News, information and research from Boston University
June 23, 2009 at 11:21 am
The New York Times reports that sources say the effort may be dropped to force Switzerland to end its banking secrecy by getting the UBS bank identify 52,000 wealth Americans suspected of offshore tax evasion. School of Law Professor Daniel Berman, director of the Graduate Tax Program and a former U.S. Treasury attorney dealing with international tax law, can discuss the impact of this case.
Contact Daniel Berman, 617-353-3105, bermand@bu.edu
June 23, 2009 at 10:45 am
The auto industry worldwide continues to struggle. With Toyota facing its largest losses ever, Akio Toyoda today becomes president of the company founded by his grandfather in 1937. Meantime, the first beneficiaries (reportedly Ford, Nissan, Tesla) finally are being named today for the loan program created by Congress in 2007 to help auto makers retool factories to make new-tech vehicles. School of Management Dean Louis Lataif, a former Ford executive, can discuss the industry big picture.
Contact Louis Lataif, 617-353-2668, lelataif@bu.edu
June 23, 2009 at 10:07 am
Monday's 4% U.S. oil decline -- the first drop in nearly two months of rising gasoline prices -- has analysts forecasting gas prices falling further by late summer. Robert Kaufmann, Director of BU's Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, can comment.
Contact Robert Kaufmann, 617-353-3940, kaufmann@bu.edu
June 23, 2009 at 9:46 am
With three new lawsuits filed against investment "feeders" of Bernard Madoff's alleged $65 billion "Ponzi" scheme, federal investigators are slowing unravelling the mechanics of history's biggest investment ripoff. School of Law Professor Tamar Frankel, a legal-ethics expert and authority on fiduciary law, says the "middlemen" in the Madoff scheme should have know what was going on.
"The more they were paid for 'feeding' Madoff, the more careful they should have been about their clients' investments."
Contact Tamar Frankel, 617-353-3773, tfrankel@bu.edu
June 23, 2009 at 9:17 am
Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's loyal sidekick on "The Tonight Show" for nearly three decades, died today in California. He was 86. College of Communication Professor Cathy Perron, director of the Television Program, can discuss McMahon's impact on the medium.
Contact Cathy Perron, 617-353-4976, cperron@bu.edu
June 23, 2009 at 9:00 am
With the Supreme Court sidestepping a conclusive determination of whether the Voting Rights Act remains constitutionally needed, the ultimate fate of the landmark act could wind up back in Congress. School of Law Professor Tracey Maclin, a Constitutional Law expert, can discuss the possibilities.
Contact Tracey Maclin, 617-353-4688, tmaclin@bu.edu
June 22, 2009 at 4:48 pm
A national study of the purchasing behavior of more than 32 million shoppers across 685 leading brands shows that in a weak economy 52 percent either reduced their brand loyalty or defected to another brand in the same category. School of Management Professor Susan Fournier, a brand marketing expert, says hard times are a great test of brand loyalty.
"When the money is tight, do you still opt for the branded entity, or do your habits and affections take a toll in favor of cushioning a few dollars for the tight times?
Contact Susan Fournier, 617-353-2773, fournism@bu.edu
June 22, 2009 at 10:27 am
T-Mobile today added to the smartphone smorgasbord its myTouch 3G, which will be the centerpiece of T-Mobile's marketing this year. It comes on the heels of the new Palm Pre and the new iPhone 3G S. School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, chairman of the Information Systems Department, can discuss the shifting marketplace for smartphones.
Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu
June 22, 2009 at 10:18 am
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the novel H1N1 swine flu virus is hanging around this summer, with new cases in summer camps, and will continue into the fall and winter. Al Ozonoff, assistant professor of biostatistics, has worked with the CDC and can discuss their weekly forecast reports.
Contact Al Ozonoff, 617-638-5866, aozonoff@bu.edu
June 22, 2009 at 10:02 am
Should Apple's board of directors been notified that on-leave CEO Steve Jobs had a liver transplant? School of Managemenet Professor James Post, an authority on corporate governance matters, can discuss the ins and outs of transparency requirements for the boards of public companies.
Contact James Post, 617-353-4162, jepost@bu.edu
