skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Before You Hit the Stores: Check the Toy Gift List for Safety

play audio
Play

Friday, November 27, 2009   

PORTLAND, Maine - Almost 5 million toys have been recalled this year, and yet the dangers are still lurking on toy shelves in New England as holiday shoppers fill their carts this weekend. This year's "10 Worst Toys" report from World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) finds it has been an active year for toy recalls, with a lot of focus on lead and toxic risks.

Attorney James Swartz says the 2009 WATCH list mostly involves strangulation, choking and projectile hazards for toys - some of them sold as "appropriate for all ages."

"The 'rugged mini' on the list and the 'mini babies in the bathtub' - these are sold for babies. Their small parts hazards or puncture hazards aren't evident when you look at the toy."

A "Curious George" counting book, "X-Men" action figure and a Disney rocket launcher also made the "worst toys" list this year. Such familiar names on toy packaging can mislead consumers, who perceive those products to be safer, Swartz warns. In the past two years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recorded 10 deaths of children who choked on toy parts.

Some toy companies have responded to the listing with updated safety information; in previous years, listing of other toys has resulted in safety recalls. Swartz says he's encouraged by new policies being considered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that would give the agency more 'teeth' to go after companies selling dangerous toys.

"In the meantime, there is certainly a lot of repetition going on in terms of the types of hazards we're finding out on the shelves."

The full list of hazardous toys is available at http://toysafety.org/worstToyList_index.shtml. This is the 37th year the list has been compiled.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021