The NY Times' Brian Stelter reports that new Fox Business Network employee John Stossel will speak at a series of forums in Arkansas on Thursday sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, who are described as "opponents of a Democratic health care overhaul." Stelter writes:

The unusual appearances come at a time when the sister network to Fox Business, the Fox News Channel, is facing fierce criticism from the White House and its allies. In recent days critics have leaped on Mr. Stossel's speaking engagements as the latest evidence of conservative bias on the part of Fox, a unit of the News Corporation. The Obama administration has cast the network as a part of the political opposition.

Last week, a FNC spokesperson told the Huffington Post that "John Stossel is not part of the hard news division at Fox News," and that "He serves as an occasional analyst for some of the network's programming and will host specials and a forthcoming primetime program on FOX Business Network."