Bad Boy off-road vehicles are being recalled because they can accelerate unexpectedly.
For details and photos, click here.
Bad Boy ORVs are bad boys
October 21st, 2009Handy light switches also are hot
October 21st, 2009About 1.3 million Handy Switch wireless light switches are being recalled because the receiver for the units, which plugs into a wall socket, might overheat and start a fire.
Details may be found by clicking here.
Baby food might be tainted
October 19th, 2009Plum Organics of Emeryville, Calif., is recalling some of its apple and carrot portable pouch baby food because of concerns over possible botulism contamination.
The product was sold individually throughout the country at Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us stores. The recalled product is sold in 4.22-ounce pouches, with a “best by” date of May 21, 2010, and UPC 890180001221.
The company is concerned that the baby food may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism, a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition. Consumers should not use these products, even if they appear to be normal, because of the possible health risk.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the baby food, and no other Plum Organics products are affected, the company said in a statement.
More information is available by calling 888-974-3555 or by e-mailing info@plumorganics.com.
Quantum chairs can cause falls
October 19th, 2009Quantum Realspace Pro 9000 office chairs made by Raynor are being recalled because of a defect that poses a fall hazard to users.
About 150,000 of the chairs were sold through Office Depot outlets.
Details on the the recall may be found by clicking here.
Texting scam shows up in Monroe area
October 16th, 2009Smishing is on the rise and has reared its head in Monroe.
That’s the term given the growing practice of stealing personal and financial data via text messaging on cell phones.
Some members and non-members of the Monroe County Community Credit Union have received fraudulent text messages purporting to be from the credit union concerning an account that they might or might not have.
The message says “This is an automated message from Monroe County Community Credit Union Security Department, regarding your account security. Please call urgently at 877-897-1953.” When the number is called it asks for a credit card number, expiration date, and pin.
Don’t reply to the message, it’s a scam designed to capture your account or other personal information.
MCCCU said it not solicit information from its members in this way. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Call Center at (734) 242-3222.
A similar scam message making the rounds looks like this:
8669425647@ncua.gov() (card blocked) Alert. For more information please call 1-866-942-5647. Thank you.
A recorded message on that now-disconnected number told the victim someone was misusing her credit card number online, and asked her to key the card number for confirmation, so a new one could be sent.
Invoking the “ncua” is an attempt to use the good name of the National Credit Union Administration to provide some credibility to the scam.
But the NCUA also never asks people via a text message to key in their credit card numbers.
For instance, in a case earlier this year, a fraud ring landed $22m of merchandise by using a cell phone industry insider to access users’ account details, which were then used to order extra equipment, which was subsequently sold by the thieves.
Beware bogus swine flu remedies on Web
October 16th, 2009The Food and Drug Administration has found that the Web is being used to sell bogus products claiming to prevent or cure the swine flu.
They advise consumers to use extreme caution when considering purchasing drug products over the Internet.
To learn what the federal agency found and the dangers involved, click here.
Bicycle tires are faulty
October 16th, 2009Some Schwalbe bicycle tires have treads that can separate and cause the rider to fall.
For a recall notice, click here.
Changing weather, changing prices
October 15th, 2009Weary of seeing grocery prices climb while your buying power dwindles?
Brace yourself.
Amid the debate about ways to reduce climate change comes a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) indicating that food prices could more than triple by 2050 as the climate changes.
The report, Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation, was developed for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
Even without the effects of climate change, food prices still are expected to rise, by 40 per cent for wheat, and 60 per cent for both rice and corn by 2050, as the world population grows.
However, by drawing on climate and crop models, IFPRI predicts a much worse scenario, forecasting wheat prices to rise 170 to 194 per cent, rice prices 113 to 121 per cent, and corn to go up 148 to 153 per cent.
“Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change, because farming is so weather-dependent,” said Mark Rosegrant, co-author of the report. “Small-scale farmers in developing countries will suffer the most. However, our study finds that this scenario of lower yields, higher prices, and increased child malnutrition can be avoided.”
The report claims that investment of about $7 billion a year could avert these problems by bringing new technologies to farmers and educating them about how they can adapt. To see the full report, click here.
To see more blog entries about climate change, visit www.blogactionday.org
Sprouts linked to state salmonella outbreak
October 14th, 2009Living Foods Inc. of Ionia, Mich. is voluntarily recalling alfalfa sprouts in response to a salmonella investigation being done by the Michigan Departments of Community Health and Agriculture. So far, 12 cases of salmonella in Michigan between Aug. 17 and Sept. 18 have been associated with the outbreak.
The sprouts were distributed to retail and food service facilities through wholesale produce suppliers in Michigan. Sprouts affected were sold under the Living Foods label with a sell by date of Oct. 22 or earlier: alfalfa sprouts, 5 lb. box; 1 lb. bag; 4 oz. bag; 4 oz. cup; spicy sprouts, 4 oz. cup; 7 sprout, 4 oz. cup; alfalfa/onion, 4 oz. cup; and alfalfa/garlic, 4 oz. cups.
Living Foods is working with state officials to determine the cause of this problem. To date, neither Living Foods nor state officials have any laboratory test data linking the sprouts to the illnesses or to the microorganism.
If consumers have any of the Living Foods sprouts in their possession, they should be discarded. Wholesale-retailers should remove the product from sale and cease distribution. Questions should be directed to the company at (616) 527-0911.
Swine flu remedy marketers: Pigs at the trough
October 14th, 2009Products purporting to prevent or treat the Swine Flu are flooding the market. The problem is that the federal Food and Drug Administration says most of them have not been authorized, approved or confirmed to be effective at all in treating or relieving the symptoms.
Most of the products are marketed to the public through Web sites. The FDA published an advisory that includes a list of 138 products that make unsubstantiated claims about their effectiveness against swine flu.
Power washers, air compressors recalled
October 7th, 2009DeVilbiss is recalling several brands of power washers and some Porter-Cable air compressors because they have a plastic part that can break and injure users.
Details, including brands and model numbers, may be found by clicking here.
Lowe’s director’s chairs can collapse
October 7th, 2009Red and blue folding director’s chairs with the name “Garden Treasures” on the packaging and sold exclusively at Lowe’s are being recalled because they can collapse and injure users.
Details may be found by clicking here.
Toyota launches massive recall
October 6th, 2009Toyota Motor Corp. said today it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the U.S. — the most ever — to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.
Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week. Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said until the company finds a fix, owners should take out the removable floor mat on the driver’s side and not replace it.
“A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death,” Miller said.
NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved. It was unclear how many led to crashes but the inquiry was prompted by a high-speed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn’t stop the vehicle.
The recall will affect 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.
For more information, consumers can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s hotline at (888) 327-4236, Toyota at (800) 331-4331 or Lexus at (800) 255-3987.
FBI warns of new e-mail scams
October 6th, 2009The FBI is warning that three new e-mailed scams are afoot, claiming to be bulletins about intelligence information or homeland security.
For details, click here.
BMA insurance isn’t valid
September 25th, 2009State officials have ordered Benefit Management Administrators, Inc. (BMA), a Caledonia-based insurance agency, and its owner, N. Henry Bledsoe, to cease and desist from selling fraudulent life and health care policies.
The state Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation received information that BMA sold life and health insurance that it claimed were fully insured to Michigan consumers when in fact, there was no underlying insurance. BMA was conducting business as the insurer for these health and life products it sold without the knowledge of its customers and without the appropriate certification as an insurer required by Michigan law.
“Any Michigan consumer who purchased life or health insurance policies from Benefit Management and Henry Bledsoe should contact our agency immediately to see if they have proper coverage,” OFIR Commissioner Ken Ross said.
Consumers can contact OFIR toll-free at 877-999-6442.
Before purchasing life and health insurance, verify whether an insurance agent is licensed in Michigan and is appointed by an insurance company licensed to do business in the state by calling OFIR toll-free at 877-999-6442.