ABC News: President's Executive order to ease drug shortages - But Dr. Sidney Wolfe of the public watchdog group Public Citizen said these new orders may be difficult to implement since manufacturing companies have little incentive to do so.

American Muslim: Some encouraging signs that OWS protestors are being heard - The group also seeks to match potential supporters with a number of advocacy groups, including Public Citizen, People for the American Way, Common Cause, PRWatch, Free Speech for People and Move to Amend. It will be involved in planning house parties for the second anniversary of Citizens United and working with local organizers with the same goals.

The New American: Obama "Bundlers" raise millions for reelection campaign - "It’s a legitimate concern," said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for Public Citizen, a nonpartisan ethics group. "The campaign has to draw the line somewhere, but the reality is that the president is still relying on wealthy special interests and embracing those people in his campaign."

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Trade pacts seen as good for state - Among the opponents of the recent trade agreements is consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.

Canada Free Press: "Thousands to Encircle the White House" - The Public Citizen’s Climate and Energy Program is preparing a protest of “Thousands to Encircle the White House” on November 6, 2011.

Huffington Post: Governor Rick Perry please lobby the Super Committee to end permant energy subsidies - In August, environmentalists Friends of the Earth and Public Citizen partnered with climate deniers at the Heritage Foundation to produce the non-partisan Green Scissors report which outlines wasteful government subsidies totaling $380 billion over the next five years.

Longview News-Journal: Silver: Tort reform: Efforts haven't worked as Texans health care unimproved - These statistics are public and well known. They can be found at the state health services department’s website and in a reportPublic Citizen published earlier this year.

Wall Street Journal: Romney picks up Bush backers - Mr. Fox, a former U.S. Ambassador to Brussels, raised more than $600,000 for Mr. Bush in 2004 in conjunction with his two sons, according to Public Citizen, a liberal advocacy group.

Akron Beacon Journal: Deadline missed on trucking regulation - Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer group; the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union representing truck drivers; and the Truck Safety Coalition sued the agency in 2009, asking for reconsideration of the regulation.

The Huffington Post: Nurses call the question on Obama and Global Financial Transaction Tax -- which side are you on? - Some major U.S. economists, and organizations including the AFL-CIO, Oxfam, Institute for Policy Studies, and Public Citizen have long supported implementation of a tax on Wall Street stocks, bonds, currencies, default swaps, and other major financial transactions that are now largely untaxed.

Salon: Wells Fargo is not your amigo - Bartlett Naylor, financial policy advocate at Public Citizen, a D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, is more skeptical.

The PharmaLetter: US FDA should require Black Box warning for Pfizer's antibiotic Tygacil, says Public Citizen - US advocacy group Public Citizen has sent a petition to the Food and Drug Administration calling on the agency to place a black box warning on an antibiotic used to treat a wide range of infections because of a higher mortality rate associated with taking the drug than other widely used antibiotics, Public Citizen said in a petition sent today to the agency.

Public News Service: Groups to Super Committee: "Transparency" not just for ghosts - Robert Weissman, president of the organization Public Citizen, calls the Super Committee's few public meetings "show hearings."

American Medical News: Texas tort reform advocates dispute critical report - The report, issued by consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, claims that the rate of new doctors in Texas has fallen since the state's $250,000 noneconomic damages cap was enacted in 2003.

Truckinginfo: HOS deadline pushed back a month - The settlement agreement is between the Department of Transportation and a group of safety advocacy groups led by Public Citizen.

The Spokesman-Review: Idaho Rep. Labrador puts wife on campaign payroll - Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen, a watchdog group that focuses on campaign finance and consumer issues, said the practice long has been common, but said, “It still raises ethical concerns, because that means some of the campaign money is going directly into the family pockets."

NPR: Prominent Obama fundraisers have ties to lobbyists - Craig Holman a registered lobbyist for the nonpartisan ethics group Public Citizen, is quoted saying "the reality is that the president is still relying on wealthy special interests and embracing those people in his campaign."

Fox News: With Lobbyist donors, Obama lets himself off with technicality - The Times cites Naderite group Public Citizen to say that Obama has at least done something to staunch the flow of lobbyist money, even if it falls short and then observes that Republicans have no such restrictions.

Bloomberg: Tired truckers versus efficiency is focus of regulation fight - The government faces a deadline tomorrow to produce the final driver fatigue rule under a legal settlement with Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer group, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The New York Times: Obama backers tied to lobbies raise millions - “It’s a legitimate concern,” said Craig Holman, a registered lobbyist for Public Citizen, a nonpartisan ethics group in Washington.

The Bellingham Herald: Michigan judge rules law school can publically name blogger - That's because in allowing the Thomas M. Cooley Law School to publicly name a blogger, the court is setting precedent in Michigan that would make it easy for powerful organizations or people to retaliate against those who need protection for bringing to light bad practices, said Paul Levy, an attorney with Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group.

Land Line Magazine: Hours of service hangs in limbo, for now - The next deadline facing the regulation is with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. The case, which has led to the current revamping of the regs, was filed by Public Citizen, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and the Truck Safety Coalition against FMCSA.

Minnesota Public Radio: Bachmann PAC donation may violate campaign finance rules - "These things are really rogue entities," said Craig Holman who lobbies Congress for campaign finance reform for the government watchdog Public Citizen.

Project on Government Oversight: POGO joins brief asking Supreme Court to hold Self-Regulatory organizations accountable - We joined Public Citizen, Consumer Action, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) in signing on to the brief, which was written and submitted by Public Citizen’s Litigation Group.

Truthout: Keeping it clean: Maine's fight for fair elections - Other political action committees were helping major donors use often untraceable money to sway elections large and small; the group Public Citizen found that, of 75 U.S. Congressional races where “partisan power changed hands, spending by outside groups favored the winning candidate in 60."

The Los Angeles Times: Health 411: Several options for lodging patient complaints - First you should seek help for your pain, suggests Dr. Michael Carome, deputy director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization.

Boomer Health and Style: Drug Enforcement Administration offers drug take-back program Oct. 29 - Watchdog group Public Citizen has urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require a black box warning on proton p... Read Moreump inhibitors' packaging.

Philly.com: Probing the mystery of drug-supply shortages - That's a key question, according to consumer advocates such as Larry Sasich, a pharmacist who consults with Public Citizen's Health Research Group and who says control over an active ingredient, even temporarily, could allow a manufacturer of generic drugs to price "like a monopolist." But the answer is something no manufacturer willingly wants to disclose.

The Hill: Former members' are campaigns alive, well and still spending money - The spending of political contributions on legal fees and even consultants after a lawmaker has resigned in scandal might be “unpalatable to the public,” but it is generally legal, said Lisa Gilbert, deputy director of Congress Watch at the watchdog group Public Citizen.

Mother Jones: Lobbying blitz barrages budget-cutting super committee -  In mid-September, 14 different groups—such as the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, Public Citizen, and the Sunlight Foundation—urged the members of the supercommittee to disclose all meetings with and donations from lobbyists during their time on the supercommittee.

The Texas Tribune: No better care, thanks to Tort Reform -These statistics are public and well known. They can be found at TDSHS’s website and in a report Public Citizen published earlier this year.

Cardiovascular Business: Public Citizen slams rivaroxaban, ROCKET-AF to FDA - Despite receiving praise from the FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drug Advisory Committee, the anticoagulant rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer/Johnson & Johnson) is now getting scrutiny from Public Citizen.

Washington Post: Activist group seeks investigation of NIH deaths - The activist group Public Citizen asked the secretaries of defense and health and human services on Tuesday to investigate the deaths of two people who received platelet transfusions contaminated with bacteria at the National Institutes of Health’s research hospital this summer.

California Progress Report: Nurses to Obama: Push for global financial transaction tax now! - Some major U.S. economists, and organizations including the AFL-CIO, Oxfam, Institute for Policy Studies, and Public Citizen have long supported implementation of a tax on Wall Street stocks, bonds, currencies, default swaps, and other major financial transactions that are now largely untaxed.

FierceBiotech: 15 top blockbuster contenders - The irascible pharma critics at Public Citizen want regulators to stick with proven winners in the stroke-prevention field, urging the FDA to turn thumbs down on the treatment. Public Citizen has a much high safety bar than the agency, which may not have trouble ignoring them once again.

TheTrucker.com: Likelihood of HOS rule being on time becomes less and less - An attorney for Public Citizen, one of the plaintiffs in the suit that resulted in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration promising to rewrite the rule as part of a settlement agreement, said Tuesday morning his organization had not been contacted about extending the deadline.

Uprisingradio.org: New documentary Hot Coffee exposes corporate agenda on "Tort Reform" -  But earlier this month, the non-profit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen found health care spending has not dropped in Texas since the cap on damages was enacted in 2003.

The Washington Times: Trade groups oppose new rule - “The existing gift rule for career employees has largely been ignored,” said Craig Holman, legislative representative at Public Citizen. “We’ve had a very inconsistent and chaotic enforcement of ethics when it comes to the executive branch."

ABCNews: DocWhistleblower: Tainted blood kills two - Internal investigations by the NIH and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, both in Bethesda, Md., "are not adequate to remedy this serious problem," Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, wrote in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Public News Service: Texas school districts may owe oil companies millions - Tom "Smitty" Smith, spokesman for Public Citizen of Texas, says the controversy comes at a pivotal time for Gov. Rick Perry, who announced Tuesday he would slash both the federal Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency if elected president.

The Statesman: Proposed electric increases target poor, could hamper conservation critics say - The fee was also compared to a regressive tax on Tuesday by representatives from the Austin Tenants' Council, Texas Legal Services Center and Texas chapter of Public Citizen.

The Hill: NIH death probe requested - Public Citizen seeks an investigation into the deaths of two people who received platelet transfusions contaminated with bacteria at the National Institutes of Health's research hospital, The Washington Post reports.

Salem News: As OWS grows, renewed effort to expose corporate takeover of elections launched - Included in the effort are such advocacy organizations as Public Citizen, People for the American Way, Common Cause, Free Speech for People, Move to Amend, and The Center for Media and Democracy and media outlets as The Nation, Alternet, In These Times, and The Progressive.

The Wall Street Journal: Public Citizen calls for investigation into patient deaths - Public Citizen is calling for federal inspectors general to investigate the deaths of two patients who were transfused with contaminated blood this summer that came from the hospital now called Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The Huffington Post: Campaign finance reformers launch progressive effort to remove money from politics - The group also seeks to match potential supporters with a number of advocacy groups, including Public Citizen, People for the American Way, Common Cause, PRWatch, Free Speech for People and Move to Amend.

Bloomberg: Solyndra stiffed lobbyist, trying to sway lawmakers to the end - “They were struggling to stay alive,” said Craig Holman, who tracks lobbying for Public Citizen, a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington. “This is where lobbyists come into play."

FAIR: Todd Tucker on trade deals - Todd Tucker of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch will join us with a different view of the trade pacts.

Fox News: Group questions drug for stroke prevention - The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen said in a letter sent to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday that two proven drugs already exist to treat the condition.

The Nation: Bill Boyers on 'Democratic Decency Defined Downwards' - Bill Moyers delivered a stirring keynote on the capture of our political system by the ultra-rich last night in Washington, at a gala honoring the fortieth anniversary of Ralph Nader’s advocacy group Public Citizen.

The Associated Press: Obama signs 3 trade deals, biggests since NAFTA - Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, a group that has strongly opposed past trade agreements, said Obama may have to get tougher on China if he is to defend Ohio and other states where workers hit by foreign trade don't agree with his promotion of free trade.

MobyLives: No, THIS is Herman Cain! - Then there’s the fact that it could constitute an illegal corporate contribution, says Public Citizen lobbyist Craig Holman in the Talking Points Memo report.

Yankton Daily Press: Writers block: a hope for reversal - The organization “Public Citizen,” founded by Ralph Nader, is promoting just such a plan and 10 states have introduced legislation to reverse the Supreme Court’s action giving citizenship rights and privileges to corporations.

News & Observer: Citigroup reaches $285M settlement in case - "It's not called Occupy Wall Street because it's a random geographical location," said Bartlett Naylor, who heads financial policy for advocacy group Public Citizen, which wants criminal charges filed against Wall Street executives.

Examiner: Occupy Wall Street signs: prosecute Bernanke, impeach Obama and more - Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, disagrees with Soltis in a piece he wrote in the same publication.

American University Intellectual Property Brief -  Progressive lobbyist group Public Citizen asserts that “Korea FTA text would allow foreign investors to demand compensation from the U.S. government in foreign tribunals for ‘regulatory takings’ and other claims that would not be allowed under U.S. law."

Truthout: New Hampshire polls show both sides of the aisle agree on something - One group that is currently focused on dealing with this issue is the Corporate Reform Coalition, organized by Public Citizen.

Government Executive: Lawsuit renews debate over product safety database - Christine Hines, consumer and civil justice counsel for Public Citizen, said CPSC is required by law to implement the database and that many in industry "have objected from the very beginning."

Politico: Canada pays way for GOP congressmen to tour oil sands - “I don’t see any legal ethical issues with the trip, but as always, whoever sponsors the trip controls access to information,” said Tyler Slocum, director of the energy program for Public Citizen, a government watchdog group. “In this case, the sponsor of the trip is heavily in support of exploiting the tar sands, that’s the point of view the lawmakers are going to get."

Citizen Media Law Project: Health reporters unite! How one doctor's complaint turned a public database private - Earlier this year, however, Bavley read a report (.pdf) by Public Citizen that included data on undisciplined doctors who had multiple malpractice payouts.

The Hill: Good-government groups weigh in on repatriation - Common Cause, Public Citizen, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and a dozen other groups, like other skeptics, told senators in a Thursday letter that a previous tax holiday did not help create jobs and should not get a sequel.

The Southeast Texas Record: Health professionals refute report that Texas tort reform is a failure - On Oct. 12, the non-profit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen released "A Failed Experiment," a report critical of the 2003 tort reforms in Texas.

The Hill: Adios to the trade deals - Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, pointed out in an email on Thursday that there were several new voting firsts on trade among Democrats and Republicans.

Bellingham Herald: Bill aims to restore consumers' right to sue - "These forced arbitration clauses in contracts deny consumers their right to hold companies accountable when something is wrong," said Christine Hines, an attorney with the advocacy group Public Citizen. "They basically let companies off the hook."

Reuters: Group questions Xarelto for stroke prevention - Public Citizen said in a letter sent to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday that two proven drugs already exist to treat the condition.

San Diego Reader: Chicano Federation, Urban League lobby for AT&T's T-Mobile takeover - "This is taking influence peddling to a whole new level,” Craig Holman, a lobbyist with Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, told iWatch.

Alternet: Nurses to Obama: Push for a global financial transaction tax now! - Some major U.S. economists, and organizations including the AFL-CIO, Oxfam, Institute for Policy Studies, and Public Citizen have long supported implementation of a tax on Wall Street stocks, bonds, currencies, default swaps, and other major financial transactions that are now largely untaxed.

Bloomberg: Bulbs rally lawmakers in fight for state rights - “This was not about light bulbs; this was about states’rights. It was about what the government should and shouldn’t tell us what to do,” said David Power, deputy director of thePublic Citizen office in Austin, Texas. The organization was among those opposed to the Texas law.

The Nation: How Liz Cheney is funding the war on labor rights in Ohio -  They trade money back and forth, and according to Public Citizen’s Taylor Lincoln: “The Partnership for America’s Future—whose principals include Mary Cheney, daughter of the former vice president—registered as a 527, just as American Crossroads initially did.

BNA: House Energy and Commerce offers bills to revise FDA device rules - Michael Carome, deputy director of the health research group at Public Citizen, told BNA Oct. 17 that a constant mantra of this Congress is that the best way to promote business is to remove regulation.

BusinessWeek: Doctor data back online in Illinois - "We strongly favor transparency in the health care arena," said Dr. Michael Carome, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group in Washington, D.C. "Having this information publicly available is better for patients."

Firedoglake: Sanders, Cantwell decry weak new commodity speculation rule - Tyson Slocum of Public Citizen says in a statement that “these limits are simply too permissive to the big banks and allow them to hold positions that are too large.

Blog of Legal Times: DOJ pitches rule change addressing historical grand jury material - Allison Zieve, director of the Public Citizen Litigation Group, which represented the plaintiffs in the request to unseal the Nixon grand jury testimony, argued secrecy no longer should apply to historically valuable records that are more than three decades old.

The Huffington Post: Occupy Wall Street: A bottom up revolution in need of leadership to define its mission - Leading on this issue is Public Citizen, with its staff working on the ground across the country organizing in municipalities and states, pushing initiatives to reign in the out-of-control influence of money in campaigns.

The Washington Post: Cain's book purchases spur questions - The problem, as Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen told Talking Points Memo, is that “any presidential candidate that pays his or her own company for goods and services is going to be viewed by the public as using the campaign for personal profit.”

Bloomberg: Bulbs rally lawmakers in fight for state rights - “This was not about light bulbs; this was about states’ rights. It was about what the government should and shouldn’t tell us what to do,” said David Power, deputy director of the Public Citizen office in Austin, Texas.

Roll Call: Africa trip blurs lines on travel propriety - “There appear to be a number of 501(c)(3)s that are clearly so closely directed by lobbying entities that they are nothing but a wing of the lobbying group. The travel restrictions were clearly intended to prohibit lobbying entities from providing these kind of perks, so this is a very serious loophole when it comes to the travel restrictions,” said Craig Holman of the watchdog group Public Citizen, who was not speaking specifically about the trip to Africa.

The Los Angeles Times: Bill aims to restore consumers' right to sue - "These forced arbitration clauses in contracts deny consumers their right to hold companies accountable when something is wrong," said Christine Hines, an attorney with the advocacy group Public Citizen. "They basically let companies off the hook."

Huffington Post: Occupy Wall Street: A Bottom Up Revolution in Need of Leadership to Define Its Mission - Leading on this issue is Public Citizen, with its staff working on the ground across the country organizing in municipalities and states, pushing initiatives to reign in the out-of-control influence of money in campaigns.

Firedoglake: Columbia Trade Deal Would Have Failed as a Treaty: As Public Citizen’s Lori Wallach explained yesterday, the three trade agreements passed Congress in a whirlwind of activity last night, because a present for the President of South Korea’s visit to Washington today is more important than a considered debate about the role of neoliberal trade agreements and what they have traditionally done to US exports.

Becker's Hospital Review: Report Suggests Malpractice Caps May Not Reduce Healthcare Costs - A recent report by advocacy group Public Citizen suggests that medical malpractice liability caps may not reduce healthcare costs and may decrease access to healthcare services, according to a news release by the group.

Fierce Healthcare: Tort reform a 'failed experiment,' increases Medicare spending - Called "a failed experiment," according to the report, Texas in 2003 set a $250,000 cap on the amount of damages that injured patients could recover from negligent doctors. Since the state implemented tort reform, Texas hasn't contained spending as intended, but instead saw increases in Medicare spending, according to a Public Citizen press release.

Nonprofit Quarterly: Senator Grassley stands up for nonprofits and journalists against HHS decision to remove database - In this case, Public Citizen, the Association of Health Care Journalists, and a number of other nonprofits had complained that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the Department of Health and Human Services had removed the National Practitioner Data Bank from its website.

The Hill: Trade deal votes to divide Democrats - Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch and a fierce critic of the FTAs, said the wildcard Wednesday wouldn’t be Democrats, but freshman Republicans, many of whom campaigned against trade agreements that subject the U.S. to international trade rules.

Green Bay Press Gazette: Editorial: Ribble's expertise should not be discounted - Ribble's involvement brought a sharp rebuke from a spokesman from Public Citizen, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit and government watchdog group, who said Ribble lacked objectivity because of his connections to the roofing industry.

Roll Call: Fighting for corporate disclosure - “Companies seeking political advantage actually might not be doing their shareholders any favors,” said Lisa Gilbert, deputy director of Congress Watch at Public Citizen, which is spearheading a strange-bedfellows coalition that includes some 75 government watchdog, labor and environmental groups, along with several prominent academics and corporate accountability advocates.

In These Times: Zombie lobbyists occupy Washington - According to “Fading Disclosure,” a September 2010 report by Public Citizen’s Taylor Lincoln and Craig Holman, Citizens United expanded an existing disregard for elections law and campaign finance disclosure. Public Citizen found that during the 2006 midterm election cycle, nearly 100 percent of electioneering groups reported the sources of their funding, as required by law.

Washington Post: Supreme Court considers whether 'right to sue' means only right to arbitration - Scott L. Nelson, an attorney for Public Citizen who is representing cardholder Wanda Greenwood, agreed that Congress made its intentions clear.

Wall Street Journal: Many 'orphan drugs' get expedited review by FDA - "There are all kinds of other benefits already written into law," said Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen Health Research Group. "Why should the standard of approval be different if you have a rare disease than for non-rare diseases?"

Fresno Bee: California farmers welcome free-trade deal - "We're looking to have at least two-thirds of the House Democrats to vote against all three bills," said Beatriz Lopez, senior field organizer for Public Citizen.

Ozarks First: Trade Agreements could add $45 million to Missouri economy - But the agreements don't come without controversy. While not denouncing the deal with Colombia last week, McCaskill did question whether or not concern over Human Rights violations in Colombia would hamper that trade agreement in Congress. The progressive advocacy group Public Citizen reports that in the last three years, 150 union activists have been murdered in Colombia. 

InjuryBoard: FDA takes on testimony on Biophosphate use for Osteopenia - The experts who testified are members of the Public Citizen’s Health Research Group and highlighted studies that show a “consistent and very strong association” between bisphosphonate use and stress fractures as well as osteonecrosis of the jaw.

ThePopTort: Immunity that the Good Wife never saw coming - But the main plot dealt was something equally timely, and kudos to them for tackling it - i.e., the FDA’s highly controversial 510(k) process, which allows manufacturers to put certain medical devices on the market if they submit evidence that the device is “substantially equivalent” to a device already on the market (See Public Citizen’s study on this.)

Aboutlawsuits.com: Prostate cancer risk from Avodart, Proscar lead to warning against use - The prominent consumer watchdog group Public Citizen is warning men not to use Avodart, Proscar or similar drugs for the treatment of enlarged prostate, due to the potential increased risk of prostate cancer.

Associated Press: FDIC backs ban on banks trading for own profit - The draft rule "draws too few bright lines to make clear what banks can and cannot do," said Bartlett Naylor, financial policy advocate at the liberal group Public Citizen. "The regulators are proposing that they will detect the difference between various trades by fishing through complex data provided by the banks after the fact. This is an invitation for evasion."

Washington Times: Pelosi's disclosure belated husband's land deal - “She should take every effort to disclose anything that could pose a potential conflict of interest before she takes any formal action,” said Craig Holman, legislative representative for Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer-advocacy group.

The Huffington Post: Obama pushes huge free trade deals to Wednesday vote - Critics, such as Public Citizen's Todd Tucker, believe that the investor provisions in these free trade deals are even worse, and the bailouts for foreign companies could reach the billions.

The Washington Times: Pelosi's disclosure belated in husband's land deal - “She should take every effort to disclose anything that could pose a potential conflict of interest before she takes any formal action,” said Craig Holman, legislative representative for Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer-advocacy group.

The New York Times: Regulators to set forth Volcker Rule - People on both sides of the issue have found things to like and dislike. “There are some encouraging signs in the draft,” Bartlett Naylor, a financial policy advocate for Public Citizen, a pro-consumer group, said in an interview. But, he added, “it doesn’t completely eliminate some of the mischief we saw” in the run-up to the financial crisis.

The Minnesota Independent: Massive political operation accompanied Comcast/NBC-Universal merger - “There’s always an element of risk and gambling involved when it comes to influence peddling on Capitol Hill, what lobbyists and special interest groups and corporations do is make the odds the best they can in their favor,” said Craig Holman of Public Citizen. ”It’s all designed to buy influence and it usually does work. But not always.”

Truth-out: US jobs in danger as NAFTA-style deal heads to Congress - Last Tuesday, Public Citizen kicked off a National Call-in Day urging citizens to tell their Representatives to "stop the job-killing trade deals."

The Florida Times-Union: Harrell & Harrell wins federal lawsuit over 'Don't settle for less than you deserve' slogan - Jacksonville attorney Bill Harrell's law firm won't have to settle for less after U.S. District Judge Marcia Howard overturned The Florida Bar's ruling that his well-known advertising slogan is manipulative.

The Associated Press: EPA roles back air rule; Texas gets most leeway - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed easing new pollution restrictions that angered several states and infuriated GOP presidential contender Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The Hill: A patient in need - Our economy is like a sick patient, languishing in the hospital. The patient is sick in part because of doctor (Federal Reserve) failure. And yet, we continue to depend on the doctor to treat the patient.

Star Telegram: EPA revisions may keep Luminant plants open - Dallas-based Luminant, the largest electric power generator in Texas, is reconsidering its decision to idle two coal-fired power plants after the Environmental Protection Agency proposed revisions Thursday that would ease the requirements of a new rule designed to curb air pollution.

LA Times: Is Occupy Wall Street a tea party for Democrats? - As protests aimed at shaming Wall Street continued near New York's financial heart, they raised a tantalizing prospect for beleaguered liberals: Their side may, unexpectedly, be witnessing the redefinition of a coming election year that was supposed to be all about an "enthusiasm gap" for Democrats against charged-up Republicans.

River Towns: Dems offer bill to provide nursing home residents with legal protection; Senate hopefuls pledge 'no new taxes'; Applefest this weekend - Wisconsin Democrats say nursing home residents need legal protection – and they’re offering a new bill to provide it.

The Charlestown Gazette: Worker safety reforms crawl along at Obama OSHA - It was baffling earlier this week to listen in to a House subcommittee hearing as Republican lawmakers repeated over and over their mantra that workplace safety regulations kill jobs.

In These Times: As Occupy Wall St. Protest Grows, Obama Sits on Sidelines With CEOs - As with the Wisconsin publc-employees rebellion earlier this year, President Obama has an opportunity to reinforce his pro-jobs message with the widespread energy generated by the Occupy Wall Street movement that is now spreading across the nation. 

Huffington Post: Hillary Clinton Keystone XL crony lobbyists problem - Hillary Clinton and the State Department have the final word on whether to approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, unless President Obama intervenes.

mlive.com: Pending free trade agreements House, Rep. Dave Camp expects jobs and increase to GDP - The House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, approved three pending trade agreements Wednesday with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

The Hill: Trade deals were cash cow for K street - A multimillion-dollar stimulus package for K Street is coming to a close.The expected passage of the trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea marks the end point of a long campaign that saw the respective governments spend freely on lobbyists, lawyers and public relations to help push the deals to the finish line.

Chron: Web tool shows where your taxes go - What are you paying for garbage pickup? How about for having a fire department on call to douse your house if it goes up in flames?

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development: After long delay, US FTAs with Korea, Colombia, Panama submitted to Congress - The push to pass the US free trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea is quickly gaining momentum, with the White House submitting the pacts to Congress on 3 October after years of back-and-forth political wrangling.

Huliq- Imported seafood source of alarming contaminants - Chances are good that the last time you enjoyed that juicy shrimp or salmon, you were also ingesting contaminants like banned drugs and dangerous bacteria along with it.

BNA: U.S. Supreme Court declines to consider cell-phone emissions preemption case - Key Development: The Supreme Court denies review of a closely-watched preemption case on cell phone safety. Potential Impact: A new area of tort and class-action litigation based on an alleged link between wireless emissions and cancer remains a nonstarter for now under the doctrine of federal preemption.

Flagler Live: Occupy Wall Street protests spreading to Florida- Jacksonville, Gainsville and Ocala - Frustrated by Wall Street bailouts and inspired by seemingly spontaneous demonstrations in New York City, protesters plan to take to the streets in Florida this week.

Huffington Post: Eric Cantor staffer creating leadership super PAC - The deputy chief of staff to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is leaving the congressman's office to start a leadership super PAC designed to help retain and expand the Republican majority in the House and enhance Cantor's standing within his caucus.

Lared Sun: Left and right find common ground in cutting wasteful giveaways that harm the environment in Texas - Ending a third of a trillion dollars in environmentally harmful subsidies could go a long way toward solving our nation’s budget challenges, help the environment, and help businesses and taxpayers throughout Texas, an unusual right-left coalition said today.

Huffington Post: New trade deal would benefit Big Pharma at AIDS programs' expense -  In 2003, with the AIDS pandemic developing into one of the most severe humanitarian crises in modern history, President George W. Bush pledged billions of dollars in relief funding for citizens of the world's poorest countries.

The Hill: Worker-safety hearing sparks debate of House HHS spending bill - Wednesday's House hearing on worker-safety regulations sparked sharp debate over Republicans' recently released FY 2012 spending bill for the departments of Health, Labor and Education.

MSNBC: Tainted seafood reaching American tables, experts say - Filthy seafood infected with bacteria or tainted with drugs and antibiotics banned in the U.S. is finding its way onto the plates of Americans, according to state and federal officials, consumer advocates, academics and food safety experts.

NPR: Skipping the ads on TV? Get ready for shows that are the ads - You know regular product placement, right? Top Chef and its plugs for frozen meals and Gladware, cars being name-checked by action stars speeding away in them, and — of course — the carbonation-off currently taking place between American Idol (COKE! COKE! COKE!) and The X Factor (PEPSI! PEPSI! PEPSI!). But as Elizabeth Blair reports on Wednesday's Morning Edition, you haven't seen anything yet.

The Journal Gazette: Trade pacts light fire for partisan bickering - Foreign trade is the next showdown on Capitol Hill – only this time President Obama and Republicans are on the same side.

Inter Press Service: Long-stalled trade accords move forward - In a major victory for U.S.-based multinational corporations, President Barack Obama has submitted controversial and long- pending "free-trade" agreements (FTAs) between the U.S. and South Korea, Colombia, and Panama for rapid approval by Congress.

Government Executive: Bipartisian regulatory reform bill draws administration's silence - Agencies would be required to be more transparent and subject their cost-versus-benefit judgments to greater scrutiny by business under legislation to revamp federal rulemaking recently introduced by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.

Bloomberg: Senate 'workhouse' Murray must save majority while cutting debt - Among the 12 members of the congressional deficit-cutting supercommittee, there are committee chairmen, Sunday news show regulars, anti-tax purists, and Patty Murray.

WCTV: Advertising rules for lawyers may change - 'Don't settle for less than you deserve' has been the slogan of Harrell & Harrell for nearly a decade.But a decision by the Florida Bar threatened to change that.

Sunshine State News: 'Occupy Wall Street' heads for Florida as the Anti-Tea Party - Frustrated by Wall Street bailouts and inspired by seemingly spontaneous demonstrations in New York City, protesters plan to take to the streets in Florida this week.

CounterPunch: Masters of the big lie - Masters of the repeated lying sound byte, the craven Congressional Republicans are feasting on the health and safety of the American people with gleeful greed while making the corporate and trade association media swoon.

The Cypress Times: Left and right find common ground in cutting wasteful giveaways that harm the environment in Texas - Ending a third of a trillion dollars in environmentally harmful subsidies could go a long way toward solving our nation’s budget challenges, help the environment, and help businesses and taxpayers throughout Texas, an unusual right-left coalition said today.

The Am Law Daily: Judge finds certain Flordia bar rules on attorney ads too vague - A federal judge in Jacksonville has determined that Florida Bar rules governing law firm advertising violate the First Amendment rights of lawyers, according to sibling publication the Daily Business Review.

Kansas City Star: Super PACs set sights on 2012 U.S. Senate race in Missouri - Relaxed spending rules unleashed a torrent of campaign cash in the 2010 elections. 

Dayton Daily News: Portman, select committee face unprescedented pressure - By being appointed to a 12-member special committee tasked with cutting the federal deficit, Sen. Rob Portman has become the political equivalent of one of the most popular guys in school.

Bloomberg: Christie comes clean on trips as N.J. Governor seeks donations - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's bid to raise money nationwide for Republicans as he considers a presidential run is forcing him to divulge details on out-of-state trips that he had previously kept secret.

Associated Press: Health care law looms over new Supreme Court term - The nine justices of the Supreme Court, who serve without seeking election, soon will have to decide whether to insert themselves into the center of the presidential campaign next year.

Politico: Lobbyists in on 'super' secrets - Want the inside scoop on the supercommittee? Ask a lobbyist.

The Columbus Dispatch: Dispatch Analysis: Congress, heal thyself - Many can recall times in the U.S. history when partisan rancor was more intense than now, but most agree that current divisions must end.

Politico: UAW holds nose, backs free trade - The United Auto Workers surprised its fellow labor giants last year when it broke ranks and endorsed a free-trade deal with South Korea, but the union hasn't backed up its announcement with its usual lobbying fervor, suggesting that the move is more of a thank you to the Obama administration for the auto bailout than deep support for the proposal.