Free Republic

Procter & Gamble issued a voluntary recall last Friday of nearly three dozen aerosol hair products, including dry shampoos and dry conditioners, due to the potential presence of benzene, a cancer-causing agent. The affected brands include Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, and Waterless produced in the United States. The company also recalled certain Old Spice and Secret aerosol spray antiperspirants and Old Spice "Below Deck" spray products last month due to the presence of benzene. Upon closer examination, they found "unexpected levels" of benzene in the rest of its aerosol products. "Following recent reports that indicated traces of benzene in some...

Allison, a mother from Chicago, told the New York Post that as she sees her grocery bill keep rising, her family is starting to feel the pinch. “There are no more splurges like going to Home Depot to buy an extra plant or eating out,” Allison said. Many Americans are in the same position as Allison. Inflation is growing worse across the U.S., and now producers are warning their consumers that this is a problem that will not be going away soon. Procter & Gamble, for example, announced that many of its prices will rise in the coming weeks since...

Procter & Gamble Earnings: P&G posted its highest quarterly sales growth in more than a decade, though its results were marred by an $8 billion charge the company took to write down the value of its Gillette razor business.

WASHINGTON — Toll lanes around the Capital Beltway and I-270 in Maryland could be built in several separate phases and even operated by different companies under the latest plans released to industry insiders. It indicates Beltway construction could last for years. The first phase would include fixes for the Legion Bridge.A new document sent last week ahead of the next forum for private companies that could design, build and operate the lanes said that while Maryland eventually plans more than 70 miles of toll lanes from Frederick to Bethesda and from the Legion Bridge to near Oxon Hill, building out...

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s proposal to add toll lanes to three of the most congested highways in the Washington suburbs reaches beyond similar proposals that stalled over the years after being deemed too expensive or disruptive to adjacent communities. Hogan’s $9 billion plan would add four toll lanes each to Maryland’s portion of the Capital Beltway (I-495) and to I-270 from the Beltway to Frederick. It would also widen the Baltimore-Washington Parkway by four toll lanes. The project would be built using a public-private partnership in what Hogan (R) has said would be the largest such deal for highways in...

Once upon a time, brothers-in-law William Procter and James Gamble sold candles and soap. Their 19th-century family business grew into the largest consumer goods conglomerate in the world -- launching the most recognizable brands on our grocery shelves, including Tide, Pampers, Crest, Nyquil and Old Spice. Now, Procter & Gamble want to conquer a new market: identity-politics pandering. Industry marketers aren't satisfied with selling useful products people want and need. They're hell-bent on transforming successful businesses into social justice busybodies. P&G's "My Black is Beautiful" campaign released a new video last week called, "The Talk." It "depicts the inevitable conversations...

This might be the most racist commercial any company has ever produced. A more than two-minute video produced by Procter & Gamble, the company that manufactures Cascade, Febreze, Mr. Clean, Tide, Swiffer, Downy and a plethora of products, shows various scenes of black parents talking with their children about racism. The ad, titled “The Talk,” shows scenes of black parents, spanning generations, telling their kids about how the system is stacked against them, how racist white people are and teaching them to fear the police.

Young Voices is a new project which exists to achieve greater media representation for promising college students and young professionals. Every week a different Advocate will comment on the stories which impact their lives. What do we do when we want advice? Sometimes, we choose to seek out a licensed professional. Other times, we simply rely first – and perhaps ultimately – on the recommendations of those around us. Every day, we give opinions and advice to friends, family members, neighbors, and colleagues on everything from parenting tips to home decorating to common health concerns. Furthermore, the Internet and its...

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily recalled specific lots of dry pet food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. These lots were distributed in the United States and represent roughly one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of annual production. No Salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date in association with these product lots. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy...

Reality appears to have finally arrived at Procter & Gamble, the world's largest marketer, whose $10 billion annual ad budget has hurt the company's margins. P&G said it would lay off 1,600 staffers, including marketers, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. More interestingly, CEO Robert McDonald finally seems to have woken up to the fact that he cannot keep increasing P&G's ad budget forever, regardless of what happens to its sales. He told Wall Street analysts that he would have to "moderate" his ad budget because Facebook and Google can be "more efficient" than the traditional media that usually eats...

When To Expect Price Hikes For Detergent, Dish Soap, Hand Soap, Pet Food, Metamucil, Paper Towels, And Diapers Joe Weisenthal Apr. 28, 2011, 8:02 PM We mentioned this morning how Proctor & Gamble earnings got squeezed thanks to rising commodity prices. The good news (for P&G shareholders) is that the company has a series of price hikes on the way. This is from the company's conference call, via Seeking Apha. A complete timeline for upcoming consumer price hikes: In early June, price increases will go into effect on laundry detergents, hand and auto dish washing products, Iams pet nutrition, Head...

Goodbye, "Guiding Light." Hello, YouTube. Procter & Gamble Co., whose sponsorship and production of daytime TV dramas helped coin the term "soap operas," has pulled the plug after 77 years. Instead, the maker of Tide detergent, Ivory soap and Olay skincare is following customers online with a big push on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. "The digital media has pretty much exploded," marketing chief Marc Pritchard said in an interview. "It's become integrated with how we operate, it's become part of the way we do marketing." The last P&G-produced soap opera, "As The World Turns," went off the air in September....

Is This The Chicago-Based Firm That Wrecked The Market On Thursday? Joe Weisenthal May. 9, 2010, 9:45 AM Image: Terra Nova Financial One persistent rumor is that the initial high-volume trades that caused the market to go haywire on Thursday, prompting the Crash of 2:45, originated somewhere in Chicago. TheStreet.com believes it has the name of the firm: The unusual trading action in Procter & Gamble stock believed to be at the center of the market's most volatile moments on Thursday is thought to have originated from Terra Nova Financial, a Chicago-based provider of prime brokerage and clearing services, a...

The Oprah Winfrey Network, the 50/50 joint venture between Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Inc. and Discovery Communications, announced last week it had secured a significant commitment from Procter & Gamble, the world's largest advertiser. P&G, the manufacturer of dozens of household name brands like Tide, Crest, Tampax and Pampers, committed to a deal reportedly worth more than $100 billion over three years. The agreement, which includes the purchase of time and integration into programming, is unprecedented in that Winfrey's network (OWN for short) will not be on the air until January 2011, does not yet have a full programming lineup and...

As anyone who listens to or watches the Glenn Beck radio and television show can attest, Glenn Beck says what he thinks. The constitutional watchdog, talk show host, and entertainer is a firm believer in the American people, our Republic and the principles on which our country was founded. About two weeks ago, in an impassioned statement designed to educate Americans about influences that may have shaped current healthcare reform legislation, the broadcaster connected the dots to make a bigger picture. His argument is if not strong, at least worth serious consideration and thought. Spurred by two proposed offices of...

TV.com CBS Interactive, Inc. 235 Second Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Main: 415-344-2000support@tv.comOn The Border Restaurants Brinker International 6820 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75240 (972) 980-9917 Contact at: http://www.ontheborder.com/contact/contact.asp Phone:1-800-983-4637Best Western Best Western International, Inc. Customer Relations Department Telephone: 1-800-528-1238 Fax: 623-780-6199 Email: customerservice@bestwestern.com Regular Mail: PO Box 10203 Phoenix, AZ 85064 Attn: Customer ServiceIntel – Website contact page: http://www.intel.com/feedback.htm?iid=ftr+contact Corporate Mailing Address 2200 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054-1549 USA (408) 765-8080CBSports.com – Contact page: http://www.cbssports.com/help/contactus/usersspeak Headquarters 2200 West Cypress Creek Road Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Phone: (954) 351-2120JohnFreida.com – Contact page: http://www.johnfrieda.com/event.asp?action=entry&EventCode=jfcontact Consumer Relations Dept Kao...

Tired of reading about America's retirement woes? Then I have an alternative for you: Watch a TV show about them. Heck, you don't even have to move to your TV -- you can watch it on your computer, from the comfort of your own desk chair. The particular program I'm talking about is an episode of the PBS series Frontline titled "Can You Afford to Retire?" Of course, since you've clicked on this article, you can't be too tired of reading about all of the impending retirement woes out there, so let me sum up the program's main points and...

Narrow focus draws 'PG' rating for Baptist-backed film By TERRY MATTINGLY Scripps Howard News Service 07-JUN-06 The Motion Picture Association of America is crystal clear when it describes why its "PG" rating exists _ it's a warning flag. "The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance," states the online explanation of the rating system. "There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. ... The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children....

Narrow focus draws 'PG' rating for Baptist-backed film The Motion Picture Association of America is crystal clear when it describes why its "PG" rating exists _ it's a warning flag. "The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance," states the online explanation of the rating system. "There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. ... The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw."...

The conventional Hollywood wisdom has long held that religious and family-friendly movies are not high earners. But this wisdom is beginning to wane in the face of recent theater trends. The five top-grossing movies so far this year are rated either PG or PG-13, and all of them have surpassed the $100 million mark. Two of last year’s top 5, Shrek 2 and The Incredibles, were PG-rated animated films. This kind of success is causing executives to rethink their standard fare. Family-friendly movies, especially animated ones, have brought people to the movies who haven’t gone in years. And they will...