August 26, 2009 at 8:31 am
Available for comment on the legacy of Senator Ted Kennedy is Boston University political expert and a long time Kennedy watcher, Thomas Whalen. Contact Whalen at 617-353-2240.
August 25, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Stars & Stripes reports that the Rendon Group PR firm is screening journalists who request to be "embedded" with U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan. The Pentagon acknowledges Rendon rates the reporters based on their prior coverage of the military, but insists they're not rejecting embed requests based on negative coverage. Journalism Professor Bob Zelnick, a former ABC News foreign correspondent, says only the news outlets should choose which reporter to embed.
"Any departure from this practice, such as screening the reporters on policy or ideological grounds, would be inexcusable."
Contact Bob Zelnick, 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu
August 25, 2009 at 12:36 pm
President Obama says he is seeking stability at the Federal Reserve by nominating Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman, which must be approved by the Senate. School of Law Professor Cornelius Hurley, a former counsel to the Fed Board of Governors and now director of the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law, can discuss Bernanke's impact on the Fed.
Contact Cornelius Hurley, 617-353-5427, ckhurley@bu.edu
August 24, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Nokia, the world's largest cell-phone maker, is getting back in the PC industry, announcing a new wireless netbook with a 10-inch screen running on Microsoft software. School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, head of the Information Systems Department, says Nokia is making sure it isn't left out of the tablet/netbook segment, especially with Apple expected to soon join the fray.
"This move shows that Nokia is keen to develop a tighter relationship with Microsoft and Intel as the world converges across devices into a unified platform."
Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu
August 24, 2009 at 10:50 am
Proctor & Gamble has agreed to sell its prescription drug business for $3.1 billion to the Irish pharmaceutical firm Warner Chilcott. School of Law Professor Kevin Outterson, an authority in pharma law and marketing, says the deal is evidence of further consolidation in the prescription drug industry.
"P&G evidently decided they couldn't compete at at scale with only $2.3 billioin in annual revenues."
Contact Kevin Outterson, 617-353-3130, mko@bu.edu
August 24, 2009 at 10:42 am
With experts still debating if the program will have had any significant positive environmental impact, the govenment's "Cash for Clunkers" rebate program comes to an end with about a half million vehicles sold. School of Management Dean Lou Lataif, a former Ford executive, says the initiative had some positive value.
Contact Lou Lataif, 617-353-2668, lelataif@bu.edu
August 21, 2009 at 11:32 am
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. reportedly has been meeting with major newspaper publishers nationwide about creating a consortium to charge for news distributed online and on portable devices. Journalism Department Chairman Lou Ureneck, an authority on the business of news, can discuss this latest proposal to wring revenue from Internet readers to help finance the cash-strapped newspaper industry.
Contact Lou Ureneck, 617-353-4095, lureneck@bu.edu
August 21, 2009 at 10:15 am
School of Education Professor and Sports Psychologist Len Zaichkowsky has his own theory on why NFL quarterback Brett Farve decided not to retire: "..this is what he knows, he's a football player, a professional quarterback, and he knows he's one of the best" and what it will take for Favre to finally leave the game: "..what really gets them out for good is that they realize that their skills have deteriorated, there are people that are better players than they are, they don't want to embarrass themselves" To hear more of what Len thinks about Favre, contact him at sport@bu.edu.
August 19, 2009 at 3:31 pm
President Obama reportedly was caught unprepared for the intra-Democratic Party infighting over healthcare-reform proposals, particularly over the proposed "public option" to compete with private insurance companies. School of Management Professor Stephen Davidson, author of "In Urgent Need of Reform: The U.S. Healthcare System," argues in a Huffington Post commentary that advocates of the public option shouldn't let themselves get put on the defensive.
"Instead, they should insist that opponents explain what innovations insurers will introduce to provide good value at affordable prices."
Contact Stephen Davidson, 617-353-7422, sdavidso@bu.edu
August 19, 2009 at 11:26 am
Swiss bank UBS, in a U.S. tax-evasion settlement, is handing over some 4,450 names of U.S. account holders. Still more names should surface from the amnesty program which has identified another 10 Swiss and European banks where accounts are held. Meantime, court papers show how a UBS whistleblower, an American, started it all. Law Professor Daniel Berman, once deputy international tax counsel to the Treasury Department, can discuss the situation.
Contact Daniel Berman, 617-353-3105, bermand@bu.edu
