Scammers are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to steal money from people. During these chaotic times, knowing about possible scams is the first step toward preventing them. Scammers are inventing new schemes as well as repurposing old ones. Be alert as you go about your covid daily lives. Read more →
HD Hudson is recalling about 64,000 illu-Mist Battery-Powered Garden Sprayers. The firm has received four reports of batteries overheating, including one report of a battery melting and catching fire resulting in property damage of less than $100. No injuries have been reported. Read more →
Collard and mustard greens join kale among the most pesticide-contaminated fresh produce on the Environmental Working Group’s 2021 Dirty Dozen list. For the first time, bell peppers and hot peppers have made the list. Read more →
When I was writing my weekly Helpful Money Tips for You newsletter (see Newsletter heading above to subscribe), I ran across an article by a women who was upset because a new coffee shop in her area turned out to be secret “nutrition club,” a recruiting tool for Herbalife. Read more →
During the pandemic, more people are going to emergency rooms for injuries from some consumer products such as batteries, fireworks, all-terrain vehicles, and skateboards, although emergency room treatments for all product-related injuries decreased by 24 percent. Read more →
Consumer Reports is launching Green Choice, an initiative to make information about auto emissions more accessible to consumers. It will use a green leaf icon to designate cars and trucks in its ratings that produce among the lowest amount of greenhouse gases and smog-forming emissions. Read more →
As huge winter storms continue to rage across the U.S., millions of consumers are without power in dangerously low temperatures. If you use portable generators or other combustion devices for power and heat, you're at increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire. Read more →
Consumer and public health groups are asking for a warning statement on alcoholic beverages to increase consumer awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer. They urge the federal government to begin a process to amend the warning statement on labels. Read more →
The latest data from the Environmental Crimes Project at the University of Michigan Law School shows a dramatic drop in pollution prosecutions during the first two years under President Donald Trump. Read more →
Although the world may seem dark right now with covid-19 now infecting even the president of the United States, we need to keep using caution and protecting ourselves. Stay home as much as possible, order groceries for pickup, and wear a mask. For the bloggers in our writing group, life goes on. Read more →