July 28, 2009 at 3:00 pm
The $450 trillion over-the-counter derivatives market, which added greatly to the economic crash, will be under scrutiny as Congress considers how to curb speculation in credit default swaps. School of Law Professor Tamar Frankel, an authority on securities law, says regulating CDSs would help.
“Credit default swaps are chisels with which our brokers, dealers and investment bankers have separated the building blocks of the financial assets system, with the blessing of past regulators.”
Contact Tamar Frankel, 617-353-3773, tfrankel@bu.edu
July 28, 2009 at 2:40 pm
On a 13-6 vote, with only one Republican siding with her, Sonia Sotomayor has been endorsed by the Senate Judiciary Committee to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court. Full Senate debate on the nomination is expected next week. School of Law Professor Jay Wexler, who clerked for the current court's only female justice, can discuss Sotomayor's likely impact on the SCOTUS.
Contact Jay Wexler, 617-353-3174, jaywex@bu.edu
July 28, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Is the GMAT the most important criterion? Personal essays? Letters of recommendation? School of Management Director of Graduate Admissions Christopher Storer discusses the business-school admissions process in a BusinessWeek Q&A.
"Our first job in admissions is to ensure that people are going to be successful in the classroom."
Contact Christopher Storer, 617-353-6791, cstorer@bu.edu
July 28, 2009 at 11:36 am
"Americans are battling the bathroom scale and are losing the battle. The CDC reports that two thirds of American adults and one fifth of children are overweight. Small, continued steps are needed to change our habits through healthy eating, adding physical activity to our day, and modifying our behaviors. Here are 52 small steps to losing weight: http://people.bu.edu/SALGE/weight.html"
July 28, 2009 at 10:50 am
In a reversal, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission now says speculators, not normal supply-and-demand, triggered the recent wild swings in global oil prices. Energy risk-assessment expert Mark T. Williams, who teaches finance in the School of Management, can discuss how the new CFTC view reflects a shifting of political winds.
Contact Mark T. Williams, 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu
July 28, 2009 at 9:37 am
A recent study has shown a decline in in-room movie purchases at hotels among business travelers. A surge in available technologies enabling business travelers to bring entertainment with them, or view it online, is to blame. Some of the most popular online services are Hulu and Amazon Video on Demand while Netflix remains a strong source for people who bring DVDs on the road. School of Hospitality professor Mike Oshins is available to speak about the study's findings and can be reached at moshins@bu.edu.
July 27, 2009 at 3:03 pm
A spokesman confirms that President Obama, his African-American professor friend arrested in his own Cambridge home, and the white arresting officer will have a beer together this week at the White House to mend hurt feelings on all sides. College of Communication Associate Dean Tobe Berkovitz, a political communications expert, says the "beer summit" invitation was a smart move on Obama's part.
Contact Tobe Berkovitz, 617-353-3447, tobetv@bu.edu
July 27, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Medical spending for an obese person averages $1,400 more a year than an individual of normal weight -- a health-related expenditure that has doubled from nearly a decade ago and includes treating diabetes, heart disease and other ailments found in those overweight, according to a recent study. Caroline Apovian, MD, Boston Medical Center Director of Clinical Research at the Obesity Research Center, can discuss ways of changing behavior and health outcomes to reduce obesity.
Contact Caroline Apovian, 617-414-1816, apovian@bu.edu
July 24, 2009 at 3:09 pm
The Associated Press will wrap each of its articles (and photos) with software that indicates its right-to-use and notifies the AP how it was used. It's in response to Web aggregators and blogs using stories without permission or paying -- and may be a breakthrough for the struggling news industry as a whole. Journalism Department Chairman Professor Lou Ureneck says it's long over due.
Contact Lou Ureneck, 617-353-4095, lureneck@bu.edu
July 24, 2009 at 1:51 pm
WBUR, the Boston Globe, NECN and WGBH-TV announced today that they have joined forces to present a Boston mayoral debate live from Kennedy Library on Monday, October 19 from 7-8 p.m.
The debate between the final two mayoral candidates airs on WBUR, 90.9 FM, Boston's NPR news station, NECN and WGBH's "Greater Boston," and will include questions from both reporters and citizens in front of a live audience. Moderators and additional details will be announced at a later date.
