News, information and research from Boston University
August 19, 2009 at 10:55 am
With violence escalating as the Afghan election approaches, the government is barring reporting on election-day disturbances. Despite the turmoil, however, embattled President Hamid Karzai appears headed for re-election. Journalism Professor Nick Mills, who has known Karzai since running BU’s Afghan Media Project in the 1980s, can comment on the situation.
Contact Nick Mills, 617-353-3492, nmills@bu.edu
August 19, 2009 at 9:00 am
Nutrition Professor and healthy eating expert Joan Salge Blake claims that a recent PETA advertisement which includes an obese women with the caption "Save the whales. Lose the blubber: Go Vegetarian" not only "misses the boat when motivating Americans to lose weight, but also is not accurate."
Salge Blake's Truth About Vegetarianism:
"A vegetarian diet isn't always low in calories and heart-unhealthy saturated fat, especially if full fat dairy products, such as cheese, are over-consumed. Vegetarians, especially vegans, should visit with a registered dietitian to make sure that their diets meet all of their nutrient needs and are kind to their waists and hearts."
August 18, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Conservative columnist Robert "Prince of Darkness" Novak, who died of brain cancer at 78, left an indelible impression on most. Journalism professors and former journalists Robert Zelnick (ABC News) and Elizabeth Mehren (Los Angeles Times) can reflect on Novak and his impact on the news industry.
Contact Robert Zelnick, 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu
Contact Elizabeth Mehren, 617-358-4806, emehren@bu.edu
August 18, 2009 at 12:23 pm
In what is being called the largest cyber-hacking identity-theft case in U.S. history, Albert Gonzalez, a 28-year-0ld American, is accused of masterminding the rip-off of more than 130 million credit cards in a global scheme to steal data. School of Law Professor David Breen, a former prosecutor, can discuss what it will take to prosecute Gonzalez, who is also charged in the cyber-theft of 40 million credit cards in the TJX case in Massachusetts.
Contact David Breen, 617-353-4256, dbreen@bu.edu
August 18, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Latest user data shows that Microsoft's new Internet search engine, Bing, continues to gain ground on those of industry leaders Google and Yahoo. With Microsoft now joining forces with Yahoo in taking on Google's command of the lucrative Net ad market, School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman says the next key milestone will be reaching the 40% share level (it's now about 30%).
"That level could give a boost to both Microsoft and Yahoo to marshal additional resources and ways to challenge Google."
Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu
August 17, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Even as government lawyers keep defending the law, the Obama administration today filed court papers claiming the federal Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against gays and the law should be repealed. School of Law Professor Linda McClain, an authority on family law and gay rights, can talk about where this may be headed.
Contact Linda McClain, 617-358-4635, lmcclain@bu.edu
August 17, 2009 at 11:59 am
The Charles Schwab brokerage form is reportedly expected to be sued by New York's state attorney general on civil fraud charges involving the marketing and sales of auction-rate securities. School of Law Professor Tamar Frankel, an authority on securities law, can discuss the fiduciary responsibilities of brokers.
Contact Tamar Frankel, 617-353-3773, tfrankel@bu.edu
August 17, 2009 at 11:41 am
The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. government is widening its probe against the Swiss bank UBS to target tax cheats allegedly hiding income in Hong Kong. School of Law Professor Daniel Berman, director of the schools Graduate Tax Program and a former deputy international tax counsel to the Treasury Department, can discuss the case against UBS.
Contact Daniel Berman, 617-353-3105, bermand@bu.edu
August 17, 2009 at 10:50 am
The White House is signaling that the "public option" for healthcare insurance to compete with private plans may be dropped from reform proposals now before Congress. A compromise would consider nonprofit health cooperatives. School of Management Professor Stephen Davidson, author of "In Urgent Need of Reform: Saving the U.S. Healthcare System," says the public option is needed.
"The public option is the last, best chance for private insurers to show us they can provide better value at lower cost. They have already demonstrated that without it they won't do that."
Contact Stephen Davidson, 617-353-7422, sdavidso@bu.edu
August 17, 2009 at 10:30 am
Afghan President Hamid Kazai's re-election bid will be decided this week. Polls are predicting a win, but not necessarily with an outright majority to avoid a run-off election with former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. Journalism Professor Nick Mills, author of "Karzai: The Failing American Intervention and the Struggle for Afghanistan," can comment. He's know Karzai since the 1980s when Mills ran Boston University's USIA-funded Afghan Media Project.
Contact Nick Mills, 617-353-3492, nmills@bu.edu
