Nearly two weeks after an “aggressive thrill” ride broke into pieces with passengers still on it, killing one rider and injuring several others, investigators believe they know what might have caused the Fire Ball to break apart: age and corrosion. [More]
Getting To The Bottom Of It
Lawmakers: Wells Fargo Employee Files Show Bank Knew Of Fake Account Fiasco
By 11.4.16
Under federal law, when brokers or other registered representatives leave a position with a banking institution, that company is required to notify the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) with a form that includes a field that describes why the worker was leaving. It’s those filings that lawmakers are pointing to now, claiming that Wells Fargo knew well in advance that its employees were taking part in the now infamous fake account fiasco. [More]
Did Wells Fargo Target Seniors? Lawmakers Want To Find Out
By 9.27.16 — Updated: 9.30.16
We’ve said it countless times: those who attempt – and often succeed – at scamming senior citizens of their savings are among the worst of the worst. Now lawmakers want to know if the Wells Fargo employees who created millions of unauthorized accounts were preying upon vulnerable senior citizen customers. [More]
Colorado Town Finds THC In Drinking Water, Warns Residents Not To Use It
By 7.22.16
If you take a trip to a Colorado dispensary you’re likely to find marijuana in a variety of forms, including lollipops and gummy bears. But health officials in one small town say the psychoactive chemical in marijuana has turned up in the wrong place: the town’s water supply. [More]
25 Total Mitsubishi, Nissan Models Affected By Fuel-Economy Issue; None So Far In U.S.
By 6.17.16
Two months after U.S. regulators opened an investigation into Mitsubishi over falsified fuel mileage data, the carmaker says its internal probe found that 20 of its models are affected, but none in the U.S. [More]
Massive Frozen Vegetable Recall Linked To 2 Deaths, 8 Illnesses
By 5.6.16
Federal health and safety regulators have opened an investigation into a listeria outbreak related to the recent recall of more than 350 different varieties and brands of frozen vegetables after eight people from three states — two who later died — became infected with strains of the bacteria. [More]
New York City Bans Hoverboards On Buses, Trains
By 1.27.16
If you live in New York City and plan to ride the subway or hop on a city bus, you better leave your “hoverboard” at home. The state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Wednesday that it is banning the self-balancing scooters from public transportation over fire safety concerns. [More]
Regulators Investigating 13 Hoverboard Companies, Amazon Announces Refunds For Scooter Owners
By 1.21.16
For nearly two months now, federal regulators have been working to get to the bottom of exploding hoverboards. This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced just which brands of self-balancing scooters they are investigating, while also offering a few safety tips for consumers who might already have one of the devices at home. [More]
Report: Emails Show Takata Manipulated Data On Airbags
By 1.4.16
When a slew of automakers announced last fall that they would no longer use airbag inflators from Takata, at least one cited concerns that the company had “misrepresented or manipulated test data.” Recently unearthed emails from engineers and others within the Japanese auto parts maker suggest those alleged deceptions were blatant and widely known. [More]
VW Emissions Scandal The Result Of “Chain Of Mistakes” That Started In 2005
By 12.10.15
The emissions scandal affecting more than 11 million Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles around the world likely started in 2005 when engineers initiated a “chain of mistakes” while trying to meet nitrogen-oxide emissions standards in their new line of diesel vehicles, executives for the company said on Thursday. [More]
Honda, Takata Sat On Commissioned Study Showing Chemical Could Cause Airbag Ruptures
By 10.21.15
While Takata’s shrapnel-shooting airbags have affected millions of vehicles from 11 automakers, Honda is perhaps the one car manufacturer that has felt the brunt of the deadly defect: not only has the company recalled millions of cars, its models have also been responsible for all eight deaths linked to the defect. And now, a new report suggests Honda and Takata kept quiet on a study that questioned the propellent used in the airbags for years. [More]
Regulators Investigating Hyundai Because Seatbelts And Airbags Are Supposed To Work
By 7.25.14
Since there’s no point in having seatbelts or airbags in a car if they don’t function when needed, the National Highway Traffic Administration is looking into an issue that could knock out these safety features in some Hyundai vehicles. [More]
