Photo: Walter Siegmund The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has updated air pollution standards for toxic air emissions from petroleum refineries. Exposure to toxic air pollutants, such as benzene, can cause respiratory problems and other serious health issues and can increase the risk of developing cancer. The rule requires fenceline monitoring,... Read more →
When I was growing up in the apple growing communities of Central Washington, I was exposed to pesticides when I worked in the orchard and even when I was walking home from school. My father, a farmer, died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is linked to pesticide exposure. I learned about... Read more →
As summer ends and cool fall air descends upon us, coffee drinkers could get cheered up by a deal on a cup of coffee – or even a free cuppa. Offers.com has compiled a list of the 2015 National Coffee Day specials. Americans pay an average of $3.28 for a... Read more →
I’m the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #419. Since I’m a consumer journalist, one thing I’m looking for is stories for my blog about finances. One that came up last week was discouraging, especially for some baby boomers. Thirty million Americans took money out of their retirement... Read more →
Pride Family Brand is recalling about 13,900 Destination Summer hammock stands in the United States and 55 in Canada. Z-shaped hooks that attach the hammock to the hammock stand can bend or break, resulting in a consumer falling to the ground, the company and commission said. The firm has received... Read more →
Former Peanut Corp. of America owner Stewart Parnell and his co-defendants were sentenced Monday for fraud, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and other charges in the huge 2008 Salmonella outbreak linked to PCA’s products. Parnell received a 28-year sentence and his brother and food broker Michael Parnell was given a 20-year... Read more →
Buying a home is a difficult consumer project. First, you need to pick out a home that meets your needs, not an easy task. Then, you have to go through the intricacies of financing. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a new web tool to help consumers at the different... Read more →
Thirty million Americans took money out of their retirement savings for an emergency during the past year, according to a Bankrate.com report. The report also found that 21 million Americans aren’t saving for retirement at all. Millennials were the least likely to withdraw their retirement funds early, with only 8... Read more →
Most people will experience at least one diagnostic error – an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis – in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Although getting the right diagnosis is key in health... Read more →
Today is National Voter Registration Day. Thousands of organizations across the country are celebrating by registering tens of thousands of new voters. “Today is an important day for all of us to help voters get ready to head to the polls to weigh in on the issues that matter most... Read more →