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Posts Tagged With ‘ Consumers ’

 
Corporations and trade groups lobby to reduce the effectiveness of the Inflation Reduction Act
August 18th, 2023

Photo: White House The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law a year ago, has many benefits for American consumers. It began making big corporations pay their fair share in taxes while investing more in items that help the middle class such as creating good-paying jobs, combating corporate price gouging, slashing the deficit, lowering prescription drug costs, and reducing carbon pollution. But while these efforts are helping everyday Americans, a new review from government watchdog Accountable.US shows several industries have never stopped trying to obstruct and weaken the Inflation Reduction... Continue Reading

August 18th, 2023
Experian to pay $650,000 for spamming consumers who signed up for accounts with marketing emails they couldn’t opt out of
August 16th, 2023

It’s frustrating to receive dozens, even hundreds of emails every day. But what if there’s no “unsubscribe” link and the emails won’t stop? People who set up “Free Membership” accounts with Experian to manage access to their Experian credit report information online had that experience. The accounts let people “freeze” their credit to make it difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in their name and “unfreeze” their credit to apply for a mortgage or other new credit. But, the Federal Trade Commission said, the free accounts came with an extra that many people... Continue Reading

August 16th, 2023
FDA allows use of toxic chemicals to continue to be used in food packaging
August 14th, 2023

The Food and Drug Administration has decided that food manufacturers can keep using phthalates, a class of toxic chemicals, in food packaging and food production equipment. It disregarded requests from health and environmental advocates to reconsider that decision based on evidence that phthalates in food are harmful to health. Safer substitutes for these chemicals are available, advocates argue. “There is overwhelming evidence that phthalates in our food cause life-altering damage to people’s health, including the health of babies and young children,” said Earthjustice Attorney Katherine... Continue Reading

August 14th, 2023
Private equity firms purchase of oil and gas drilling companies could cost taxpayers billions in cleanup costs, study says
August 12th, 2023

Recently, I wrote about how private equity firms are buying health providers practices, including my gastroenterologist’s, and how they bleed money from the companies, then sell them for a big profit. In 2021, some of the top industries for private equity investment include healthcare, technology, and consumer products.  Now, a new report describes how private equity firms buying oil and gas wells is likely to be costly for taxpayers. Investments by private equity firms in nearly 2,700 oil and gas wells on federal and tribal lands across the western United States could leave taxpayers with... Continue Reading

August 12th, 2023
Sensio recalls 860,000 pressure cookers due to burn hazards
August 11th, 2023

Another big recall has been announced that deserves your attention. Sensio is recalling about 860,000 electric and stovetop pressure cookers. The pressure cooker’s lid can unlock and be removed during use, causing the hot contents to unexpectedly splash out, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Sensio has received 63 reports of incidents, including 61 burn injuries, some of which involved second- and third-degree burns to the face, torso, arms, and hands. This recall involves Bella, Bella Pro Series, Crux, and Cooks electric pressure cookers, and Bella stovetop pressure cookers. The stainless-steel... Continue Reading

August 11th, 2023
Warning: Don’t buy or use the La-La-Me infant lounger due to fall and suffocation risk
August 10th, 2023

Another maker of inclined sleepers is refusing to recall its dangerous product. Stop using La-La-Me infant loungers because they don’t comply with federal safety standards for infant sleep products and pose a suffocation risk and fall hazard to infants, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns. The lounger is an unsafe sleeping environment for infants, the agency said. The failures include not having a stand, and not meeting the requirements for side height, fabric-sided openings, markings, labeling, and instructional literature. The lounger and its packaging also lack a tracking label... Continue Reading

August 10th, 2023
With increasing use of personal care products by men, they – as well as women – need to check out whether the items they use contain harmful chemicals
August 7th, 2023

It’s not surprising that men are succumbing to the same advertising on looking good that has enticed women to buy for decades. The average adult man in the United States uses 11 different personal care products every day, nearly twice as many as 20 years ago, according to a survey by Morning Consult. The survey also showed that on average, women use 13 products daily, up from 12 in 2004. Combining the usage for men and women, the average adult uses 12 personal care products in a day. The 12 products could be made with as many as 112 chemicals, some of which may pose serious health risks, an... Continue Reading

August 7th, 2023
Drivers with good driving records and poor credit scores are charged much more for auto insurance, report shows
August 5th, 2023

Consumers with poor credit pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars more every year for basic auto insurance coverage required by state laws, new report shows. “On average, a consumer with poor credit has to pay twice as much for auto insurance as a driver with excellent credit, even if everything else, including their driving safety history, are the same,” said Douglas Heller, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America and the study’s co-author. The report found that nationwide, American consumers with clean driving records and excellent credit pay an average annual... Continue Reading

August 5th, 2023
USASF Servicing illegally disabled vehicles and double-billed consumers, financial agency charges
August 4th, 2023

USASF Servicing is being charged with illegal practices that harmed consumers with auto loans including disabling borrowers’ vehicles, improperly repossessing vehicles, double-billing borrowers for insurance premiums, and failing to return millions of dollars in refunds, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday . With its lawsuit, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to return money to consumers, impose civil penalties, and stop any future violations. “The CFPB is suing USASF for a range of misconduct, including illegally activating devices that prevented borrowers from starting... Continue Reading

August 4th, 2023
With a new movie, the awful Barbie will likely surge in popularity
August 1st, 2023

Photo: Adam Cuerden When I was growing up, the hour-glass figure in women was idolized. When articles were written about beauty queens, they gave their measurements. The ideal was 36-inch bust, 24-inch waist, and 36-inch waist. As a teen, I had the 24-inch waist, but not the other ones. When Barbie dolls came along in the 1960s, I was appalled. Why teach girls that their bodies should look like Barbie’s? Why have her feet permanently shaped to fit into high heels? Why make her blond and blue-eyed?   Almost all women don’t look like that. When my daughters were born in the 1960s, I refused... Continue Reading

August 1st, 2023