The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Google-YouTube $170 million settlement for violations of kids’ privacy law too weak, critics say

Google and its subsidiary YouTube agreed to pay a record $170 million Wednesday to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission and New York Attorney General’s Office that YouTube illegally collected personal information from children without their parents’ consent.

The settlement requires Google and YouTube to pay $136 million to the FTC and $34 million to New York for allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule. The $136 million penalty is the largest amount the FTC has gotten in a COPPA case since the law was enacted in 1998.

In a lawsuit filed against the companies, the agencies allege that YouTube violated the COPPA Rule by collecting personal information – identifiers that track users across the Internet – from viewers of child-directed channels, without notifying parents and getting their consent. YouTube earned millions of dollars by using the identifiers – cookies – to deliver targeted ads to viewers, according to the lawsuit.

Nearly 6 million Contigo kids’ water bottles are being recalled due to choking hazard

Contigo is recalling about 5.7 million kids cleanable water bottles in the United States, 157,000 in Canada, and 28,000 in Mexico.

The water bottle’s clear silicone spout can detach, posing a choking hazard to children.

Contigo has received 149 reports of the spout detaching including 18 spouts found in children’s mouths.

How to reduce the amount of plastic you eat

That’s right, you read it correctly. Humans, like animals, are eating plastic. We’ve all read about dead animals found filled with plastic, but it’s important for humans to realize that they, too, are consuming plastic.

I recently wrote about how to reduce the amount of plastic we use in our lives. A Consumer Reports article, “How to Eat Less Plastic,” alerted me to the fact we need to go a step further and take a look at how much plastic we’re eating.

Research is just beginning on how many tiny particles of plastic people consume. One research review calculated that by eating, drinking, and breathing, the average American ingests 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles every year, with even more ingested if bottled water is consumed regularly, according to the article.

Algae contaminating the nations lakes, rivers, but little is being done to protect the public, environmental group says

Federal and state tests have found dangerous toxins, common in outbreaks of blue-green algae, in hundreds of lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water nationwide. However, little is being done to notify and protect Americans, according to an analysis from the Environmental Working Group.

Algae blooms often are triggered by agricultural chemicals that run off fields into bodies of water. The “algae,” photosynthetic microorganisms, are not all toxic. However, some of these bacteria produce poisonous chemicals called cyanotoxins, including those known as microcystins. 

“The bottom line is, if you test for microcystins, you’ll probably find them,” said Soren Rundquist, EWG’s director of spatial analysis. “Hundreds of lakes and other resources Americans rely on for tap water and recreation are contaminated – sometimes even when there is no visible toxic algae bloom.”

Eddie Bauer and Disney inclined sleepers recalled by Dorel Juvenile Group USA due to infant deaths in other inclined sleepers

Dorel Juvenile Group USA is recalling about 24,000 inclined sleepers sold under the Eddie Bauer and Disney brand names.

Infant fatalities have been reported while using other inclined sleepers, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side while unrestrained, or under other circumstances.

This recall involves the Eddie Bauer Slumber and Soothe Bassinet with model number BT055CSY and the Disney Baby Doze and Dream Bassinet with model number BT071DHS. The model numbers are located on a label on the underneath side of the fabric of the inclined sleeper pad.

States sue EPA over pesticide that harms children

Six state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court against the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency for continuing to allow chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that harms children’s neurological development, to be used on food. The states are challenging the EPA’s decision, because it hasn’t made a determination, as is required by law, that the pesticide is safe.

“Chlorpyrifos is extremely dangerous, especially to the health of our children,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Yet, the Trump Administration continues to ignore both the science and law, by allowing this toxic pesticide to contaminate food at unsafe levels. If the Trump EPA won’t do its job and protect the health and safety of New Yorkers, my office will take them to court and force them to fulfill their responsibilities.”

Scientific evidence shows that even small doses of chlorpyrifos can damage parts of the brain that control language, memory, behavior, and emotion. Studies have found that exposure to chlorpyrifos impairs children’s IQs.

Another problem recall: Dangerous inclined sleepers that have killed 36 infants

On Tuesday, I wrote about problems with the recall of the MacBook Pro computer that I experienced. I only learned about the recall, the replacement of batteries due to a fire hazard, because I write weekly about recalls and saw it listed on the website of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. I complained to an Apple store manager that more needs to be done to inform consumers about the recall. On average, consumers follow up on recalls 6 percent of the time.

The recall of infant sleepers that is killing babies is an even more significant problem recall.

Three months after nearly 5.4 million infant sleepers were recalled for causing 36 infant deaths, a survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education and Kids in Danger or KID, a group working on product safety for children, showed that some day care centers continue to use the dangerous inclined sleepers. One in 10 of the 376 survey respondents that have children under age 1 indicated they were using at least one of these dangerous sleepers in the day care center. The survey began after PIRG Consumer Watchdog Adam Garber discovered that his own son’s daycare in Philadelphia was using the recalled products.

Magnetic trivets being recalled by Tristar Products due to ingestion hazard

Tristar Products is recalling about 350,000 magnetic trivets.

Magnets can detach from the trivets, posing an ingestion hazard to children. When two or more magnets are swallowed, they can link together inside the intestines and clamp onto body tissues, causing intestinal obstructions, perforations, sepsis, and death. Internal injury from magnets can pose serious lifelong health effects.

Tristar Products has received one report of magnets detaching from a trivet and being swallowed by a child. The child suffered intestinal perforations and blockage, requiring surgery.

How to prevent tick bites and remove ticks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the tick as soon as possible. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers work very well, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How to remove a tick

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick. This can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you’re unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. Clean the bite area and your hands thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or soap and water after removing the tick.
4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

Inclined sleeper accessory included with ultra-lite day & night play yards being recalled by Fisher-Price due to safety concerns

Fisher-Price is recalling about 71,000 inclined sleeper accessory included with all models of Fisher-Price ultra-lite day & night play yards.

Infant fatalities have been reported while using other inclined sleep products, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side while unrestrained, or under other circumstances.

This recall involves the inclined sleeper accessory sold with all ultra-lite day & night play yards with model numbers CBV60, CHP86, CHR06, CJK24, and DJD11. The model number is located on the fabric label inside of the play yard and on the fabric label on the back of the inclined sleeper pad. The product is a portable play yard with inclined sleeper and changing station clutch accessories and a carry bag; the inclined sleeper accessory is the only portion of the product that is being recalled.