Tainted, fake toothpaste found in Canadian stores
WASHINGTON – Counterfeit Colgate toothpaste has now turned up in Canada, where testing has found dangerous bacteria but not a poisonous chemical previously detected in four states, a health official said Saturday. In addition, store owners and police say they have discovered that the bogus Colgate was sold in Michigan and Virginia. The FDA warned earlier in June that fake Colgate distributed in Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania may contain a poisonous chemical called diethylene glycol, or DEG, that typically is used in antifreeze. That toothpaste was the subject of a June 13 recall by a New Jersey distributor.
Mississippi: Voting rights violations
A federal judge has ruled that a majority black county in eastern Mississippi violated whites’ voting rights in what prosecutors said was the first lawsuit to use the Voting Rights Act on behalf of whites. The U.S. District judge ruled late Friday that Noxubee County Democratic Party leader Ike Brown and the county Democratic Executive Committee “manipulated the political process in ways specifically intended and designed to impair and impede participation of white voters and to dilute their votes.”
Utah: Wildfire kills farmers
A fast-moving wildfire suddenly changed direction and burned through a hay field, killing a boy’s father and grandfather but allowing the youngster to escape, authorities said. A 63-year-old man and his 43-year-old son, who were working in the field, died there Friday afternoon, officials said. In addition, a 75-year-old man was flown to Salt Lake City and died overnight, Uintah County Sheriff Jeff Merrell said Saturday. The 11-year-old boy was treated at and released from a hospital in Roosevelt, according to a newspaper report.
California: Big fireworks arrest
A man was arrested after authorities found 2,500 pounds of illegal fireworks at his home, officials said Friday. George Stoner Carrera, 47, was arrested Thursday at his home in Los Angeles for investigation of possessing unlawful explosives, an arson investigator with the Alhambra Fire Department said. The fireworks included nearly 2,000 black powder-filled M-80 explosives, which are considered illegal explosive devices in California, he said. Investigators acting on a tip bought fireworks from Carrera, then obtained a search warrant for his home.
Mother aided in shooting, police say
A Palmdale mother faces firearms charges after she allegedly drove her son’s friends to a rival gang member’s house to take part in a shooting, authorities said. Michelle Wright, 37, pleaded not guilty Thursday to three counts of assault with a firearm and one count of shooting a firearm at a dwelling, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective said Friday. Wright reportedly told authorities she drove her son’s friends to do the shooting because she believed police were not doing enough to stop gang members from harassing her children.
Florida: New rules for strippers
Erotic dancers in adult bars in most parts of Daytona Beach are going to have to wear as much clothing as most people on the beach. A federal appeals court upheld municipal zoning and nudity ordinances on Thursday after the city and Lollipops Gentlemen’s Club made their cases before the court on March 23. Dancers at adult clubs that serve liquor are required to wear conservative bikinis. G-strings and pasties won’t be enough to meet that requirement, the court said. An attorney for Lollipops said they were prepared to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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