE Coffee Pots Are Ready To Set Your House On Fire
By 5.20.10
The CPSC has announced the recall of 900,000 GE coffee makers that were sold at Walmart. The retailer has received 83 reports of overheating, smoking, melting, burning and fire, including three reports of minor burn injuries to consumer’s hands, feet and torso. Reports of property damage include a significant kitchen fire and damage to countertops, cabinets and a wall. [More]
Florida DMV Tells Woman She Lives On "Eat Ass" Street
By 5.19.10
A woman in Florida got her driver’s license in the mail only to find that she apparently lived on “Eat Ass” street. Her entire street address is printed as “Eat Ass Englewood, FL 34223,” thus raising the question of how exactly they mailed the license to her. [More]
FDA Announces Widespread Investigation Of McNeil After Tylenol Recalls
By 5.19.10
Remember the recalled liquid Tylenol and other children’s medicines last month? Or the stinky drugs that were recalled back in January? Or the children’s Tylenol that was recalled last September? The FDA remembers, which is probably why it’s “conducting a company-wide investigation of McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s drug manufacturing practices to determine whether similar problems exist throughout the company.” Also, a date has now been set (May 27) for the House Committee hearing where the CEO and chairman of parent company Johnson & Johnson are expected to testify. [More]
New Jersey Says Your "BIOCH" License Plate Is Not Allowed
By 5.19.10
Is “bioch” a bad word? New Jersey thinks so. They’re trying to take away one resident’s fabulous bioch vanity plates because they are “objectionable.” She’s upset because people like the plates and think they are funny. [More]
1.8 Million Toy Dart Guns Recalled
By 5.17.10
After two boys died from choking on the darts, Family Dollar Stores recalled 1.8 million toy dart gun sets. If the soft plastic darts are placed in one’s mouth, it’s possible they can be inhaled and prevent breathing. [More]
Holy Crap, GM Made Money
By 5.17.10
GM announced today that it made $865 million in the first quarter, its first profit since 2007. Revenue was up 40%, and the NYT says that GM is on track to being a public company again as soon as the 4th quarter. [More]
Lettuce-Borne E.Coli Outbreak Hits Fourth State
By 5.13.10
Infected romaine lettuce from a single processing facility has been linked to the sickening of at least 23 people in four different states, NY, MI, TN, and OH, says the Center for Disease Control (CDC). [More]
