News, information and research from Boston University
May 14, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Despite a rush by small companies to develop an H1N1 vaccine that could be produced in days and weeks instead of months in the current half-century old technique, any new technologies could not get through the regulatory process in time. Alexander Ozonoff, assistant professor of biostatistics said new approaches will take awhile and no new evaluation studies have begun yet.
Contact Alexander Ozonoff, (617) 638-5866 aozonoff@bu.edu
May 14, 2009 at 2:11 pm
With the continued drama unfolding of who knew what in Congress about the illegal - or not - waterboarding technique, political expert Thomas Whalen is available to discuss the Congressional flip-flopping of the issue.
Contact Thomas Whalen, 617-353-4785, tjw64@bu.edu
May 13, 2009 at 10:09 am
Federal regulators soon will file suit against companies behind a national wave of spam "robo-calls" warning that auto warranties are expiring and offering new service plans. School of Management Professor Michael Salinger, a former Federal Trade Commission official, can discuss how the FTC investigates then goes after such scams.
Contact Michael Salinger, 617-353-4408, salinger@bu.edu
May 13, 2009 at 10:02 am
Reports say the Obama administration is mulling an overhaul of compensation practices in the financial services industry, including for companies that did not receive bailout money like hedge funds and private-equity firms. School of Management Professor Fred Foulkes, director of the Human Resources Policy Institute and an expert on executive compensation, can discuss what this could mean.
Contact Fred Foulkes, 617-353-4281, ffoulkes@bu.edu
May 13, 2009 at 9:44 am
School of Law Professor Keith Hylton, an authority on antitrust law, says the EU slapping Intel with a record $1.45 billion fine could hurt consumers and hamper U.S. companies trying to compete globally.
"The EC decision to impose the largest fine in its history on Intel, largely for its price cutting, sends a worrisome signal to dominant firms in the U.S.
"Antitrust law in the U.S. has largely abandoned the idea that consumers can be made better off by punishing firms that cut prices aggressively. Punishing large firms for cutting prices provides a strong incentive for those firms to avoid price competition, and this hurts consumers in the long run.
"Recognizing this, U.S. antitrust law has in effect provided a safe harbor from antitrust liability for large firms that cut prices when selling to U.S. consumers. The EC decision on Intel effectively destroys that safe harbor once the firms start selling their goods on the global market."
Contact Keith Hylton, 617-353-8959, knhylton@bu.edu
May 12, 2009 at 5:29 pm
The proposed Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco products is running into unexpected opposition from such health groups as the American Lung Assn., American Cancer Society and Tobacco-Free Kids. Why? They want to include electronic cigarettes, now sold on line and at mall kiosks, that contain no tobacco, produce no smoke, and help many smokers stay off of conventional cigarettes. But because they look like cigarettes and simulate the act of smoking, these health groups, led by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), want them removed, a reason that Michael B. Siegel, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences finds foolish and twisted.
"What's behind the FDA regulatory scheme? Philip Morris, to be exact. The nation's largest cigarette company is pushing this legislation because it would protect the existing cigarette market from potential competition like the e-cigarettes that are becoming popular....This is precisely why Philip Morris was brilliant in enticing ....health groups into supporting the FDA regulation of tobacco products."
Contact Michael Siegel, 617-638-5160, mbsiegel@bu.edu
May 12, 2009 at 4:51 pm
College of Communication Journalism Professor Caryl Rivers, author of "Slick Spins and Fractured Facts: How Cultural Myths Distort the News," says Elizabeth Edwards should have her say. In her latest column on Huffington Post, Rivers says the wife of the disgraced former presidential candidate - despite grousing to the contrary - is merely trying to claim ownership to her own story by writing and publicizing her own book about her life.
Contact Caryl Rivers, 617-353-3469, caryl@bu.edu
May 12, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Today's warming climate changes is making pollen season last longer, as damp areas of the country will get wetter impacting those with mold allergies while in drier areas pollens and other airborne irritants will become more a problem along withy an influx of insects. What can people do? Make sure they know what their specific allergy is and be aware of mold and pollen cycles. More specific asthma and spring allergy issues are available from Frederic Little, MD, Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine's Pulmonary Care Center and an allergy and asthma expert.
Contact Frederic Little, 617-638-4439, flittle@bu.edu
May 12, 2009 at 10:17 am
With speculation rampant about who President Obama will nominate to succeed retiring Justice Souter on the Supreme Court, the White House is being pressured to name the first Hispanic justice. School of Law professor Jack Beermann, a Supreme Court historian, can break down the options and precedents involved.
Contact Jack Beermann, 617-353-2577, beermann@bu.edu
