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As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, is warning consumers along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico about deadly hazards that often emerge after major storms, including carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators, fires, gas leaks, and electric shock. “Hurricanes and severe storms can turn deadly long after…

As with many things in the federal government these days under President Trump’s second administration, there are big changes in student loan programs. On July 4, 2025, the so called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA, was signed into law, resulting in changes to federal student aid programs. Some of these changes went into effect immediately, while others will go into effect in 2026 and…

The Federal Trade Commission is getting reports about a new phishing scam that looks a lot like the CAPTCHA requests you might be used to seeing. Real CAPTCHAs give you image- or text-based tasks to prove you’re not a robot – something like typing letters and numbers exactly as they appear, or matching pictures of things such as fire hydrants or traffic lights. Here’s how the fake CAPTCHA…

An investigation of eight controversial additives in 40 widely consumed packaged food products in the United States shows that a quarter of the products tested contained additive levels, in a single serving, that exceeded daily safety levels identified by U.S. or European public health agencies. When measured against levels of concern identified in peer-reviewed scientific research, nearly…

Plastic is everywhere – in kitchens, bathrooms, closets, and landfills. The average American produces about 287 pounds of plastic waste per year, which is about 860 pounds annually for a household of three, according to Earth.org, an environmental organization. Because the domestic recycling rate is about 5 percent to 6 percent, most of this plastic accumulates in landfills or the natural…

When my new plumbing company came and said my hot water tank couldn’t be drained because it was old and draining it might ruin it, I said the estimate of $4,000 for a new one was too much. They’d sent me a large postcard in the mail offering money off on a hot water tank draining, so I called them to see about. However, when the plumber came a couple of weeks ago and said $860 for a new faucet…

Homeaglow, home cleaning platform, and its two founders have agreed to a settlement with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, which requires them to stop the deceptive practices uncovered by investigators.Homeaglow, which also does business as Dazzling Cleaning, had been enticing consumers with a $19 cleaning fee, but that deal roped Washington consumers into hundreds of dollars in…

Photo by Merve Çetin on Pexels.com Recently, I wrote an article on the problems with carrying a heavy purse. Another thing to consider is whether it’s a bad idea, from a safety point of view, to be carrying around some of the things you have in your purse or wallet. The FBI offers these suggestions: Blank checks Carrying blank or used checks is a problem. One stolen check gives a thief your…

Vive Health is recalling 122,000 bed rails. When the bed rails are attached to a bed, users can become entrapped in the bed rail or between the bed rail and the side of the mattress. It’s a serious entrapment hazard and risk of death by asphyxiation. Vive Health has received two reports of entrapment deaths with one model of the recalled bed rails. The deaths occurred in September 2024 and…

A U.S. district court in California has temporarily halted a mortgage assistance relief operation, which claims it can help people under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. The National Amendment Assistance, or NAA, allegedly misled consumers into paying unlawful upfront fees in exchange for guarantees of lower mortgage rates and monthly payments that never…

In the past, I’ve written it’s not a good idea to let pets sleep with you because a study found E.coli, a bacteria that can cause illness, on the pillows, sheets, and blankets. At the end of the article I said, “Fecal matter on your pillow. Yuck.” However, the problem can be much worse than that. Examples of serious illnesses that can occur when pets sleep with people, according to an article…

Is buying pet insurance a good idea? Some policies don’t work well for pet owners. Some pets need coverage more than others. Other policies have high deductibles. And pet insurance can be costly. However, pet owners may want to consider buying insurance because veterinary service costs continue to rise. They increased by 7.9 percent between 2023 and 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor…

State attorneys general are taking on antitrust enforcement work as the federal government continues to withdraw from corporate oversight.For years, states have partnered with the federal government to take on some of the biggest corporate mergers in American history. The U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, antitrust division has lost key leadership and career attorneys and federal priorities…

Washington state, where I live, has the second best economy in the United States, according to an analysis by WalletHub, a personal finance website. Massachusetts is No. 1. “A strong state economy doesn’t guarantee success for the state’s residents, but it certainly makes financial success more attainable,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “Factors like a low unemployment rate and high average…

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1–4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for kids aged 5–14. Drowning can happen in seconds and is often silent. It can happen to anyone, any time there is access to water. This includes pools and lakes, and also smaller amounts of water such as bathtubs and water-filled buckets. Drowning is preventable. Follow these…

Three children died in hot cars over a period of 24 hours last week:  May 20, 2026: Fredericksburg, Va. – 2-month-old left by mother May 20/2026: Brookwood, Ala. – 1-year-old left by father May 19, 2026 Los Angeles, Calif. – 4-year-old left by a carpool driver Already this year, at least five children have died in hot cars nationwide. Kids and Car Safety, an advocacy organization, urges…

On Thursday, the National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, and 136 other stakeholders and groups sent a letter to congressional leaders calling on Congress to preserve an independent, bipartisan Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, and ensure the agency has the appropriate tools, resources, and personnel to carry out its lifesaving mission. “We strongly…