Wayne State University law professor and constitutional law expert, Robert Sedler, explains in an op-ed why government rationing of health care would be unconstitutional. He wrote, "Government rationing of health care would be not only completely contrary to American values but also clearly unconstitutional." Sedler contends, however, that none of the plans before Congress would conceivably allow such things.

One of the most heated issues in the debate to overhaul the nation's health care is a provision in the House bill to pay doctors to counsel patients who want to talk about end-of-life care. \"The health care system saves money because we\'re not doing useless things,\" said Dr. Mike Stellini, associate director for Integrated Clinical Curriculum at Wayne State University. \"Good planning for end-of-life care results in a better way to take care of the patient.\"

Hal Stack, director of Wayne State University's Labor Studies Center, commented in a story about the challenges facing the UAW in the changing auto industry. The union's previous inability to organize workers at American plants making Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, and other foreign brands may change because of the recent tumult in the auto industry in general. "Those early transplant auto plants had real advantages compared to their domestic competitors, but that advantage is starting to disappear as their work forces get older," Stack said. Those workers' growing focus on retirement puts the UAW is in a better position to win over members at transplant manufacturers, he said.

Wayne State University's College of Nursing has received $285,000 in federal funding to support the creation of a graduate distance learning program in psychiatric and public health nursing. It is the only distance-learning program in this specialty in the state.

The preliminary results of the New Economy Initiative run this summer by the TechTown economic incubator near Wayne State University indicates there is economic energy waiting to be tapped across the region. Randal Charlton, executive director of TechTown, said its three FastTrac programs this summer attracted more than 1,220 people eager to learn more about creating and running their own business. "More than 900 have signed up for various FastTrac courses that may go from anywhere from two weeks to two years, designed to offer detailed information about starting a business and about entrepreneurial success."

Herbert Smitherman Jr., M.D., assistant dean of community and urban health and assistant professor of the department of medicine for the Wayne State University School of Medicine, was named one of four runners-up for the J.H. Kanter Prize. The award, in its first year, recognizes physicians across the country who have dedicated their medical careers to enhancing health care delivery and eliminating disparities.

The ethics case against Samuel McCargo, the lawyer of ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, is in the hands of the state\'s Attorney Discipline Board, which is weighing discipline against him for failing to tell the court his client lied under oath. Peter J. Henning, Wayne State University law professor, said the case is a \"tough one\" because attorneys have obligations to their clients and the court. Henning said that there is a perception that when attorneys do not receive discipline in high profile cases, it's because they can get away with flagrant acts. \"Unfortunately, it\'s not that black and white, at least with Mr. McCargo.\"

Officials at Wayne State University announced today that Tom Murphy, former mayor of Pittsburgh, will be the keynote speaker at the fifth annual E2 Detroit conference on Thursday, Oct. 15. This event, co-sponsored by WSU, TechTown and WWJ Newsradio 950, and emceed by WWJ's technology editor, Matt Roush, brings entrepreneurs together with business leaders, authors, investors and others for a program that both educates and inspires.

An article discussing the need to reinvent America's industrial cities mentions the New Economy Initiative's collaboration with the Kaufman Foundation to kick-start business development in Wayne State's TechTown.

In a letter to the editor, Eusebia E Aquino-Hughes, a former participant in Wayne State's Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies, recalls how Sen. Edward Kennedy helped prevent the center from closing in 1987.

Wayne State University is registering students for swine flu vaccine clinics and is ready with Web-based classes and a text message alert system should there be an outbreak. \"At the university, we\'re concerned about that because we have so many students in a very closed environment where the risk of transmission is pretty high,\" said Dr. Suzanne White, from the Pandemic Preparedness Task Force at Wayne State.

This weekly events-oriented publication includes a short item about the upcoming reading literacy program in the WSU College of Education. Participating first to eighth grade students receive tutoring from graduate students. A contact number is given.

In an op-ed piece, Dr. Herbert C. Smitherman, Jr., assistant dean of community and urban health at Wayne State University's School of Medicine, said that federal health care reform is a critical need. Stating his case by drawing from experience and factual information, Smitherman aims to correct common public misconceptions on reform and open up authentic, fact-based debate looking forward.

WDET will launch a monthly open mic The Moth Story/SLAM, premiering Oct. 1 at Cliff Bell\'s in Detroit. Each show has a theme -- Oct. 1 is \"Firsts,\" Nov. 5 is \"Blunders\" -- and people are encouraged to tell a five minute, true story, without notes or script, relating to the posted theme. The station also announced that Ron Jones, formerly vice president of programming for Chicago Public Radio, has been named program director of WDET, to run its broadcast and editorial operations.

The Wayne State University School of Business Administration is launching Business Assistance Centers in three Detroit-area locations in early September. The centers will provide support in business areas such as marketing, strategy, financial projections, information-technology support and human resource development. Crain's also reposted an item that ran last week about the centers.

A questionnaire developed in part by Wayne State University researchers is linked in a story about workplace bullying.

An article mentions that the long-running Detroit Festival of the Arts, co-sponsored by Wayne State University and the University Cultural Center Association, has been cancelled permanently due to funding concerns.

A short item in the Wayne Briefs column notes that an assistant Wayne County prosecutor was arrested by Wayne State University Police Aug. 21 on suspicion of impaired driving.

For an increasing number of college administrators, hosting an opening convocation ceremony is not just tradition for tradition's sake; many believe the ritual can improve student retention.

Efforts to bring Amazon.com's Kindle 2 e-reader software to Wayne State University classrooms could violate the rights of blind students, lawyer and Board of Governors chair Richard Bernstein said. The software, which allows users to download books and documents to take the place of textbooks, is able to convert text to voice, making it possible for blind people to listen. However, individual authors and publishers can decide whether or not to allow readers to use this function due to the belief that it could eat into audiobook sales. Bernstein said that the device, as it is now, is not accessible to the blind, and is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. At the monthly Board of Governors meeting yesterday, Bernstein asked the university to hold off on efforts to bring e-readers to classrooms until the text-to-voice function is fully restored. The board voted unanimously on a resolution urging Amazon.com to reverse its decision to disable the software.