November 5, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Feds in New York now have charged 14 money managers, attorneys, and other investors with insider trading in a case stemming from the Galleon Group hedge fund which is roiling the hedge-fund world. Law Professor Elizabeth Nowicki, a former SEC attorney and Wall Street lawyer, says it’s disappointing to see so many people who were trusted by investors allegedly betray that trust.
“Normally charges in an insider trading situation are hard to bring, and often the higher-level players avoid criminal charges because there are no smoking guns. In this case, the participants in the fraud were incredibly bold in their dealings with each other, such that the government has a good trail to use to bring charges.”
Contact Elizabeth Nowicki, 617-353-2807, enowicki@bu.edu
November 5, 2009 at 2:21 pm
With some saying he’s doing it only to show his independence from bank lobbyists while facing a tough re-election fight, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd is preparing a bill to radically revamp how the financial system is regulated. Nonetheless, Law Professor Cornelius Hurley, director of the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law, says Dodd’s idea of a single regulator for virtually all financial institutions “makes eminent good sense.”
Contact Cornelius Hurley, 617-353-5427, ckhurley@bu.edu
November 4, 2009 at 12:17 pm
With a 53 pecent majority, Maine voters rejected that state’s new gay-marriage law, meaning same-sex marriage has lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote. Law Professor Robert Volk, an authority on the law and sexual minorities and advisor to the Law School’s LGBT student group, called the vote disheartening.
“While the vote was close, the result shows that gay and lesbian Americans still have a lot of work to do before we can secure the rights enjoyed by other Americans.”
Contact Robert Volk, 617-353-3156, rvolk@bu.edu
November 3, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Afghan President Karzai’s re-election by default leaves the U.S. in the pre-election dilemma of having to deal with an Afghan government that the people there don’t trust. Journalism Professor Nick Mills, author of “Karzai: The Failing American Intervention and the Struggle for Afghanistan,” says Karzai has consistently failed to make the tough decisions that would have moved that nation forward.
“I don’t think the American public will support a large escalation of military forces and spending to defend a government that refuses to do its share of the heavy lifting.”
Contact Nick Mills, 617-353-3492, nmills@bu.edu
November 2, 2009 at 6:16 pm
The focus on the Obama’s marriage stemming from the New York Times Sunday Magazine cover story is sparking discussion of the role of government in promoting marriage. Law Professor Linda McClain, blogging in Concurring Opinions, says it was the passing of Michelle Triola Marvin, famous for her 1970’s “palimony” suit against actor Lee Marvin, that should provoke a discussion of the governonment’s role in nonmarital unions.
“Now that ‘palimony’ is in its fourth decade, perhaps it is time to rethink the state of nonmarital unions.”
Contact Linda McClain, 617-358-4635, lmcclain@bu.edu
November 2, 2009 at 4:23 pm
In a turnaround story for a troubled industry, Ford Motor Company posted a surprising 3rd quarter profit of nearly $1 billion, though it has still lost some $1.3 billion for the year. School of Management Dean Lou Lataif, a former top Ford executive, says adversity has built character in the current generation of Ford’s leaders.
“While Ford still has an enormous debt burden which must be paid down, the management team is proving that predictions of the demise of ‘Detroit’ and of American manufacturing are at least premature if not dead wrong.”
Contact Lou Lataif, 617-353-2668, lelataif@bu.edu
October 31, 2009 at 6:00 am
The Women’s Studies Program presents a day of rich intellectual exchange to honor distinguished writer Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick today beginning at 9 AM at the Photonics Center, Room 906. The symposium will consist of four roundtables with speakers responding to specific texts representing different phases and aspects of Professor Sedgwick’s career, including “Feminism and Queer Theory”, “Writing and Illness”, “Affect and Reparative Reading” and “Reading Proust”. The event is free and open to the public. Contact 617 358 2370 or sedgsymp@bu.edu for more information.
October 30, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is still trying to convince Congress to pass legislation to deal with “too big to fail” financial institutions before they get to the point of collapse. Law Professor Cornelius Hurley, director of the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law and a former counsel to the Fed Board of Governors, says it’s about time.
“The answer to the ‘too big to fail’ high-wire act does not lie in removing the government’s capacity to cope with these institutions in a crisis. It lies in removing the financial incentives for becoming TBTF in the first instance.”
Contact Cornelius Hurley, 617-353-5427, ckhurley@bu.edu
October 30, 2009 at 8:00 am
The Boston University Physics department is hosting the 2009 Pumpkin Drop today at 1 PM outside of the Metcalf Science Center (590 Commonwealth Avenue). The department will be throwing approximately 30 pumpkins, filled with everything from powder to paint, off the Metcalf Science Center roof into the plaza. The event is free and open to the public. Click smashing-pumpkins to see video of past pumpkin drops.
October 29, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Reflecting the trend toward consolidating functions on hand-helds, Google is offering free GPS navigation system for mobile phones – a potentially big blow to stand-alone GPS makers. Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, head of the School of Management’s IS Department, says it’s logical to extend Google Maps to mobile phones.
“Google realizes that it needs killer apps for the phone beyond just offering the Android OS.”
Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu
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