Welcome to Represent More, brought to you by We Are Them Media. In Episode 6, Ryan and Shireen dig into two stories about what happens when companies make promises they never intend to keep — and then blame you for believing them.
This week:
- Panelli v. Target — A Ninth Circuit Win for Consumers: Target sold bedsheets labeled as “800 thread count.” Testing revealed the actual count was 288. When the case was dismissed at the district court level using an “impossibility defense” — the idea that if a claim is factually impossible, consumers can’t be deceived — Ryan and Shireen’s appellate team took it to the Ninth Circuit and won. The ruling clarifies and narrows a defense that corporations had been weaponizing across false advertising cases involving food, cosmetics, supplements, and more. A big win for consumers, and for the litigation landscape.
- Kratom’s Hidden Toll: Kratom is a plant-based supplement marketed as a natural, safe mood enhancer — and it’s completely unregulated by the FDA. But people who use it as directed are becoming addicted, suffering seizures, and dying. With lawsuits now cropping up nationwide, kratom companies are responding to wrongful death cases by blaming the victims. Ryan and Shireen break down why the supplement industry’s regulatory gap is so dangerous, what the litigation looks like, and why failure-to-warn cases like these matter beyond the courtroom.
Because bees be bees — and companies are counting on you not knowing the difference.
Subscribe to Represent More wherever you get your podcasts, and find us on Substack at https://representmore.substack.com
