Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after cap ejections injure consumers

Walmart is recalling about 850,000 stainless steel water bottles because the lid can “forcefully eject” and unexpectedly strike consumers — resulting in permanent vision loss for two people to date.

The recall covers Walmart’s “Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles,” which have been sold at the chain’s stores across the country since 2017. According to a notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday, these products pose “serious impact and laceration hazards.”

That’s because when a consumer attempts to open the bottles “after food, carbonated beverages or perishable beverages, such as juice or milk, are stored inside over time,” the lid can eject forcefully, the CPSC notes.

Consumers are urged to stop using the now-recalled Ozark Trail bottles and contact Walmart for a full refund. Shoppers can also bring the products to their local Walmart store for that compensation.

The bottles being recalled can also be identified by their model number, 83-662 — which doesn’t appear on the product itself, but would show on packaging. The stainless-steel base is silver, and the lid is a black, one-piece screw cap. There is also an Ozark Trail logo embedded on the side of the 64-ounce bottle.

Walgreens approves $10 billion buyout

Shareholders of Walgreens Boots Alliance overwhelmingly approved the drugstore chain’s $10 billion acquisition by private equity firm Sycamore.

It is a rough era for national pharmacy chains like Walgreens, CVS and Rite-Aid, which are closing hundreds of stores due to changing consumer behavior, declining pharmacy reimbursements and rising costs. Walgreens will close more than 1,000 stores through 2027 and Rite-Aid filed for bankruptcy protection in May, it’s second trip to bankruptcy court in as many years.

Walgreens shareholders will receive $11.45 per share from Sycamore Partners per the terms of the deal first announced in March, the companies said Friday.

Last fall, Walgreens announced a plan to close 1,200 of its roughly 8,500 U.S. locations. The company, based in Deerfield, Illinois, had already shed about a thousand U.S. stores since it grew to nearly 9,500 after buying some Rite Aid locations in 2018.

Bitcoin tops $118,000 for the first time

Bitcoin has reached yet another all-time high, surpassing $118,000 for the first time on Friday — as a flood of money continues to move into spot bitcoin ETFs, all while U.S. President Donald Trump’s crypto-friendly influence makes its way through Washington.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the going price for bitcoin climbed as high as $118,856 early Friday. It’s since fallen closer to $117,300 later Friday — but that’s still over $7,400 higher than what the world’s most popular cryptocurrency was trading at a month ago, and more than double its price this time last year.

Last month, the Senate passed legislation that would regulate a form of cryptocurrency known as stablecoins, the first of what the industry hopes will be a wave of bills to bolster its legitimacy and reassure consumers.

Compiled from AP reports.