BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

The National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) has recently been criticized for promoting the 2010 Census with a poster that depicts Mary and Joseph heading to Bethlehem for a census and the birth of Jesus. According to a recent Washington Post story, NALEO created the posters to help spread awareness among Latinos that the census is “important, easy and safe.” A line on the poster even says, “Don’t be afraid.” Religious leaders may debate whether ... READ MORE

We’ve seen this movie before. First it was pet food tainted with melamine; then, it was lead paint in toys; then defective tires; then melamine emerged for a repeat performance – in both toothpaste and baby formula. Now, the latest import scare from China is drywall built into more than 100,000 homes nationwide between 2004 and 2007. As we enter 2010, this sequel is rapidly expanding into what experts predict will be a $15 billion to ... READ MORE

Among the provisions that were included in the financial regulation package (and weren’t front page news) passed by the House of Representatives on December 11, several are poised to dramatically impact the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) power and authority. Should the bill become law, major changes to civil securities litigation would almost certainly lead to stiffer enforcement and an expanded reach with which to go after financial companies and brokers who have stepped outside the ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, we sit down with former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert for his insights on how business leaders can best approach members of Congress when seeking to advance their legislative priorities. Based on your experience in Congress, what are the most common misconceptions that businessmen and women have about politicians? Speaker Hastert: When CEOs or company ... READ MORE

Yesterday, the Senate Banking Committee voted 16-7 to send Ben Bernanke’s nomination for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve to the full Senate. While the panel’s backing of the Fed Chairman will almost certainly lead to another term for Bernanke, the clarion message this relatively smooth process sent to the marketplace was equally important. That message of stability and the elimination of any unforeseen (and negative) developments is just the type of continuity ... READ MORE

Late last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the most sweeping regulatory overhaul of the financial services industry in almost 80 years. Among the major elements of the bill are the establishment of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) and a Financial Services Oversight Council that are intended to protect consumers against abusive lending practices and monitor the overall health of the financial system. The bill also includes an expansion of the government’s power ... READ MORE

With the so-called “climate-gate” controversy putting global warming back in the news, companies with big carbon footprints might be tempted to revive the argument that global warming simply isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. They should think twice. For those who still doubt that global warming is a man made phenomenon, those e-mail messages leaked by a hacker who broke into some climate researcher’s computers make for great reading. But for big business to try ... READ MORE

As the UN-sponsored climate talks in Copenhagen began their first official day, Lisa Jackson, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was in Washington, D.C. starting the week with a bang. She announced an “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare and that emissions of such gases could now be regulated by the EPA under the federal Clean Air Act. According to administration officials, the endangerment finding will serve as the foundation ... READ MORE

When the government utilizes wiretaps to secure evidence of a criminal conspiracy, one would think that the secrecy of the wiretap would be of the utmost concern. After all, if a suspected terrorist, mob boss, or drug kingpin knew that the government was listening in on sensitive phone conversations, it wouldn’t be long before the line went dead – or at least devoid of anything that would aid a prosecution. At the Securities and Exchange Commission ... READ MORE

In just the last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued at least 36 subpoenas to brokerage houses and hedge funds as the agency continues to make it clear that it means business when it comes to insider trading. Last month, federal authorities arrested 20 individuals connected with the now defunct Galleon Group. It isn’t an overstatement to say that federal authorities have embarked on a new era of insider trading investigations and prosecutions ... READ MORE