Squishy toys — including popular animal, food, and character-shaped squeeze toys — are widely sold through online marketplaces, social media, discount stores, and other retailers. CPSC is aware of fake and counterfeit versions that do not comply with federal safety requirements for children’s toys, including requirements addressing water beads, small parts, lead, phthalates, and other hazardous substances. Videos shared online may depict the toys expanding, changing texture, or bursting when heated. These demonstrations are dangerous and should never be attempted or imitated. What to Do if a Burn Occurs - Immediately place the affected skin under cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Gently wash the area with mild soap to…
The European Commission has imposed its largest-ever fine under the Digital Services Act, citing AliExpress for inadequate measures to prevent the sale of dangerous and counterfeit goods.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The European Commission fined AliExpress 550 million euros ($629 million) for failing to adequately tackle the sale of unsafe and counterfeit products on its platform. This penalty is the largest issued under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) to date. DETAIL: European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said the spread of counterfeit clothing, unsafe toys, dangerous cosmetics, and other illegal products reflected AliExpress’s failure to meet its obligations under the DSA, adding that the company must better identify and mitigate systemic risks regardless of its size. AliExpress claims it remains committed to complying with the DSA and has invested heavily in product safety, risk…Open
A new report reveals that nearly half of all cigarettes consumed in the United Kingdom are now sourced from the illicit market, fueling organized crime and leading to significant tax revenue losses.
A new report reveals that nearly half of all cigarettes consumed in the United Kingdom are now sourced from the illicit market, fueling organized crime and leading to significant tax revenue losses. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A KPMG report commissioned by Philip Morris International reveals that 45 percent of cigarettes consumed in the United Kingdom in 2025 were non-duty-paid, with 32.3 percent being counterfeit or contraband. IMPACT: The illicit cigarette market cost Britain’s Treasury an estimated £4.46 billion (~$6bn) in lost tax revenue. The country has the highest taxes on tobacco products in Europe, and the second-largest illicit market, behind only France—where such taxes have risen rapidly in recent years.…Open
ICE suggested fans be on the lookout for potentially counterfeit items that usually flood online markets ahead of major international sporting events, including the Olympics and World Cups.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan reported the sentencing of 41-year-old Guatemalan illegal Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho. He was convicted for participating in an operation that sold counterfeit Social Security cards and permanent resident alien cards to other illegal immigrants in the Grand Rapids area. The post Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Counterfeit Document Scheme. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A Guatemalan national, Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho, was sentenced for his role in a counterfeit document-selling scheme in Michigan. WHO WAS INVOLVED: Vasquez-Mencho, two other Guatemalan nationals, and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. WHEN & WHERE: The case originated in September 2025 in Grand Rapids, Michigan; sentencing occurred in March 2026. KEY QUOTE: “Vasquez-Mencho deserved to be prosecuted and punished. It is bad enough that he has repeatedly violated our immigration laws by crossing the border without permission. Worse than that, once he got here, he operated an illegal document business that enabled others like him to obtain employment illegally and claim taxpayer-supported…Open
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Bank of England plans to replace historical figures including wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill on banknotes with pictures of animals. WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Bank of England, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor (Treasury Secretary) Rachel Reeves, and Robert Jenrick, of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party. WHEN & WHERE: Announced […] The post Britain to Remove Churchill from Banknotes. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Bank of England plans to replace historical figures including wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill on banknotes with pictures of animals. WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Bank of England, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor (Treasury Secretary) Rachel Reeves, and Robert Jenrick, of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party. WHEN & WHERE: Announced March 11, 2026, in the United Kingdom. KEY QUOTE: “It says it all that Rachel Reeves is replacing Winston Churchill on our banknotes with a squirrel.” – Robert Jenrick IMPACT: The decision ends over 50 years of featuring British historical figures on banknotes. IN FULL The Bank of England has announced a controversial plan to remove historic Britons, including…Open
In Tulsa, an HSI-Dallas and HSI Tulsa-led investigation uncovered a nationwide counterfeit document scheme resulting in the sentencing of a Mexican couple who produced and sold thousands of fake IDs.
