UPDATE: Health officials Boston College now say that nearly 80 students have become ill after eating at a campus-area Chipotle restaurant that has since been temporarily closed. [More]
investigation
UPDATE: Chipotle Closes Boston College Location To Investigate After Nearly 80 Students Become Ill
By 12.8.15
Denying Travelers Compensation For Damaged Bags Won’t Fly With The DOT Starting Jan. 9
By 12.3.15
Some airlines aren’t living up to their obligation to compensate passengers for damage to their luggage, recent inspections by the Department of Transportation found. Now, the agency is warning carriers that if their policies and trainings don’t fall in line with federal regulations by Jan. 9, they could face fines and other enforcement action. [More]
Wells Fargo’s High-Pressure Sales Strategy Probed By Federal Regulators
By 11.30.15 — Updated: 9.30.16
Six months after the Los Angeles City Attorney filed a lawsuit accusing Wells Fargo of a slew of unfair practices — like encouraging employees to open unauthorized consumer accounts and then charging those accounts phony fees to meet sales expectations — two other regulatory agencies have opened investigations into the bank’s behavior. [More]
New York State Adds Yahoo To Inquiry Into Daily Fantasy Sports Sites
By 11.18.15
Four months after Yahoo announced it would offer sports fans the opportunity to make money by betting on professional athletes’ performances, the company became the latest target in a New York state investigation into the business practices of the currently unregulated multi-million dollar online daily fantasy sports industry. [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]
VW Offers Amnesty To Whistleblower Employees, But Only For A Few Weeks
By 11.12.15
A week after an internal investigation – aided by company engineers – uncovered carbon emissions issues with 800,000 Volkswagen vehicles, the carmaker says it will keep the door open for employees to share any cheating within the organization – as long as they do it by the end of the month. [More]
Federal Inquiry Probes TCF Bank’s Overdraft Practices
By 11.6.15
Overdraft fees cost consumers an average of $32 billion each year. The hefty fees and their often less-than-transparent policies, which vary greatly between banks and financial products, have long garnered the ire of consumer advocates and federal regulators. Case in point: a Minnesota-based bank is now under investigation for possibly unfair and deceptive practices related to its overdraft program. [More]
Target Believes Porn That Played Over California Store’s PA System Come From An Outside Source
By 11.6.15
A few weeks ago, shoppers at a California Target received an unsettling surprise when the unmistakable sounds of professional coitus aired loud and clear over the store’s PA system. While an investigation into the incident continues, the retailer believes the pornographic audio originated from an outside source. [More]
Lawmakers Open Inquiry Into College Accreditation Agencies
By 11.6.15
One might assume that a college accreditation is an indicator the school has met high standards for education and financial security. But as the recent collapse of Corinthian Colleges demonstrated, this is not always true. In an effort to ensure that America’s students aren’t duped into racking up huge debts to pay for substandard schools, lawmakers are looking to improve the oversight of accrediting agencies.
[More]
Volkswagen Internal Investigation Finds Carbon Dioxide Emissions Issue With 800,000 Vehicles
By 11.3.15
With nearly 11 million vehicles worldwide already emitting nearly 40 times the allowable rate of nitrogen oxide, Volkswagen says an internal investigation found about 800,000 additional vehicles may have issues with carbon dioxide emissions, too. [More]
Chairman Of University Of Phoenix Parent Company Dumps Millions Of Dollars In Stocks
By 11.2.15
Just a week after University of Phoenix’s parent company Apollo Education Group attempted to tone down the role the troubled for-profit college has played in the company’s falling stock prices and public image, new regulatory filings show the corporation’s own chairman may not have the same faith in the organization, as he dumped nearly $10 million in company stock. [More]
System For Recalling Defective Tires Is “Broken,” Says Federal Safety Agency
By 10.27.15
When a manufacturer recalls a vehicle for a safety defect, they’re required to contact owners of the affected models and provide a remedy for the issue free of charge. But federal investigators say this sort of smooth recall just isn’t possible for tires because the current tire recall system is “completely broken.” [More]
University Of Phoenix Parent Company Tries To Explain Sinking Stock Price
By 10.23.15
For the second time this year, University of Phoenix’s parent company Apollo Education Group attempted to tone down the role the troubled for-profit college has played in the company’s falling stock prices and public image during a phone call with investors. [More]
VW Investigating If Second Diesel Engine Line Contains “Defeat Devices”
By 10.22.15
Volkswagen has admitted to rigging the emissions control systems on 11 million diesel cars over the last seven years. But what about the company’s older diesel model vehicles? That’s apparently something the carmaker intends to find out by launching yet another investigation. [More]
Regulators Probing AB InBev Over Allegations Of Pushing Out Craft Brewers By Buying Distributors
By 10.13.15
Despite Anheuser-Busch InBev’s attempt in recent years to get drunk on craft beer by padding its portfolio with small brewers like Golden Road, Goose Island and Blue Point Brewery, among others, the beverage behemoth is in talks with federal regulators over allegations that its recent purchase of distributors is a calculated attempt to shut the door on increasingly popular craft brews. [More]
7 Things We Learned About How Debt Collection Lawsuits Affect Minority Neighborhoods
By 10.9.15
While some debt collectors have resorted to questionable and sometimes illegal practices, there are also legal routes to debt collection — like lawsuits and wage garnishment — that can nonetheless have a destructive effect, particularly in low-income, minority neighborhoods. [More]
Consumer, Privacy Groups Urge Federal Regulators To Investigate T-Mobile/Experian Hack
By 10.8.15
A week after Experian revealed that hackers stole personal information for around 15 million consumers from a database of T-Mobile customers and applicants held by the credit reporting agency, a group of 25 consumer and privacy advocates are demanding that federal regulators open an investigation into the breach.
[More]
Walgreens Shoplifter Walks Out Of Store With $100K In Prescription Drugs
By 10.7.15
In the past, Walgreens has been a target for ne’er-do-wells: there were the three people caught with more than 125 stolen credit cards, and before that, the shoplifting ring accused of stealing more than $15,000 in merchandise. But those cases pale in comparison to a brazen robbery in Florida this week in which a man forced open the pharmacy department door and made off with $100,000 in prescription drugs. [More]
