Debbie Dingell, a Democratic power broker and chairwoman of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, is expected to run for Michigan's 12th Congressional District, now that her husband, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, announced his retirement Monday, political experts said. Debbie Dingell, one of Michigan's longtime representatives on the Democratic National Committee and a former president of the General Motors Foundation, decided in April not to run for the U.S. Senate to replace the retiring Carl Levin, D-Detroit, saying she wanted to avoid a costly primary with U.S. Rep. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township.

According to the Kyiv (Kiev) Post, at least 68 people have been killed since Feb. 18 in clashes. Wayne State University PhD candidate and Kiev national Andrey Kashlev shared his perspective on the events unfolding. Aaron Retish, a professor of history at Wayne State and expert in the Russian region, joined the panel with Kevin Deegan-Krause, an associate professor of political science at WSU and expert in Ukrainian politics.

Carrie Lohr redesigned the Wayne State women's basketball team three seasons ago. "We want to win a national championship," Lohr said earlier this week inside a conference room at the Matthaei Center on the Wayne State campus. The program is humming along but the Warriors, ranked No. 21 in the latest Division II rankings, have unfinished business. She took over a program after the 2010-2011 season that endured seven losing seasons in the last eight. The Warriors were 78-137 overall and 55-93 in the GLIAC. Wayne State (19-5 overall, 16-4 GLIAC) remains on the cusp to record back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Warriors are 41-14 the last two seasons and 33-9 in the GLIAC. Their next home game is 1 p.m. Saturday against Grand Valley State (13-11, 11-9) at the Matthaei Center, where they can clinch at least a share of the North Division title with a victory. "We often talk about the opportunities we have here," Lohr said. "This is an untapped program and the sky is the limit. It is about finding players that are excited about watching the program grow."

It's been exactly two weeks since college football teams signed their future players. That includes Wayne State University which had signed its full allotment of scholarships. However, My TV20 reporter Dave Leval shows us why the Warriors have one extra special player on their roster tonight. As part of the Teen Impact Charity Program, which partners sports teams with children facing life-threatening illnesses, Warrior's Head Football Coach Paul Winters and the full team greeted 13-year-old Andre Russaw and invited him to sign his national letter of intent for the class of 2019. Russaw suffers from kidney disease, and this memorable event fulfilled his dreams of joining a football squad. Jon Robinson, Warriors assistant coach, said this is a good time for the team to serve as father figures and big brothers to Russaw.

This week the United States entered into a "unique cooperative effort" with China to reduce carbon emissions as a means to combat climate change. Concerns over protecting the environment and combating climate change have generally been considered Democratic issues, but now some Republicans in Michigan say the issue should be depoliticized. And they say there should be a focus on energy solutions. Nick Schroeck, executive director of Wayne State's Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, joined Craig Fahle and a panel of experts to discuss the topic.

Detroit's creditors and residents this week are expected to get their first official glimpse of the road out of bankruptcy, although fights and tinkering over many of its most contentious elements likely will continue. As early as Wednesday, state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr could file to the bankruptcy court his proposal for restructuring the city's debt. The so-called plan of adjustment, due by March 1, is a blueprint of sorts for Detroit, which is undergoing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. "The numbers may change dramatically after this plan is filed," said Wayne State University law professor Laura Bartell. "... They'll keep amending it until they feel they've reached what they need." Bartell said the goal is to obtain "the maximum amount of affirmative votes from the creditors." Ideally, you get every creditor group to approve the plan, but if that fails the judge has to implement "a cram-down," or a plan that's not agreed upon by all parties, she said. "A cram-down is not difficult in a Chapter 9, but I'm sure the judge would much prefer this be a consensual plan," she said.

As a physics professor at Wayne State University, Talbert Stein had no time for fiddling around. When he retired 10 years ago, the Huntington Woods resident found he could pursue the things he always wanted to do. Stein, 73, picked up the fiddle after setting it aside for 45 years and rediscovered his passion for music. He recently won a composing music contest sponsored by Fiddler magazine. Not bad for a former professor who took up playing the fiddle again after retiring. "When I entered college to study physics, I put the violin aside," Stein said. "I played since I was 8 years old through Detroit Public Schools and Detroit Cass Tech. I always had a love for music."

Dr. Sonia Hassan, associate dean for maternal, perinatal and child health care at Wayne State University's School of Medicine, is selected among Crain's "Health Care Heroes 2014" as the winner of Advancements in Health Care. Hassan made it her mission to help combat the staggering premature birth rates that affect not only those in Michigan, but everywhere. It's the reason she took the reins as the lead author of a worldwide clinical study on a new method for preventing premature birth and the problems and costs that can follow. Her study showed that the preterm delivery rate can be reduced among at-risk women (those with a short cervix) by 45 percent with the self-application, once-daily dose of a natural gel called progesterone from mid-trimester until term. The treatment is expected to result in 30,000 fewer preterm births per year and save $500 million in U.S. health care costs. The Michigan Department of Community Health in August 2012 deployed a plan based on her study. "I was lucky to have the opportunity to help others clinically with patient care," Hassan said. "But now I consider myself even luckier to have the chance to change the practice of medicine with interventions that can reduce the rate of preterm birth. It is critical to implement this research."

Anthony Holt, Wayne State University chief of police, comments during a report on community policing in the Midtown Detroit area and safety measures employed by the university's police department. On Wayne State's campus, more than 800 high definition cameras are always rolling. Some cameras are hidden, and others can be easily spotted. Officers monitor activities on campus, which helps solve crimes. Holt says the area in and around campus is setting a new trend noting that crime has dropped 45 percent since 2008. In addition, Wayne State's police officers usually respond to calls within 90 seconds.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in women, behind heart disease and cancer. Earlier this month, the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association issued the first-ever guidelines for reducing stroke in women, bringing into sharp focus gender-specific risk factors - complications during pregnancy, long-term use of oral contraceptives and a higher disposition to certain migraines, for example. The "Guidelines for the Prevention of Stroke in Women" recommends health providers better screen women for these risk factors and broadens the spotlight beyond the need for immediate medical care. The guidelines are a clear signal to physicians to have more regular conversations with female patients about stroke risks, said Dr. Sandra Narayanan, director of neurology and interventional neuroradiology at Oakwood Hospital and a neurology professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. She said doctors often rush through explanations in the exam room, and assume that patients understand the severity of certain medical issues. "When we say, 'Your cardiovascular risk factors aren't under control,' we think they know what that means. Many times, they don't," she said. "It's our responsibility to use these guidelines ... to either refer patients to them or let them know we can translate for them." Moreover, clinicians often reserve conversations about stroke for elderly patients, she said. "We see now that we need to have those conversations among younger patients. ... The 30- and 40-year olds with stroke - that's become more common over the past 10 years," she said.

The Wayne State men's and women's teams both won Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament titles at Geneva, Ohio. Dylan Szegedi won the 3-meter dive (532.50) and was named conference male diver of the year. The Warriors' Kristina Novichenko won the 1,650-yard women's freestyle with a time of 16:54.90.

Eugene Applebaum, formerly a trustee at Beaumont Health System from 2006-08 and currently a director on the nonprofit Beaumont Foundation board since 2007, is selected among Crain's "Health Care Heroes 2014" as the winner of Trustee. From opening his first Arbor Drugs Inc. store to performing decades' worth of humanitarian and philanthropic efforts, Eugene Applebaum carries a passion to help others through sickness and in health. "I have a strong belief in philanthropy and a desire to give back to my community," said Applebaum, who spoke to Crain's through his daughter, Pamela, from Florida. "I'm most proud that my philanthropy helps further the discovery of cures for diseases. I want to continue upon that path." Applebaum founded the successful Troy-based Arbor Drugs drugstore chain in the 1970s, beginning his journey through the health care sector. Arbor Drugs eventually grew into 208 stores before he sold the chain to CVS Corp. in 1998 for $1.5 billion. He received $400 million from the deal. Applebaum's support extends to a multitude of causes and organizations such as the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit and Wayne State University. WSU's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is named for him. The university also created the Chairman of Community Engagement position after a $2.1 million donation.

Michael Rolnick, Beaumont Health System's director of speech-language pathology, is selected among Crain's "Health Care Heroes 2014" as the winner of Allied Health. Rolnick's credits an encounter during his undergraduate days in the 1960s that put him on a different career path. "I was originally in radio and television at Wayne State University," Rolnick said. "I interviewed for the Wayne State radio station a gentleman who turned out to be my mentor. He was the director of speech pathology at the university." The future mentor, Anthony Holbrook, had invited the young mass communications major to come meet children and adults who had speech and language problems. It was supposed to be a routine interview. Instead, it left a lasting impression. "My original training was in communications," Rolnick said. "When I realized that a person's ability to communicate could be taken from them, it moved me enough so that I wanted to be part of helping them get the ability to communicate." For more than 45 years, Rolnick has spent his life helping others find their voice: He founded Beaumont's speech-language program in 1968, which now has 80 clinicians.

German automaker Volkswagen is finding itself in the unusual position of having to answer to critics who say the company should oppose efforts by the United Auto Workers to unionize its Chattanooga, Tenn., assembly plant. Workers in the plant are voting by Friday on whether or not to join the UAW. If successful, it would be the first unionized automotive assembly plant in the South. Unionizing the Tennessee plant "would be absolutely historic and, I would argue, critical for the UAW," says Mike Smith, a labor historian specializing in the history of the UAW at Wayne State University.

Anthony Bass, a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros, visited Grogan Elementary School Tuesday. He was accompanied by Wayne State University's baseball head coach Ryan Kelley and three student baseball players - Spencer Church, Jake Davis and Kirk Stambaugh. Bass, 26, graduated from Trenton High School and went on to play baseball at Wayne State University for three years. A video of the school visit is included.

Wired magazine touches on the highlights of a Pew Research Center report released this week examining the impact of the internet, cell phones and social media on American relationships. Researchers found "sexting" is growing across the board among couples and singles, and is doing so rapidly amongst young people and smartphone users. Karen McDevitt, a communication lecturer at Wayne State University who specializes in new media, says she expects the sexting phenomenon to continue growing and attributed its increased popularity to the widespread availability of devices like smartphones. "The technology is in your hand," McDevitt says. "I truly believe it's just accessibility that makes the difference. What's distinct about new media technology is that it's permanent." Rather than receding with time like many youthful indiscretions, digital images can circulate indefinitely or resurface in unwanted and unintended ways. "We haven't really seen the long-term effects of sexting but it can affect those who are participating for their lives ahead, not just their lives now."

Wayne State University and Blackstone LaunchPad will host Spotlight Detroit, an event celebrating entrepreneurship in Detroit, from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 at the College of Engineering. The event will include a keynote address from WSU alumnus Steve Plochocki, and an exhibition of more than 15 local businesses, including Tech Town, Bamboo Detroit and many others. Spotlight Detroit is sponsored by Wayne State University's Blackstone LaunchPad, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, School of Business Administration, College of Engineering, the Graduate School and the Office of Economic Development as well as the Coleman Foundation. Funded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, the Blackstone LaunchPad opened in September 2010 offering career guidance, resources and advice to entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors at Wayne State University.

Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson co-wrote an op-ed with the other presidents of the University Research Corridor (URC) universities - University of Michigan and Michigan State University - about the importance of funding university research which helps to boost the national economy and improve lives. "In striving to educate students, attract talented workers to Michigan, support innovation and encourage the transfer of technology to the private sector, our institutions are making a difference in Michigan and especially in Detroit, where the URC universities are deeply involved in assisting the city's resurgence." The recently released URC Economic Impact Report shows that the URC contributed $16.6 billion in state economic activity in fiscal year 2012. Activity attributable to the URC boosted state tax revenue by $449 million that year, an increase of $98 million over FY 2006. The URC was responsible in 2012 for more than 66,000 direct and indirect jobs statewide, with the impact being felt in regions ranging from the Upper Peninsula to Michigan's southern border with Indiana and Ohio.

Wayne State's theater department sees its latest play, "In the Red and Brown Water," closing this weekend at the Bonstelle Theatre. The relatively new work from 2013 MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney blends West African mysticism with traditional Shakespearean themes. Director Aku Kadogo and actor Dante Jones spoke about the production with WDET's Travis Wright.

Elder abuse: Not a topic that's easy to detect or deal with. But, an aging population means the topic is something that will become more and more of a serious concern across America. Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology, recently completed a study, "Is Psychological Vulnerability Related to the Experience of Fraud in Older Adults?" published in Clinical Gerontologist. The study, of 4,440 participants, reported financial fraud victimization of older adults and found that the combination of high depression and low social-status fulfillment was associated with a 226 percent increase in fraud prevalence. "Early detection of potential problems by health practitioners, case managers, etc. and better assessment tools can help families receive intervention before abuse becomes full blown or worsens," said Lichtenberg. "Advocacy and education and repeated messaging about the need to stop elder abuse is also important."