Check to see if any of your items are included

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a slate of product recalls covering a wide range of consumer items due to fire, burn, and injury hazards. Consumers are urged to check their products and follow the manufacturers guidance to prevent serious risks.

VIVI E-Bike Batteries Recalled Over Fire Hazard

Hazard: Certain 36-volt lithium-ion batteries included with VIVI brand e-bikes can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.

Scope: About 24,000 batteries are affected, sold between December 2020 and November 2023 through online retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Wayfair.

Incidents: 14 reports of overheating, including three fires; no injuries reported.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the affected batteries and contact VIVI for a free replacement battery and charger. Proof of hazardous waste disposal is required.

Contact: viviebikes.com/pages/recall or 800-375-6103.

Babyletto Kiwi Recliners Recalled for Overheating USB Modules

Hazard: USB charging ports embedded in the armrests of certain Babyletto Kiwi Electronic Recliners can overheat and spark.

Scope: About 9,030 units sold between May 2023 and February 2025.

Incidents: 37 overheating incidents reported; one minor injury. No fires or property damage.

Remedy: Babyletto is offering a free repair kit with instructions.

Contact: babylettorecall.com or 866-621-9483.

iStore Wireless Power Banks Pose Fire Risk

Hazard: iStore Magnetic Wireless Power Banks (Model IST-09991/W05) can overheat and ignite while charging.

Scope: Approximately 8,520 units in the U.S. and another 6,400 in Canada sold from February 2023 to May 2025.

Incidents: Three overheating/explosion reports, including one minor burn and property damage totaling $15,000.

Remedy: Consumers should submit photographic proof and dispose of the unit per hazardous waste regulations. Refunds will be issued.

Contact: istore.co/pages/battery-recall or 800-268-4049.

CasaClean Steamers Recalled for Burn Risk

Hazard: CasaClean handheld steamers can spew hot water or steam, risking serious burns.

Scope: About 23,000 units sold via HSN from November 2024 through April 2025.

Incidents: 26 reports, including 13 burns.

Remedy: Consumers must cut the steamer's power cord and submit proof to receive a refund.

Contact: thedeale.com/pages/casaclean-safety-recall or 877-880-6137.

Primark Highlighters Violate Federal Chemical Standards

Hazard: Primarks DTR Stitch Scented Highlighters contain phthalates, a toxic chemical banned in childrens products.

Scope: About 2,600 four-packs sold in select U.S. stores between May 2024 and May 2025.

Remedy: Return to a Primark store for a full refund.

Contact: primark.com/recall or 617-946-3236.

Traveller Truck Ramps Pose Fall Hazard

Hazard: Traveller-brand aluminum loading ramps may break under rated loads, risking falls and injury.

Scope: About 18,000 units sold from October 2024 through July 2025.

Incidents: 35 reports of ramps bending or breaking, including two injury cases.

Remedy: Refunds are available via return or submission of a photo marked Recalled.

Contact: tractorsupply.com or 877-718-6750.

Safety Reminder

Consumers are strongly advised not to dispose of recalled lithium-ion batteries in general trash or curbside recycling bins. These must be taken to a household hazardous waste (HHW) facility or handled in accordance with local disposal guidance.

To stay up to date, visit the CPSC recalls portal regularly.

The student loan company was accused of violating consumer protection laws

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Earnest Operations LLC agrees to pay $2.5 million and reform lending practices.

• Massachusetts AG alleges AI-driven loan decisions harmed Black, Hispanic, and non-citizen applicants.

• Settlement mandates compliance measures and bans discriminatory algorithmic rules.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has secured a $2.5 million settlement with Earnest Operations LLC, a Delaware-based student loan company, over allegations that its lending practices driven by artificial intelligence (AI) discriminated against marginalized borrowers and violated consumer protection and fair lending laws.

The settlement, filed in Suffolk County Superior Court as an assurance of discontinuance, addresses what the AGs office described as systemic failures in Earnests underwriting process, including the use of AI models that allegedly produced disparate impacts on Black, Hispanic, and non-citizen borrowers.

AI models under scrutiny

According to the Attorney Generals investigation, Earnest used algorithmic models to make critical decisions about loan eligibility, pricing, and terms. However, the company failed to test for discriminatory outcomes and relied on data inputs and training methods that introduced bias amplifying existing inequities in the lending process.

Earnests failure to comply with consumer protection and fair lending laws, including through its AI models, unfairly put historically marginalized student borrowers at risk of being denied loans or receiving unfavorable loan terms, AG Campbell said in a statement.

One key point of contention was the companys use of the federal Cohort Default Rate (CDR) a statistic reflecting average loan defaults at individual schools as an input variable in its algorithms. The AGs office said this disproportionately penalized applicants who attended minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities.

Other alleged violations

In addition to algorithmic bias, the AG alleged other unfair practices:

• Use of a Knockout Rule to automatically deny loans based on immigration status.

• Arbitrary human assessments that led to inconsistent and opaque decisions.

• Inaccurate adverse action notices that misinformed applicants about credit decisions.

• A lack of internal compliance infrastructure to oversee fair lending risks.

Earnest denied all allegations and maintained that it did not violate state or federal law. The company said it agreed to the settlement solely to resolve the matter without prolonged litigation.

Reforms mandated in settlement

Under the terms of the agreement, Earnest must:

• Pay $2.5 million to the state of Massachusetts.

• Cease use of the Cohort Default Rate and immigration-based Knockout Rule in its loan decision models.

• Establish a robust corporate governance structure to monitor AI use.

• Develop written policies for responsible, legally compliant AI deployment.

• Regularly report compliance metrics to the AGs office.

The settlement marks one of the first state-level enforcement actions targeting AI-related bias in financial services, setting a precedent for how regulators may respond to emerging technologies that impact consumer rights.

This case sends a strong message, Campbell said, that technology, no matter how advanced, cannot be used as an excuse to sidestep civil rights and consumer protections.

Research shows that small boosts in walking speed may improve fitness and preserve independence in older adults

• Older adults who walked just a bit faster improved their aerobic capacity and maintained function over time.

• The study suggests even modest increases in walking pace just 5% can make a difference.

• This approach may be safer and more sustainable than high-intensity workouts for older adults.
  

Walking may be one of the simplest ways to stay active but for older adults, a slight tweak in pace might unlock even greater benefits.

A new study led by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine suggests that modest increases in walking speed could help aging adults improve cardiovascular fitness, maintain functional independence, and potentially reduce health risks associated with aging.

"Physical activity has widespread, multisystem benefits, researcher David Conroy, Ph.D., said in a news release.

It increases longevity, reduces risk for many common chronic diseases such as many cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. It improves brain health, improves cognitive function, and reduces risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It enhances mental health by reducing anxiety and depression, improves bone health, and so on. The most noticeable short-term impacts typically involve feeling more pleasant and revitalized, sleeping better, and thinking more clearly."

The study

One of the biggest metrics the researchers were interested in evaluating was how walking speed affected frailty a medical condition in older adults that increases vulnerability to everyday stresses.

The researchers explained that the criteria for the study were as follows:

• Permanent residents in the retirement community

• 60 years of age

• Prefrail or frail according to the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe Frailty Instrument (SHARE-FI)

• Capable of walking at least 10 feet with moderate assistance (

For the study, participants in retirement communities were assigned to different walking groups a casual speed walking group and a high-intensity walking speed group.

Over the course of four months, the participants were involved in daily walking exercises with their groups. Over time, the participants picked up their pace; for the high-intensity group, that also meant incorporating some different exercises during their walks.

The participants all wore accelerometers during their walks to measure their speed and distance, and the researchers measured each participants baseline speed and overall function at the start of the study.

The results

Overall, the researchers learned that increasing walking speed was associated with better outcomes for the participants.

Perhaps most importantly, these health benefits didnt require a significant increase in speed or intensity. Increasing cadence by at least 14 steps per minute above their usual rate was associated with the best health outcomes.

Participants who were able to reach that benchmark were able to walk longer distances without complication and had improved functional capacity overall. By the end of the study, these participants were able to increase their walking speed by an average of 30 minutes on each walk.

People who havent experienced frailty can't imagine how big a difference it makes to be able to not get tired going to the grocery store or not need to sit down while they're out, researcher Dr. Daniel Rubin said in the news release.

New study links paternal history to higher buildup of Alzheimers-related tau protein

• Adults with a father who had Alzheimers showed greater tau buildup, a key marker of the disease.

• Women in the study had more widespread tau in their brains than men.

• Findings could help guide personalized prevention strategies before memory loss begins.

Weve all heard how having a parent with Alzheimers could bump up our own risk of developing the disease but what if it matters which parent?

A recent study by the American Academy of Neurology reveals something surprising: it might actually be your dads history, not your moms, that correlates more strongly with a specific Alzheimers marker in the brain. While previous research often pointed to maternal inheritance, this study flips the narrative, focusing on how tau protein not just memory decline might have its own family story.

We were surprised to see that people with a father with Alzheimers were more vulnerable to the spread of tau in the brain, as we had hypothesized that we would see more brain changes in people with affected mothers, study author Sylvia Villeneuve, Ph.D. said in a news release.

The study

Researchers tracked 243 cognitively healthy adults, all around 68 years old, who had at least one parent (or two siblings) with Alzheimers. Importantly, none of the participants had any thinking or memory issues when the study began.

They underwent brain scans and memory testing, then were followed for almost seven years. Over that time, 71 people developed mild cognitive impairment often seen as an early step toward Alzheimers.

The team measured two key protein markers in the brain: beta-amyloid and tau. Tau buildup is especially linked to Alzheimers disease.

The results

The researchers discovered a paternal pattern throughout the study.

Participants whose fathers had Alzheimers showed a greater spread of the tau protein in their brains. This was a surprising finding especially since the team expected maternal influence to be stronger.

Additionally, gender mattered too. Women in the study had a heavier tau buildup than men and were more likely to show widespread tau protein spread.

Its important to note that these findings are associations, not proof of direct cause. Additionally, the study participants were mostly white, so the findings may not apply equally across all races and ethnicities.

However, the researchers explained that these insights might help health care professionals design personalized interventions that protect those at higher risk before symptoms even surface.

Better understanding these vulnerabilities could help us design personalized interventions to help protect against Alzheimers disease, Dr. Villeneuve said.

Suit also alleges the site sells counterfeit products, including fake Louisville Slugger baseball caps

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Temu accused of illegal data collection, privacy violations, and counterfeit sales in Kentucky.

• Nachawati Law Group joins forces with Kentucky Attorney General in consumer protection lawsuit.

• State seeks civil penalties, restitution, and further relief in sweeping legal action.

The Chinese-owned shopping app Temu is under legal fire in Kentucky, facing a lawsuit that alleges serious breaches of consumer trust from harvesting private user data without consent to peddling counterfeit goods that undermine the states iconic brands.

The lawsuit, filed in Woodford Circuit Court, accuses Temu and its parent company, PDD Holdings Inc., of violating the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) and the states common law, by profiting through a range of unlawful and deceptive practices.

The case is being spearheaded by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman in collaboration with the Dallas-based Nachawati Law Group.

Exploiting users using bargain prices

Temu, which has become one of the most downloaded apps in the U.S. by offering deeply discounted consumer goods, is alleged to be doing much more than connecting buyers with inexpensive items. According to the lawsuit, the platform functions as a massive data-mining operation, collecting and exploiting personal user data without consent.

This app was designed to get data from the customers who use it, and the owners use it as a lure for that purpose, said Majed Nachawati, founder of Nachawati Law Group. The worst part is that these breaches of privacy are all being done without the customers knowledge or consent.

Allegations of fraud and counterfeiting

The complaint also outlines a series of alleged fraudulent practices, from misleading product listings and falsified customer reviews to unauthorized purchases made with consumer payment data.

Violation of customer privacy is just one concern with this app, said Brian McMath, trial attorney at Nachawati Law Group. It is a hub for consumer fraud from advertising items that look nothing like what eventually arrives, to faking customer reviews, to using consumer payment information to order items the customer never asked for.

Temu is also accused of profiting from the sale of counterfeit products, including fake Louisville Slugger baseball bats and imitation University of Louisville merchandise. The Kentucky AG's office argues these practices damage the state's economy and tarnish the reputation of its most trusted brands.

Kentucky seeks significant penalties

The state is seeking civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation of the KCPA, along with restitution for affected consumers and any further relief the court may grant. The case, titled Commonwealth of Kentucky vs. PDD Holdings Inc. et al., aims to hold Temu accountable for its alleged disregard of consumer protection laws.