President Obama has revamped U.S. nuclear strategy to narrow the conditions under which we would use nuclear weapons, but made it clear that “outliers like Iran and North Korea” still could be potential targets. BU security law lecturer Philip O’Neill, author of the newly published “Verification in an Age of Insecurity,” says being able to verify who has what capabilities is critical to any strategy.
“The future verification process in nuclear arms reduction will have to account for not only those who agree to the bargain, but also those who don’t. Only rarely have nations faced such security challenges in the past, and that history is not encouraging; we will have to do much better this time.”
As Tiger Woods readies for his return to golf on Thursday (his tee time is 1:42 p.m. to be exact), Boston University Professor of Sports Journalism Frank Shorr talks to BU Now about what Tiger can expect from fans and the media, and the impact of his presence at Augusta on the rest of the tournament field.
The White House is reportedly considering possible candidates to nominate for the Supreme Court seat which may soon be vacated by 89-year-0ld Justice John Paul Stevens. Political Science Professor Graham Wilson says political reality dictates that the ability of the GOP minority in the Senate to delay or block nominations must be taken into serious consideration.
"Obama might need to nominate a candidate with a safer record and someone where opposition to them would seem to display political animus against the group – women, Hispanics, African Americans – from which they come."
With efforts to regulate the trading of derivatives stalling in the Senate Banking Committee, members of the Senate Agriculture Comittee are taking a stab at it, hoping to add it to an 0verall financial reform bill the banking panel is crafting. Law Professor Elizabeth Nowicki, both a former SEC attorney and Wall Street lawyer, says unregulated derivatives trading crashed the economy and regulating them is the only way back.
"If Obama truly wants to fix the economy, he needs to make derivatives his priority. Derivatives are truly the Tonya Harding of the economy."
The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center presents Richard North Patterson, bestselling author in the realm of the legal-political thriller, today at 5:30 PM at Metcalf Hall (Second Floor of the George Shurman Union). Patterson embarked on his writing career after first establishing himself as a successful lawyer, serving as a liaison for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission to the Watergate Special Prosecutor. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Ohio and has been a partner in several prestigious United States law firms. This event is open to the public. For tickets/more information call 617-353-1218 or email archives@bu.edu.
Apple is looking for a chunk of the growing e-books market as it rolls out the iPod, and some publishers like Penguin are cutting deals to dump sales via Amazon. But the iPad doesn't have Apple's iBook software preinstalled, so readers can just as easily choose Amazon's Kindle app. School of Management Prof. N. Venkat Venkatraman, chair of the Information Systems Department, says Amazon can benefit from iPad sales.
"[Amazon] has always maintained that e-books and devices are separate businesses with no cross-subsidization. If that is truly the case, Amazon’s e-book business should see iPad as a boon to enlarge their set of potential consumers. The real area of friction will be when the same books are sold at differential prices on the two stores."
Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu
Germany is moving to adopt a new bank tax to cover the cost of possible future bailouts, and France is considering the same thing. Former Deputy Comptroller of the Currency Robert Bench, now a senior fellow at the BU Law School's Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law, says perhaps the best way to protect the taxpayer against troubled financial companies is to keep the institutions out of trouble in the first place.
"Rather than tapping financial firms to create a government fund which always will be inadequate, perhaps require financial companies to put away significantly more of their earnings into ‘prudential reserves,’ making the institutions ‘too safe to fail.’"
A federal judge has ruled as illegal the Bush-era progam of surveillance without warrants conducted by the National Security Agency, which bypassed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The Obama Justice Department hasn't decided whether to appeal. Attorney Philip O'Neill, who teaches national security law at BU Law, says a lawful domestic-surveillance process isn't a barrier to our self-preservation.
"The FISA reflects Congress' carefully measured balancing of our most basic interests in security, privacy and liberty. The burden was on the executive branch to demonstrate the need to vary it ... But it failed to make a persuasive case on the facts or the law."
Come to Marsh Chapel (735 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston) on Tuesday, April 6th at 7pm, to experience a diverse array of sacred music offered by the Boston University School of Theology Seminary Singers. The choir has recently returned from their spring 2010 tour and is presenting this homecoming concert as a benefit for Haiti earthquake relief efforts. The Seminary Singers is a choral group with a 78-year history and a cutting-edge, globally inspired musical repertoire. All are welcome to attend this free public concert. A free-will offering will be taken to benefit Haiti.
President Obama has revamped U.S. nuclear strategy to narrow the conditions under which we would use nuclear weapons, but made it clear that “outliers like Iran and North Korea” still could be potential targets. BU security law lecturer Philip O’Neill, author of the newly published “Verification in an Age of Insecurity,” says being able to verify who has what capabilities is critical to any strategy.
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With efforts to regulate the trading of derivatives stalling in the Senate Banking Committee, members of the Senate Agriculture Comittee are 
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Apple is looking for a chunk of the growing e-books market as it rolls out the iPod, and some publishers like Penguin are 
Germany is moving to adopt a new 
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