pileofcrapola

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens and defensive end Chris Canty have reached agreement on a 2-year deal less than three weeks after parting ways.

The Ravens terminated Canty’s contract on Feb. 27. But now he’s back in the fold.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome says, “We talked weeks ago about the possibility of Chris coming back, and we are happy he is.”

Canty was inactive for five games last season and had three games without a tackle. He finished with 33 tackles and a half-sack in 11 starts. Financial terms of his 2-year deal were not released.

The 32-year-old Canty played the last two seasons with the Ravens. In 26 games, including 24 starts, he had 63 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.

Canty played four years in Dallas and won a Super Bowl during a four-year run with the New York Giants.

___

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

The post Ravens agree to 2-year deal with Canty after cutting him appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — Needed: A name for the the 4-month-old bloodhound puppy working with the sheriff’s office in Carroll County, Maryland.

The female pup, once trained by the Maryland State Police, will be “tasked with searching for missing persons, criminals who have fled the police, prison escapees, and assist investigators in developing potential leads in criminal cases,” according the sheriff’s office.

If you think you have a great name for this crime-fighter, email it to ccsopuppycontest@gmail.com.

Include any history or story behind your suggestion.

The deadline is March 29, and a decision will be made no later than April 2, and will be announced through social media.

The post Needed: Name for bloodhound K-9 appeared first on WTOP.

Fredericksburg.com

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey unveils 'Legends' at Verizon and Patriot ... Fredericksburg.com When and where: March 19–22, Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.; April 8–19, Patriot Center, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax. Cost: $15 and up. Info: 202/628-3200, verizoncenter.com; 703/993-3000, patriotcenter.com. Posted: Thursday, March ... and more »

While 90 days might seem like enough time to decide whether or not those sheets really match your bedroom decor, Target seems to think you might want to think on it a bit longer than that: The company announced today that it will offer customers a one-year return window for select items.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Target has extended its return policy from 90 days to 365 days, creating one of the most liberal return policies for a major retailer.

“Our enhanced return policy offers our guests convenience we think they’ll appreciate, while providing additional assurance of the quality of owned and exclusive brands found only at Target,” Kathee Tesija, chief merchandising and supply chain officer, said in a statement.

The new return policy covers all of Target’s 32 private label brands including Archer Farms, Liz Lange, Merona, Mossimo, Threshold and Circo. The only Target-affiliated brand not covered by the policy is the company’s frequent collaborations with well-known designers.

Also covered under the extended policy are unopened items purchased for wedding, baby and college gift registries. The one-year clock for those items begins on the date of the event.

A spokesperson from Target tells the Star Tribune that the policy is also good for returns made because of quality issues, such as clothing that fades in the wash or rips at the seams.

Much like the current Target return policy, items must be accompanied by an original receipt. However, if a customer doesn’t have a receipt, the purchase can be verified if it was bought with a credit or debit card, gift card or check.

The extended return policy comes just a month after Target reduced its free shipping requirement to $25, undercutting other retailers such as Walmart and Amazon.

According to the Associated Press, the company’s new one-year plan also differentiates Target from rival retailers.

At Walmart, items bought in the store can be returned within 90 days, while online purchases have 90 days from the date received.

Amazon, on the other hand, gives consumers 30 days from the receipt of the shipment to return items. However, some products sold from third-party vendors have different requirements.

Target extends its return policy to one year on select items [Minneapolis Star Tribune]
Target to offer a one-year return policy [The Associated Press]

Two years ago, a LEGO Friends salon playset took one of the top dishonors in the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood’s annual “worst products” list. The organization called the set “so jam-packed with condescending stereotypes it would even make Barbie blush.” That spirit lives on in a LEGO Friends magazine spread that made parents angry and–if we’re to believe company representatives–is making LEGO rethink their marketing of the Friends sets. Sort of.

While that specific playset is no longer sold, there’s a new salon playset that has a cream-colored floor instead of a pink one, but is still a hair salon for plastic figurines that have plastic molded hair that can’t be styled. That set is part of a storyline featured in a recent insert in LEGO Club magazine (not every club member receives that insert: more on this later) where a character offers advice to full-size human girls about the best hairstyles for their faces. Some parents were offended at the idea of beauty tips in magazines aimed at girls as young as 5.

“My little girl, the shape of her face, and whether her haircut is flattering are none of Lego’s concern,” Sharon Holbrook wrote in the New York Times’ parenting blog. “It wasn’t even her concern until a toy magazine told her to start worrying about it.” Here are the offending beauty tips:

Maybe this page wouldn’t bother anyone if the mere existence of the LEGO Friends hadn’t been so controversial among some parents and observers since it launched. Most people were under the impression that LEGO was for everyone, and the company also used to emphasize this in its marketing materials. Why do girls need pre-written storylines and figurines shaped more like dolls for them to be interested in building things out of plastic bricks?

LEGO plans to take customer complaints into consideration when putting together future Friends inserts. In a statement sent to Mashable, a company representative said:

We appreciate the reader comments on the latest LEGO Club Magazine. Our Club team is always striving for new ways to engage with LEGO fans based on insights we gather from our Club audience. One particular thing that readers asked us to include was an ‘Advice Column.’ In the most recent magazine, we attempted to deliver against this request by elaborating on a current LEGO Friends story line. We sincerely regret any disappointment it may have caused. We value this feedback and have already shared with the LEGO Club team in order to positively impact future stories.

Maybe they could try an advice column about building stuff with LEGO bricks.

The company’s marketing when it comes to Friends content has actually improved in recent years: they used to offer standard and “for girls” versions of the club magazine, which later changed to occasional inserts with LEGO Friends content based on whether the child was identified as a boy or girl when they subscribed. After one parent with a son who likes pink bricks complained, parents can now choose whether to receive the Friends inserts or not, instead of lying about their kid’s gender to receive the insert.

Fairfax County Animal Watch Washington Post No incidents were reported by the Animal Control Division of the Fairfax County Police Department. For information, call 703-246-2253. FAIRFAX CITY. No incidents were reported by the animal control section of the Fairfax City Police Department. and more »

RT

Pentagon loses track of $500 million in weapons, equipment given to Yemen Washington Post The Pentagon is unable to account for more than $500 million in U.S. military aid given to Yemen, amid fears that the weaponry, aircraft and equipment is at risk of being seized by Iranian-backed rebels or al-Qaeda, according to U.S. officials. With ... Pentagon loses sight of $500 million in counterterrorism aid given to YemenReading Eagle Pentagon loses track of $500 million in military aid to Yemen, officials sayFox News all 17 news articles »

In the aftermath of revelations that fraudsters exploited TurboTax and had possibly filed bogus returns in many states, the Internal Revenue Service is contacting people linked to suspiciously filed returns, and asking them to verify their identity to find out if the return is real or not.

First of all — unless you get a letter from the IRS instructing you do so, there’s no need to verify your identity with the agency, the IRS says.

The IRS says taxpayers might receive a letter when the IRS prevents a suspicious tax return from going through that are flagged as possible identity theft, but do include a real person’s name and/or Social Security Number.

Should you receive a request in the form of Letter 5071C from the IRS, the agency says there are two ways, and two ways only, to verify your identity: You can either go to idverify.irs.gov and answer a series of questions, or call a toll-free number on the upper corner page of the letter.

The taxpayer should have their prior year tax return and current year tax return on hand, as well as supporting documents like Forms W-2 and 1099 and Schedules A and C. They’ll then confirm that they either did or did not file the return in question, and the IRS will proceed accordingly to assist them in the next steps against identity theft, or process their refund.

The IRS clarifies that it will not email or call taxpayers in this process, so beware if someone purporting to be from the agency does so.

Taxpayers Receiving Identity Verification Letter Should Use IDVerify.irs.gov [IRS.gov]

You may remember the fatal 2010 crash of a Megabus in Syracuse, NY, where the double-decker bus missed its turn and struck a low railroad overpass, killing four passengers. After four and a half years and multiple wrongful death lawsuits against the bus company, the aftermath of this accident became even sadder: the driver who crashed the bus has died.

John Tomaszewski was a construction worker who lost his business in the recession, and took a job driving the discount inter-city buses to support his wife and three small children. He didn’t thrive in the job, and his wife had urged him to quit before the accident.

After the accident, he struggled with guilt and never went back to work as a bus driver. He was charged with criminally negligent homicide in the county where the accident took place, and a judge (it was a bench trial without a jury) found him not guilty in 2012. Later that year, he suffered from a stroke. He lost his ability to speak or walk two years ago, and his health deteriorated since then.

Driver in Syracuse Megabus crash, whose wrong turn killed 4, has died [Post-Standard]

While many consumers who are short on cash between paychecks might seek help from the often predatory payday lending industry, more and more retirees are turning to their equivalent – pension advance lenders – when struggling to make ends meet, sometime with devastating results.

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning to people who depend on a pension to cover the cost of their day-to-day needs. These consumers are advised to be on the lookout for unscrupulous pension advance companies that are more focused on bringing in money than providing aid.

Similar to payday lenders, pension advances companies provide cash advances in exchange for a portion or all of a consumer’s future pension payment.

And just like typical payday loans, pension advances come with high interest rates and fees. The products are often targeted at government retirees and former servicemembers, despite the fact that it is illegal for lenders to take a military pension or veterans’ benefits under the Military Lending Act.

The CFPB reports that pension advance companies will often use patriotic-sounding names or logos and even claim they are endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a way of enticing potential customers.

As part of a consumer advisory the CFPB released a list of ways consumers can protect themselves and their pension for being exploited.

• Avoid loans with high fees and interest. Pension advance companies may not always advertise their fees and interest rates, but you will certainly feel them in your bottom line. Before you sign anything, learn what you are getting and how much you are giving up.

• Don’t sign over control of your benefits. Companies sometimes arrange for monthly payments to be automatically deposited in a newly created bank account so the company can withdraw payments, fees and interest charges from the account. This leaves you with little control.

• Don’t buy life insurance that you don’t want or need. Pension advance companies sometimes require consumers to sign up for life insurance with the company as the consumer’s beneficiary. If you sign up for life insurance with the pension advance company as your beneficiary, you could end up footing the bill, whether you know it or not.

Consumer advisory: 3 pension advance traps to avoid [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]

We’ve shared with you before the that both private companies and law enforcement are combining images of motorists’ license plates with geographic data about where those plates were spotted. Some states have passed laws limiting how long this data can stay in databases or banning its collection altogether, and Virginia has joined that list as of this month.

Private scanning systems are a particularly helpful tool for tow truck companies that repossess vehicles, since they can compare the vehicles right in front of them to a list of cars that have been reported delinquent or stolen. However, these scanners also collect plate and geographic data, uploading a record of which cars were in which location and when that can be stored indefinitely and accessed by private investigators, insurance companies, and law enforcement.

Interestingly, the bill that will go into effect in Virginia in July isn’t specifically about license plate scanners. It’s more broad, designed to prevent the retention of any kind of identifying data that could be picked up and stored. Scanners could also use facial recognition to keep track of when we walk down a street, or VINs. Chap Petersen, the Virginia state senator who wrote this bill, explained in an interview that he wanted to prevent tracking methods that we have haven’t even thought of yet. “[Law enforcement] shouldn’t just be able to use any tech that they want or to surveil people when they’re not subject to an investigation,” he told Ars Technica. “You can’t just do it because you feel like it, and that to me is very critical.”

Virginia passes shortest limit in US on keeping license plate reader data [Ars Technica]

It’s all very well and good if you want to play a game of grown-up hide-and-seek. However, IKEA would rather you didn’t play it inside their stores. The global megastore chain stopped planned games in their stores in the Netherlands. More than 32,000 people had signed up on Facebook for the biggest game at the store in Eindhoven, and now the organizers are looking for a different spot to hold the game.

There were 19,000 people signed up to potentially take part in a game in Amsterdam, and 12,000 signed up for a game at the store in Utrecht. The stores canceled the fun event for safety reasons: even if only a few hundred people actually showed up, that would be some serious scampering around.

“We need to make sure people are safe in our stores,” an IKEA spokeswoman told Bloomberg News, “and that’s hard to do if we don’t even know where they are.” The game in Belgium that inspired this one included participants hiding under beds and in refrigerators.

“Ikea is like an extremely large living room,” said the organizer of the original event in Belgium that inspired the imitators in the Netherlands.

Ikea Stamps Out Hide-and-Seek Games in Dutch Furniture Stores [Bloomberg Business]

This is a sponsored post by veterinarian Elizabeth Arguelles of Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne Plaza.

Whether you have been a cat parent for years or are just introducing a new kitty to your home, it is worth taking a few minutes to make sure your house is a safe and secure environment for its feline inhabitants.

Household cleaners, beauty products, some plants and flowers, and even certain foods — all of which are found in most homes — can be dangerous or even fatal to cats if ingested. Fortunately, a little foresight and prevention can go a long way toward keeping your kitty away from potential dangers.

Here are some ways to “cat-proof” your house and make sure your furry feline stays happy and healthy:

Common household supplies and both over-the-counter and prescription medicines need to be stored in such a way that your cat can’t get into them. If you drop any pills on the floor, pick them up immediately. Store your medications in a cupboard or cabinet, because childproof containers are not necessarily “chew-proof!” Putting childproof latches on those doors will also keep your cat from investigating, chewing or even licking anything dangerous.

Many household plants and flowers are toxic to cats, with lilies being the most dangerous. Avoid bringing lilies of any kind into your home because even a small amount ingested can be fatal. Even though other plants and flowers are less toxic, some varieties can still cause vomiting or diarrhea if your cat eats them. For this reason, it is best to keep any plants and flowers out of your kitty’s reach. Or better yet, replace them with cat-friendly plants like catnip or “cat grass.”

Keep breakable objects out your cat’s reach. As we all know, our kitties love exploring and jumping on tables, cabinets and bookshelves. They have been known to “accidentally” break some of the fragile items resting in those spots. Broken glass or ceramic can also pose a danger to the cat if it walks or chews on the fragments. If you’re not able to move stuff out of your feline friend’s way, there are ways to encourage it to jump elsewhere. For example, make sure your cat has a cat tree or shelving that they can walk on instead. Scratching posts and pads are other options for deterring your kitty from jumping on the furniture.

Unplug exposed electrical cords when you are not using them. Some cats love to chew on electrical cords, especially those attached to Christmas lights. This behavior can expose your kitty to a nasty shock. To avoid this, you can cover your cords with a protector or coat them with a non-toxic spray from the pet store.

Make sure that drapery and blind cords remain out of reach. Cats love to play and bat around strings, but they can inadvertently strangle themselves if they wind the cord around its neck or choke on the plastic pull if they swallow it.

Always check refrigerators, freezers, dresser drawers, closets, washers and dryers before closing their doors. We all know how stealthy cats can be, and you might not notice your cat sneaking past you to find a quiet, dark place to sleep.

Keep the toilet lid down. Cats sometimes look for sources of water other than what’s in their water dish. In their quest to find new sources, they can end up venturing into the toilet. This could result in a very wet and unhappy cat.

These few easy little tweaks can help keep your cat happy and safe in your home.

If you have any questions or concerns about whether something is dangerous, please always consult your veterinarian. For more information please visit our Feline Health Library at: www.justcatsclinic.com.

The post Beyond Nine Lives: Catproofing Your Home appeared first on WTOP.

The University of Virginia Health System is eyeing a plan to create a Northern Virginia regional health system with Novant Health.

UVa. and Novant Health signed a nonbinding letter of intent and recently started discussions to create a joint operating company, officials from both organizations said. The arrangement would involve UVa. Culpeper Hospital and Novant’s Virginia operations in Haymarket and Manassas.

Under consideration is how Novant and UVa. could coordinate cancer care and increase access to UVa.’s subspecialty cancer care in Northern Virginia, officials said.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Novant first came to the Washington area when it acquired the 170-bed Prince William Hospital in 2009. Last March, Novant opened a 60-bed hospital in Haymarket, a four-story, 221,000-square-foot facility offering emergency care, surgery, cancer care, women’s and children’s services and critical care.

Novant Health has more than 1,200 physicians and more than 500 locations in four states. The UVa. Health System is an academic health system based in Charlottesville and has a 612-bed hospital, the UVa. School of Medicine and a Level I trauma center.

Officials say the joint operating company should created by June. Final details will be announced in July.

The post UVa. in discussions with Novant Health to create Northern Virginia regional health system appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — For the first time in nearly 70 years, a pair of bald eagles is nesting at the U.S. National Arboretum.

Staff first noticed the nest in January, in the arboretum’s azalea collection. Early on, they watched the pair make trips back and forth from the nest. Toward the end of the month, the eagles’ behavior changed — one would remain on the nest at all times while one went in search of food, according to a National Arboretum news release.

This behavior indicates the birds are incubating eggs.

The arboretum says they don’t know how many eggs have been laid, but bald eagles usually lay between one and three. It takes 35 days, on average, for the eggs to hatch. That means hatchlings could appear any time.

In order to protect the young family, the National Arboretum has closed off the area within about 660 feet of the nest until mid-June. The National Arboretum says people, noise and distractions in the vicinity of nesting eagles can cause the birds to abandon their nest and eggs.

The thousands of people who visit the National Arboretum’s blooming azaleas each year will have restricted access to the area. While a majority of the Azalea Collection will remain open to pedestrians, some pedestrian and automobile access will be limited and roads leading to the area will be closed.

The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America. They can live up to 30 years and they pair for life. They continue to lay eggs in the same nest — which can weigh up to 4,000 pounds — for many years, according to the National Arboretum.

In 1963, the bald eagle population had declined to only 417 nesting pairs, and it was feared they would go extinct. This decline was due to hunting, loss of habitat, decline of water quality and the introduction of chemicals such as DDT. It’s estimated there were between 100,000 and 500,000 bald eagles in the United States in the 18th century.

Through conservation efforts, the bald eagle population has begun to recover and it’s estimated there are 11,000 breeding pairs today.

Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list, but they remain a protected species and it’s illegal to kill, sell or otherwise disturb the birds or their nests.

Before a decadeslong drought of eagles nest activity in the District, the last sustained nest site location was on the grounds of the National Arboretum as late as 1946. One of the paths on the grounds coincidentally is named Eagle Nest Road NE.

WTOP’s Kristi King contributed to this story.

The post Bald eagles nesting at the National Arboretum (Photos) appeared first on WTOP.

In the latest entry into the somewhat puzzling “Smell Like The Thing You Love The Most” product category, an “old book” scent is joining previous odd fragrance notables Bitcoin and pizza.

Yes, yes, we know — every time you walk into a library or used bookstore, you just looooove the smell of old books. I’m right there with you, I mean I love getting nose-deep in an old copy of Crime and Punishment, but I can’t say I want to tingle the olfactory organs of friends and strangers alike with the scent.

But because there’s probably someone out there who will want to buy it, a company called Sweet Tea Apothecary (via New York Magazine) has mixed up a concoction it calls “Dead Writers” to fool your nose into thinking you’re a musty old book, just waiting to be whiffed.

At $80 for one-ounce, the unisex fragrance is an oil perfume that “evokes the feeling of sitting in an old library chair paging through yellowed copies of Hemingway, Shakespeare, Fitzgerald, Poe, and more,” the company’s site says.

More specifically, it “contains black tea, vetiver, clove, musk, vanilla, heliotrope, and tobacco.” It’s part of a fragrance lined inspired by historic figures and places — you can also smell like Marie Antoinette (pre-guillotine, probably) and Henry VIII (pre-gout/wife-executing, hopefully).

Again, love those old books. Not quite sure if I’d love smelling like one.

Now You Can Smell Like an Old Book [New York Magazine]

I scream. You scream. You know what happens next — we all scream… for ice cream. And on Monday, all that screaming will be greeted with free cones at Dairy Queen as part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebration.

Customers can pick up a free five-ounce vanilla soft-serve cone all day on Monday, March 16, at participating Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill locations throughout the United States.

Much like other restaurants’ food giveaways, these aren’t free cones just in the name of feeding hungry customers — DQ locations are promoting free cone day to fuel donations to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, with participating stores accepting donations.

All donations collected will stay in the communities where they’re raised to support the local kids at CMN Hospitals.

When a customer’s chargeback scheme left one PayPal customer down $1,500 and without the pricey headphones that they had sold, the person who sold the headphones was understandably upset. It’s wrong to rip anyone off, but they’re an individual seller rather than a faceless corporation. PayPal reduced the amount that this person owed to $700, but that was still $700 more than they really owed anyone. What’s a consumer to do? In this case, post to Reddit.

That doesn’t really solve anything for other consumers, but it does prove that making the front page of Reddit has mystical powers that can prod immovable entities like PayPal’s fraud department into action.

The scheme is very simple:

1. Order an expensive thing.
2. Tell your bank that you didn’t order that thing by filing an identity theft claim.
3. The charges are reversed, and you get your money back.
4. You also get to keep the expensive thing that you ordered. Woo-hoo!

From the victim’s point of view, of course, it isn’t nearly as simple. Reddit poster 24bits explained how an identity theft complaint from a customer can cost $1,500–even if that customer never bothers to file a police report.

I was put into negative -$1,414. Paypal took this out of my account without permission, without notification and did not let me contest it. It was automatic. As soon as his bank called Paypal, they deducted $1,414 out of my account and never notified me of any of it.

Sure, the seller filed a police report, but that doesn’t matter to PayPal. Meanwhile, 24bits claims that filing a Better Business Bureau report knocked the balance owed down to $700. Being required to pay half as much money that you never really owed in the first place is an improvement, we suppose, but not by much.

Eventually, having a post on the front page of Reddit ended with PayPal making contact and forgiving the entire balance. That’s awesome for this one user, but what about the rest of us? Short of getting that much attention on your issue, how can you prevent similar problems?

We don’t know how to do that with PayPal, especially after an executive reshuffle following its divorce from eBay. We contacted PayPal to ask what people who have problems with the payment service that don’t achieve Internet infamy should do. We’ll let you know what they say if and when they do.

I see your PSN problem, I raise you my case where I got scammed with a Paypal charge back and forced to repay $1,414.00 or be banned forever. [PayPal]

While running a successful meth lab isn’t easy even under the best circumstances — and this is coming entirely from watching Breaking Bad, obviously — keeping an active operation going in a Walmart bathroom doesn’t seem like a guarantee for success. To that end, police say they’ve discovered an active meth lab, hidden inside a backpack, abandoned in an Indiana Walmart’s bathroom.

After employees reported a suspicious backpack last night in the Walmart bathroom and alerted a local meth suppression team, state troopers were called in to investigate as well, reports WTHR.com.

Officials on the scene put on protective masks and suits to dismantle the lab and remove the chemicals. Both the men’s and women’s restrooms are now closed and will have to be thoroughly decontaminated, the health department says.

Instead of cooking meth in their home and potentially contaminating where they live or blowing up their own house, some meth cooks will apparently leave behind the explosive chemicals in public places and come back later pick up the meth when it’s done.

Often, notes WTHR, meth makers will dump their trash filled with drain cleaner bottles, over-the-counter medication blister packs, battery casings and bottles with white residue in them in alleys or vacant lots, making it dangerous for anyone who comes across them.

The Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Section is now reminding people to be aware that these traveling labs and their detritus contain chemicals that are toxic, flammable, corrosive, and acidic. They could combine and explode, or burn someone by coming into direct contact with skin, along with damaging internal organs if the fumes are breathed in.

Police are still looking for the owner of the abandoned backpack lab.

Meth lab found inside backpack in Muncie Walmart restroom [WTHR.com]

When you think of cartels and price fixing, what’s the first thing to come to mind? Probably drugs, oil, or electronics that fall off the back of a truck, but definitely not yogurt. Still, it was that very product that led to the bust of a French dairy product cartel after a U.S.-based company apparently crashed the colluding.

The Wall Street Journal reports that for nearly six years, the executives of 11 French dairy companies would secretly meet to fix the prices on fresh dairy products.

That ended today when the Autorité de la Concurrence – French antitrust regulators – ordered 10 of the companies to pay $205.2 million in fines for the anticompetitive practices employed between 2006 and 2012.

Authorities say the companies – the largest of which include Yoplait, Lactalis, Groupe Andros’s Novandie and Senoble – coordinated prices and price increases for private-label products like yogurt, milk-based desserts and fresh cream sold to large retailers in Europe.

The anticompetitive practices were carried out through secret meetings held in hotels and restaurant around Paris.

The only company not subject to the fine was Yoplait, which together with new part-owner General Mills denounced the anticompetitive practices, bringing them to the attention of regulators in 2011. As part of a clemency deal the company won’t face charges for its previous dealing with the cartel. Yoplait is also partly owned by French company, Sodiaal.

“When General Mills learned of these past practices, we brought the matter to the authority, cooperated fully, and put the practices to an end,” a spokesman for the company tells the WSJ. “General Mills has strict corporate policies for our operations, including antitrust compliance.”

Shortly after acquiring a stake in Yoplait in 2011, General Mills gave authorities a notebook full of the cartel’s arrangements and a secret cell phone containing the numbers of other cartel executives, both of which belonged to a former Yoplait executive.

Authorities say the cartel was particularly egregious because of the sheer size of the companies taking part. In all, the group represented more than 90% of France’s market for private-label dairy products, the WSJ reports.

French Dairy Product Cartel Busted After U.S. Company Blows Whistle [The Wall Street Journal]

ABC News

Secret Service Agents Crashed Right Through BOMB INVESTIGATION Daily Caller Apparently, while they were on their way to crashing into a barrier at the White House, two secret service agents also drove through an on-site bomb investigation. The two agents, one of whom is “second in command” of Obama's personal detail, may have ... CBS News: Obama Personally Knows Both Secret Service Agents Involved In ...CBS Local Fresh problems for Secret Service: Are leaders doing enough?MyFox Washington DC Secret Service Bros Drunk Drive Into White House Barricades. Party On!Wonkette (satire) (blog) Huffington Post -WNCT -NET Website all 195 news articles »

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Justin Forsett agreed to terms Thursday on a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, who keep their leading rusher from 2014 after losing several key free agents earlier in the week.

The 29-year-old Forsett is coming off the finest season of his seven-year career. Thrust into a starting role after the Ravens released Ray Rice, Forsett shed his journeyman label to run for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns.

His hope was that the Ravens, despite being burdened by the salary cap, could drum up enough money to provide him a multi-year deal at the right price.

“There were some points there where I was like, ‘It might be difficult to come back,'” Forsett said. “I’m just glad in the end it all worked out.”

Forsett started 14 games in 2014, doubling the amount of career starts he had coming into the season. He also had 40 carries in two playoff games, running for 169 yards, and was selected to his first Pro Bowl after replacing an injured Arian Foster.

Before last year, he totaled 1,692 yards rushing with Seattle, Indianapolis, Houston and Jacksonville.

The timing of his breakthrough year was perfect for the Ravens.

“Sometimes you have fortunate signings in this business and Justin was one of those,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement released by the team. “We were fortunate because he became such a vital part of our on-field success and quickly became a steadying influence in the locker room at an uneasy time for us. He gave us more than we anticipated. From what we expected, he gave us unprecedented production.”

Rice was initially suspended for two games by the NFL for domestic abuse. He was released by Baltimore after a video surfaced showing him hitting his now-wife in an elevator.

Bernard Pierce was expected to be the primary fill-in for Rice, but Forsett ultimately got the job and finished with five 100-yard games, including a 182-yard, two-touchdown effort in New Orleans.

“Justin appreciated the Ravens giving him a shot,” said Forsett’s agent, Doug Hendrickson. “They opened the door for him and he ran through it. His goal was to stay and build on what he started.”

After bouncing around from one NFL city to another, Forsett has finally found a place to call home.

“I’m excited by the commitment,” the running back said. “I have a place for my family to be for a while.”

Earlier in the week, the Ravens’ tight salary cap led to the loss of free agent wide receiver Torrey Smith to San Francisco, linebacker Pernell McPhee to Chicago and tight end Owen Daniels to Denver. In addition, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor signed with Buffalo on Thursday, two days after Baltimore traded defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to Detroit.

Retaining Forsett eased some of the sting.

“He fits well into what we do on offense,” Newsome said. “Justin is a tremendous leader by example and willing to step up as both a leader and mentor. He is truly a success story, and we’re happy he’ll continue that with us. He earned his new contract.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Dover worked the crowd of lawmakers and reporters in front of Maryland’s Statehouse Thursday. He didn’t say much, but when he finally did speak, it echoed from the lawn of Lawyer’s Mall; a low rumble that built into a resounding bark.

Dover is an adopted beagle, and he was there with his older brother Scout, who was more interested in the treats on hand, as Sen. Michael Hough and Del. Glenn Glass talked to reporters about House Bill 418 and Senate Bill 267.

The twin bills would give anyone who adopts a cat or dog from a shelter a $100 tax credit.

“I’m a proponent of adoption of dogs and I think this tax credit would be a good thing,” Glass said.

Glass noted that Maryland has granted tax breaks to the film industry like the makers of Netflix’s “House of Cards.”

“If we can give tax credits to these film companies, why can’t we give tax credits to the citizens of Maryland? It’s our money anyway,” he said.

Glass has proposed similar legislation in the past.

Hough wouldn’t speculate on the chances of the bill passing this legislative session, but Scout and Dover seemed pretty optimistic. Dover’s tail never stopped wagging.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.

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Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a new column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

In our last column we discussed canine vaccines & lifestyles. This week we’ll give the cats their turn and with a brief run-down of feline vaccines and lifestyles:

Rabies – an incurable and nearly always fatal viral disease of mammals, Rabies is transmitted through saliva and targets the central nervous system. Because it is spread from animals to people, the public health implications have led to a legal requirement for vaccination of all cats and dogs in nearly every state.

FVRCP – Feline herpes/calicivirus/panleukopenia – This combination vaccine is considered “core” by the American Animal Hospital Association and is highly recommend for all cats:

• FVR – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis: an upper respiratory disease caused by feline herpes virus type 1. This, very common cause of respiratory disease in kittens and young cats, can result in chronic, even life-long, infections that may intermittently recur. It can also cause painful corneal (eye) erosions. It easily spreads by respiratory droplets.
• C – Calicivirus: another highly contagious viral infection that can cause ulcers on the eyes and in the mouth, upper respiratory symptoms, and even occasionally severe joint pain. This virus is particularly resistant to disinfectants so can be persistent in the environment.
• P – Panleukopenia is a highly contagious and severe infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Similar to the parvovirus in dogs, it is easily transmitted through feces and contact with infected animals or contaminated items. If a cat is infected while pregnant it can cause neurologic abnormalities in her kittens.

Feline Chlamydiosis: this bacterial disease causes conjunctivitis and upper respiratory symptoms. It is very contagious in young kittens, especially those in multi-cat environments (shelters, catteries, etc…) and can rarely be transmitted to humans by direct contact.

Feline Leukemia Virus: (FeLV) is a highly contagious virus transmitted via bodily fluids, and can cause wasting syndromes and cancer which ultimately lead to death. Cats that spend times outdoors are at highest risk because of the potential for contact with infected cats. Kittens are most susceptible.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: (FIV) is similar to HIV in humans, this virus leads to a deficient immune system and predisposes to secondary infections.  It is spread most commonly through bite wounds, so cats that spend time outdoors are at highest risk. Healthy cats living with an FIV-infected cat are at little risk so long as there is not inter-cat aggression/fighting. There is a vaccine against FIV, but concerns with its efficacy and ability to cause false positive test results, it is very infrequently recommended.

Most veterinarians aim to customize vaccine protocols based on each cat’s geographical location, age and sex, and individual lifestyle. Which class does your kitty fall into?

• “outdoor enthusiast” — spends a lot of time outdoors where he/she has frequent contact with other cats; lives in a multiple-cat household with frequent new additions/fosters; or contact with feral cat community
• “outdoor socialite” — spends some time outdoors; three or less cats in the house; occasional contact with unknown cats
• “indoor socialite” — multi-cat household; mostly indoors/confined outdoors, but has frequent contact with other cats (i.e. boarding/showing/mealtimes/litter boxes)
• “indoor elitist” — 1-2 cat household; occasionally escapes outdoors and may have contact with unknown cats
• “indoor window watcher” — strictly indoor; no contact with other cats (or only one other cat); no desire to escape outdoors

By taking all these factors into consideration, your veterinarian can work with you to develop the best individualized vaccine protocol for your cat.

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

The post Healthy Paws: What’s in a Name, Part Two appeared first on WTOP.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The security director for the Baltimore Ravens has pleaded not guilty to charges that he groped a stadium worker after a game.

Darren Sanders appeared in court in Baltimore on Thursday to enter the plea. Sanders is charged with second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense. The case stems from allegations that he grabbed the woman’s breasts and buttocks and kissed her without her permission while she escorted him to his car at the stadium in December.

Sanders denies the allegations.

An attorney for Sanders requested a jury trial, which has been scheduled for May 12.

Sanders had a role in the Ravens’ handling of a domestic violence case involving player Ray Rice after video surfaced showing Rice hitting his then-fiancee.

The post Ravens security chief pleads not guilty to groping charges appeared first on WTOP.

Several weeks after a lawsuit filed in California claimed that thousands of dogs became ill or died after eating Purina’s Beneful kibble, two senators are urging the Food & Drug Administration to open an investigation into the allegations.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, along with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter [PDF] to the FDA calling for the agency to quickly investigate claims that Purina PetCare Company’s Beneful brand dry dog food contains toxins.

The senators also called for immediate updates on the implementation of FDA requirements that could prevent such harmful contamination from occurring in pet foods.

In late February, it was revealed that a California man had filed a class action-seeking lawsuit against Purina saying the company’s dry dog food contains substances that are known to be toxic to animals and can lead to internal bleeding and other serious health issues for pets.

The man alleges that less than a month after beginning to exclusively feed his dogs Beneful dry kibble, all three became ill and his 8-year-old English Bulldog eventually died.

According to the lawsuit, illnesses experienced by thousands of dogs across the country were a result of toxins in Beneful such as, but not limited to, Propylene glycol and Mycotoxins.

Propylene glycol, the lawsuit states, is an automotive antifreeze component that is a known animal toxin. However, the substance is also an FDA-approved food additive for humans.

As for Mycotoxins, the lawsuit states they are a group of toxins produced by fungus that occurs in grains.

Representatives for Purina have said that the lawsuit was “without merit” and that the company would vigorously defend itself.

In their letter to the FDA, Durbin and Feinstein are asking for updates to the agency’s implementation of a 2007 law enacted to help prevent contaminated pet food from reaching animals.

Under the 2007 law, the FDA is required to ensure that pet food companies report to the agency within 24 hours of determining they have an adulterated product in their supply chain.

Additionally, the law requires the FDA to set ingredient and processing standards for pet food, strengthen labeling requirements, establish early warning systems for contaminated products and mandate that companies report contaminated food and make key records available during investigations.

“The components of the law that FDA has implemented are important to the public and veterinarians, namely the searchable online recall list posted on the agency’s website,” the letter states. “We appreciate that FDA has implemented an online database to inform consumers of pet food recalls. However, eight years later, most provisions of the pet food safety law have not been implemented and protections Congress enacted are not in place.”

Even though millions of Americans are on the federal Do Not Call list to limit unwanted telemarketing calls, and even though it’s illegal for anyone to make a commercial prerecorded robocall to a consumer who hasn’t given their express consent to receive such calls, the problem persists and is getting worse, with no cure-all solution in the offing.

During a panel discussion on robocalling this morning at the Consumer Federation of America’s Consumer Assembly in D.C., the Federal Trade Commission’s Lois Greisman explained that the number of telemarketing complaints has been “skyrocketing” in recent years, with the FTC receiving anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 complaints per month, with robocalls responsible for around 60% of those complaints.

“If this were a disease, it would be an epidemic,” noted panel moderator Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection for the CFA.

Our Consumers Union colleague Delara Derakhshani pointed out that many robocalls go beyond mere annoyances, with the callers pitching questionable products and services.

The technological developments that have brought down the cost of making a phone call for consumers has had the unfortunate effect of lowering the bar for entry into telemarketing, said Greisman.

Kevin Rupy of phone industry trade group USTelecom echoed that sentiment, saying that while the connection of the Internet to the phone networks has allowed for great telecom competition through VoIP services, it’s also made it much easier for robocallers to flood your phone with unwanted calls.

And the ability of telemarketers to easily spoof caller ID information to hide their phone number makes it difficult for regulators and law enforcement to track down the source.

Kristi Thompson of the FCC explained that it can take her anywhere from five to ten subpoenas to trace a single robocall back to its origin — and that’s only if the information is still there. With AT&T alone processing 3 billion phone records each day, phone service providers can’t be expected to hold on to all their records indefinitely. Thompson says that if she hits a point in the subpoena daisy chain where the data has been deleted, “I’m sunk.”

Putting aside technological reasons for the continued growth of these annoying calls, Aaron Foss, whose Nomorobo call-blocking service won the FTC’s first robocall-related competition, summed up robocallers’ real motive.

“The reason robocalls are still made is because they work,” explained Foss. “They’re getting money. They’re usually scams, taking advantage of older people.”

Could the telecom industry do more to keep robocalls from reaching consumers?

Rupy pointed out that there are options for consumers, like Verizon’s Do Not Disturb feature that allows you to block all incoming calls except for certain whitelisted numbers.

But as Foss noted, this sort of service may prevent you from receiving legitimate calls that aren’t on that list, and wanted to know why it’s being left to consumers to solve this issue.

“The onus right now is on the consumer to navigate these complex problems,” added Derakhshani. “The options are limited in their capability to block calls and they cost money. Consumers are being forced to pay for tools to block calls they shouldn’t be receiving in the first place.”

Rupy countered that the problem with widespread deployment of a robocall-blocking technology is that too many legitimate calls would get flagged incorrectly.

He pointed to one study showing that 2% of blacklisted numbers are actually false positives. Applied to that 3 billion AT&T calls per day, you’re looking at 60 million erroneously blocked calls each day.

“I’m not knocking on the solutions,” explained Rupy, “I’m saying we need to take a multi-pronged approach. There have to be numerous tools in the basket.”

He said that the telecom industry is working on ways to make caller ID more secure so that consumers can be certain the number that pops up is accurate. However, caller ID spoofing is not illegal and has legitimate uses — for example, victims of abuse trying to hide their identity — that prevent the government from outlawing it outright.

Prince William County crime report Washington Post These were among incidents reported by Prince William County police. For information, call 703-792-7245. DUMFRIES AREA. ASSAULT. Taconic Cir., 16300 block, 8:42 p.m. March 1. During an argument, a man strangled a female acquaintance. WEAPONS. and more »

Offering a perk is only valuable to the company if it’s getting something in return in exchange, and for General Motors, it seems the car maker isn’t convinced that its free maintenance program and warranty is worth the effort. As such, GM is cutting the length of its warranty and pulling back on its free maintenance offers, saying those perks don’t sway people to choose one brand of vehicle over another.

Instead of GM’s five-year or 100,000-mile powertrain coverage on Chevrolet and GMC vehicles, the company will now offer either five years or 60,000 models starting with 2016 models, reports the Wall Street Journal.

GM’s two-year free maintenance program including oil changes and tire rotations on the house will now be limited to two service visits instead of four, with changes going into effect for 2016 model year Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles.

“We talked to our customers and learned that free scheduled maintenance and warranty coverage don’t rank high as a reason to purchase a vehicle among buyers of nonluxury brands,” the company said in a statement. “We will reinvest the savings we will realize into other retail programs that our customers have told us they value more than these.”

GM to Curtail Warranty, Free Maintenance Offers [The Wall Street Journal]

Police in Akron, OH have been dealing with a messy issue since 2012, and it’s one they just can’t seem to wipe away: Cops say a mysterious serial pooper/bowel movement bandit has made area cars his own personal dumping ground, hitting up as many as 19 vehicles in the last three years. But now, police have his face on camera.

While it might be easier to look away when faced with such a gross activity, a brave resident was able to stay focused and snap a photo of the poopetrator in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, reports NewsNet 5.

The resident had set up a camera after having her car hit by the feces villain for the seventh time, all while her car was parked in the driveway. She caught the suspect in action, and police are now using his photo to try and bust him for going in public.

Another man said his car has been hit six times, with fecal matter spread all over his vehicle in at least one instance.

If he’s caught, the suspect could face misdemeanor criminal mischief or criminal damaging charges. So far none of the victims have recognized the man caught on camera, but Akron Police say they’ve gotten about a dozen tips so far.

Stay vigilant, citizens. Even if it’s worse to watch the crime in action, you could be saving others from a stinky fate.

Akron Police searching for someone who pooped on 19 parked cars [NewsNet5]