Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.
Fidget spinners have been in the news a lot this year. From concerns that they could be a choking hazard to reports of some catching fire, it’s no wonder that the products have attracted the watchful eyes of a variety of different consumer protection groups. For example, one such group, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) recently “accused Target of selling fidget spinners that have far too much lead in them for children’s products, sparking an argument with the retailer over whom the gadgets are intended for.”
For weeks we’ve been reading and hearing about reports of sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood big-wigs, most notably, Harvey Weinstein. It would seem, however, that those allegations aren’t only limited to Hollywood. Even the restaurant industry is beginning to see an uptick in sexual misconduct and harassment allegations.
Two settlements have been reached regarding a lawsuit against Ceres that claimed “several police officers secretly video recorded two female civilian co-workers, and in one instance allegedly took video of one employee’s upper thigh and underpants while she was wearing a dress.” The two settlements total $400,000, and at the end of the day the city “admitted no liability in the settlements.”
A lawsuit against Yale University is expected to proceed, even after a U.S. district court judge tossed “out one of the seven counts leveled by a former employee who claimed racial discrimination and harassment by his supervisor.” U.S. District Judge Janet Hall decided to dismiss Leon McCalla’s “claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress” because
An important recall has been issued by Nestle Prepared Foods Company after it was discovered that an estimated “26,400 pounds of pork and beef products” were misbranded and contained undeclared allergens. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the recalled products contain “eggs, milk, soy, and wheat,” which are all known allergens, but “not declared on the product label.”
A lawsuit has been filed against medical device manufacturers in California. Why? Who filed it? Well, it turns out actor Chuck Norris filed the lawsuit, “alleging a chemical used in MRI imaging scans poisoned his wife,” Gena. According to Norris and the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court, Gadolinium that was injected into his wife “to improve the clarity of her MRIs have left her weak and tired and with debilitating bouts of pain and a burning sensation.”
When most people go to work, they do so with the expectation that they will be respected in the workplace. The last thing many plan on enduring is discrimination of any kind. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination is a far too common experience, and it can happen to anyone. Take Cindy Guthrie, for example. While on the clock as a state employee in Missouri, Guthrie experienced gender and age discrimination and filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri as a result. Fortunately for her, the lawsuit recently reached a $1.1 million settlement.
An urgent recall has been issued by Kidde, a fire safety manufacturer well known for its fire extinguishers. At the moment the recall includes about 38 million fire extinguishers “that can clog and fail to deploy,” according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). So far Kidde has received “reports of 16 injuries, from smoke inhalation to minor burns, and 91 cases of property damages associated with the defect.”
In August 2014, Marine Corps veteran Jason Simcakoski of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, passed away of a drug overdose during his stay at the VA medical center in Tomah, Wisconsin. Simcakoski’s family filed a lawsuit against the government shortly after his death, and just last week it settled for $2.3 million. But what happened to lead to the overdose? Was the VA medical center responsible for the death?
A $9 million settlement has been reached between Pizza Hut and a young man, Jeremy Damery, in response to a lawsuit Damery filed against the popular pizza chain. The lawsuit itself was filed in relation to an August 2009 accident where Damery, who was two days away from beginning firefighter-paramedic classes, was riding his motorcycle and was hit by a “Las Vegas Pizza Hut” delivery driver. The accident almost killed Damery and forced him to put his dream of attending firefighter-paramedic classes on hold.
