U.S.A.'s interesting latest

eBars Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Allergens eBars LLC of Franklin, Tenn. is issuing a voluntary recall on its line of products that may contain undeclared peanut and/or almond allergens. The “Use By” dates showing between June 21, 2017 through July 18, 2018 including: MAN, WOMAN, TRIM Cocoa Raspberry, TRIM Cocoa Almond, RUN Cocoa Almond, RUN Cocoa Raspberry, FOCUS Chocolate Peanut, FOCUS 4 KIDS, GOLF Chocolate Almond, GOLF Cocoa Raspberry, HEAL Chocolate Peanut, FIT Organic Peanut Butter Chocolate Raspberry. No illnesses, reactions or events have been reported to date. Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Issues Voluntary Recalls for Darwin’s Brand Dog Foods Due To Contamination Salmonella And Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli O128 Darwin’s Natural Pet Products of Tukwila, Wash., a manufacturer of fresh raw meals for dogs, today announced it is voluntarily recalling a total of four lots of products after testing showed that some of the Chicken and Duck with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs may contain Salmonella, and the Turkey with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs sample may contain Salmonella and E. coli O128. These pathogens can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. Darwin’s Natural Pet Products are exclusively sold to customers through a subscription service. Customers who purchased the products have been notified of the recall directly by Darwin’s. Allergy Alert Issued in Select Northern California Whole Foods Market Stores for Undeclared Egg in Some Cookies Nine Whole Foods Market stores in Northern California are voluntarily recalling some decorated (iced) cookies from the self-service cookie displays because the products contained egg allergen that was not listed on the product sign. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. All affected products have been removed from store shelves. The affected cookies are iced in the shape of eggs, bunnies or chicks and were available unwrapped in the self-service bulk cookie displays. The products were sold on or before March 25th, 2018. One illness has been reported to date. Blue Ridge Beef Voluntarily Recalls BRB Complete Raw Pet Food Lot#GA0131 Because of Possible Contamination Blue Ridge Beef of Eatonton, GA, is voluntarily recalling lot#GA0131 of BRB Complete raw pet food because of the potential of contamination with Salmonellaand Listeria monocytogenes. The cause of the recall: This recall was initiated after samples collected and tested by the FDA showed positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. There has been no consumer or pet illnesses in association with this product. Blue Ridge Beef is voluntarily recalling this product lot as a commitment to consumer and pet health and safety. First Source Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Wegmans 9 Oz Yogurt Raisins First Source of Tonawanda, NY, is voluntarily recalling 9 OZ packages of Wegmans Yogurt Raisins, because the product may contain undeclared peanuts. People who have an allergy or sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life- threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The recalled retail packaged item is as follows: Wegmans Yogurt Raisin 9 OZ (255g), in a plastic tub, UPC: 0 77890 31832 4, with BEST BEFORE 01/05/19 These products were distributed at Wegmans Stores in the following states MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, and VA, The affected product was sold from January 16, 2018 to present. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date. Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen Issues Allergen Alert on Undeclared Seafood in Salad Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen Inc. of Albert Lea, MN is issuing a voluntary recall of the following items. The salads may contain undeclared traces of imitation crab meat. People who have allergies to fish or shell fish run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The recalled salad was shipped to retail and food service distributers in IL, IA, KS, MI, MN, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, and WI. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Mrs. Gerry’s takes the safety and quality of our products very seriously. Customers or consumers who have purchased any of these items are urged to discard the products or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Customer Service at Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen, Inc. at 1-800-642-9662. FTC Releases Reports on Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Sales and Marketing Expenditures for 2016 Cigarette sales declined while smokeless tobacco sales increased from 2015 levels The number of cigarettes that the largest cigarette companies in the United States sold to wholesalers and retailers nationwide declined from 244.2 billion in 2015 to 240.5 billion in 2016, according to the most recent Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report. The amount spent on cigarette advertising and promotion increased from $8.30 billion in 2015 to $8.71 billion in 2016, due mainly to an increase in spending on price discounts paid to cigarette retailers in order to reduce the price of cigarettes to consumers. Price discounts paid to cigarette retailers ($5.81 billion) and wholesalers ($1.44 billion) were the two largest expenditure categories in 2016. Combined spending on price discounts increased from $6.95 billion in 2015 to $7.25 billion in 2016, accounting for 83.2 percent of industry spending. According to the 2016 Smokeless Tobacco Report, smokeless tobacco sales increased from 129.4 million pounds in 2015 to 131.4 million pounds in 2016. The revenue from those sales also rose, from $3.68 billion in 2015 to $3.98 billion in 2016. Spending on advertising and promotion by the major manufacturers of smokeless tobacco products in the U.S. increased from $684.9 million in 2015 to $759.3 million in 2016. As with cigarettes, price discounts made up the two largest spending categories, with $382.3 million paid to retailers and $85.5 million paid to wholesalers. Combined spending on price discounts totaled $467.8 million – or 61.6 percent of all spending in 2016, up from the $428.9 million spent in 2015. The Commission has issued the Cigarette Report periodically since 1967 and the Smokeless Tobacco Report periodically since 1987. The Commission vote to issue the reports was 2-0. (The staff contact is Michael Ostheimer, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2699) What Is Covered Under Property Insurance?  Natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires can put your property at risk. Are you sure you're covered for these types of events? Standard homeowners insurance doesn't include some specific coverage, such as flood insurance and personal belonging protection. Knowing the different types of insurance and what they cover can be the most important thing you can do to protect your possessions.

Baseball History  Major League Baseball Opening Day is this Thursday, March 29th! Explore this great ebook from the National Archives on the history of this national pastime with your class in anticipation of a new baseball season.

Become a NOAA Planet Steward Engage with NOAA's Planet Stewards Education Project to build up your scientific literacy and join a community which is prepared to respond to environmental challenges. Visit to get more information on projects examples and apply to join this growing community!

Demonstrate the Earth's Water Supply There’s a lot of water on Earth, but it’s not all drinkable. Watch this helpful video with your students or demonstrate with simple supplies to show how much of Earth’s water is actually okay for you to consume. Follow with thoughtful discussion questions to teach about water sources and potential resource issues!