Yet again, a behind-the-scenes email exchange is causing public discomfort.

Sallie L. Krawcheck, who had been one of the highest ranking women on Wall Street before she left Citigroup Inc. last September, has landed on her feet at Bank of America Corp.

Shareholders of Bank of America may have stripped Ken Lewis of his title as chairman, but the man elected to assume oversight of one of the nation’s largest commercial banks is a past supporter who some believe is likely to side with Lewis on key decisions.

The son of a soldier and nurse from small-town Mississippi, Ken Lewis likes to boast that he has worked since he was 12 years old, selling greeting cards door-to-door and pumping gas.

Companies that have been awarded billions of dollars in taxpayers’ money continue to donate large sums to political campaigns.

Thomas K. Montag, the new head of global markets at Bank of America Corp., had a very good year in 2008 despite the worldwide downturn in the markets.

As Bank of America investors question the rocky merger with Merrill Lynch and the events that led to John Thain’s firing last week, the company’s directors are feeling unaccustomed pressure.

Kenneth D. Lewis went shopping over the weekend and made a really big purchase.

Once again, John Thain is in the midst of a financial firestorm. His company, Merrill Lynch, agreed yesterday to be acquired by Bank of America Corp. for $50 billion.

History won’t be kind to Angelo Mozilo, the founder of Countrywide Financial whose shareholders approved the company’s sale to Bank of America yesterday. His is a great American success story, but a tragedy, too.

Countrywide Financial reported Friday that its mortgage foreclosure rate doubled last month compared to a year ago.

That prompted the Charlotte Business Journal to ask Bank of America if it was going forward with its roughly $4 billion stock deal to acquire Countrywide, the nation’s largest mortgage lender.

Countrywide Financial is being swallowed by Bank of America, but don’t cry for Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide’s embattled CEO.

The butcher’s son from the Bronx who founded Countrywide in 1969 could walk away from the deal with $70 million or so, according to The New York Times.