Forums: Lead Generation

The California attorney general is asking Target Corp. to pull its Valentine's Day "Message Bears" from store shelves over concerns that they have illegal levels of lead. In a letter sent to the company Monday, Attorney General Jerry Brown said testing of the holiday toys revealed lead levels that violate federal law. The products were identified as two of Target's "Message Bears" -- one a pink stuffed bear with "XOXO" across the chest and the other a brown stuffed bear with "I Love U" across the chest, with "love" represented by a heart. Investigators from the Center for Environmental Health,...

HELENA — Rob Domenech and his research associates didn’t know what they were looking for when they started testing the blood of golden eagles along Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front three years ago. What they found was lead. In some cases, lots of it. “This was kind of a shock to us,” he said in an interview from his Missoula office. “We never considered it.” Domenech, executive director of Raptor View Research Institute, was one of hundreds of people to send comments to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission in what has become a controversial proposal to ban lead shot...

BAGHDAD – Task Force Nassir, a four-phase training course here designed to enhance the combat and leadership skills of Iraqi Federal Police, is now taught exclusively by Iraqi instructors. According to 1st Lt. Ilyas Renwick, a platoon leader with 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, transitioning to "Iraqis teaching Iraqis" was always meant to be the end state of TF Nassir, which was originally taught by U.S. Soldiers. He said he is impressed at how smooth the process has been for them. "The instructors have been great," Renwick said. "We're always here to provide...

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 19, 2010 – Two men donned flak jackets and Kevlar helmets here Jan. 15 -- one set coyote brown, the other forest green, each with an emblem of their nation. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Galen P. Hafner and Afghan National Army Staff Sgt. Gulwazir Harin pose for a photo before setting out on a patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Jan. 15, 2010. Marines and Afghan soldiers train, eat, work and fight alongside one another. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James W. Clark  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Stepping out of their tent and...

Extremely high, potentially unhealthy levels of lead dust have been found in the Allegheny County Health Department's dilapidated office building in Lawrenceville that houses the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The highest test reading of 337,000 micrograms per square foot was taken in August... Results of tests done Dec. 2 and 3 in Building One found lead dust levels of 32,800 micrograms per square foot on a windowsill in Room 305 and 10,900 micrograms per square foot on a windowsill in Room 309 -- both food safety division offices. The tests found 8,400 micrograms per square foot on a windowsill...

AMARAH – A U.S. Military Police Company here has worked with Iraqi Police in Maysan province for months to improve their ability to govern and provide security. The 57th Military Police Company conducts Key Leadership Engagements (KLE) with Iraqi Police leaders at Iraqi Security Force stations. The MPs visit the District Headquarters weekly to collect information on the area, establish training dates and assess the station's daily operations. "Training the Iraqis isn't always easy, but I'm still proud to have the opportunity to pass on my experiences to the people over here," said Dan Escudero, an international police advisor from...

A U.S. Army AH-64D Apache attack helicopter (left) flies alongside an Iraqi UH-1 Huey during a joint air mission over Baghdad between 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and the 2nd Squadron of the Iraqi Air Force, Oct. 21. Photo by Sgt. Travis Zielinski, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade. CAMP TAJI — In a display of strength and partnership, U.S. military aviators with the 1st Cavalry Division and the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) joined forces for an Iraqi-led helicopter mission over Baghdad, Oct. 21. The leadership of 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry...

SNIPPET: "After the 4 July DDoS attacks, wrongly attributed to North Korea, it’s wise to treat reports of DPRK security hacks with some caution. Nevertheless, The Korea Times reports the following: Classified Info on Dangerous Chemicals Hacked Hackers stole classified information on dangerous chemicals in their raid on the South Korean army computer network in what was believed to be an attack by North Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday, quoting government officials." SNIPPET: "The Sydney Morning Herald adds more information: A North Korea cyber warfare unit hacked into a South Korean military command earlier this year and stole some...

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a sham of a hearing today on the deleterious effects of the misguided Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The hearing is a sham because Chairman Henry A. Waxman, California Democrat, has refused multiple requests for testimony from small-business owners, consumers or anybody other than government officials. Instead, the sole witness will be new Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Moore Tenenbaum, who started her job less than three months ago. When the legislation at issue is creating havoc among those being regulated, it's hardly constructive to hear only...

If you're planning a garage sale or organizing a church bazaar, you'd best beware: You could be breaking a new federal law. As part of a campaign called Resale Roundup, the federal government is cracking down on the secondhand sales of dangerous and defective products. The initiative, which targets toys and other products for children, enforces a new provision that makes it a crime to resell anything that's been recalled by its manufacturer. "Those who resell recalled children's products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children's lives at risk," said Inez Tenenbaum, the recently confirmed chairwoman of...