A family history of lung cancer may be more significant for blacks than whites. That\'s the conclusion of some research carried out at Wayne State University . Detroit researchers found that having a parent, grandparent or sibling with lung cancer before the age of 50 poses a higher risk for blacks than whites. Researchers tracked more than 7,500 first-degree relatives of 700 people who developed lung cancer at an early age. They compared them with a cancer-free control group.

This story, an update of one that ran yesterday, includes a comment from law professor Peter Henning about the trial of former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio, who is accused of publicly exaggerating the firm's financial health before selling 2.5 million shares for a substantial profit before the share value plummeted. The defense contends Nacchio did not know the company's stock value was about to decline and that, in fact, Qwest had obtained lucrative national security contracts that would raise the value. "It all comes down to what's in Nacchio's mind," Henning explained. He observed that defense attorneys are attacking the prosecution's contention that the defendant knew the stock price was about to decline.

An article about format changes at WDET Radio notes that many NPR and specialty music programs were discontinued in 2004 and the changes did not meet listeners' expectations, posing challenges for audience growth and fund-raising. The new schedule reinstates many of the programs and adds eight new ones. "WDET now offers the kind of programming one expects from a public radio service," said Allen Mazurek, interim program director. The article gives the station's frequency, 101.9 FM, and mentions it is a "community service of Wayne State University ."

Today's report carries an item about a new service for Wayne State University students, an online bookstore where students can browse a large selection of used books by course and section. The service, announced in an e-mail message to students this week, offers bookstore pickup or delivery. Praising the initiative, IT Report author Matt Roush recalls that "one of my least favorite memories of my undergraduate years was standing in line in a cramped bookstore. . . ."

A column about the movie " Brokeback Mountain " mentions at the bottom that the writer, John Corvino, teaches philosophy at Wayne State University .

An article about college athletes from the Chelsea area mentions that Chelsea 's Karri Kuczajda was a member of the Warriors' volleyball team this year. Her cumulative game stats are given. WSU ended the season with a 16-10 overall record and an 8-9 mark in the GLIAC.

A basketball score roundup at the end of a longer story about the Illinois-Missouri game notes that Southern Indiana defeated Wayne State , 78-59, yesterday. Ethan Banks scored 16 points for WSU, which is 3-6 on the season. WWJ Radio also mentioned the Warriors' loss in a sports report this morning.

The Edgar and Marion Beck Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, is currently accepting donations for items $50 or greater to be auctioned off with all proceeds going to Wayne State University 's Neurological Research Program.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has named members to the new Strategic Economic Investment and Commercialization Board (SEIC) and to the Michigan Strategic Fund. President Irvin D. Reid is among several members appointed to the SEIC Board. The SEIC has responsibility for grants and loans made to support technology investments in the life sciences, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing and homeland security and defense. This news item also ran Monday in the Great Lakes IT Report, a sister publication.

Three of four letters addressing the Dec. 10 Free Press story ("WSU chief's travel tab: $50,000") support President Irvin D. Reid's leadership at Wayne State and take issue with the tone of the article. Ann Arbor residents Anthony and Joyce Kales ask, "What's the issue with Wayne State University President Irvin Reid's travel expenses for 15 trips abroad in a six-year period, in order to promote Wayne State to better reflect its broadly diversified, ethnic base?" Christopher Johnson, professor emeritus and member of the WSU Academy of Scholars, and Lois Johnson, refer to the article as "scandal-mongering" which has "reached a new low." They write, "There's no question that he (Reid) has succeeded in building the university's world-class reputation." Michael T. Timmis, former member of WSU's Board of Governors, says the story's headline about " Wayne State 's chief was written with a clear implication that this was excessive." Timmis adds that "Reid has done more than all the previous presidents combined…" A photo of Reid is included.

For six semesters, Wayne State University\'s GO-GIRL (Gaining Options-Girls Investigate Real Life) program has been boosting mathematics skills and generating confidence in seventh-grade girls. Now, a National Science Foundation grant awarded to Roosevelt University in Chicago will help implement \"sistership\" programs around the nation. GO-GIRL, offered by the Wayne \'s College of Education , helps middle school girls develop mathematical confidence and skills by integrating mathematics and social science research into a single-gender environment. More than 200 seventh-grade girls in the Detroit metropolitan area have participated since 2002. Sister programs will be started at Howard University, Washington D.C.; University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia ; Roosevelt University ; and Illinois Wesleyan University , Bloomington , Ill. More at www.gogirls.wayne.edu

WDET-FM listeners, upset over the recent programming changes, have filed a class action in Wayne County Circuit Court, accusing the station, its general manager Michael Coleman and Wayne State University of fraud, misrepresentation and breach of contract. The seven plaintiffs, who donated money to the public station in the fall, say management decided more than two months before the October pledge drive to get rid of daytime music programming, yet tricked listeners during that fund-raising campaign into thinking their beloved shows would continue. The plaintiffs have incurred damages in the amount of their donations, which total $850, according to court documents. Sean Fitzgerald, Wayne State associate general counsel, said the university intends to defend the lawsuit and the programming decisions of WDET.

The Wayne State University College of Education soon will begin offering a new, one-year teacher certification program for Canadian residents with a bachelor's degree. The program will be launched during the 2006 fall semester. Courses will be offered on Wayne State 's main Detroit campus and at sites in Windsor , Ontario .

Industry analysts differ in their opinions on whether the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice will permit the merger of Maytag Corp. and Whirlpool Corp., the nation's largest and third-largest appliance manufacturers. Whirlpool has offered to buy Maytag for $1.79 billion, or $21 a share, and will assume Maytag's debt of $977 million, a deal that many analysts believe will give the new company more than 70 percent of the North American washer and dryer market. Stephen Calkins, Wayne State University law professor and former Federal Trade Commission attorney, says with the numbers in this proposed merger, there are reasons for grave concern.

Peter Henning, law professor at Wayne State and former Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorney, commented about the insider-trading case of former Qwest chief executive Joe Nacchio. Forty-two counts of illegal insider trading were brought against Nacchio in a federal grand jury indictment alleging that he sold $100.8 million in Qwest stock in 2001 as he hid the company's financial troubles. \"This has to be one of the largest insider-trading cases ever brought,\" said Peter Henning, a former Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorney and a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit .

Wayne State University \'s School of Business Administration has announced the selection of Alain R. Piette as recipient of the Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship. As Adams Fellow, Piette is the first employee of a start-up company called SpaceForm, Inc. - a new firm headquartered in TechTown. Wayne State received a grant in support of the Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship through The Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a board of 50 volunteer civic leaders.

Wayne State \'s Hilberry Theatre will hold a "Night of the Two Millionth Patron" celebration on Feb. 3 at 8 p.m., the opening night of the play \"Sly Fox\" by Larry Gelbart. The event will include giveaways and gifts donated from local businesses and the Hilberry. For more information, call (313) 577-7899.

Fred Reinhart, assistant vice president for technology commercialization at Wayne State , has been elected to the Association of University Technology Managers\' (AUTM) Board of Trustees as vice president for finance for the 2006-2007 term. AUTM, an international association with over 3,400 members, represents more than 350 universities, research institutions, teaching hospitals and government agencies as well as hundreds of companies involved with managing and licensing innovations derived from academic and nonprofit research. Reinhart will be responsible for the organization\'s fiscal management and will sit on its executive committee.

Karen Liska, co-president of Law Students for Choice at Wayne State University 's Law School , responded in a letter to the Nov. 25 article, "Bill would ban over-counter sales of abortion pill." Liska wrote, \"Describing Plan B, commonly referred to as a \"morning-after pill,\" as an \"abortion pill\" is misleading. Just like a condom or a birth control pill, Plan B prevents conception -- it does not abort a conceived fetus. Allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for Plan B for moral reasons substantially interferes with the relationship between women and their physicians."

Reader Laurie Arora supports the format changes at WDET in her letter-to-the-editor. Arora wrote, "Listen up, Detroit Free Press, I love the format change! Metro Detroit has an intellectual community starving for more daytime news radio."