Imagine you’re sitting in your living room, watching some home-shopping show on QVC. The host is showing off some of the features on a laptop computer and — wait, did that just say “N****r”??
taking it seriously
FDA Issues Warning That Misuse, Abuse Of Imodium Can Cause Heart Issues
By 6.8.16
Following reports that some opioid addicts are taking potentially lethal doses of over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about the dangers of abuse and misuse of these seemingly innocuous products. [More]
Lawsuit: CVS Told Security Guards To Watch Minority Shoppers
By 3.29.16
A year after four former CVS security workers filed a federal lawsuit against the company alleging their supervisors ordered them to keep an eye on minority shoppers at some New York City stores, another former “market investigator” in Brooklyn has levied similar allegations against the pharmacy chain in a new class-action lawsuit. [More]
Card Data Breach Hits Group Behind Golden Nugget Casinos, Rainforest Cafe, And More
By 12.17.15
As compared to the flood of the last couple of years, the number of hacks and data breaches facing consumers this holiday season is but a mere trickle. But while the pace may be slowing, shoppers’ card data is, as ever, at risk. The latest large-scale victim? A restaurant conglomerate with over 500 locations. [More]
USDA Investigating Hormel Pork Supplier After Video Showing “Completely Unacceptable” Conditions Surfaces
By 11.12.15
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it’s going to investigate a Hormel Foods’ pork supplier in Austin, after an undercover video surfaced showing treatment of pigs that is “completely unacceptable,” federal meat inspectors say. [More]
Report: VW Failed To Disclose One Death, Three Injuries To Federal Regulator Database
By 11.2.15
Last month it was reported that Volkswagen may have skirted rules that require car manufacturers to report death and injury claims to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A new analysis of the regulator’s database and lawsuits filed against the company show it failed to report at least one death and three injuries involving its vehicles. [More]
Discrimination Lawsuit: Starbucks Fired Deaf Worker Who Asked For Sign Language Interpreters
By 10.20.15
An Arizona woman who worked as a Starbucks barista for seven years has filed a lawsuit against the company for allegedly discriminating against her because she’s deaf. She claims she repeatedly asked for reasonable accommodations to help her on the job and was repeatedly denied, and that she was finally fired because of her disability. [More]
Report: VW May Have Underreported Deaths, Injuries Related To Vehicle Accidents
By 10.8.15
Car manufacturers are required under law to report death and injury claims to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those figures allow the regulatory agency to identify potentially fatal and dangerous defects. In the last year, the federal agency has investigated reporting inaccuracies related to Honda and Fiat Chrysler. Now, a new report shows that Volkswagen – in the midst of an emissions scandal – may have underreported deaths and injuries relate to its vehicles. [More]
Regulators Accuse Fiat Chrysler Of “Widely Under-Reported” Deaths Related To Vehicle Accidents
By 9.29.15
After being fined $105 million by federal regulators for their leisurely pace in fixing more than 11 million vehicles connected to 23 safety recalls, Fiat Chrysler’s recall woes haven’t magically disappeared. Instead, it appears they may be intensifying, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today accused the carmaker of widely under-reporting the number of deaths in accidents involving its vehicles. [More]
Wyndham Hotels Loses Legal Battle With Feds Over Lax Security Practices
By 8.24.15
If a consumer-facing company, like say a massive hotel chain, touts its dedication to the security of customer information and then does something to repeatedly put that information at risk — like storing unencrypted credit card data on barely secure networks — can they be forced to share some of the blame when hundreds of thousands of credit card numbers are stolen? The hotel chain says that would be blaming the victim, but a federal appeals court has affirmed the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to go after businesses that fail to live up to their security promises. [More]
Walmart Customer With Tourette’s Claims She Was Kicked Out Of Store, Told Not To Return
By 7.31.15
A Florida woman with Tourette’s syndrome is suing Walmart, claiming she was banned from the store, in violation of the American with Disabilities Act. She and her husband are seeking more than $2.2 million in damages for emotional distress. [More]
15 Years Into Agreement To Provide St. Paul’s Elderly A Cable Discount, Comcast Reps Have Never Heard Of It
By 7.16.15
The Minnesota city of St. Paul sits, like its twin Minneapolis, squarely in Comcast territory, with nary a competitor in sight. But the franchise agreements that create local monopolies can also be used to residents’ benefit: as part of the contract that lets them be the exclusive cable company in town, Comcast offers low-income and elderly St. Paul residents a discount off their cable bills. Great, right? Well, it would be… if anyone in town could actually sign up for it. [More]
QR Code On Ketchup Bottles Points To Porn Because Of Expired Domain
By 6.19.15
When you’re setting up a 4th of July barbecue in a couple of weeks, you might want to make sure none of the kids or sensitive souls nearby scan the QR code on the Heinz ketchup. That’s because, thanks to an expired promotion, the site it leads to isn’t fun ketchup marketing… it’s hardcore porn. [More]
Former CVS Workers Claim They Were Told To Watch Minority Shoppers In Some NYC Stores
By 6.4.15
Four former CVS workers have filed a federal lawsuit against the company alleging that their supervisors ordered them to keep an eye on minority shoppers in some New York City stores, even when there was no indication that those targeted customers might steal. [More]
Southwest Airlines Passenger Says Flight Crew Wouldn’t Let Her Make Emergency Call To Husband Before He Died
By 5.13.15
In what can only be described as a tragic turn of events, a Wisconsin woman says that after she received a troubling text from her husband while on board a Southwest Airlines flight about to take off, she was told she couldn’t call him. When she arrived home, police informed her that her husband had taken his own life. [More]
Father Of Teen Poisoned By Caffeine Powder Files Lawsuit Blaming His Death On Supplement Makers, Amazon
By 3.6.15
The father of an Ohio teen who died in 2014 after ingesting a powdered caffeine marketed as a dietary supplement has filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com and the product’s distributors, claiming that they failed to provide proper warnings about the dangers of using the substance. [More]
Passenger’s Lawsuit Blames American Airlines For Wife’s Death
By 2.27.15
A Canadian man who flew with his wife on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Mexico in March 2013 has filed a lawsuit against the airline, blaming it for his wife’s death. [More]
Walgreens Gives Teen Wrong Prescription, Shrugs
By 10.20.14
It’s bad enough that a Michigan Walgreens pharmacy gave a 14-year-old customer someone else’s prescription, but the teen’s family says the drugstore chain made the situation much worse by demanding that the family go out of pocket to finally obtain the correct drug. [More]
