Consumers sue TrimSpa over "Misleading" ads

TrimSpa Inc. and spokesperson Anna Nicole Smith face a lawsuit accusing them of deceptive business practices in their marketing of a weight-loss pill, TrimSpaX32. Plaintiffs seek unspecified damages, restitution and an injunction that would prevent the company from making false claims. TrimSpa recently agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations of unsubstantiated weight-loss claims.

New Mexico faces lawsuit over same-sex retiree health benefits

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against NM seeking retirement health benefits for the domestic partners of all lesbian and gay state employees. The organization sued on behalf of three lesbian couples who claim NM violates the state constitution’s equality rights by denying full benefits to same-sex couples. Legislation is pending that would include the domestic partners of same-sex couples in retiree health benefits.

Oil drilling companies resolve bribery charges

The U.S. government will receive a $26 million settlement to drop foreign corruption charges against three oil drilling firms. The government accused the companies of bribing Nigerian officials for fast custom clearance, and at least one company settled similar accusations in 2004.

Nevada residents oppose bomb test

Residents living downwind from a NV test site fear that the government’s plan to test a conventional bomb in NV will stir up radioactive dust. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency expects the bomb to set off a mushroom cloud 4,500 feet in the air and release radiation equivalent to the amount released by a smoke detector. In a period of four decades, the government has detonated 952 bombs in NV, resulting in thousands of cases of radiation-related cancer.

Class action status granted in lawsuit against Wal-Mart

A federal appeals court approved a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart accusing the retailer of gender discrimination. Plaintiffs’ lawyers estimate that as many as 1.6 million current and former female employees may join in the class making it the largest group ever to sue for gender discrimination.

Heart-survey drug linked to higher death rate

A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that the drug Trasylol increased a patient’s risk of dying by almost 50 percent. The report estimated that 10,000 deaths worldwide could be avoided by preventing the use of Trasylol. The FDA approved the heart-surgery medicine in 1993 and added a warning about kidney failure to the product’s label last year.

Newer contraceptives double risk of fatal blood clots

The Public Citizen’s Health Research Group reported that "third generation" birth-control pills containing synthetic progestin have an increased risk of blood clots and do not prevent pregnancy any more effectively than older contraceptives do. According to the group’s director, the FDA has been aware of the risks since 1995. The group filed a petition with the FDA to ban these contraceptives.

Samsung settles claims of price-fixing

Samsung Electronics Co. will pay a $90 million settlement to resolve claims that the company added billions of dollars to the cost of computer chips by fixing their prices. Forty-one states sued Samsung and seven other companies for overcharging consumers and state governments. Consumers will be reimbursed $80 million while the remainder will go to states and localities.