June 16, 2009 at 10:40 am
While the White House says President Obama is committed to signing a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, his Justice Department is committed to fighting any challenges to the DOMA until Congress changes the law. The Human Rights Campaign, a prominent gay-rights organization, protests the administration’s legal straddling. School of Law Professor Linda McClain, […]
June 16, 2009 at 10:27 am
A free-speech fight is brewing over part of the bill, which President Obama will sign, giving the FDA regulatory control over tobacco. It pits the public interest in preventing young people from smoking against the right of tobacco companies to advertise to adult smokers. School of Law Professor Tracey Maclin, a Constitutional law expert, can […]
June 16, 2009 at 10:17 am
Bankrupt automaker General Motors will sell its Swedish unit, Saab, to a consortium led by Koenigsegg Automotive, makers of high-performance sports cars. GM already has sold Opel and is selling or dumping its Hummer, Saturn, and Pontiac lines. Former Ford executive Louis Lataif, now dean of the School of Management, can discuss the industry’s big […]
June 16, 2009 at 10:12 am
The Boston Globe’s largest union is to meet today with the National Labor Relations Board for the first time since rejecting a cost-cutting contract offer from parent the parent New York Times Company. Meantime, the Boston Newspaper Guild continues talks with Globe management about a new concession package. College of Communication journalism Professor Christopher Daly, […]
June 16, 2009 at 10:04 am
The banking industry is taking a wait-and-see attitude about reports about the Obama administration’s proposals to overhaul the regulation of financial services. The plans will be formally announced Wednesday. Robert Bench, a former deputy Comptroller of the Currency now a senior fellow at the School of Law’s Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law, can […]
June 15, 2009 at 12:07 pm
A new round of consolidation among Hollywood studios soon could be a coming attraction, according to media reports. Big investor Mario Gabelli speculates that Paramount Pictures could merge with Sony Pictures, Universal Studios or another studio before long. Professor Bill Linsman, who directs the BU in Los Angeles Program, can offer some insight into where the industry is […]
June 15, 2009 at 11:51 am
Bailed-out insurance giant American International Group today takes its former long-time CEO Maurice Greenberg to court for allegedly plundering $4.3 billion from a trust set up to reward top performers. School of Law Professor Tamar Frankel, an authority on securities law and a legal-ethics expert, says our business culture of greed made this all possible. Contact Tamar Frankel, 617-353-3773, […]
June 15, 2009 at 11:24 am
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has finally accepted the goal of a Palestinian state, but with so many caveats that the Palestinians may not want to talk about it. College of Communication journalism Professor Robert Zelnick, a former ABC News Middle East correspondent, can discuss the possible impact of this latest move. Contact Robert Zelnick, 617-353-5007, […]
June 15, 2009 at 11:11 am
President Obama today brings his health-reform case before the American Medical Association, which opposes the president’s call for a public insurance program to compete with private plans. School of Management Professor Alan Cohen, executive director of the Health Policy Institute, can offer perspective on the battle ahead. Contact Alan Cohen, 617-353-9222, abcohen@bu.edu
June 15, 2009 at 11:04 am
Boston Globe management meets today with the paper’s largest union, which wants to suggest some cost-cutting moves the union can support after rejecting the paper’s contract offer last week. College of Communication Dean Tom Fiedler, a Pulitzer-winning former executive editor of the Miami Herald, can offer some insight into the Globe’s future. Contact Tom Fiedler, […]
