AstroTurf news stories on Newser

Insurer Urges Employees to Protest Health Care Reform

Nick McMaster — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:20:02 CDT

UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s second-biggest health insurance firm, has been encouraging employees to attend events protesting health-care reform, Talking Points Memo reports. In a clear-cut example of “Astroturf”—fake grassroots action—a memo to employees urges them to call an “advocacy specialist” who can provide talking points for a letter...

'Racial Anxiety' Fuels Town Hall Protesters

Jason Farago — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:30:42 CDT

The mob-like scenes at recent town halls are "something new and ugly," writes Paul Krugman, who notes that 2005's protests against Social Security privatization never saw baying crowds and congressmen hanged in effigy. The New York Times columnist is unconvinced that the mobs are in the pay of well-organized conservative...

Turf-Makers Sued Over Lead

Ambreen Ali — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:50:04 CDT

California has sued three top turf-makers, claiming they are deliberately hiding the fact that their products contain lead, the Los Angeles Times reports. State law requires labeling of products containing the metal, which gives a "natural" green color to fake grass. Lead can cause cancer, birth defects, and damage to...

Celebs Face Off in Green Arms Race

Nick McMaster — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:33:04 CDT

It could only happen in California—a pair of celebrity neighbors, actor Ed Begley Jr. and "Science Guy" Bill Nye, are involved in a contest of environmental one-upsmanship, the AP reports. Since Nye moved onto Begley’s block in Studio City 2 years ago, the two have been competing to see...

Site's Grass Roots Planted in Right-Wing 'AstroTurf'

Jonas Oransky — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:57:04 CDT

AngryRenter.com might look “underdoggy and grass-rootsy, with a heavy dose of aw-shucks innocence,” the Wall Street Journal reports, but the anti-mortgage bailout website is actually the work of publisher Steve Forbes, former House majority leader Dick Armey and other Republican bigwigs. It’s a paragon of “AstroTurfing”—big-sponsor advocacy posing...