Miscellaneous

• President Signs Exemption Allowing Navy to Bypass Environmental Law

  Shannon Weidemann | January 23, 2008 9:05 AM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  A lawsuit was filed to stop the Navy from conducting high-power sonar exercises off the coast of California. Conservationists believe that the sonar can be harmful to fish and marine animals. An injuction has stopped the Navy from performing high-power exercises within 12 miles of the coast. President Bush signed an exemption last week to allow the Navy to bypass the environmental law. A...

• Allstate Punished in Florida

  Jeanie Oliver | January 22, 2008 6:56 PM | 0 CommentsBentonville , AR

  Wow, Allstate has been hit hard in another state. Florida has decided that the company will not be allowed to sell new auto policies in the state until the company complies with court-issued subpoenas to bring forth documents. These documents cover 59 areas concerning Allstate's policies on the way it sets its rates. Allstate has been commanded by law to bring forth this information. It has...

• Florida Suspends New Issuances of Insurance For Allstate

  Greg Webb | January 22, 2008 5:58 PM | 0 CommentsCharlottesville, VA

  Florida Insurance Commissioner, Kevin McCarty, announced he would be suspending Allstate Insurance companies from issuing any new insurance in his state. This decision comes after Allstate refused to obey subpoenas served to them on October 16, 2007 by the Office of Insurance Regulation. The subpoenas are trying to seek the disclosure of the McKinsey Documents, in which McKinsey & Co. detailed...

• Toys Recalled Due to Excessive Lead

  Susy Owen | January 22, 2008 4:48 PM | 0 CommentsSanta Clarita, CA

  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a product recall on Toy Wrestler Figures, which were manufactured by A.A. of America Inc., of East Brunswick, N.J.In all, 5,400 units are being recalled due to high levels of lead. The levels of lead in the paint violate U.S. federal standards. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported to date. " The recalled toy is a package of four...

• Votes for Hire

  Don Jacobs | January 22, 2008 12:39 PM | 0 CommentsVancouver, WA

  Politicians need money to get elected. Campaigns are expensive and getting more so. While candidates partake in hometown fundraisers such as coffees and neighborhood meetings, the real money comes from lobbying groups. Not that all politicians are necessarily beholden to who spends the most, but if their political survival is dependent upon obtaining big dollars to run a successful campaign,...

• Antidepressants and Big Pharma

  Dan Frith | January 22, 2008 9:30 AM | 0 CommentsRoanoke, VA

  Big Pharma is at it again! Do you or a family member take a doctor prescribed antidepressant? We are talking about Zoloft, Serzone, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Effexor, Celexa, Lexapro, and Prozac among others. It appears the pharmaceutical industry has been misleading not only consumers but also the doctors who prescribe these drugs!The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that the...

• Brain Injuries Go Undetected

  Brooks Schuelke | January 22, 2008 9:08 AM | 0 CommentsAustin, TX

  New York injury lawyer Michael Kaplan reported in his blog last week on a new study from the Army that up to 20 percent of the troops returning from combat have undiagnosed brain injuries. As a result, the Army is alerting returning troops about the symptoms of brain injury and encouraging those with symptoms to get treatment.But undiagnosed brain injuries are not unique to the Army. According...

• Tobacco Litigation Heating Up In Tampa

  Brenda Fulmer | January 22, 2008 9:08 AM | 0 CommentsPinellas, FL

  The deadline for former members of the Engle class action to file lawsuits against tobacco manufacturers passed ealirer this month. While the exact tally won't be known for several weeks, it is estimated that more than 5,000 smokers and their surviving family members have filed individual lawsuits across the state. In July of 2006, the Florida Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the...

• CAFFEINE CAUSED MISCARRIAGES

  Lauren Ellerman | January 21, 2008 3:11 PM | 0 CommentsRoanoke, VA

  Caffeine Increases Risk of Miscarriage, Study Finds Its all over the news - I suggest a quick glance at the Washington Post Article - "Caffeine consumption by pregnant women can significantly increase the risk of miscarriage, according to new research. The study, involving more than 1,000 pregnant California women, provides the most convincing evidence to date of such a link, the researchers...

• U.S. Insurance Companies Profit From Overpricing and Underpaying

  Tim Smith | January 21, 2008 1:52 PM | 0 CommentsGrand Rapids, MI

  The Consumer Federation of America recently reported that the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry systematically overcharges policy holders and underpays on claims. Robert Hunter, the Consumer Federation's Director of Insurance, reported at a news conference that the reason why insurance companies nationwide have secured record high profits is due to the fact that they have been...