Update: Here's a detailed story by consumer reporter Michael Sorkin of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

We joined Public Citizen in a news conference today (all documents are here, including my press statement) commenting on a recent class action settlement benefiting purchasers of Sears stoves prone to tip-overs. The New York Times has a story.

As I pointed out in my remarks, one year ago, U.S. PIRG and the Consumer Federation of America asked the CPSC what it was doing about the 26 known deaths and 75 known injuries, mostly to children and the elderly, since 1980, caused by top-heavy stoves tipping over. When we received no satisfactory answer, PIRG and CFA joined Public Citizen in a news conference last April.

This is a good settlement that recovers compensation for consumers, improves product safety (by compensating consumers for necessary bracket installation) and deters other companies from making stoves prone to tipping. It demonstrates why we need to maintain the rights of consumers (and state attorneys general) to enforce laws. We do still need a stove and furniture standard that will force firms to make bookcases, TV tables and stoves that are inherently stable. That will be a matter for the new CPSC leadership.

I also pointed out in my statement that, bizarrely, last month the CPSC did recall a Sears stove -- a play stove -- that tipped over. Didn't kill anyone, like the real stoves that they haven't recalled have. You couldn't make this stuff up, it writes itself.