Recent Content
With climate change creating more storms and natural disasters, insurance companies are facing unprecedented claims. They're reacting with raising prices and refusing to offer coverage in some areas o…
With climate change …
With climate change creating more storms and natural disasters, insurance companies are facing unprecedented claims. They're reacting with raising prices and refusing to offer coverage in some areas of high storm activities. Policyholders are entitled to receive their claims payments under the terms of their insurance policies, and insurers shouldn’t delay or mistreat consumers. Many victims of Hurricane Idalia will be underinsured and uninsured for flood damage. There will be big fights over whether the damage was caused by wind, covered in a home policy, versus flooding, excluded in a home…
Rita Robison
September 13, 2023 It’s a difficult day for me – 9/11. My niece, whose birthday was Sept. 11, died suddenly in 2020 just months before her 60th birthday. Also heartbreaking, remembering the 9/11 terrorist attacks in…
It’s a difficult d…
It’s a difficult day for me – 9/11. My niece, whose birthday was Sept. 11, died suddenly in 2020 just months before her 60th birthday. Also heartbreaking, remembering the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 on the America I love. So, my thoughts are on our nation today. My grandfather, Peter R. Slingsby, immigrated to the United States from England when he was 9 years old. The photo is Peter and his parents John and Frances Slingsby taken in 1864. Peter and his family settled in North Dakota, where establishing a life was challenging. They grew flax and tried to start a homestead. He died in 19…
Rita Robison
September 12, 2023 It’s always important to watch out for fire hazards. I picked out this recent recall to write about this week because of it. I’ll write about an even bigger recall, glass door knobs, next week. El…
It’s always import…
It’s always important to watch out for fire hazards. I picked out this recent recall to write about this week because of it. I’ll write about an even bigger recall, glass door knobs, next week. Electrolux Group is recalling about 77,000 Frigidaire four- and five-burner gas cooktops. Plastic control knobs with a black shaft on the cooktop can crack or break during use, posing a risk of a gas leak and fire hazard. Electrolux has received 63 reports of these control knobs defects that included one minor injury from a gas leak and one report of fire. This recall involves all Frigidaire stainle…
Rita Robison
September 10, 2023 A bill banning the sale of cosmetic products that contain 26 toxic chemicals known to affect human health passed the California State Legislature Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign it. T…
A bill banning the s…
A bill banning the sale of cosmetic products that contain 26 toxic chemicals known to affect human health passed the California State Legislature Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign it. The law would ban hazardous substances such as some borate compounds, lily aldehyde, cyclotetrasiloxane, trichloroacetic acid, styrene, and certain colors. “Personal care products and cosmetics should be non-toxic for everyone,” said Assemblymember Laura Friedman, author of the legislation. “If you consider that the European Union prohibits almost 2,500 chemicals in such products, a ban in Ca…
Rita Robison
September 9, 2023 Google has reached a tentative settlement with the attorneys general from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico on one of three major antitrust lawsuits against the company for its anti…
Google has reached a…
Google has reached a tentative settlement with the attorneys general from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico on one of three major antitrust lawsuits against the company for its anticompetitive conduct in the Google Play Store. In July 2021, 37 attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Google alleging that the company used its monopoly power in the Android app market to inflate prices for paid apps and in-app purchases. “No company is too big to play by the rules, including Google,” the attorneys general who led the lawsuit, from the states of New York, California, North …
Rita Robison
September 7, 2023 For vegetable gardeners, August and September are when harvest occurs and you see the fruits, or rather the vegetables, of your labors. The star of my gardening efforts this year is the raspberries. …
For vegetable garden…
For vegetable gardeners, August and September are when harvest occurs and you see the fruits, or rather the vegetables, of your labors. The star of my gardening efforts this year is the raspberries. Years ago at my local co-op, I bought a pot of raspberries, one of my favorite foods. It grew into this wonderful patch. The record for raspberries has been 22 pints; this year my raspberry patch produced 25 pints. They’re all beautifully lined up in my refrigerator. The green beans also were outstanding. I just picked and cooked my third or fourth batch.The cucumbers were small and I only …
Rita Robison
September 6, 2023 Whether you’re celebrating at a picnic, barbecue, rally, football game, or work, happy Labor Day. Sunday I went to our local Olympia Harbor Days celebration that’s always scheduled for Labor Day w…
Whether you’re cel…
Whether you’re celebrating at a picnic, barbecue, rally, football game, or work, happy Labor Day. Sunday I went to our local Olympia Harbor Days celebration that’s always scheduled for Labor Day weekend. It was cloudy, so my photos aren’t as good as the years where there’s nice blue sky. Thankfully, we had only a sprinkle of rain. I wore my raincoat, but didn’t have my rain hood or umbrella. On Labor Day, I’m thankful for unions and their history of helping working people. I benefited from union membership when I worked for state government. I’m glad these days more young people …
Rita Robison
September 4, 2023 For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on organizing my historical family photos. About 10 years ago, I had around 200 photos scanned. I named and dated about a third of them. The rest are number…
For the last few wee…
For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on organizing my historical family photos. About 10 years ago, I had around 200 photos scanned. I named and dated about a third of them. The rest are numbered. I paused the project until I could buy a good scanner so I could scan the rest of the photos myself. Now that I have one, I need to name and date the photos I had scanned earlier and scan probably several hundred more. The next step is making a family record. Should we use Ancestry.com? MyHeritage? Archives? Or, should we use FamilySearch, a free site owned and funded by The Church of Jesus Ch…
Rita Robison
September 4, 2023 
Labor Day these days is all about beaches, barbecues, games such as baseball, football, and volleyball, and shopping. It’s also a great weekend for travel. This year, 57 percent of Americans plan to…
Labor Day these days…
Labor Day these days is all about beaches, barbecues, games such as baseball, football, and volleyball, and shopping. It’s also a great weekend for travel. This year, 57 percent of Americans plan to travel for Labor Day weekend, more than 150 million will enjoy a barbecue or picnic, and thousands will attend a college football game. While Labor Day is seen as a fun holiday, it’s also important to remember and celebrate the origins of the special day. The holiday’s roots can be traced back to the streets of 1880s New York City, where rival union leaders joined forces to protest the unfair…
Rita Robison
September 2, 2023 Big storms across the country brought on by climate change are causing havoc. You may have received a notice from your insurer dropping your home insurance policy. Or, unexpected surges in the cost of…
Big storms across th…
Big storms across the country brought on by climate change are causing havoc. You may have received a notice from your insurer dropping your home insurance policy. Or, unexpected surges in the cost of your coverage can put a strain on your budget especially in these days of inflation. This is stressful as not having the right amount and type of insurance can make your home more difficult to sell. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers the following suggestions for homeowners facing new decisions about insurance, often with limited time to consider complicated options. Choosing insuran…
Rita Robison
August 30, 2023 When searching for a place to live and roommates, it’s important to get accurate information. And reviews from platforms that can help you in your search need to be honest and trustworthy. But accor…
When searching for a…
When searching for a place to live and roommates, it’s important to get accurate information. And reviews from platforms that can help you in your search need to be honest and trustworthy. But according to the Federal Trade Commission and six states suing Roomster and its owners, the room and roommate finder platform posted reviews and other information that wasn’t accurate. The lawsuit A lawsuit filed in 2022 alleges Roomster posted fake positive reviews and made deceptive claims about its listings being real, available, and verified – to convince people to use its platform. The FTC and…
Rita Robison
August 29, 2023 Do you know your rights on tarmac delays? American Airlines will pay $4.1 million for violating federal laws prohibiting tarmac delays of three hours or more on domestic flights without providing pass…
Do you know your rig…
Do you know your rights on tarmac delays? American Airlines will pay $4.1 million for violating federal laws prohibiting tarmac delays of three hours or more on domestic flights without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday. DOT’s investigation found that American kept dozens of flights stuck on the tarmac for long periods of time. It’s the largest fine ever issued for tarmac delays. “This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said…
Rita Robison
August 29, 2023 Remember to check recalls frequently so you can find out about harmful products like this one. Costco is recalling about 350,000 Ubio Labs power banks. It has received three reports of fires, includin…
Remember to check re…
Remember to check recalls frequently so you can find out about harmful products like this one. Costco is recalling about 350,000 Ubio Labs power banks. It has received three reports of fires, including one on a commercial flight resulting in four reports of smoke inhalation and one report of a minor burn to passengers. This recall involves Ubio Labs power banks, sold in a one- or two-pack. The power banks are black and have the model number PWB1071 printed on the back, and the Costco item number is printed on the package. The item number for the one-pack is 1314518 and the two-pack is 1265470.…
Rita Robison
August 28, 2023 It’s irritating and it’s a trend. When you go to retailers and ask if you have any rewards money to apply to your purchase, you’re told you need to go their website to sign up for their rewards …
It’s irritating an…
It’s irritating and it’s a trend. When you go to retailers and ask if you have any rewards money to apply to your purchase, you’re told you need to go their website to sign up for their rewards program again there. It happened at Office Depot and Rite Aid, companies where I’ve been in the rewards program for years. Since the new pricing at Office Depot showed quite a bit off when I went to buy some thumb drives Thursday, I asked the staff at the store to help me sign up for the new program. Now I’m a member and quality for rewards again. If you spend $500 a year at Office Depot, you …
Rita Robison
August 27, 2023 Time is running out if you want to get in on a big Facebook settlement. If you were a Facebook user in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, you may be eligible for a cash pay…
Time is running out …
Time is running out if you want to get in on a big Facebook settlement. If you were a Facebook user in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, you may be eligible for a cash payment from a class action settlement of $725 million. Today, Aug. 25, is the deadline to file a claim. Go to https://facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/. It’s easy to fill out the form. You don’t need to give any personal information. And, watch out for scammers who may ask for money to fill out a claim form for the settlement. How much you get depends on how many people file claims. Facebook ha…
Rita Robison
August 25, 2023 Unfortunately, September marks the end of summer, which is so sad. Many people, like me, aren’t fans of winter. However, in relation to sales, September is a good time to shop for deals, the Labor D…
Unfortunately, Septe…
Unfortunately, September marks the end of summer, which is so sad. Many people, like me, aren’t fans of winter. However, in relation to sales, September is a good time to shop for deals, the Labor Day sales being one reason. Here are recommendations on the September sales from DealNews.com: Summer clothing Deep discounts are expected at many retailers as they want to make room for new fall items. Look for sales up to 80 percent off. Major appliances Labor Day is one of the last sales times of the year when you can reliably expect savings on major appliances. The savings typically range from …
Rita Robison
August 24, 2023 Most Americans don’t know how often they’re stripped of their rights through widely used forced arbitration clauses that are found in the fine print of everyday click-through agreements, terms and…
Most Americans don…
Most Americans don’t know how often they’re stripped of their rights through widely used forced arbitration clauses that are found in the fine print of everyday click-through agreements, terms and conditions, and other contracts, according to a new study. Arbitration clauses require consumers who have complaints to settle issues through arbitration rather than Filing a lawsuit. “Consumers shouldn’t be silenced by big corporations that harm them,” said Shennan Kavanagh, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, an organization that specializes in consumer issues on behalf o…
Rita Robison
August 23, 2023 If someone tells you that you need to pay to sign up for government student loan debt relief program, run away as fast as you can. Scammers want to hook you and fill their pockets with your money, whi…
If someone tells you…
If someone tells you that you need to pay to sign up for government student loan debt relief program, run away as fast as you can. Scammers want to hook you and fill their pockets with your money, while their “advice” may make your student loan problems worse. The Federal Trade Commission offers the following tips for how to spot scam companies that charge illegal upfront fees for so-called help with your student loans: The first thing is to be informed. Be aware you don’t have to pay for help managing your student loans. If someone tries to charge you up front, before they’ve done any…
Rita Robison
August 21, 2023 
