Summer is a time for enjoying the warm weather, having barbeques with family or friends, and spending time at the beach or pool. Unfortunately some products consumers use during these activities have been found to have unexpected risks, while others have been recalled. Consumers should be aware of the risks of the following potentially dangerous or defective products. Banzai Splash Pool Slide These inflatable slides meant for swimming pools may cause deadly injuries. Last month the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of 21,000 of the ...

The state of California requires that both parents provide financial support for their children. When required, the court decides the child support amount and which parent will pay. Both parents are required to fully disclose income and expenses so a support determination can be determined. The judge will use this information to determine a child support award and issue an order for support. Occasionally, modifications to existing orders may need to be made. Details of California Court of Appeals Ruling Although modifications are allowed, a California court of ...

The 2010 Toyota safety crisis revealed the full extent of the damage defective auto parts can do to the unsuspecting public. While automakers have generally been quicker to report vehicle safety problems in the two years that have elapsed since the massive Toyota recalls began, many in Washington feel that steeper civil penalties are needed to incentivize expedient disclosure of auto defects in an industry that contributes some $500 billion to the U.S. economy every year. $17 Million Max Fine Increased to $250 Million in Senate Bill Under current law, auto manufacturers ...

A Special Investigative Report by the National Transportation Safety Board calls for an increase in installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), in order to help prevent rear-end collisions. The report addresses both commercial trucks and passenger vehicle manufacturers, and it advises that they install ITS technology in their vehicles. The investigation has determined that various forms of ITS may prevent rear-end collisions by alerting drivers to slowed or stopped traffic ahead. The study was catalyzed by the massive number of deaths on the nation's highways ...

In May 2010, University of Virginia lacrosse star Yeardley Love was beaten to death by her one-time boyfriend and Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely. Apparently jealous over Yeardley's relationship with another man, Huguely had sent her a threatening e-mail just one week before killing her in her own bedroom. Despite Huguely's threats, Yeardley would not have been eligible for a protective order against him based on Virginia law at the time. Broadly, a protective order is one issued by a judge that may prohibit someone from threatening, hurting or contacting another ...

Struggling with debt and falling behind on bills is very common during these tough economic times. Unfortunately, creditors have many tools to use against you if you do not make timely payments. First, they will likely report delinquencies to at least one credit bureau. This will likely have a negative impact on your credit score and make getting additional financial assistance even more difficult. Next, a creditor may seek a judgment and a court order to remove payments directly from your wages or bank accounts. This process is referred to as garnishment. Wage Garnishment Garnishment ...

Prompt action in the aftermath of a car accident or truck accident is important for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, personal injury victims often need compensation as soon as possible to help them avoid the financial distress caused by medical bills, lost income and other damages. Just as important, when disputes as to liability or the extent of medical harm arise, an injury victim wants to compile evidence in support of his or her case as soon as possible. Nonetheless, whether they were not immediately aware of a medical problem or did not fully understand ...

Some media outlets recently focused attention on a simple statistical relationship. Nevada, with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, also has the highest divorce rate of any state. One in every 313 Nevada housing units is in foreclosure, and 5.9 people per 1,000 got divorced in the most recent year for which statistics were available. The relationship between these two significant events makes plenty of common sense. The financial difficulties that come with dividing marital assets and taking on separate residences can put a serious strain on a family ...

The highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of social media giant Facebook has raised serious questions about the information offered to investors prior to the initial securities offering. Investors have filed a class action suit against Facebook, Morgan Stanley and other underwriting banks. Two Congressional committees have also requested briefings to evaluate whether the underwriters, the professionals who help a company with the requirements of the IPO, misled retail investors about Facebook's revenue projections. The Securities Act and the Facebook IPO The ...

New Jersey is the corporate home of many chemical and pharmaceutical giants, including Dow Chemical, DuPont and Merck Pharmaceuticals. The Chemistry Council of New Jersey -- a chemical industry trade and labor group -- has dozens of member companies in the chemical, petroleum, fragrance, and pharmaceutical industries that contribute to the state economy. While the member companies of the CCNJ directly contribute tens of thousands of much-needed jobs to the New Jersey economy, employees who encounter potentially hazardous chemicals in their jobs could be at risk for occupational ...

Online video calling services and social media sites have greatly increased Americans' connectivity to family, friends and colleagues. While most find these services a convenient way to keep in touch, for non-custodial parents that live in a different state than their children, video calling and social media are essential tools for staying connected to their kids and maintaining strong parent-child relationships. This type of communication is known as virtual visitation, and awarding such visitation is an increasingly popular child custody stipulation. What Is Virtual ...

When a family must select a nursing home for an elderly or dependent loved one, they are often preoccupied with the details and might not pause to think of the institution's reputation for medication mistakes or other examples of negligent residential care. As important as financial considerations and other realities are, nursing home choices should also be based on several other important factors. A few common sense steps can help those who must select residential care for a parent or other loved one: - Ask staff about accommodations for special needs and coordination ...

A recent email came as quite a surprise to many Sprint users: It informed customers that their data plans, as of June 2012, would be capped at 5 gigabytes (GB). The unilateral change by Sprint appears to have affected users who have a mobile Hotspot or a Phone as Modem data package. It is unclear whether the company has similar plans to limit cellphone data plans to 5 GB. The unlimited data package used to set Sprint apart from its mobile carrier competitors such as Verizon and AT&T, which had stopped offering unlimited data plans for phones and tablets. It seems ...

Whether they are involved in estate planning or dealing with the recent death of a loved one, people often seek answers about the duties of executors under Florida law. In the most general sense, executors carry out the intent of a will. In Florida, the legal term for an executor is "personal representative." Chapter 733 of Florida Statutes designates the duties and powers of personal representatives. The range of legal responsibilities includes commencing the probate process, reviewing the extent of the assets of the deceased, collecting on debts that were ...

Pedestrians who like to both send and receive text messages while walking down New York City streets are bound to suffer more serious injuries than others when a wayward vehicle or cyclist veers into their paths. Yet even smart pedestrians who keep their eyes fixed on the sidewalks and streets in front of them still face many risks. Far too many events can suddenly unfold, distracting even the best drivers from driving defensively. The following material summarizes some of the key risks NYC pedestrians face from both negligent drivers and cyclists. Surprising ...

The National Trust has launched a GBP1.2 million fundraising appeal in a bid to secure the long-term future of the world famous White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The appeal is the charity's biggest ever coastal fundraiser and will help ensure that public access to the White Cliffs can be improved for future generations to enjoy. It will also mean that this much-loved stretch of Kent coastline can be cared for in a way that will improve its habitat for local wildlife. If the appeal is successful, the most iconic stretch of the White Cliffs - the 1.35km (just under ...

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites N-Atlanta Perimeter Mall Hotel offers nearby lodging to guests visiting LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta. Located at Phipps Plaza, LEGOLAND in Atlanta is the world's biggest box of LEGO bricks. Attractions include: - LEGO 4D Cinema - LEGO Factory - Kingdom Quest and Merlin's Apprentice rides - LEGO Racers: Build & Test - LEGO Master Builder Academy - DUPLO Village - The LEGOLAND Shop LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta also offers Birthday Rooms, Cafe, and more. Tickets can be purchased through LEGOLAND Discovery Center ...

Europe's tallest building, 'The Shard' in London, which stands at 310 metres (1,016ft), will be officially inaugurated by HRH The Duke of York, KG, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar on Thursday 5th July, and members of the public can enjoy a spectacular laser and lightshow set to live music at 10.15pm. Those wanting to see the stunning light show, which features 12 lasers and 30 searchlights, linking The Shard to London landmarks including the London Eye and Tower Bridge are ...

MARK SYSTEMS, the residential construction industry's leading provider of single-data base ERP software, has once again been recognized as one of the Constructech 50 most influential construction technology providers. Receiving the designation for the fourth year in a row, this continues a string of awards for MARK SYSTEMS' industry leading ERP software that includes multiple "Top Product" and "Vision" awards dating back to 2008. "It's very rewarding to have our products and performance recognized outside of our custom base," said Mark Finelli, ...

Los Gatos Research (LGR), the leader in precision trace gas analyzers, today announced that it has expanded the lower speed (up to 1 Hz) trace gas analyzer line to include as many as nine different Ultraportable trace gas analyzers with various combinations available in ten different products. This year's R&D 100 Award winning analyzer for NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) joins a series of 1 Hz analyzers that measure the same trace gases as the high speed analyzers and are used for applications ranging from natural gas leak detection to soil trace gas flux to landfill gas monitoring. ...

The American Institute of Physics' Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (JRSE) has published a special issue on emerging energy trends in China. Eight selected papers present modeling and policy analysis of the diffusion of new energy technologies in the rapidly developing country. Two of the papers, one examining bioenergy consumption and one studying the economics of cooking fuel, are summarized below. Researchers Explore Bioenergy Utilization in China With China the largest growing economy in the world, scientists and policymakers alike are keenly interested ...

One of the most economically devastating diseases in the world for those who raise cows, sheep, pigs, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed animals is foot and mouth Disease (FMD). This incredibly contagious and fast-spreading disease causes fever, blisters on the feet and mouth (hence the name), loss of appetite, drooling, and lameness. Most herds affected are culled, as in the case of the 2001 outbreak in Great Britain when over 10 million animals had to be destroyed. Traditional vaccines for FMD typically have three problems: first, there are so many different strains ...

Some coral reef fish may be better prepared to cope with rising CO2 in the world's oceans – thanks to their parents. Researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) today reported in the journal Nature Climate Change, encouraging new findings that some fish may be less vulnerable to high CO2 and an acidifying ocean than previously feared. "There has been a lot of concern around the world about recent findings that baby fish are highly vulnerable to small increases in acidity, as more CO2 released by human activities dissolves into the oceans," ...

Deerfield, Il (July 3, 2012) A pair of provocative studies in the July 2012 issue of The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (AJTMH) provides a window into the intense ground war now underway against malaria. In one review, researchers offer new evidence supporting indoor insecticide spraying as a way to dramatically reduce malaria deaths. In another study, scientists in Mali simultaneously affirm the effectiveness of a critical drug to treat malaria infection in the West African malaria "hot zone" amidst concerns that it may follow the path of its predecessors ...

An increased risk of bladder cancer is linked to the use of pioglitazone, a medication commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/press/cmaj112102.pdf People with type 2 diabetes are at risk of several types of cancer, including a 40% increased risk of bladder cancer, compared to people without diabetes. Previous studies have shown a higher incidence of bladder cancer in people taking pioglitazone, a type of thiazolidinedione. To determine whether ...