Consumer Safety
Data breaches affect hundreds-of-millions of people
Most people and companies use anti-virus software, but it only guards against threats it recognizes, and the bad guys are constantly tweaking their weapons to circumvent such protections. Adding as little as a few lines of code will evade most anti-virus programs.
Read MoreExtra Extra Special Edition: Second chemical involved in W. Va. leak
There’s been a lot of great reporting coming out of West Virginia recently as reporters continue to cover a chemical spill that contaminated water for about 300,000 people. National publications investigated the lax government oversight and toothless regulations that applied – or, perhaps, failed to apply – to Freedom Industries. But let’s not forget the local…
Read MoreDisciplined doctor behind controversial sports supplement study
The latest installment in USA TODAY’s ongoing “Supplement Shell Game” investigation published today finds that the key author of a safety study of the controversial sports supplement Craze is a doctor who has been disciplined in two states for issues relating to fraudulent billing practices and other misrepresentations. Now the editor of the peer reviewed…
Read MoreRestaurants staying open despite multiple DineSafe violations
“CBC Toronto crunched the numbers and found that a Scarborough restaurant tops the list of violations with more than thirty – resulting in eight yellow signs – in just two years.” Read the full story here.
Read MoreBoomers’ embrace of devices gives rise to new med-tech age
“Hundreds of thousands of Americans are receiving medical devices that were once considered nearly exclusive to the elderly. The shift is profoundly changing patient care and expanding the fortunes of the medical-technology industry while amplifying concerns over the safety and oversight of some products. Device companies are facing thousands of patient lawsuits challenging the safety…
Read MoreAfter West disaster, News study finds U.S. chemical safety data about 90 percent wrong
“Even the best national data on chemical accidents is wrong nine times out of 10. A Dallas Morning News analysis of more than 750,000 federal records found pervasive inaccuracies and holes in data on chemical accidents, such as the one in West that killed 15 people and injured more than 300.”
Read MoreBounce-house rentals not all fun and games
“As children’s birthday parties ballooned into themed events and pricey productions in recent years, bounce houses became must-have entertainment for some parents. But as the bounce house rental business has grown locally, so have the number of unlicensed operators. At least 170 of these businesses advertise their services in the Houston region, but only 30…
Read MoreTruck company vehicles were taken out of service for maintenance problems
“Defective brakes, axle problems and cracked wheel rims were among the most serious maintenance problems state inspectors found on trucks owned by B&E Transport, the firm involved in last week’s crash that damaged a bridge over U.S. 281,” according to a San Antonio Express-News article.
Read MoreUsing Outdated Data, FEMA Is Wrongly Placing Homeowners in Flood Zones
“From Maine to Oregon, local floodplain managers say FEMA’s recent flood maps — which dictate the premiums that 5.5 million Americans pay for flood insurance — have often been built using outdated, inaccurate data. Homeowners, in turn, have to bear the cost of fixing FEMA’s mistakes,” according to a ProPublica report.
Read MoreU.S. system for flagging hazardous chemicals is widely flawed
“A 27-year-old U.S. program intended to warn the public of the presence of hazardous chemicals is flawed in many states due to scant oversight and lax reporting by plant owners, a Reuters examination finds.”
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