News & Events

For media inquiries and other press-related questions, please contact the NAAG Press Center at (202) 326-6027.

Press Room

State News Headlines

August 10, 2007

The following headlines are compiled as an internal service for state Attorney General offices only. This list is not exhaustive and is a snapshot of news from around the country compiled through the use of various search engines.

U.S. Distributor Recalls 255,000 Chinese Tires

A New Jersey tire distributor yesterday recalled 255,000 defective Chinese tires as concerns grow over the safety of Chinese goods. Foreign Tire Sales of Union, N.J., said the tires lack a safety feature called a "gum strip," a wedge of rubber that fits between steel belts in tires to make them more durable. Full Article

Help eliminate tobacco ads from magazines

Every year, 24,900 youths in New York state become new smokers. The tobacco industry spends more than $516 million targeting New Yorkers each year to market its addictive and deadly products. To help protect youths, the National Association of Attorneys General reached an agreement with Time Inc. and Newsweek Inc. to eliminate tobacco advertising from People, Time, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek magazines that are delivered to schools in our communities. Full Article

Criminal fine laws to be reviewed

Massachusetts legislators plan to review the state's criminal penalties next month, including the law that allowed for only a $1,000 fine against a Big Dig contractor charged in the death of a Jamaica Plain woman. The state's attorney general said Wednesday that the fine for involuntary manslaughter "does not appear to come close" to redressing crimes allegedly committed by New York-based Powers Fasteners. Investigators have accused the epoxy suppliler of failing to warn construction contractors about the dangers of using one version of its glue to secure ceiling bolts, causing ceiling panels in the Interstate 90 connector tunnel to collapse last year. Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty, cochairman of the Judiciary Committee, said yesterday that the $1,000 fee, which has remain unchanged since 1920, is one of several hundred criminal penalties that might be considered for adjustment when a legislative working group convenes after Labor Day. O'Flaherty, Democrat of Chelsea, said that while some citizens might be upset over the small fine the company could face if convicted, lawmakers should take care as they examine all such penalties. Full Article

Smoking declines as taxes increase

As Congress weighs the biggest federal cigarette tax hike in history, a USA TODAY analysis finds that higher state taxes on smokers have produced sharp declines in consumption. The amount of decline in smoking is directly tied to the size of the tax increase, the analysis shows. Cigarette sales fell 18% in North Carolina last year after the tax was raised in two steps to 35 cents from a nickel. The tobacco-growing state resisted higher cigarette taxes until 2005. Full Article

Education Dept. Seeks Early Compliance on Loan Rules

Criticized for lax oversight of student loans, the federal Education Department is asking universities and lenders to abide voluntarily by its proposed rules banning certain marketing practices by loan companies, before the rules take effect next year. The department’s move was announced yesterday by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings in a conference call with reporters. Ms. Spellings also said the department could not enforce the rules before their effective date, once the federal regulatory review process was complete. In a letter sent yesterday to lenders and universities, she wrote, “I urge you to act now to assure students and parents that we have their best interests at heart in providing competitive student loans.” Ms. Spellings also outlined other steps she said the department was taking to step up its oversight of the student loan industry. One is holding a meeting with representatives of other federal agencies — including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Treasury Department and the Federal Trade Commission — that play a role in regulating private student loans, those that are not guaranteed by the federal government. Full Article

Leslie R. Kershaw
Communications Assistant
Office: (202) 326-6027
Fax: (202) 408-8061
Email: lnelson@naag.org

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