Latest news with #Cooks
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Brandin Cooks' record-breaking touchdown catch is the Saints Play of the Day
Brandin Cooks' record-breaking touchdown catch is the Saints Play of the Day Brandin Cooks, Drew Brees broke a record which had stood since 1967 There's a 98-day stretch between us and the start of the New Orleans Saints' 2025 regular season, and we're counting down the days by looking back on some of the most iconic plays in franchise history. This time, our Saints Play of the Day is the 98-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks back in 2016, which you can watch here. It was a classic grab-and-go reception by Cooks streaking down the left sideline. Brees dropped back to throw from his own end zone and found Cooks in one-on-one coverage against cornerback Sean Smith. Once Cooks put a step on his opponent, he was gone, and safety Reggie Nelson wasn't able to make up the distance in the open field. Cooks broke a Saints record that had stood since their inaugural 1967 season on this play, outgaining Walter Roberts' 96-yard catch to achieve the longest play from scrimmage in team history. And he just returned to the Saints this offseason after spending time with the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys. They're hoping he can still uncork some big plays downfield like this one.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Coffee Maker Recalls That Impacted Millions
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Whether you have an espresso machine at the ready, you rely on a good ol' fashioned drip coffee maker, or you're a staunch supporter of the French press, if you are a daily coffee drinker, you've likely come to heavily rely on your coffee maker. If it failed you, what would you do? How would you start the day off on the right (alert and awake) note? You probably do not even want to think about how different your life would be if you had to live without your beloved coffee maker for a period. Unfortunately, from time to time, coffee makers — even those produced by well-respected brands — go on the fritz, and we are not just talking about stopping working for seemingly no reason at all. Sometimes, coffee makers can develop such issues that they become a downright hazard, even causing severe injuries to those individuals unfortunate enough to be caught in their line of (sometimes literal) fire. Are you having a hard time imagining it? Just take a look at these coffee maker recalls from the last two decades that have impacted millions. Read more: 7 Must-Buy Aldi Items For First-Time Customers In March 2025, Sensio recalled its Bella Pro Series and Cooks steam espresso makers, urging buyers to return the espresso machines for a full refund. The maker estimated that more than 12,000 espresso machines needed to be recalled, and for a very good reason. At the time the recall was published, nearly 20 customers had reported that the espresso makers' brew handles had forcibly ejected during espresso maker use. In fact, the handles ejected with such force that the makers' glass carafes shattered, leaving at least eight people with burn injuries or cuts from the shattering glass. The machines had been sold at JCPenney and Best Buy. This is not the first issue that the Bella housewares brand has run into in recent history. In 2023, Sensio likewise recalled approximately 860,000 of its Bella electric and stovetop pressure cookers, noting that the pressure cooker's lid could unlock while the pressure cooker was in use, posing burn hazards to anyone in the cooker's vicinity. In August 2024, the fan-favorite grocery store Aldi recalled the store's Ambiano single-serve coffee makers. The coffee makers, which were an affordable alternative to a Keurig single-serve coffee maker, and sold in a series of fun pastel colors, were recalled after the store had received more than two dozen complaints that the coffee makers were spewing hot water from their tops, resulting in burn injuries in at least three cases. Even before the recall, it seems that users were having problems with the maker spewing, splattering, and sputtering, as buyers reported on Reddit. The coffee makers had been sold in 38 states and approximately 28,000 coffee makers were affected. While customers could choose to return the coffee makers to their nearest Aldi store for a refund, the chain also gave customers the unique option of proving that they owned the recalled product online, after which they could receive a $75 Aldi gift card instead of the coffee maker's $50 sale price. In 2019, Starbucks recalled more than a quarter of a million recycled coffee presses that had been distributed across both the United States and Canada, because, the brand said, the press' plunger knob could break off, exposing the interior metal rod. Of course, you can probably imagine how that might go down, if you were using the coffee press, putting a lot of weight on the plunger knob, and it suddenly snaps, so there is no need for us to get into the gory details. At the time of recall, Starbucks reported it had received eight reports of the plunger knobs breaking off, and in one case, a user had experienced cuts and "puncture injuries." Starbucks advised buyers to stop using the coffee presses immediately, but said it would not be giving out refunds for the presses and that stores wouldn't take the presses back. Instead, the company asked buyers to contact Starbucks for further instructions on how to get store credit for their trouble. In another instance of coffee presses being prone to breaking, importer Bradshaw International recalled Bialetti-branded coffee presses that had been sold nationwide, both in-store, at Fred Meyer, Kroger, Ross, Target and HomeGoods locations, and online via Amazon. More than 85,000 coffee presses were impacted and Bradshaw International reported that the coffee press' glass exterior was prone to breaking, as had been reported by at least three customers, two of which needed stitches after using the glass and plastic presses. Customers were instructed to stop using the product immediately and contact Bradshaw International to receive a replacement coffee press. If the Bialetti brand sounds familiar, it's because it is the maker of the moka pot — a coffee aficionado favorite that's developed a bit of a cult following. If you're eager to try out a Bialetti product, then keep with the classic cast aluminum moka pot and leave the glass and plastic presses at the store. In 2014, Keurig issued a massive recall that, in total, affected more than 7 million Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System single-serve coffee machines across both the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, the recall was issued two days before Christmas, so you know it is likely that some folks received recalled Keurigs for the holiday. Reports noted that the machines could overheat water, causing the water to spray out of the machines and burn users, with the issue more often occurring if the user tried to brew more than two cups of coffee, one after the other. Keurig received about 200 reports of this issue, about half of which included report of burn injuries. Unfortunately, Keurig did not offer to replace the machines or refund buyers' money; instead, the brand offered to send consumers a repair kit so they could repair their faulty machines themselves. While waiting for the kit, the brand offered guidance as to how consumers could avoid burns. The coffee makers had been sold all over North America, at Kmart, Kohl's, Target, and Walmart. While you're not likely to see these household appliances as often as you might a Keurig, Black & Decker offers a SpaceMaker series of countertop appliances designed to, well, make space on your countertops, as the appliances can be mounted to the underside of your top row of cabinets. There's a SpaceMaker can opener, for example, and then also a SpaceMaker 12-Cup Programmable Under-the-Cabinet Coffeemaker — and, in 2012, about 160,000 of these coffee makers were recalled due to breaking coffee pot handles, which could lead to burns and cuts. Black & Decker had sold the impacted coffee makers from 2008 to 2012 at major retailers nationwide, and received nearly 1,300 reports of the coffee makers' handles breaking, as well as 70 reports of the incidents causing burns and/or cuts. While you can still find the Black & Decker SpaceMaker coffee maker listed on the brand's website, it doesn't seem to be for sale any longer. Also in 2012, Mr. Coffee issued a recall, warning consumers that its single-cup coffee makers — much like many other Keurig copycats — were capable of burning users, when steam built up in the machine's water reservoir, causing the brewing chamber to pop open and spit out coffee grounds and water. More than 600,000 coffee makers were recalled, with Mr. Coffee replacing the makers for free. Approximately 164 people had reported incidents with the machine, with more than 60 people saying they'd experienced burns on their face, torso, and/or hands. Mr. Coffee had sold the makers across both the United States and Canada, in stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, Kmart, Lowe's, Target, and Walmart. This recall, however, was nothing compared to the Mr. Coffee recall of 1977. That year, the brand recalled more than 3 million coffee makers as it was determined the coffee makers could shock users or even catch fire. The year 2012 was seemingly a risky year to own a single-serve coffee maker. In February 2012, Tassimo recalled nearly 2 million Tassimo and Bosch single-cup brewers, due to the plastic disc within the brewers' likelihood of bursting, spraying hot water and whatever is brewing, coffee or tea, onto users, burning them. The recall applied to various models of coffee makers sold over both the United States and Canada, and Tassimo offered affected users a replacement part that supposedly would solve the issue. More than a hundred customers had reported their coffee makers malfunctioning and spraying hot water. Nearly 40 of those individuals said that someone in their home had received second-degree burns as a result of the malfunction. In one instance, a 10-year-old girl was the victim and the burns to her neck and face were so severe that she was hospitalized. The mother of the 10-year-old girl, though, told ABC News that the traumatic incident — which required surgery and synthetic skin grafting — occurred more than a year before the recall, and she didn't "see why nothing was pulled off the shelf before" February 2012. Shattering glass seems to plague a not-insignificant number of French press-style coffee makers that rely on the user to push down a pump-style handle, pressing their coffee or tea down into a glass cylinder. In 2011, IKEA recalled its glass Forsta coffee and tea makers, stating that the pressure from the pot's metal pieces could cause the glass cylinder to break unexpectedly, potentially burning and cutting users. IKEA had sold the coffee makers in both the United States and Canada, with about 130,000 units impacted. Luckily, at the time of the recall, IKEA said it had only received 20 reports of the coffee makers breaking, though 12 people did report burn injuries and one person did report a laceration. Consumers could return their affected coffee maker to any IKEA location and receive a full refund. Today, IKEA no longer sells the Forsta coffee maker, but it does have a very similar glass French press option with a slightly tweaked design. Unfortunately, while reviews are mostly positive, some do say the new option is still fragile and poor quality, leading to breakage. In 2010, General Electric was selling some pretty run-of-the-mill, standard digital coffee makers at Walmart stores nationwide. The coffee makers, which sold for an agreeable $30, were pretty benign looking, but in May of that year, the brand announced a recall impacting approximately 900,000 units. Apparently, Walmart had received more than 80 reports that the coffee makers were overheating, smoking, melting, and straight-up catching on fire. As you could expect, this resulted in quite a lot of damage to users' homes, with some reporting "significant" kitchen fires, while others reported minor burns along their hands, feet, and bodies. Coffee maker-related house fires in general are pretty rare. One report found that, over a two-year time span between 2016 and 2018, only about 40 consumers reported fire or smoke caused by a coffee maker. That said, coffee maker fires do happen and they can have serious consequences. In 2015, an Oregon couple said a Keurig coffee maker caused a fire that destroyed their apartment and left them homeless for months. In 2018, a South Carolina man said a Keurig coffee maker caused a huge kitchen fire in his home, resulting in more than $12,000 in damage. In 2009, Philips recalled about 155,000 Senseo one-cup coffee makers, saying that the unlucky combination of an electrical fault within the machines, alongside a build-up of calcium that could occur in the machines due to hard or medium water usage, could result in a boiler explosion. The electrical fault plus calcium obstructs the coffee maker's flow, the boiler bursts, and hot water goes flying, causing first-degree burns. The coffee makers had been sold internationally, including at Walmart, Target, and Safeway in the United States. At the time of recall, the only reports of injury from the coffee makers had come from Europe, where users had experienced various first-degree burns. However, just because the machines only caused first-degree burns, don't be tempted to downplay the seriousness of this recall. While first-degree burns are considered mild and superficial, and don't typically require medical treatment, they can take up to 20 days to heal and can become infected. First-degree burns to certain areas of the body are considered particularly more serious and take longer to heal, such as burns to the hands — exactly what consumers experienced thanks to the faulty Senseo coffee makers. In another instance of coffee makers being possibly to blame for home fires, in 2009, Walgreens issued a recall for its exclusive Kitchen Gourmet coffee makers. The coffee makers had caused at least 23 fires and, while no injuries had been reported at the time of recall, the fires had resulted in property damage. The approximately 500,000 affected coffee makers featured an electrical failure, which caused the appliances to ignite. It's not just internal electrical failures that can make a coffee maker a fire risk, though. Improper use can also lead to a coffee pot catching on fire, specifically if you leave a coffee pot on for a long period of time (and especially if you leave the coffee pot on with no coffee in it) or if you place it near flammable items like dish towels or paper towels. If you keep the same coffee maker for long enough and the cord begins to wear down or fray, that can also pose a fire risk, and it wouldn't be one that you could blame on the manufacturer. In 2006, Starbucks recalled approximately 73,000 of its Barista Aroma Stainless Steel 8-Cup Coffee Brewers, noting the brewers featured defective wiring that could result in a fire. At the time of the recall, Starbucks, though, said that there were no reports of the coffee makers actually catching fire, though there were about two dozen reports of the brewers growing so hot that their plastic melted. The brewers had been sold in Starbucks locations for just about a year, nationwide, before the recall occurred. In addition to offering customers a full refund for coffee makers returned by mail, Starbucks also gave affected customers a coupon for a free pound of coffee, in an effort to get more people to send the coffee makers in. Starbucks is no stranger to recalls, though, both for merchandise like this coffee maker, as well as for its edible products. For example, in 2023, it issued a recall for metallic mugs that were sold in Starbucks gift sets, as the mugs were found to break when filled with hot liquid. As mentioned, in 2019, Starbucks recalled coffee presses because they posed a laceration and puncture wound threat. Similarly, Starbucks recalled more than 2.5 million stainless steel straws in 2016, saying that they could cut children's mouths. Starbucks glass water bottles were recalled in 2010 due to laceration reports as well, and that's not even to mention all the coffee recalls that Starbucks has been a part of. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Drug saga 'one of the biggest mistakes' of Cooks' life
Xavier Cooks says taking a banned substance during the NBL season was one of the biggest mistakes of his life after he received a one-month ban from Sport Integrity Australia. The former NBA forward returned an "adverse finding" from a drug test on the eve of the NBL post-season in February, forcing him to watch from the sidelines as Adelaide ended his Sydney Kings' season in sudden death. It has since been revealed Cooks took a non-performance enhancing substance, with his period of ineligibility concluding on March 7. Sport Integrity Australia declined to comment on the matter when contacted by AAP. The 29-year-old Boomers representative is free to resume playing but has not yet confirmed whether he will sign elsewhere for the NBL off-season. Cooks took to social media on Monday to apologise over the saga, which cast a pall over a strong season back in the NBL from a stint with the Washington Wizards. "I respect the decision that was handed down and have spent the past few months reflecting on my actions and the impact it has had," he wrote on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Xavier Cooks (@xaviercooks) "I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. It was a lapse in judgement that has affected a lot of people I care deeply about. "I apologise to my family, my Sydney Kings teammates, the club, sponsors, fans and everyone who has ever supported me. I'm so sorry that I let you all down. "I am committed to becoming a positive role model in a our community and I hope I can regain your trust." Cooks finished the first season of his three-year Kings deal with selection in the All-NBL Second Team but could not inspire Sydney to a deep play-offs run on Brian Goorjian's return to the club. The Kings have already confirmed roster changes with Izayah Le'afa's second-year option declined and Alex Toohey set to pursue his NBA dream. Signing a genuine big man appears a priority after American import Cam Oliver endured a forgettable season back in the NBL. The NBL's free agency period begins on April 4.
USA Today
24-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints shouldn't be done in the WR market, labeled best fit for free agent Amari Cooper
Saints shouldn't be done in the WR market, labeled best fit for free agent Amari Cooper Brandin Cooks' return to the New Orleans Saints shouldn't alter the Saints' plan at wide receiver. Cooks gives you another body in the room, but you could still use more talent. Specifically, New Orleans needs a receiver with more size than Cooks, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Insert Amari Cooper. Pro Football Focus' Zoltán Buday sees the Saints as the best landing spot for Cooper. The Pro Bowl wide receiver already has familiarity with the starting quarterback. Cooper and Derek Carr played together for a little more than three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. The pairing started hot before cooling down in the final two years. Cooper will walk into next season, wherever the destination is, looking to prove last season's production was a fluke. He's consistently been a 1000 yard receiver, but a down season at 30-years old will make many wonder if the writing on the wall. If Cooper can get closer to the level he played at in 2023, he would be a welcomed asset to the Saints offense. First and foremost, he'd provide New Orleans with a player who has experience being a top notch lead dog in a passing game. That would come in handy if Olave went down and someone needed to be the go-to target. While Shaheed is talented, this distinction is merely what you think you know versus what you've actually seen. When everyone is healthy, Cooper gives the Saints a short yardage receiver and a guy who is a good contested catch receiver. Both of these traits are assets the Saints need in the receiving corps. The fact Cooks didn't bring those attributes caused some to scratch their head on the signing. Adding Cooper is a move more in line with what many were expecting.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC sheriff, former county supervisor face public corruption-related charges
Outside the Richland County Courthouse on Friday, March 14, 2025. (Photo by Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA — A South Carolina sheriff and a former county supervisor stand accused of laundering $27,000 in federal COVID relief funds to illegally inflate the sheriff's paycheck. A grand jury indicted newly suspended Williamsburg County Sheriff Stephen Gardner and the county's former supervisor, Tiffany Cooks, on five counts each, which included charges of money laundering, embezzlement, misconduct, ethics violations and conspiracy. Each crime carries maximum sentences of five to 10 years in prison, according to prosecutors. Judge Heath Taylor released both Gardner and Cooks following a hearing held Friday in Columbia on the promise they would make all court appearances. If either were to miss a hearing they would be jailed and held on a bond of $100,000. Neither Gardner nor Cooks made any kind of statement in court. Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Gardner, a Kingstree native with 25 years of law enforcement experience, after the indictment Wednesday. The governor appointed Clemson Wright Jr., a special agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, as the county's acting sheriff. Cooks, elected in 2018, served one term in office as supervisor but was defeated in the 2022 Democratic primary election by former county Sheriff Kelvin Washington. She is currently working as administrator for the town of Estill, 130 miles away in Hampton County. In court, state prosecutor Creighton Waters alleged Gardner and Cooks schemed to re-route tens of thousands of dollars in coronavirus relief funds to pay the sheriff overtime wages, despite the fact the sheriff was a salaried county employee already earning six figures and therefore not eligible for overtime pay. Waters claimed they did this by overpaying a friend of the sheriff contracted to do landscaping work for the county. Cooks would cut checks to the landscaper, who would then cash them and give the money over to the sheriff. The two would meet off site in a parking lot and the landscaper would 'hand over a big old pile of cash,' said Waters, assistant deputy attorney general. The sheriff then paid the landscaper his hourly wages out of the cash and pocketed the rest himself. Both Gardner and Cooks allegedly approached the landscaper telling him that all of this was above board, and he would not get in any legal trouble. 'Ultimately, your honor, this was a farce,' Waters told the judge. The State Law Enforcement Division opened an investigation into the Williamsburg County officials in February 2023, after Cooks' successor discovered a combined $210,000 in overtime pay to salaried elected officials in the county, The Post and Courier and The Kingstree News previously reported. In addition to the sheriff, Cooks allegedly funneled money to herself, the treasurer, the clerk of court, the auditor and a probate judge. Those other alleged payments were not part of the indictment from the attorney general's office. Federal prosecutors traditionally have taken the lead on these types of cases involving misappropriation of the federal funds doled out to businesses, non-profits and individuals, as well as state and local governments strapped for cash in the midst of a global pandemic. Waters told the SC Daily Gazette federal prosecutors ultimately did not pursue federal charges and handed the case over to the state attorney general about three months ago. He declined to say why.
