WWJ's Marie Osborne spoke with Lawrence Flaherty, professor of oncology at Wayne State University and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, about an FDA panel's unanimous recommendation that the drug Avastin no longer be sold as a treatment for breast cancer. "I think the FDA got it right," Flaherty said. The panel\'s decision does not affect other uses for which Avastin is approved, including advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, metastatic colorectal cancer, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and glioblastoma brain tumors.

Unemployment rates rose last month in more than half of the nation\'s largest metro areas, driven higher by weak private-sector hiring and natural disasters. Several cities in Michigan, including Detroit, Ann Arbor and Battle Creek, are among those that endured big increases. \"They\'ve scrambled like crazy to keep those plants going, by raiding and borrowing,\" said John Taylor, director of supply chain programs at Wayne State University. \"They tended to get through March and April OK but they had problems in May and June went they had started to run out of creative ideas.\" http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/29/3736336/unemployment-rises-in-more-than.html#ixzz1QlANjmZy

Peter Henning, a former Securities and Exchange Commission attorney and a law professor at Wayne State University, is quoted in an article about the subpoena of mortgage records from Ally Financial Inc., the former finance arm of General Motors that was bailed out by the U.S. government. The subpoena signals that a probe into troubled mortgages is turning toward original underwriters of home loans that went bad. Henning said investigators are looking at originators because of lax lending standards. "When you look at the origination standards, there were no standards,'' He said. "It was 'pump out product.' ''

A photo gallery highlights the American House Foundation's third annual fundraiser for metro Detroit seniors in need. The event was held last month in partnership with the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and the federal government on Wednesday announced that the $528 million streetcar-style rail project along Woodward Avenue will be a mixture of curbside and median-running service. There will be 19 stops, including 10 in the heart of downtown. Henry Ford Hospital and Wayne State University also have committed $3 million each for a station.

Sandy Pope acknowledges that she faces an uphill battle as the first woman to run for the presidency of the Teamsters union. She is running against James P. Hoffa, a three-term incumbent. Michael H. Belzer, associate professor of industrial relations at Wayne State University, said it would not be easy for Pope or anyone else to reverse the union's decline. He noted that the Teamsters once represented 80 percent of the nation's long-haul truck drivers, but it now represents around only 8 percent, as many unionized firms have been pushed out of business by industry deregulation and lower-wage nonunion competitors. "It was an enormous challenge to turn things around 20 years ago," Belzer said. "It's going to be much more enormous now."

A demoted 58-year-old General Motors executive has filed an age-discrimination lawsuit against the company, saying it is pushing out older, highly qualified executives in its haste to build a leaner, younger company after its 2009 bankruptcy. \"If GM decided it was top-heavy in the management ranks and wanted to thin them out to save money or to be more efficient, that would not by itself violate job discrimination laws,\" said Wayne State University employment law professor Kingsley Browne. He said older employees tend to get the ax in corporate streamlining. To prevail, Plouffe must prove that the decision was based on age, rather than cost-cutting involving highly paid employees.

Dan Gilbert\'s Quicken Loans will join several other major firms in the city to offer incentives urging their employees to live in Detroit, following the success of this year\'s Live Midtown program. The program will be announced later this summer. Midtown Detroit Inc. reports 178 employees from Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital have used the Live Midtown program to rent, buy or fund home improvements in the district since the program launched five months ago.

Wayne State senior Joe Long has been named a preseason Division 2 All-American by Consensus Draft Services and second-team preseason All-American by Lindy\'s.com. The 6-6, 302-pound offensive tackle was a major reason Wayne State University enjoyed the finest season in its football history last fall. The Warriors finished 9-2, setting a school record for victories and points scored (347). They captured the GLIAC South Division with an 8-2 mark. Long was named honorable mention All-American by d2football.com and first-team All-GLIAC.

The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm houses a traditional archive of papers, newspapers, photos and other documents relating to the history of Rochester, Rochester Hills and Stoney Creek Village, as well as to the Van Hoosens and the Taylors - two early pioneer families. Interns from the Wayne State University Archives Administration program, Central Michigan University and Oakland University students work closely to catalog and record the material into management software.

Traumatic brain injury victims who feel close to a "higher power" have better emotional and physical rehabilitation outcomes, according to a new study from recent Wayne State University graduate Brigid Waldron-Perrine and her mentor, Wayne State psychology professor Lisa J. Rapport. The study has been published in the scholarly journal "Rehabilitation Psychology." Traumatic brain injury is a disruption of normal brain function after a head injury and affects 1.7 million Americans annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Among healthy adults, religion and spirituality have shown strong association with improved life satisfaction and physical and mental health outcomes," said Waldron-Perrine.

Dr. Roberta Sonnino has been appointed vice dean of Faculty Affairs for Wayne State University's School of Medicine and associate provost for Medical Affairs for the university, effective Sept. 1. WSU School of Medicine Dean Valerie Parisi and Provost Ronald T. Brown are quoted in the story.

Wayne State University distinguished professor of law John Dolan, faculty expert on contracts, was asked what issues there could be if a city negotiator and union negotiator hypothetically had an affair during labor negotiations. It would be a serious conflict of interest on the part of both negotiators as a matter of contract law, he said. "The existence of a conflict does not mean that the parties misbehaved as negotiators, but it puts the process into question," Dolan said. Speaking in general, Dolan said an affair could constitute grounds to reopen the contract by either or both sides.

If traumatic brain injury victims feel close to a higher power, it can help them rehabilitate, researchers at Wayne State University found. Brigid Waldron-Perrine, a graduate from Wayne State University, and Lisa J. Rapport, a WSU professor of psychology, says traumatic brain injury is a disruption of normal brain function after a head injury affecting 1.7 million Americans annually. Waldron-Perrine interviewed and completed neuropsychological tests on 88 individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury victims, most of whom were male, African American Christians. The study, published in "Rehabilitation Psychology," found most participants who reported higher levels of religious well-being -- a connection to a higher power -- had better emotional and physical rehabilitation outcomes.

Reporter Paula Tutman reported on various viewing sites for tonight's fireworks display, including Wayne State's rooftop venue.

Dr. Roberta Sonnino has been appointed vice dean of Faculty Affairs for Wayne State University's School of Medicine and associate provost for Medical Affairs for the university. She begins her duties Sept. 1. Sonnino comes to WSU from the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she has served as associate dean of Faculty Affairs since 2008. She also is a professor of Pediatric Surgery and clinical director of Microsurgical Skills. \"We are fortunate to have Dr. Sonnino join our School of Medicine,\" said Dean Valerie Parisi. \"She brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise that will be crucial as we continue adapting to meet the challenges of the future of medical education.\" As associate provost for Medical Affairs, Sonnino will serve as a conduit for medical school issues to the office of Provost Ronald T. Brown. \"The world of medical education changes rapidly and medical schools and their home universities must remain nimble to confront those changes,\" Brown said. Communication is key to that agility and Dr. Sonnino will ensure that the university and the medical school are working in unison.\"

A committee in the Michigan House approved two bills that restrict public employee benefits only to married couples. The House Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee held a public hearing on HB-4770 and HB-4771, both sponsored by Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville. The first bill prohibits state employers from offering health benefits to anyone who is not married to the employee. The latter bill reiterates that restriction for public schools, which would also include universities.

Michigan's universities likely will have to spend less time conducting research and more time filing paperwork if they decide to adhere to intent language included in the state's education budget adopted last week. This boilerplate language requires universities in the state to report the human embryonic stem cell research they conduct. Human embryonic stem cell research currently is conducted at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.

In a story about the attraction of the metropolitan Detroit area to new businesses, Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour is quoted. He told out-of-town journalists visiting Detroit that the low cost of living around Detroit is helping in recruiting faculty. "They know they can buy a house here very cheaply," Gilmour said.

A brief notes that Wayne State's Board of Governors approved a 6.9 percent tuition increase for undergraduate programs and staff reductions because of cuts in state funding. Also, Eastern Michigan University\'s regents voted to increase tuition 3.65 percent, and EMU's faculty leaders said they won\'t work in Detroit under a plan to overhaul the city\'s schools if it endangers union contracts.