Tiny shards of grill brush bristles have been the subject of myriad news articles, social media videos and community chatter.

If consumed, the tiny bits of metal wreak havoc on the body. In one case, doctors searched for weeks to diagnose a man who suffered from extreme stomach pain, weight loss and other confounding health issues before the culprit was detected in a body scan. Reports of such ailments stretch back more than a decade.

Now, Weber is recalling millions of its grill brushes because their wiry bristles would be hazardous if consumed as part of a barbecued meal.

The company said it’s aware of at least 38 reports of people becoming sick after consuming pieces of grill brush bristles. At least four incidents included people who swallowed metal bristles and had to seek medical treatment to remove them from their throat or gut.

The recall of 3.2 million brushes involves those made with plastic or wood handles measuring between 12 and 21 inches long, the company said. The model numbers, found on the product packaging, include 6277, 6278, 6463, 6464, 6493 and 6494.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should stop using the recalled grill brushes and contact Weber for a nylon bristle grill brush replacement. Anyone who has the wire bristle brushes should discard them.

For more information, brush owners can call Weber at 877-597-9588 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday through Friday or to weberbrushrecall.expertinquiry.com/ or weber.com and click on “Recall Notice” on the bottom of the page.

More details on the brushes, all of which are stamped with the Weber grill logo:

6277 — 12-inch black plastic handle with red ring stamped with logo

6278 — 18-inch black plastic handle with red ring stamped with logo

6463 — 12-inch bamboo handle with silver metal scraper on the back branded with name

6464 — 18-inch bamboo handle with silver metal scraper on the back branded with name

6493 — 21-inch black plastic handle with black ring stamped with logo and metal binder with logo

6494 — 12-inch black plastic handle with black ring stamped with logo

Weber nuggets

George Stephen invented the dome-shaped Weber kettle grill in 1952 after he cut a marine buoy in half. A skilled welder, he added a lid, three legs, and punched holes in the bodty for air flow.

According to OpenBrand.com, Weber remains the market leader in grill sales with a 19% share, followed by Blackstone, Char-Broil and Traeger.

The company sells roughly 3.6 million grills annually.

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Democratic lawmakers are proposing legislation to allow individuals to sue federal immigration enforcement agents for unconstitutional damage or other harm they suffer under abuse of power.

The bill comes from concerns — particularly in the Twin Cities — over the constitutionality of federal agents’ treatment of Minnesotans during the immigration enforcement action that began in January.

Legislation authored by House DFL Leader Rep. Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis, which came before the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee this week would essentially allow individuals to sue law enforcement officers for violating their U.S. or state constitutional rights.

Long stressed the need for the bill, noting that “many constitutional violations by federal actors fall through the cracks and don’t lead to accountability.” He noted that the bill would mirror legislation that has been in place for local and state actors since 1874, expanding it to include federal actors.

Committee Co-Chair Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, expressed concerns about the lack of outrage over the issue.

“It just strikes me that here we are sitting quietly in this conference room, in this committee, and hearing the words about what’s happening … it’s absolutely chilling. And hearing you all talk about it in these calm, quiet words, there’s almost a disconnect there,” she said. “Because this is the core of our country. This is what we all depend on, this is what we call America, is that we have these rights. And the violation of them is just absolutely stunning.”

Republicans expressed concerns over the bill’s requirements — for example, that it would allow individuals to sue government officials up to six years after the violation occurred.

Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, proposed an amendment to the six-year lookback allowed in the bill, but it failed to pass.

“I hesitate to go down this road of making law that’s retroactive in nature,” she said.

Liebling countered: “The unreliable, unprecedented violation of civil rights in this state over the last few months, to not have this be retroactive, to me would be a travesty.”

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Scott also shared concerns that there would be constitutional cases against the law, claiming that it violates the Supremacy Clause, which allows federal law to take precedence over state laws if they are in conflict.

“One of the things that your members were talking about is that we want to avoid situations where there are going to be constitutional challenges because it’s expensive for the taxpayer,” she said.

Long emphasized his efforts to ensure that the bill is constitutional, noting that it would apply equally to all actors, not just immigration enforcement, as some states have done.

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MEXICO CITY — The violence that erupted in Mexico after the death of a powerful drug lord has left many questioning whether the country will be able to co-host the World Cup in just over three months.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino thinks it can.

“Of course, we are monitoring the situation in Mexico these days, but I want to say from the outset that we have complete confidence in Mexico, in its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and in the authorities, and we are convinced that everything will go as smoothly as possible,” Infantino said late Tuesday in a press conference in Colombia.

“Mexico is a great country, like in every country in the world, things happen; we don’t live on the moon or another planet,” Infantino added. “That’s why we have governments, police, and authorities who will ensure order and security.”

The Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on Sunday, sparking several days of violence. Cartel members burned cars and blocked roads in nearly a dozen Mexican states and authorities report that at least 70 people have died.

Four high-level soccer matches from the local leagues were postponed last Sunday, including one in the central city of Queretaro, where Mexico defeated Iceland 4-0 late Wednesday in a friendly match.

Before the match, a minute of silence was held in the Corregidora stadium in honor of the soldiers who died during the operation to capture Oseguera.

Thirteen World Cup matches are scheduled to be held in Mexico, including the opening game in Mexico City on June 11 between the co-host and South Africa. Guadalajara, the central hub for the Jalisco cartel, is scheduled to host four.

Colombia is set to play one game in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara.

“Our first two matches are in Mexico, but we know they will overcome this and move forward,” said Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Soccer Federation. “I have absolute and total confidence in my geopolitical thinking that this is an issue Mexico will overcome, and overcome very quickly.”

Other nations have expressed more concern. The Portuguese soccer federation said Tuesday that it was closely monitoring developments ahead of a planned friendly against Mexico in March.

Jamaica is set to play New Caledonia in Guadalajara on March 26 in an intercontinental playoff semifinal, with the winner advancing to face Congo for a World Cup spot.

“The games are at the end of March, so we still have another month to see what happens; but it is making me very nervous, to be honest,” said Michael Ricketts, the president of the Jamaican Soccer Federation. “We will be listening out for CONCACAF and FIFA to give us instructions (on) whether they are playing the games or whether they are immediately looking for other options.”

Another Mexican city, Monterrey, will host a playoff where Bolivia plays Suriname and the winner faces Iraq for a spot in the tournament.

On Monday, Sheinbaum said there is “every guarantee” that the World Cup matches in Guadalajara will be played as planned and added that there was “no risk.”

“We are in regular contact with the presidency and the authorities in Mexico and we are monitoring the situation,” Infantino said. “The World Cup is going to be an incredible celebration.”

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By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart Inc. has agreed to pay $100 million to settle allegations from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that the retailer caused its delivery drivers to lose tens of millions of dollars’ worth of earnings by deceiving them about their pay and tips they could make, the commission said ‌in a ​statement ​on Thursday.

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Joined by 11 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin — the FTC alleges that the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer showed drivers inflated base pay and tip amounts in its crowdsourced gig driver delivery program called Spark.

The FTC alleges that the retailer deceived customers by falsely claiming that all of its customer tips would actually go to drivers. The commission also alleges that Walmart failed to inform drivers that it would split tips when a customer’s delivery was split across multiple drivers.

“Labor markets cannot function efficiently without truthful and nonmisleading information about earnings and other material terms,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement.

As part of its settlement with the FTC, Walmart is required to implement an earnings verification program to ensure that drivers are paid the promised earnings and tips, among other orders.

Walmart launched its Spark program in 2018, allowing gig workers to enlist to make deliveries for the retailer.

Walmart has credited its speedy online deliveries for helping to fuel the company’s sales growth. Its e-commerce business increased 27% during the fiscal fourth quarter, accounting for 23% of overall sales.

Walmart said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press that it values “the hard work and dedication of the drivers who deliver great service and products to our customers.” It noted that it has issued payments to affected drivers and continues to make additional payments as appropriate.

“We are continuously improving procedures to ensure fairness and transparency for drivers,” Walmart said.