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[[Image:SCJusticesAAtrex Belt Buckle.jpgpng|250px|left]]<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11251 Two Years After 11277 Syngenta PR’s Weed-Killer Spin Machine: Investigating the Press and Shaping the "Citizens United,News" Amending the Constitution is Essentialabout Atrazine]</h3>by Brendan Fischer<br>January 21 marks the second anniversary of ''Citizens United v'By [http://www. Fprwatch.E.Corg/users/35302/beau-hodai Beau Hodai] and [[Lisa Graves]]'''., where a narrow majority of the U.S. Supreme Court asserted that Documents obtained by the Constitution prevents Congress from limiting the amount of money that can be spent influencing our elections. The Center for Media and Democracy is working with , recently unsealed as part of a constellation of groups in support of amending major lawsuit against [[Syngenta]], reveal how the global chemical company's PR team investigated the Constitution press and spent millions to reverse the decision spin news coverage and address public perceptions in the distortion face of growing concerns about potential health risks from the democratic process. The 5widely used weed-4 Citizens United decision struck down bipartisan clean election laws and declared that Congress could not limit so-called killer "independent[[atrazine]]." spending by corporations or others. In the two Two years since that decisionago, the 1 percent have been playing an increasingly outsized role in our electionson March 2, holding even greater sway than they had before 2010. Deep-pocketed CEOs and corporations have filtered many millions of dollars through Super PACs like [[American Action Network]] and secretly-funded non-profit groups like Karl Rove, ''Huffington Post Investigative Fund''s [[Crossroads GPS]], spending made possible by (''Citizens UnitedHuffPo'' ) reporter Danielle Ivory contacted Syngenta Corporation Director of Corporate Communications-North America Paul Minehart and asked, as reporters do, a few questions. Little did she know her questions to Syngenta would provoke the district court decision SpeechNow.org v. F.E.Ccreation of a secret dossier on her.Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/node/11251 11277 here].]
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[[Image:Lori compas sm 1Bull in a China Shop.jpg|frame|right'Cracked Matador' (Source: Chris Dunn (chris-dunn.co.uk))|Lori Compasleft|200px]]<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11250 One Woman Tackles Walker's Top Lieutenant11263 Atrazine: A "Molecular Bull in a China Shop"]</h3>by Emily Osborne[http://www.prwatch.org/users/35294/rebekah-wilce Rebekah Wilce]<br>Lori Compas Atrazine is an herbicide primarily manufactured by the Fort Atkinson woman who almost single-handedly led the grassroots petition drive to recall 17-year incumbent and Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader multinational conglomerate [[Scott Fitzgerald]], R-Juneau. Compas started the "Committee to Recall Scott Fitzgerald" after growing frustrations with Fitzgerald's role as top lieutenant to Governor [[Scott WalkerSyngenta]] and due to his lack of concern for Wisconsin's middle class families. "None of Walker's controversial policies would be in effect today if he didn't have a buddy in the legislature pushing it through," said Compas. With its commonly [http://www.alecexposedepa.orggov/pesticides/wikifactsheets/ALEC_Exposed ALEC Exposedatrazine.htm#whatis used on commodity crops, forests, and golf courses] project, CMD determined that Fitzgerald was . Its potential harmful effects on human health have been documented since the former state chair of ALEC and is 1990s.<br>As a member of the ALEC consequence, atrazine has been “[http://wwweur-lex.sourcewatcheuropa.orgeu/smartapi/cgi/index.phpsga_doc?titlesmartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=Public_Safety_and_Elections_Task_Force Public Safety and Elections Task Force32004D0248&model=guichett unauthorized], which crafted ” in the controversial Voter ID billEuropean Union since 2004 (and in some European countries since 1991). As Senate Majority leaderHowever, Fitzgerald has played a key role in implementing it is one of the Walker agenda, including Wisconsin's version of Voter ID and [http://www.prwatchepa.orggov/newspesticides/2011factsheets/07/10880/alec-bills-wisconsin dozensatrazine.htm#whereis most heavily used herbicides in the United States] more from the ALEC playbook. Jeff FitzgeraldSyngenta, his brotheratrazine’s primary manufacturer, is has spent hundreds of millions combined on marketing, public relations (PR) campaigns, and lobbying to maintain its market and fight calls to phase the Speaker product out of use in the Wisconsin AssemblyU.S. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/node/11250 11263 here].] --------[[Image:FinucaneMoney in Politics.jpg|frame|left|Anne M. Finucane250px]]<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11245 Bank of America Hopes to Improve its Image11278 The Super Nonprofits Influencing Elections, Under the Radar] </h3>by [[Anne Landman]http://www.prwatch.org/users/35275/brendan-fischer Brendan Fischer]<br>With its stock scraping bottom at just over $6While the popular understanding of the U.S.00 a shareSupreme Court's Citizens United decision is that it opened the door to unlimited corporate spending, its image reeling last week's FEC filings showed that many of the millions that Super PACs received in 2011 came not from a failed attempt to to stick its customers with a $5.00 per month debit card feecorporations, but from deep-pocketed individuals and accusations of thousands of fraudulent foreclosures, [[Bank of America]] corporate CEOs. What remains unknown is just how much corporate money is undertaking secretly flowing through another effort vehicle being used to improve its imageinfluence political outcomes, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit. Heading up <br>Notably, the makeover attempt is Tea Party-affiliated [[Anne Finucane|Anne M. FinucaneFreedomWorks]], BofA's Global Strategy and Marketing Officer. Ms. Finucane knows better Super PAC received more than most the depths of the trouble BofA is in. The ''New York Times'' dubbed her the bank's chief "image officer" and says she and the bank stumbled badly with their failed attempt to impose a $5 monthly debit card fee -- a policy that failed after a massive uprising against the fee by BofA's customers1. To her credit, Ms. Finucane says that BofA's damaged reputation "cannot be fixed with just a few new slogans3 million in contributions from its associated 501(c)(4). ... In order to repair reputationUnder current law, you have to repair the issues that underlie" the problems, she says. But how this behemoth bank FreedomWorks (c)(4) is going not required to improve disclose its image when almost every week there is another story of donors to the public—unlike a wrongful or needlessly cruel foreclosure, such as last week's news Super PAC— suggesting one way that a man was losing his home over an corporate donors can disguise their political spending. Read the rest of the item [http://www.huffingtonpostprwatch.comorg/2012node/01/04/bank11278 here].-of-america-typo-foreclosure_n_1184556.html $.80 cent error,] is anyones guess. BofA spends $1.55 billion/year on marketing in the U.S. alone. Fincucane has reportedly initiated a review of the company's advertising agencies, and selected agencies will be invited to pitch ideas for new marketing strategies to help improve the company's image.-----[[Image:SarahBurkeWI protest altered.jpgjpg|frame250px|right|Sarah Burke, 1982-2012 (Source: Wikipedia)left]]<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11256 Park City Tragedy Underscores Tragedy of the U.S. Health Care System -- for Both Canadians and Americans11281 Chrysler’s New Super Bowl Ad Whitewashes WI Union Signs]</h3> by [[Wendell Potter]http://www.prwatch.org/users/35270/mary-bottari Mary Bottari]<br>[Excerpt] While training on Wisconsin made a Park City, Utah halfpipe slope, Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke suffered a torn vertebral artery in her neck that caused bleeding in her brain, an injury that she died from last Thursdaybrief, unexpected appearance at the day my family and I checked into a Park City hotel with a view of those famous ski slopesSuper Bowl yesterday. At just 29 years oldA new ad by Chrysler, Burke was considered a top[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/super-bowl-commercials-2012-flight “acrobatclint-oneastwood-skischrysler_n_1255352.html “It’s Half Time in America,” and ] voiced by Clint Eastwood, included a medal contender at short clip of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russiahistoric Wisconsin protests from February 2011. InsteadRecognizing the shot, her family will be laying her to rest in her native Canada -- Wisconsinites went wild on Facebook and pleading for money Twitter. But what the cheeseheads quickly started to help cover the estimated $550,000 they owe for the medical care she received at University of Utah Hospital over nine days. The irony realize is that had they did not recognize the accident occurred protest signs in Canada, her family would not be facing having to come up with more than half a million dollars to pay for her care. Her care would have been covered because, unlike the U.S., Canada has a system of [[Universal health care|universal coverage]]. An estimated 700,000 American families file for bankruptcy every year because of medical debt. No one in Canada finds themselves in that predicament, nor do they face losing their homes as many Americans do when they become critically ill or suffer an injuryshot. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/node/11256 11281 here.]
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[[Image:Joe Mohr Puppet Cartoon.jpg|left|250px]] <h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11276 Syngenta's Paid Third Party Pundits Spin the "News" on Atrazine]</h3>by [http://www.prwatch.org/users/35298/sara-jerving Sara Jerving]<br>Documents obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy, recently unsealed as part of a major lawsuit against [[Syngenta]], reveal that the global chemical company's PR team had a multi-million dollar budget to pay surrogates and others who helped advance its messages about the weed-killer "atrazine." This story is part two of a series about Syngenta's PR campaign to influence the media, potential jurors, potential plaintiffs, farmers, politicians, scientists, and the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) in the midst of reviews of the weed-killer's potential to act as an endocrine disruptor.<br>These documents reveal a string of money going from Syngenta to pundits, economists, scientists, and others. Below is a sample of some of the "third party" surrogates who have been financially supported by Syngenta. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/node/11276 here].
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[[Image:CitiBankPhoto.jpg|frame|left|CitiBank, New York City]]<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11254 Scott Walker’s Plutonomy: An Economy for the One Percent] </h3>by [[Mary Bottari]]<br>'While volunteer after volunteer from each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPPVbGMxLH4 marched] into the state’s election board to deposit over one million signatures for the recall of Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker]], Walker was no where to be found. At the hour petitions were being deposited on January 17, Mother Jones revealed that Walker was [http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/01/scott-walker-recall-new-york-fundraiser scheduled to attend] a high-dollar fundraiser in the heart of the New York’s financial district at 339 Park Avenue -- the towering headquarters for global financial giant [[Citigroup]]. The $5,000 per couple fundraiser was hosted by none other than [[Maurice R. Greenberg|Maurice "Hank" Greenberg]], former CEO of [[AIG]]. Walker’s choice to be on Wall Street the day of the recall filing is so astounding, for many it goes far beyond the notion of a tin ear. "Walker could not have sent a clearer signal to Wall Street, that he is on the side of the 1 percent ready to do their bidding and take the heat," said Scot Ross of the Wisconsin group, One Wisconsin Now. Ross points to the [http://walkerfailure.com/ data his group compiled] to support his claim that Walker is constructing an economy that only the 1 percent could love. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/node/11254 here].
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[[Image:BoA_take_action_block_200pxsq_flat.jpg|160px|left]]<h3>[http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/632/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8910 Tell President Obama to Break Up Bank of America!]</h3>by [[Mary Bottari]]<br>Something reeks at Bank of America. This behemoth bank has assets equivalent to 15% of our entire economy. So why are its shares trading in the $5 range? Because BofA is a zombie bank. And now this zombie is trying to move $22 trillion in dangerous derivatives from one division into its FDIC-insured division. Tell President Obama, no more bailouts! Break up Bank of America before it breaks us. '''Sign the petition [http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/632/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8910 here.]''' -----[[Image:Hoosier against RTW.png|frame|right|Hoosier protests "Right to Work" legislation]]<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/node/11229Indiana Workers Stand against the ALEC Agenda and the Anti-Labor Bill Called the "Right to Work" (for Less) ] </h3>by [[Lisa Graves]] <br>Governor Mitch Daniels (R-Indiana) and the state's Speaker of the House, Brian Bosma (R-88), are spearheading an effort to pass the controversial, corporate-backed "Right to Work" (RTW) bill, which has sparked huge protests by Hoosiers. The bill's opponents have called it the "Right to Work (for Peanuts)" bill, the "'Right to be Fired' Without Cause" bill, and other names. Proponents claim that numerous corporations have refused to open operations in the state because private-sector unions can collect dues from all workers protected under negotiated contracts with the employer. Critics have said such broad assertions are undocumented and that such claims also sidestep documented evidence that, without private sector unions, workers tend to get paid less and have fewer rights. The renewed push to pass the RTW legislation comes amid renewed controversy over who is financially backing the push for this change in over 60 years of law in Indiana. The push is also leading Hoosiers and others to take a closer look at the leaders of this effort to change the law. Read more [http://www.prwatch.org/node/11229 here].
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