By Rita R. Robison All pourable gel fuels made or sold by nine companies are being recalled due to the risks of flash fire and burns when consumers add pourable gel to an already burning fire pot. Consumers should immediately stop using the pourable gel fuel, the U.S. Consumer Product... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Green beans from my garden Today, I had my second batch of green beans from my garden.... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison Toxic fumes in the bathroom at a Pooler, Ga., McDonalds may have been responsible for the death of an 80-year-old woman and sending 10 others to the hospital, according to investigators. No cause has been confirmed, but emergency responders have theorized that a toxic mix of... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison Americans for Financial Reform, a coalition of more than 250 national and state organizations working for Wall Street reform, said it applauds President Obama for focusing on measures to create jobs and the problem of unemployment. However, the coalition says what consumers and the economy need... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison Things were going well as I clicked through the list from a Gallup Poll of the most hated industries in America: 10. Advertising and public relations industry 9. Pharmaceutical industry 8. Airline industry 7. Education 6. The legal field 5. Banking 4. Healthcare 3. Real estate... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison The Labor Day weekend was beautiful in Olympia, Wash., this year. Its Harbor Days, the annual festival where tugboats return to the southernmost tip of Puget Sound for tug boat races, was bathed in sunshine. I enjoyed walking along the newly renovated Percival Landing and taking... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison Life in America is good – if you have a job or enough money to pay for your food, shelter, and clothing. As a consumer writer, Labor Day reminds me of how effective American corporations have been in turning the message about what our nation is... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison In cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, King International LLC is recalling its Shoulderflex massager due to a report of a strangulation and death. Consumers, retailers, and catalog sellers are being advised to immediately stop using Shoulderflex massagers and throw them in the trash.... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Getting a dentist bill paid Recently, I had a filing done. The dentist office sent... Read more →
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist What are your plans for Labor Day? Traveling? Flipping burgers at a barbecue? Going to the zoo, park, or other fun place in your community? Resting? Or, heaven forbid, working? Here’s what’s going on around America. Travel About 31.5 million Americans will travel at... Read more →