Headlines

Coffee giant Starbucks is being targeted by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) for selling genetically engineered products and failing to seriously address the economic injustices and ecological damages of industrial coffee production. Starbucks has fired back with a New York Times advertisement saying it is "proud to partner with TransFair USA," a major promoter of fair trade coffee.

The Christian Science Monitor quotes industry mouthpiece Steven Milloy in defense of the Bush administration's decision to scrap regulations limiting arsenic in drinking water. "Over the last 40 years, and accelerating over the last 20, science has become very political in Washington," Milloy complains. Somehow the Monitor fails to mention that Milloy himself is a Washington policy wonk, not a scientist, who spends his days politicizing science and harassing researchers in defense of corporate polluters.

Patton Boggs is working to enhance the image of Haiti under a $50,000-a-month contract the lobbying firm filed with the Justice Dept. The overall goal is to generate U.S. economic aid for the hard-pressed country.

"Think like a reporter, ask the right questions and get the facts right," was White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer's advice to PRSA's National Capital Chapter at its 33rd Annual Thoth Awards dinner on June 7. A robust press keeps this nation strong, which is why it deserves respect from PR people, he told the more than 150 people at the Mayflower Hotel. He urged PR pros to be as helpful as possible to requests from the media.