You are a reporter for the Weatherhead World, the nation's leading financial newspaper.Your editor (me!) has asked you to cover a fast breaking story, the run underway at Meteor Bank, one of the country's largest banks with $100 billion in assets. The run on Meteor has many people nervous that runs could break out a other financial institutions across the country--with dire implications!

You have been chosen for this assignment for several reasons.First, you are quite knowledgeable about financial crises.Second, you have been following the rise of Meteor Bank for several years, and are intimately aware of its strategy, key executives, and financial reports.Third, you are a fantastic wrier, able to convey the facts as well as the human interest aspects of a story.

Describe how Meteor Bank became such a large, profitable, and important financial institution (i.e., what has been its business strategy).

Illustrate Meteor's financial condition with a table showing its balance sheet five years ago, and its balance sheet as of last month (the last available public report).

Explain the nature of the bank run currently underway, and what has triggered it.Does it seem to be based on the condition of the bank, or unfounded rumors?Who is running and why?

Report on any statements made by bank management.

Explain the significance of this bank run on broader financial markets.Is Meteor Bank unique in any way, such that its problems are not likely to spill over into other financial markets? Or could Meteor's situation really set off a much larger, national, financial collapse?

Indicate what steps, if any, are being taken by the government to manage the situation