Archive for category: Press

Fashion studio Pier59 has sued a rival photography studio claiming that it has violated safety codes in its Meatpacking district studio spaces in a Google-owned building.

Pier59 Studios — owned by Italian Prince Federico Pignatelli della Leonessa — claims in a new Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit that Milk Studios is doing film shoots without proper permitting in its offices on the 2nd, 8th and penthouse floors of the Sky Line adjacent 450 West 15th St. building.

Read more at PageSix.com.

Eight Airbnb guests were staying in the three-story house that overlooked the Sonoma Valley. Fortunately, all eight escaped the flames unharmed. Minutes after they made it out, the burning house came crashing down.

The Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue fire marshal’s report on the incident notes non-code electric work near a wooden outdoor deck. Investigators also noted two of the Airbnb renters admitted they were smoking on that deck, about an hour before the fire started:

– It was possible that one of them threw cigarette butts over the deck railing or dropped some on [the] deck.

Ultimately, the fire’s cause was declared “undetermined” by the fire marshal. But no matter what ignited the flames, the house was a total loss.

The $1 million question

After the fire, the homeowners obtained a contractor’s estimate to rebuild. The estimate: $1.8 million.

The homeowners — who are remaining anonymous — told NBC Bay Area they received a $600,000 payment from their property insurance provider, but not the $1 million they were counting on from Airbnb. Its “Host Guarantee” offers homeowners “Property damage protection of up to $1 million for every host and every listing—at no additional cost.”

Consumer attorney Robert Tauler says promises like the Airbnb Host Guarantee aren’t always easy to redeem.

“They don’t just write checks for a million bucks without kicking the tires, for sure,” Tauler said.

Tauler takes pride in holding tech companies accountable for their advertising. He says simple assurances spelled out on an app look easy, but putting those promises into practice — like after a fire — might meet resistance.

“Frequently, their acts are inconsistent with their words,” Tauler said. “That’s a real serious problem.”

Click here to read the full article and view the segment aired on NBC Bay Area.

Medical experts this week cast doubt on some of the theories laid out by Clemson as to how three football players, including star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, tested positive for the banned substance ostarine prior to the College Football Playoff.

In a press conference before the Cotton Bowl last month, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said the drug could have come from any source. The players were ruled ineligible for the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl matchup with Notre Dame and the national championship game, which Clemson won in a one-sided victory over Alabama.

Click here to read the full article on The Post and Couriers.

A company selling male enhancement products has devised a strategy to target competing products adulterated with undeclared drugs: sue the retailers that sell them.

Attorney Robert Tauler can relate to the challenges facing FDA in holding accountable distributors of products marketed as dietary supplements but contaminated with undeclared prescription drugs.

His law office, Tauler Smith LLP, has estimated there are 10,000 name variations of similar male enhancement products containing adulterants. They feature such names as Black Mamba Premium, Rhino 8 Platinum 8000 and Stiff Nights.

Read full article at Natural Products Insider.