During a typical six-month season, the environment in National Football League ("NFL") stadiums can easily be characterized as masculine. However, during the month of October, players take the field in pink sweatbands, cleats, and chin straps; play with a pink, embellished pigskin; and even wipe their sweat with a pink towel. The referees also take part, blowing their pink whistles when a player in a pink-accented jersey does something that runs afoul of the game. This is the NFL’s way of supporting breast cancer awareness month alongside a multitude of other companies and nonprofits. During October, a breast-cancer-research “superfan” could purchase almost any product allegedly supporting the cause including dish soap, measuring cups, Snuggies, and bike helmets. If that fan is hungry, they can pick up a pink bucket of fried chicken from KFC. Breast cancer awareness month motivates companies to capture consumer dollars with a promise (even if implied) to raise funds for breast cancer research. However, do all of these products actually benefit the research they claim to support? [More]

Chicago, Illinois… ever heard of it? Apparently their mayor, Rahm Emanuel, doesn’t think enough businesses have, or at least seriously consider it as a place to set up shop. Incorporated in 1999, World Business Chicago (“WBC”), a city-funded nonprofit group, is the city’s economic development office, tasked with the duties of “coordinating retention, attraction and expansion efforts in order to spur and accelerate economic growth.” Emanuel has taken a specific interest in this office, roughly tripling its size since his election this past May. [More]