Robert Sedler, distinguished professor of law, was a guest on The Warren Pierce Show talking about the Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms. This was in response to calls for increased gun regulation in the wake of the Aurora killings. Sedler said the Supreme Court has held that there is a constitutional right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment, which at least includes the right to keep a loaded pistol in the home. There is also a right to use weapons in self-defense under the Michigan Constitution. Sedler added that in the United States, there is a "gun culture," and there will be no new gun laws or regulations following the Aurora killings.

Brittany Moore, a graduate student in urban planning at Wayne State University, wrote an article based on a project she completed in the Cities and Food class, taught by associate professor Kami Pothukuchi, a member of the Detroit Food Policy Council. Moore interviewed six local small-scale food producers who shared their experiences working in the industry. A photo from the Wayne State Farmer's Market is included.

Nearly one third of the land in Detroit is vacant. No houses, no families, no taxes. Some say urban gardens and orchards are a good way to make use of this potentially valuable land. Kami Pothukuchi, associate professor of urban planning at Wayne State University, says, "Detroit is one of the larger inner city, older rust belt cities that has as much of its land vacant as it does. And in many respects Detroit is a leader in showing how agriculture can offer one solution." This piece was another installment of WXYZ's Detroit 2020 series.

Wayne State University's TechTown is listed among 10 of the nation's most exciting college business incubators around today.

Warren Pierce spoke with Jack Lessenberry, journalist and Wayne State University professor, about his experience as a journalism student in Detroit during the Riots of 1967. He discussed local media coverage of the riots and the social climate at the time.

"Detropia," the Detroit-themed documentary that wowed crowds at Sundance, is hitting theaters here and elsewhere in September in a big way. On Sept. 13, there will be a free community screening in Detroit at Wayne State University. The event will be co-sponsored by WDET-FM (101.9) and moderated by Free Press editorial page editor Stephen Henderson.

Crain's Detroit Business publisher Mary Kramer opined about the current labor agreement negotiations with Wayne State's full-time faculty. Kramer wrote that management's proposals do not abolish tenure. But they do clarify circumstances in which the university could "de-tenure" a faculty member for cause. "The same proposals also make it easier to reduce staff when programs aren't supported by student enrollments. Considering that WSU saw $29 million cut from its annual operating budget last year because of state budget cuts, management wants more flexibility to allocate staffing and resources."

Wayne State University's Law School is the first in the state and among fewer than 20 law schools nationwide selected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to participate in a pilot Patent Procurement Clinic program that will provide free legal services and an expedited patent application process to qualifying clients. Wayne Law Assistant Professor Eric Williams, who directs the Business and Community Law Clinic comprising the new Patent Procurement Clinic as well as a small business module and a nonprofit module, is excited about the "incredible resource" the new Detroit satellite patent office will be for his students and for the community. "I believe what set our application apart was that our clinic's design encourages students to interact with the law firms, investors, incubators, inventors, property owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, community stakeholders and government agencies that make up the area's business and entrepreneurial ecosystem," he said.

Wen Li, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University, has been selected for a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The White House describes the award as "the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers." The award is for $1 million over five years and will aid Li's research into "the most exquisite details of chemical reactions," he said. Entering his fourth year in the WSU chemistry department, Li credits the support of colleagues in the physical chemistry division, in particular Arthur Suits and Berny Schlegel, as well as department chair Jim Rigby. He also credits the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which provided him sufficient start-up money when he was hired to set up his lab and eventually make the PECASE honor possible. "The college and the university invested in me," Li said, "and it paid off." A photo of Li is included.

Craig Fahle Show Guest Host Neal Rubin spoke with Wayne State Warriors Head Coach Paul Winters, who recently was named a Detroit News Michiganian of the Year. Winters discussed the upcoming football season, which opens Sept. 8 at Ashland University.

An article profiles Ilana Ben-Ze'ev, the new assistant dean of students at the Wayne State University Law School. Ben-Ze'ev came on board as the assistant dean of students in May after more than 29 years of practicing law, replacing the late Michele Miller. She spent the last 12 at Bodman, one of Michigan's largest law firms. Law Dean Robert Ackerman said in a statement that Ben-Ze'ev's legal background "will certainly contribute to her effectiveness in serving our students and enhancing the sense of community at Wayne Law." Ben-Ze'ev's duties include programming, counseling students, and providing academic support for students.

Wayne State University's Lead Systems Security Specialist Kevin Hayes spoke with Craig Fahle Show Guest Host Neal Rubin about the recent hacking of email accounts and why some accounts are easier targets than others. They discussed the consequences of having an online account hacked and what you can do to keep yourself protected.

A feature story highlights Wayne State University alumnus Theodore Kozerski, an urban farmer who is exploring the idea of using remediation techniques to revitalize Detroit's soil. The article explores his efforts over the years to excavate and rehab land. In 2011, as a senior anthropology undergraduate, Kozerski heard from his professor, Tom Killion, about a now vacant excavation site at the Workers' Row House in Corktown. Kozerski plans to use the site to cultivate plants and mushrooms with soil purifying properties. Ultimately he wants to turn the space into a small pocket park.

The widespread belief that Detroit is a food desert with no supermarkets or any sources of fresh produce is, like many myths about Detroit that have grown up over the past 30 years, simply not true. Actually Detroit sports more than 80 groceries, ranging from full service supermarkets to well-stocked neighborhood and ethnic stores. "We have some vendors who have been here for generations, like one old farmer who remembers selling produce here with his grandfather when he was six," says Jela Ellefson, Grants and Special Projects Coordinator, who joined Eastern Market through the Detroit Revitalization Fellow Project - a Wayne State University project that connects rising professionals with organizations on the forefront of revitalization efforts in the city. "The food scene in Detroit is very grassroots, not just upper middle class people like in some places," explains Wayne State Urban Studies professor Kami Pothukuchi. She directs Seed Wayne - an initiative to promote fresh foods on campus with a weekly farmer's market, community gardens, rooftop gardens and educational research - as well as Detroit Fresh, a project to bring healthier foods to corner stores throughout the city. "Our point is not to beat up people about what they eat, but to show what else is available. We want to connect people to the source of their foods."

Neuroscientists from Wayne State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking a deeper look into how the brain mechanisms for memory retrieval differ between adults and children. While the memory systems are the same in many ways, the researchers have learned that crucial functions with relevance to learning and education differ. Noa Ofen, Ph.D., an assistant professor in WSU's Institute of Gerontology and Department of Pediatrics, says that cognitive ability, including the ability to learn and remember new information, dramatically changes between childhood and adulthood. The team's findings were published on July 17, 2012, in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Public debates for candidates running in the 13th and 14th Congressional Districts will be held Thursday at Wayne State University's Spencer M. Partrich Law School Auditorium. The forums are hosted by the Detroit chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and WSU's Journalism Institute for Media Diversity.

Farshad Fotouhi, dean of the Wayne State University College of Engineering, was one of six individuals appointed last month to the board of directors for the Engineering Society of Detroit.

Although labor unions have had some reservations about President Obama, they're still looking to him as their best ally in the 2012 election. Meanwhile, Republicans who are hoping to further curb unions are putting stock in Mitt Romney. The economic uncertainty in the Midwest is expected to galvanize voter turnout, which is expected to help Obama, says labor historian Mike Smith of Wayne State University. "I would not be surprised if there was greater union turnout than what we had four years ago because so much has happened to labor unions in the Midwest, especially if you had thousands of members in each state who lost their jobs during the crisis," he says. "They're a group to be reckoned with."

President Obama on Monday named 96 researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Wen Li, a chemistry professor at Wayne State University, was among this year's recipients. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

A report by Alexis Wiley on the history of jazz in Detroit, highlights the annual Detroit Jazz Festival. Chris Collins, the festival's artistic director and director of jazz studies at Wayne State University, commented about the Labor Day weekend event and jazz's roots from the south to the city. "We had more theater seats and clubs and entertainment venues than New York City," Collin said. "When you tell people you're from Detroit -- the musicians -- whether they know you or not, they have an immediate sense of respect because the city holds a reputation in the history of Jazz."