Trump to California: ‘No You Don’t’ on State Setting Its Own Vehicle Emissions Standards
President Trump is revoking California's authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards, setting the stage for a Supreme Court battle.
Warning Wire
Tag: Consumer Protection
Consumer Protection
Recalls in Name Only? Many Companies Do Little to Alert Consumers
A new report finds some companies hide or ignore recall notices about their products on their websites and in online posts.
Warning Wire
In Texas Shooting Massacre the System Actually Worked, For a While
The shooting massacre in Odessa, Texas, highlighted gaps in the system of background checks. The shooter's effort to buy a gun from a licensed dealer was rejected, so he turned to private market instead.
Consumer Protection
Star Safety Ratings, Long Helpful to Car Buyers, Now Languish in the Breakdown Lane
Grade inflation in school makes it difficult to distinguish who is actually achieving in the classroom. The federal government’s vehicle safety rating system suffers the same problem. Today, 98 percent of all vehicles tested receive four or five stars for crashworthiness. Consumer advocates and safety experts say it’s time to raise the bar for the New Car Assessment Program, which hasn’t been updated in nearly 10 years.
Warning Wire
After Clashing with Automakers, Trump Administration Now at Odds With Some Oil and Gas Producers
Fresh off a spat with car makers, the Trump administration seems to be walking into another fight with a big industry over whether deregulation is going too far. The EPA has laid out a plan to roll back regulation of methane gas, saying it will save the oil and gas industry money.
Warning Wire
Amazon a Thriving Market for Banned, Unsafe and Mislabeled Products
Convenience, selection and quick delivery have made Amazon a trusted brand. But a team of Wall Street Journal reporters found thousands of products for sale on Amazon that wouldn’t be permitted on the shelves of big box stores because they had been deemed unsafe or were outright banned by federal regulators.
Warning Wire
Will Diseased Lungs and Underweight Babies be Pictured on U.S. Cigarette Packs?
Food and Drug Administration for the second time proposes a series of graphic warning labels for cigarette packs and advertising, but could face another legal challenge from the tobacco industry
Warning Wire
The Bottle Blues: Coca-Cola Parts Ways With Plastics Group Over Differing Agendas, PepsiCo Plans To Follow
Big soda companies, pressured to reduce plastic use, back away from lobbying firm tied to group opposing bag bans.
Warning Wire
EPA Bypassed Ethics Rules in Picks for Science Panels, Government Watchdog Finds
New members of EPA science advisory panels, including some with industry ties, were not not properly screened for ethical conflicts, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Warning Wire
Beverage Industry Talks a Good Game on Recycling, But Thwarts a Proven Remedy
The beverage industry trumpets its efforts at sustainability. Coca Cola, for example, has set a goal of making a full half of its packaging from recycled material by 2030. Yet, the industry repeatedly has blocked a key tool in increasing recycling rates: the bottle bill.
Warning Wire
Dialing Down the Hype on Driverless Cars
Driver-assistance technology is becoming more common. Major carmakers have pledged to make automated emergency braking standard on all vehicles by 2022, for example. But technical barriers, plus the general unease of consumers, make full automation a farther reach, despite what Elon Musk may say.
Warning Wire
Novel Approach to Resolving Tsunami of Opioid Lawsuits
Lawyers presented a federal judge in Ohio with a proposal that would allow every town, city or county in the country to receive a payment from the companies that have made and sold prescription opioids. Local governments opting in to the settlement would get money to help address the public health crisis stemming from opioid abuse.
Environment
Golf, Pesticides and a Father’s Death
The death of filmmaker Andrew Nisker's father, Harold, of cancer in 2014 led him on a search for truth about golf courses and pesticide use.
Consumer Protection
Safety Agency Probes Data Breach Amid Complaints About Muzzling of Hazard Information
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has directed people to destroy information it says it inadvertently gave them, but some have refused.
Consumer Protection
Spinning Blades, Broken Bodies and Danger by Design
A safety standard created by the lawn mower industry hasn't stopped riding mowers from backing over and seriously injuring small children.