skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, July 11, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump heads to Texas after catastrophic flooding, avoiding criticism he's heaped on other governors; Trump threatens a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, and he may double what most other nations are charged; USDA funding pause could stall conservation momentum in MI, nation; New Ohio weapons plant to bring over 4,000 jobs; Report: Occupational segregation leads to pay gap for MA women.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

NOAA nominee says he supports cutting the agency's budget. Many question why Ukraine's weapons aid was paused. And farmers worry how the budget megabill will impact this year's Farm Bill.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural Americans brace for disproportionate impact of federal funding cuts to mental health, substance use programs, and new federal policies have farmers from Ohio to Minnesota struggling to grow healthier foods and create sustainable food production programs.

Experts: Parents should inspect toys for data privacy

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 26, 2023   

The "smart toy" market is now a more than $16 billion dollar industry and is expected to double by 2027, and this holiday season, experts are warning parents to check the check the safety and privacy features of toys children receive.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, said stuffed animals, baby dolls, racetracks and even board games may have features allowing them to record conversations and collect personal information and location data.

"They have microphones or cameras, or they connect to an app or they're Wi-Fi enabled or Bluetooth," Murray explained. "They have geolocators, which is a whole thing. So parents really need to ask a lot of questions when it comes to the smart toys."

This year the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice charged Amazon with violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule by deceiving parents and users of the Alexa voice-assistant service about its data-deletion practices. The company allegedly kept voice recordings of children and gathered geolocation data and used children's transcripts.

Congress passed tougher toy-safety regulations in 2008, triggering a spike in recalled toys suddenly no longer meeting safety standards. Murray noted while the number of unsafe toys has gradually decreased, parents should regularly inspect their children's toys.

"Especially if you're talking about a younger child," Murray urged. "Inspect that toy, make sure that none of the parts have come loose, nothing could come off that could endanger them or be a choking hazard."

While toy-related deaths and injuries treated in emergency rooms among children 14 and younger have declined, nationwide hospitals and doctor's offices still see more than 150,000 toy-related injuries a year.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
According to the Trump administration's 2026 fiscal year budget, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will cut 22% of its workforce, in addition to the workforce reductions that have already taken place. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Wisconsin's agriculture industry could see both wins and losses under the new federal budget. Climate change isn't a priority for the Trump …


Environment

play sound

Hoosier businesses across the state are feeling the ripple effects of rising tariffs and shifting trade policies, especially in farming, …

Social Issues

play sound

Some 15 community and faith-based organizations gathered again this week outside the Geo Group ICE detention facility in Aurora where longtime Denver …


Authors of the law may add enforcement language, such as fines for parents or involvement from the prosecutor's office, during the committee process. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Garrett Bergquist for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Serv…

Social Issues

play sound

More than 400 teen artists will gather this Saturday in Southern California to learn about equity in arts education. The 3rd annual Arts Advocacy Day …

A seed drill used by New Mexico farmers to plant cover crops causes minimal disturbance to the soil. (photo: courtesy NMhealthysoil.org)

Environment

play sound

New Mexico farmers finding it more difficult to grow historic crops are taking up conservation techniques to meet the challenge. Drought, water …

Environment

play sound

Despite last-minute concessions in the Trump administration's budget, which removes alternative energy tax incentives, rural Alaska power providers …

Environment

play sound

"Don't go into the water" is a warning Illinoisans may want to heed. A 2024 study released this week found all state-border beaches on Lake Michigan …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021