SMITH BRAIN TRUST – The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business proudly presents its 16th annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders, as recommended by faculty and staff. The 2019 edition covers history, politics, leadership and even strategies for staying focused in a volatile, fast-paced world. Deep Work By Cal Newport

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – How should the National Football League respond to a pro-Trump political action committee's "Turn Off the NFL" boycott? "The league needs to grab this ball and run it up the field," says Henry C. Boyd III, marketing professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – You can recognize that iconic, bright yellow Cheerios box in an instant. But a U.S. trademark court says that's not reason enough to grant the cereal maker exclusive claims to the color.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Football season hasn't even started and already the National Football League is tackling some difficult challenges. It's coming off a season that saw an 8 percent decline in television viewership and now is faced with startling new evidence about the serious medical risks its players face.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – The BBC's "Doctor Who" series has long embraced the idea of change. It's been written into the script for years, with the timelord protagonist's biological ability for regeneration and new incarnations.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Atari teased the gaming world on June 8 with a YouTube video promoting the company's first new console in 24 years. Besides ominous background music and close-up shots of a wood veneer surface, the only message is: "Coming soon."

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Has Starbucks figured out a way to entice its devoted morning-coffee crowd to come back later in the day? The Seattle-based retail chain is rolling out a line of ice cream coffee treats — called affogatos — at 100 stores across the country, betting that a more decadent coffee treat will inspire an afternoon or evening splurge.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Fox was unexpectedly scrambling this week to sell the last remaining in-game commercial spots for the Feb.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – A U.S.-Mexican border wall: President Donald Trump says he is ready to build one. And 84 Lumber wants to attach one to its brand, starting Super Bowl Sunday. Both have their critics.