* Brazil's Economy -- Wing Thye Woo, a professor of economics at UC Davis, says the decline in the value of Brazil's currency and the collapse of the country's stock market will result in substantial losses for U.S. banks heavily exposed in Brazil. He says Brazil's problems demonstrate the instability of the world's financial system and the failing of the International Monetary Fund's policy package. Woo, who is studying how intergovernmental organizations can better respond to currency and banking crises, is considered one of the world's leading economic experts on East Asia and later this month will help present a report on East Asian economies to the World Economic Forum. He can be reached at (530) 752-3035 or wtwoo@ucdavis.edu.