Render as HTML not seeing <b> tags

Hi guys ... I need some emergency help here.  I have several paragraphs of text that is using the scrollBar component to give me some scrollability ... that part works fine.  I also have the "render text as html" box checked because I have some HTML formatting going on.  Anyway, all of a sudden the published SWF file started ignoring the bold tags <b>.  It used to work fine.  Now, anywhere that I have text surrounded by <b> HTML tags, it just omits that portion of my copy once the file is published.  When I change the tags to <strong>, the text comes back, but in a normal font ... not bolded.

I've tried it both ways ... both with the fonts embedded and without ... neither makes a difference with this issue.  I've also tried checking and unchecking the "render text as html" box and that doesn't seem to make a difference. Has this bold tag become deprecated?  I'm having difficulty get a font to display as bold.  The code is below.

var stringWithHTML:String = '<p><b>The Dream Team:</b>  We tap into industry experts to fit the needs of our clients. Our dream team includes media relations gurus who won’t put the phone down, designers who make creativity look easy and branding buffs with ideas that stick.</p><br><p><b>Molly Lynch,</b> Self-Proclaimed Jack of All Trades:  With 10 years of experience in the communications business, Molly held positions at the leading PR firms in the world, including Publicis Worldwide, Ogilvy Public Relations and Weber Shandwick. From resorts to real estate and fashion to franchises, Molly has handled accounts in a variety of industries and prides her work on impeccable client relations, solid attention-to-detail and unyielding persistence. Molly landed her clients in countless broadcast and print outlets, including the Associated Press, CBS Early Show, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, Cooking Light and Parenting magazine. She frequently consults with agency friends in town, including SCC Grossman, Reputation Partners and MS&L.  Follow Molly on Twitter at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/mollylynch"></p>';
aboutUsCopy_txt.htmlText = stringWithHTML;

Thanks a lot!