Safety Recalls

Bluestem Recalls Fingerhut, Gettington Recliners

The legs contain excessive amounts of lead paint
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GM Recalls US-Built Chevrolet Cruze

Engine shield may trap flammable liquids in engine compartment
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Notus Air Movers Recalled Due To Fire Hazard

The air mover/blower's internal electrical capacitor can fail and overheat, posing a fire hazard.
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TBC Recalling SUV Tires

Tread separation raises the risk of a crash
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Safety Recalls

Thomas Lighting Recalls Ceiling Fixtures

Fire and Shock Hazards
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Frigidaire Gas Range Recalled

Ranges were sold exclusively at Lowe's
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Big Lots Recalls Ceramic Space Heaters

Portable heaters post fire, shock hazards
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Portfolio Outdoor Lanterns Sold at Lowe's Recalled

A short circuit can pose a fire and shock hazard
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Mercedes-Benz Recalls E350 Models 

Problem with rear suspension
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BMW Recalls X5, X6 Models 

Power steering fluid may leak
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EDIC Recalls Aqua Dri Air Movers 

The blowers are used to dry floors in buildings
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Flushmate Recalls Millions of Toilet Flushers 

A weld seam can break, blowing off the tank lid and shattering the tank
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eZip, iZip Adult Tricycles Recalled

The rear axle can break, causing a wheel to detach
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Reports Of Mortgage Modification Rip-Offs Increasing

Washington attorney general sees uptick in complaints

By Mark Huffman, ConsumerAffairs.com

Five years into the foreclosure crisis there is no end in sight. After a pause for a now completed settlement with the mortgage industry, the pace of foreclosures is picking up again.

Many homeowners have attempted to negotiate mortgage modifications with their lenders in an effort to keep their homes, but have become frustrated with the process. That's when many turn to a third-party mortgage modification consultant.

"Because I was behind in my mortgage and facing foreclosure, I contacted Britt Processing," Chris, of Reading, Pa., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. "They told they work with Wells Fargo as well with many other banks. They guaranteed me they could get me a modification and save my home for me. They told me not to pay my mortgage for two months, instead send them $ 1000.00 a month to get this done."

Read the entire article here.

Traveling? Don't Bring Measles Home With You

Summer Olympics could be an Olympic event for measles

By James Limbach, ConsumerAffairs.com

With the 2012 Summer Olympics just weeks, people around the world are preparing.

Athletes are putting in their final weeks of training, officials in London are getting the city ready for visitors and spectators are making travel plans. In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to make sure everyone’s healthy for the big event.

One area of concern is measles -- in particular -- unvaccinated travelers contracting the disease while abroad and bringing it back home. Last year, 222 people in the U.S. were reported to have measles -- due mostly to overseas travel.

Read the entire article here.

Knik Glacier Wreckage Is From Military Crash That Killed 52

By Chris Klint, Channel 2 News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska— A military plane crash found near Knik Glacier earlier this month has been identified as a Korean War-era Air Force cargo plane that killed all 52 people on board and was buried by heavy snow shortly after it went down, bringing closure to victims’ families after nearly 60 years.

Army Capt. Jamie Dobson with the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command says the wreckage discovered on Colony Glacier June 10 by a UH-60 Blackhawk crew with the Alaska Army National Guard is that of a Douglas C-124A Globemaster II that crashed in the area on Nov. 22, 1952.

While evidence collected by the eight-man team is en route to JPAC’s Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis, Dobson said the plane was identifiable by materials found at the scene.

Read the entire article here.

Annual List Reveals Dirty Dozen Fruits

"Highly disturbing" level of pesticides found in baby food

By Truman Lewis, ConsumerAffairs.com

You like fruit? See how you feel after reading this:

• Some 98 percent of conventional apples have detectable levels of pesticides.
• Domestic blueberries tested positive for 42 different pesticide residues.
• Seventy-eight different pesticides were found on lettuce samples.
• Every single nectarine USDA tested had measurable pesticide residues.
• Grapes have more types of pesticides than any other fruit, with 64 different chemicals.
• Thirteen different pesticides were measured on a single sample each of celery and strawberries.

These are among the findings of the eighth edition of the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, published annually by the Environmental Working Group, this year with updated information on 45 popular fruits and vegetables and their total pesticide loads.
Read the entire article here.

BPA Exposure May Last For Generations

Researchers found the chemical in a series of mice generations

By Mark Huffman, ConsumerAffairs.com

The debate over the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely used chemical in plastic containers, will likely continue for some time but the evidence of its effects continues to pile up.

The latest study comes from researchers writing in the journal Endocrinology who say they have found exposure to low doses of BPA during pregnancy had trans-generational effects on mice.

In other words, a female mouse exposed to BPA during gestation had offspring that displayed different social behaviors, previously associated with BPA exposure. The research found the offspring and succeeding generations of offspring all showed the effects of BPA, including anxiety, aggression and cognitive impairments.

Read the entire article here.

Suit Claims Nutrex Contains a Dangerous Stimulant

DMAA is becoming the next ephedra, safety advocates fear

By James R. Hood, ConsumerAffairs.com

Nutrex must face class-action claims that its body-building diet supplements contain a powerful stimulant banned in professional sports, a federal magistrate has ruled.

The case arises out of a complaint by Stephen Rush, who charged that Nutrex Research and its founders violated California's fair business laws by marketing the supplements as safe muscle builders despite their alleged knowledge that the products were ineffective and dangerous because of the use of the chemical stimulant DMAA, Courthouse News Service reported.

Several countries and Major League Baseball have banned DMAA or geranamine, which is growing in popularity among young people as a designer "party pill."

Read the entire article here.

University of Phoenix Still a Complaint Magnet

Online education doesn't always live up to consumers' expectations

By Daryl Nelson, ConsumerAffairs.com

College is a lot of fun. Whether one goes away to a campus or commutes to a local college -- the partying, the learning, and the socializing can all be life-changing experiences.

But not everyone can go to college right after high school, as we all know that life has an interesting way of temporarily knocking you off your planned path. Thankfully, getting a degree online these days is as easy and accessible as downloading a song.

The University of Phoenix is generally regarded as standing at the top of this particular area of higher education. It advertises heavily and markets itself as the primary go-to for those who need a more flexible college schedule.

But, like everything else in life, it doesn't always work out just the way consumers expect.

Read the entire article here.

How To Reduce Or Eliminate Your Student Loan Balance

It isn't easy, but some federal student loans can be forgiven

By Mark Huffman, ConsumerAffairs.com

Crushing student loan debt is a growing threat to the economy. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports total student loan debt in the U.S. now exceeds $1 trillion, placing a huge financial burden on new graduates.

New education programs warn students and their families of the dangers of running up college loan debt, but what about the millions of former students already struggling to make payments?

Student debt doesn't have to be a lifelong burden. It turns out there are ways to reduce or eliminate that debt, but it takes time and you must meet certain criteria. But for graduates with federal student loan balances the size of a home mortgage, the student loan forgiveness programs may offer hope.

Read the entire article here.

Consumers Fume as Their Toyotas Burn

Feds investigating fires in recent-vintage cars as consumers complain of no help from Toyota

By James R. Hood, ConsumerAffairs.com

You wouldn't expect your car door to catch fire, but that's apparently what's been happening on some 2007 through 2009 Toyotas, according to federal safety regulators.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has received 32 complaints of electrical fires or burned switches from fires that started in the driver's side door -- specifically in the power-window switch.

Some of the fires have been serious and have destroyed the entire car, although there is so far only one report of personal injury, which occurred when a passenger in a 2007 Camry tried to extinguish a door fire.

Read the entire article here.

Super PoliGrip Now Contains Zinc Warning

Adhesive has been linked to poisoning

By Jon Hood, ConsumerAffairs.com

The makers of Super PoliGrip have apparently caved to consumer pressure, adding a zinc-related warning to packages of the popular denture cream. The move by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) comes after dozens of lawsuits and a prominent medical article outlined the danger of zinc poisoning resulting from overuse of denture adhesives.

Zinc, a type of metal, is abundant in the earth's crust and is one of the most commonly found elements on the planet. Zinc is an essential human nutrient, and some amount is present in all foods. Indeed, a diet deficient in zinc can ultimately lead to nausea, an inhibited sense of taste, and decreased immune function.

That said, getting too much zinc is no picnic either. Excessive zinc intake over a long period of time can ultimately lead to anemia, pancreatic diseases, and decreased levels of HDL, also known as the "good cholesterol."

Read the entire article here.

Plum Organics Recalls Baby Food Due To Bacteria

Contamination may cause botulism

By Lisa Wade McCormick, ConsumerAffairs.com 

Plum Organics announced today that it is recalling one batch of its baby food because the products may be tainted with a bacteria that causes botulism.

The Emeryville, California, company voluntarily pulled off the market all its Apple & Carrot Baby Food in Portable Pouches with the best by date of May 21, 2010 and universal product code (UPC) of #890180001221.

The company sold the baby food nationwide at Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us stores.

Read the entire article here.

Diamond Pulls Premium Edge Cat Food from Shelves

Thiamine deficiency found in some bags of the product

By Lisa Wade McCormick, ConsumerAffairs.com

Another pet food company has quietly withdrawn some of its products from store shelves.

Deficiencies in the thiamine levels of certain bags of Premium Edge Finicky Adult and Premium Edge Hairball cat food have prompted Diamond Pet Foods to pull the products from distribution.

The company made that announcement on Premium Edge’s Web site.

The action comes just days after Nutro Products quietly removed from the market three types of its puppy food because of a production error.

Read the entire article here.

Puzzles Of The Day

Safety Alert Issued For Lifeline Pendant Personal Help Buttons

'Lifeline' could be deathline 

By James Limbach, ConsumerAffairs.com

The Food and Drug Administration today is warning people who wear personal emergency response buttons around the neck of a potential choking hazard.

The agency says it is aware of at least six reports between 1998 and 2009 of serious injury or death, including three deaths in the United States and one in Canada, from choking after the cord on the Philips Lifeline Personal Help Button became entangled on other objects worn around the neck.

More than 750,000 people use these devices in the United States and Canada. By pushing the "help" button on the device when in distress, users can call for emergency assistance to their home. Philips Lifeline says the device is used primarily by seniors living independently, who feel they are at risk for falls or other medical emergencies.

Read the entire article here.

Children's Tylenol Products Recalled

Manufacturing problems could cause contamination

By ConsumerAffairs.com 

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is recalling certain children's and infant's Tylenol products that were manufactured between April 2008 and June 2008. The company said potential manufacturing problems could result in bacterial contamination.

No contamination has been found in any finished product, McNeil Vice President Edwin D. Kuffner, M.D., said. He said Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) was detected in some of the raw material used in the manufacture of children's Tylenol products but he emphasized that, so far, none has been found in finished products.

Read the entire article here.

Puzzles Of The Day

Recalls

Clarks Children's Shoes

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WoodMaster Outdoor Furnaces Recalled

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Trudeau Garlic Slicers Recalled

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Big Lots Recalls Wooden Bunk Beds

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Grand Trunk Recalls Parachute Hammocks

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Preparing For Flu Season

By Fred Cicetti, ConsumerAffairs.com 

Flu season in the northern hemisphere can range from as early as November to as late as May. The peak month usually is February.

However, this coming season is expected to be unpredictable because of the emergence of the H1N1 influenza virus or swine flu. The H1N1 has caused the first global outbreak—pandemic—of influenza in more than four decades.

There is concern that the 2009 H1N1 virus may make the season worse than a regular flu season. It is feared that there will be many more hospitalizations and fatalities this season. The 2009 H1N1 virus caused illness in the U.S. during the summer months when influenza is very uncommon.

The 2009-10 flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. The seasonal vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus. A vaccine for 2009 H1N1 is being produced and may be ready for the public in the fall.

Read the entire article here.