Articles Index - page 2
Flying with Guns, Knives, Outdoor Gear
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants to inform individuals who have flight plans for their next hunting or fishing trip that traveling with outdoor gear, guns and most camping items is permitted, but preparations should be made in advance to avoid packing prohibited items in carry-on or checked baggage.
Changing Your Address With Government Agencies
Changing your address has to be one of the biggest hassles of moving. Especially if you are receiving government benefit payments, it is vital that you notify the appropriate government agencies of your new address. Here is a handy list of resources to help make the job of changing your address as painless as possible.
USPS Working to Reconnect Katrina Victims With Their Mail
Hurricane Katrina stopped many things, including the delivery of mail to millions of postal customers in the devastated areas. While mail delivery is currently suspended to many areas, the Postal Service remains committed to making sure victims get their mail.
GAO Probes College Textbook Price Increases
A General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation has revealed that U.S. college textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation over the last 20 years, nearly tripling since 1968. Congress wanted to know (A.) why textbooks had become so expensive and (B.) why some U.S. textbooks sell outside the United States for lower prices. What did the GAO find out?
Bill Would Help Protect Against ID Theft
Since few things are more politically safe to hate, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators has proposed legislation designed to protect consumers from identity theft.
FDIC Says Online Banking Needs Tougher Security
As Internet-lurking identity thieves hone their dark skills, banks and financial institutions need to employ more advanced technology to protect the identity and information of online banking customers, according to a recently release study conducted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Head Start Produces Little Educational Value, HHS Finds
Criticism of the federal Head Start program as providing children with little more than a breakfast before school seems to be supported by a new Health and Human Services (HHS) study on the program's educational impacts.
Date Lonely Wife Spam Halted by Court
The "date lonely wife" email spam-scam, a violator of virtually every provision of the federal CAN-SPAM Act, has been halted by the courts at the request of the Federal Trade Commission.
Flood Insurance Myths and Facts
"People who live on top of the hill don't need flood insurance." Not true, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and just one of the many myths surrounding the agency's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). When it comes to flood insurance, not having the facts can literally cost you your life's savings. Owners of both homes and businesses need to know the flood insurance myths and facts.
Traffic Congestion Getting Worse, Researchers Report
Traffic congestion, already costing Americans $63.1 billion a year, is only getting worse, according to a new report from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). Factoring in today's rising fuel prices adds another $1.7 billion per year.
Postal Service Wants Your Comments
Think you know a way to make the U.S. mail work better? Great, because the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) wants to hear about it.
US Mint to Offer 24-Karat Gold Bullion and Proof Coins
Investors and coin collectors alike should take note that the United States Mint has announced it will begin making and selling 24-karat (99.99% pure gold) uncirculated gold bullion investment coins in early 2006. Collector quality proof coins will be made available later in the year.
Truth About Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry
If you’ve received an e-mail telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database, rest assured that this is not the case.
GAO Finds Ongoing Head Start Mismanagement
Apparently, the seemingly bogus citations being issued to Head Start programs are just the tip of a much more serious iceberg of ongoing mismanagement and financial irregularity within the federal preschool program for poor children.
'Bogus' Violation Reports Plague Head Start Programs
Head Start programs across the nation are being found out of compliance with federal regulations under a wide range of citations called "subjective and even bizarre" by officials of the National Head Start Association (NHSA).
Soaring Gas Prices Will Not Reduce Demand
With the 2005 spring and summer travel season approaching, gasoline prices are high and getting higher, but far from high enough to stop Americans from filling up, according to a fuel economy specialist at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Virus Warning: Email From FBI Not Really From FBI
So you get an email from the FBI -- yes the Federal Bureau of Investigation -- that says the Bureau's Internet Fraud Complaint Center has been "monitoring" your internet use and found you have been visiting some "illegal" Web sites. Well, be warned! The email is not from the FBI and if you open the attached questionnaire, you'll get yourself a new computer virus.
Defective Firearms Greater Threat than Thought
Would you be surprised to learn that, unlike almost every other consumer product, firearms and ammunition manufactured in the U.S. are not subject to any federal health and consumer safety oversight? Fact is, no federal agency has the necessary authority to ensure that poorly made guns don't explode or unintentionally discharge when they are dropped or bumped.
Regulations Close Doors to Affordable Housing, HUD Finds
Excessive and often unnecessary regulatory barriers are closing the door to affordable housing for American working families, according to a massive report just release by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Amtrak Dying, Sec. Mineta Says
Amtrak “is dying and everyone knows it,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said during a news conference at Chicago’s Union Station. Mineta came to reaffirm President Bush’s commitment to reform of the nation’s passenger rail system a week after the Administration unveiled a budget that proposed an end to taxpayer subsidies for the current Amtrak system.
Work at Home Scams: They Just Don't Pay Off
"Make big $$$ working from home. Earn $50 to $200 /hour in the comfort of your home!" You've seen the ads in newspapers, on flyers stapled to telephone poles, and on the Internet. They sound great. In fact, working at home has become more attractive than ever as stay-at-home moms, college students, and retirees look for new ways to earn extra money. But be wary of these offers, warn U.S. Postal Inspectors.
Power Interruptions Cost Nation $80 Billion Annually
Along with priceless levels of aggravation and inconvenience, electric power outages and blackouts cost America around $80 billion annually, according to a study conducted by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
FTC Releases Top Ten Consumer Complaint Categories
The Federal Trade Commission has released its annual report detailing consumer complaints about identity theft and listing the top 10 categories of fraud-related complaints filed with the FTC in 2004. For the fifth year in a row, identity theft topped the list of complaints, accounting for 39 percent of the 635,173 consumer fraud complaints filed with the agency last year.
DOT Warns of Super Bowl Airline Ticket Scams
Consumers are being warned of scams involving sales of airline tickets to the Feb. 6 Super Bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida. It seems that some less-than-honest folks are selling "discount" Super Bowl tour packages that include everything except -- tickets to the football game.
USPS to Offer 2005 Inaugural Keepsake Set
Presidential campaign memorabilia, patriotism and the history of Old Glory will be highlighted Jan. 20 as the Postal Service commemorates the 2005 Presidential Inauguration by issuing an Inaugural Keepsake Set.