Contact Hurley at 617-353-5427; ckhurley@bu.edu; Twitter @ckhurley

Contact Williams at 617-358-2789; williams@bu.edu

“A bank that sells such businesses when unemployment and card defaults are over 9 percent is a signal of financial trouble. When BofA bought its credit card business in Canada and parts of Europe, it was hailed as another brick in the North American and abroad strategy. What has changed in the last decade? Bank of America is turning into America’s shrinking bank.”

Contact Williams at 617-358-2789; williams@bu.edu

Egypt proving to be a leader in digitally preserving culture (Investor’s Business Daily): “Since the advent of the Internet, the Egyptian government has been doing an admirable job in preserving the ancient archaeological heritage.” Farouk El-Baz, Director, Center for Remote Sensing

Debt deal still leaves all players bankrupt (Boston Herald): “I think there are a lot of ticked-off people on the Democratic side here, because President Obama, he’s basically giving (the GOP) 80 percent of what they want. I don’t see how he can declare some kind of political victory here.” Tom Whalen, Associate Professor of Social Science, College of General Studies

Angry liberals seek silver lining in debt deal (Washington Post): “The challenge Washington faces is to cut the bloated Pentagon budget without being capricious and arbitrary about it.” Andrew Bacevich, Professor of International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences

Afghanistan is broke, US drowning in debt – so what about a war ceiling? (EconomyWatch): “The total cost of war, the longest in American history and one that was paid for by borrowing rather than by increased taxation, should not be measured solely by the costs of financing the troops and the extensive aid programs administered by the State Department. It should also include long-term costs of the war, primarily veterans’ benefits for returning soldiers, who will require medical and mental health services for many years to come. Long after the last troops depart from the country, that hidden part of the bill will come due.” William Keylor, Professor of International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences

Slot open, Ch. 7 may raise anchor (Boston Globe): “They have been definately tinkering with the formula…It’s not unlike a chef working on a new recipe. Summer is a traditionally slow time for television, ratings overall are down, which is a great time to experiment with different combinations.” Geoff Klapisch, Lecturer, College of Communication

U.S. Steel is latest manufacturer to adopt Chief Risk Officer role (Industry Week): “Let’s say U.S. Steel is going into a market to get ore, maybe a third-world country where labor isn’t good or working conditions are poor. They have to understand whether they’re willing to take that risk of an accident or death and how that can damage their reputation. So this is where a senior-level person comes in.” Mark Williams, Master Lecturer & Executive-in-Residence, School of Management

Will President Obama lose the 2012 election? (PoliticoArena): “If Obama continues to govern like a Republican (as he did with thde debt ceiling debate) he will surely lose – Republicans will go for the real thing…” Kevin Gallagher, Associate Professor of International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences

The ‘Oreo Problem’: When drug marketers know too much about doctors (CommonHealth): ”If it’s Oreos, it’s only a snack and I’m buying them for my family. What we worry about for physicians is that they’re making an important medical decision for somebody else. We’re trusting the physician to make the right decision, without inappropriate influence from drug companies.” Kevin Outterson, Associate Professor of Law, School of Law

Grounding the FAA brings surprising economic ripples (Marketplace): “When you’re outta work, you’re not spending money. And when you’re not spending money, you’re not buying things, and the companies that are producing products, they’ve got to lay people off. It affects the economy thru the ripple process and there’s a giant ripple process with 70,000 people.” Allen Michel, Professor of Finance, School of Management

Contact Mark Williams, 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu

“At a time when everyone is rushing to buy gold it might be a good time to question such herd behavior. Investors take heed: gold price cannot climb to the clouds. It is at the late bubble stage and will soon pop. Gold bulls have enjoyed a decade-long ride, but as the economy moves from economic chaos to economic prosperity, the glitter of gold will fade.

“Investor obsession with exchange-traded gold funds (ETFs) has also created a false sense of liquidity and stability. ETFs have not been bear-market tested. Since 2004, when gold ETF’s were first concocted, over $60 billion has poured in, fueling higher gold prices. What is not understood is what effect ETFs will have on gold prices when global markets return to economic prosperity.

“As more investors want out than in, will ETFs become a giant wrecking ball? In 1980, during the last gold bubble, gold prices plummeted 60 percent in one year. That was before the advent of ETFs. Could the same derivative instruments that pumped gold prices up do the most destruction to gold prices?

“Using the last gold bubble as a guide, current gold per ounce could drop by $800 or more. Smart investors should get out of gold and take their money and run.”

Contact Mark Williams, 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu

This is the first installment of a continuing series on gas prices.

Contact Mark Williams, 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu

Mark Williams, Executive-in residence/Master Lecturer in Finance and Economics in BU’s School of Management; Expert in risk management in the global banking, financial & energy markets

Contact 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu

Robert Kaufmann, Professor in the Dept. of Geography & Environment; Expert in world oil markets

Contact 617-353-3940, kaufmann@bu.edu

Tom Whalen, Associate professor, Social Sciences; Expert on Modern American politics and culture, American foreign policy, and the American presidency.

Contact 617-353-4785, tjw64@bu.edu

 Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication; Expert on American politics, political reporting.

Contact 617-353-3488, tfiedler@bu.edu

Cornelius Hurley, Director of the Morin Center for Banking & Financial Law; Expert on banking law.

Contact 617-353-3023, ckhurley@bu.edu

Stephen Davidson, Associate professor of Health Care Management and Management Policy; Expert on health care reform.

Contact 617-353-7422, sdavidso@bu.edu

Mark Williams, Executive-in-residence/Master Lecturer in Finance and Economics; Expert on banking industry.

Contact 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu