| November 20, 2004 | -
Congress passed a $388 billion spending bill. The bill had $15.8 billion worth of “extras,” including $25,000 for the study of mariachi music and $2 million to buy back the presidential yacht, sold by Jimmy Carter in 1977. The yacht, the U.S.S. Sequoia, currently rents for $2,500 an hour. The bill also allows hospitals and HMOs to refuse to provide abortions, and gave two committee chairmen and their assistants access to income tax returns, without regard to privacy laws. Republicans acknowledged the mistake of the latter provision, and vowed to repeal it.
| Source 1:
USA Today
Source 2:
USA Today
Source 3:
sequoiayacht.com
Source 4:
LA Times
Source 5:
AP
|
| November 1, 2004 | - A new study found that up to 21,000 people are injured every year from air rifles, paintball pistols, and BB guns.
| Source:
Associated Press
|
| July 8, 2004 | - One hundred fifty million pieces of toy jewelry were recalled because of high lead content.
| Source:
New York Times
|
| April 15, 2004 | -
Mattel and Tek Nek Toys International recalled thousands of Batman cars and trucks after dozens of children were hurt playing with them; one child died.
| Source:
New York Times
|
| December 17, 2003 | -
Saudi Arabia banned the importation of stuffed animals, female dolls, crucifixes, and statues of the Buddha.
| Source:
San Francisco Chronicle
|
| November 27, 2003 | - It was revealed that the Queen of England often eats cornflakes for breakfast out of a Tupperware container and that Prince Andrew loves to play jokes on the servants, especially by hiding a puppet called Monkey in a different place every day.
| Source:
New York Times
|
| November 26, 2003 | -
Israeli customs officials confiscated 400 singing and dancing Osama bin Laden
dolls as well as 50 that looked like Saddam Hussein.
| Source:
Reuters
|
| October 22, 2002 | -
Ikea recalled 57,000 teddy bears.
| |
| March 20, 2001 | - Burger King recalled 400,000 Rattling, Paddling Riverboat toys after they were determined to be a choking hazard; McDonald's recalled 234,000 toys last week for the same reason.
| |
