In the wake of the largest produce-related salmonella outbreak in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is admitting that it may never find the cause of the mysterious infection, first linked to tomatoes. The outbreak has already cost the food industry at least $100 million and is threatening to re-ignite a long-simmering trade dispute between tomato growers in Florida and Mexico. Since 1998, when reports of food-borne illness began exploding under increased scrutiny by ... Read More

With the July 4th weekend just around the corner, Americans can still rely on the old saw: “This Bud is for you!” – at least for now. Two weeks ago, we examined InBev’s offer to buy Anheuser-Busch and the public uproar that was brewing as a result. With last week’s announcement from Anheuser-Busch Chairman Patrick Stokes that A-B has formally rejected the $46.3 billion offer, A-B now stands on the threshold of taking back control of ... Read More

Kermit the Frog’s signature phrase is taking on new meaning these days, as consumers attempting to adhere to an eco-friendly lifestyle find themselves bombarded with conflicting messages about what to eat, how to live, and how to use energy. Andrew C. Revkin’s recent New York Times article “‘Green Noise’ and ‘Destructive Interference’” sheds light on the issue. With activists campaigning for environmental change and businesses capitalizing on the trend towards living green, the overwhelming amount of ... Read More

When the colossal implications of the credit crisis first began to sink in with the American public, financial analysts, journalists, and stakeholders that run the gamut were asking “Where was the SEC?” Today, as the credit crunch continues to put tremendous pressure on Wall Street and Main Street alike, the question on the minds of those looking for solutions has evolved to “Where is the SEC?” Financial crises breed financial uncertainty. And in uncertain times, Wall ... Read More

As a form of tribute to the late comedian and counter-culture hero George Carlin’s seven dirty words, we thought that a discussion of another set of banned words might be appropriate today – given Carlin’s influence on communicators and marketers the world over. A few weeks ago, the National Law Journal ran a front-page story detailing the fact that U.S. courts are banning the use of certain words in front of a jury. The courts claim ... Read More

Governments are notorious for fighting battles they know they can win – especially when picking the low-hanging fruit can divert attention from an escalating crisis. Ronald Reagan did it in Grenada in 1983, when invading the tiny nation to root out Cuban and Soviet Communist influence helped take the nation’s mind off the tragic deaths of 241 American servicemen and women in the bombing of American Marine barracks in Beirut. Today, the United States may be looking ... Read More