In the news

Drug lawsuits demand one national rule

In an op-ed, Wayne State Law Professor Lawrence C. Mann discusses the $253 million jury verdict earlier this month against drug company Merck & Co. for the death of a man taking Vioxx. Mann writes that this case shows why changes and compromises must be made at the national level to improve pharmaceutical product development and delivery in this country. He further calls for federal action to address conflicting state laws as they pertain to drug company lawsuits like the Merck & Co. case. "Our elected representatives at the federal level should now step forward to end the confusion about pharmaceutical liability inherent in the multiplicity of state laws," Mann writes.

Wayne receiver back in fold

A few days after transferring from Wayne State to Saginaw Valley State last year, wide receiver Nick Body began to have misgivings. Body played in Saginaw Valley \'s 2004 spring game, but didn\'t enroll in classes at University Center . Instead, he talked to one of Wayne State \'s leaders, defensive end Leo Wells, and told him he wanted to return to the Warriors. \"Leo said, \'If you want to come back, I\'ll smooth everything over,\' \" Body said. Body, whose 73 receptions in 2003 set Wayne State \'s single-season school record, approached first-year coach Paul Winters. \"I told them I\'d bust my butt in practice,\" Body said. \"I worked on the scout team, trying to help them out.\" Body sat out all of last season because of the transfer. This season, he\'s a redshirt junior with two years remaining. And he\'s glad to be back wearing the green and gold. \"I wasn\'t happy,\" Body said of leaving. \"I knew I\'d have to put my tail between my legs, but I wasn\'t really bothered by it.\" Body apologized to his teammates and spent last season working on the scout team to prove himself to Winters and the rest of the coaching staff. Winters said he considers Body, 6-feet-4 and 212 pounds, one of the team\'s potential leaders, and he has put the transfer behind him. \"He made a mistake,\" Winters said. \"I can\'t hold that over his head.\" A photo of Body is included.

Funding guarantee insulates schools from accountability

In his opinion column, Thomas Bray discusses a statewide petition drive calling for a legislative initiative that would require funding increases for public schools and universities equal to 5 percent a year or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Bray says this initiative, backed by the Association of Michigan Universities, the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and the Michigan Association of School Administrators, as well as at least two dozen groups, is a bad idea. Bray writes, " Michigan\'s public universities claim that the state has been short-changing them, forcing big increases in tuition. But the same universities claim their degrees are worth a lot on the job market, so why shouldn\'t students be willing to pay a market rate for them? Besides, substantial amounts of aid and loan money are available to kids who really want to go to college."

Rheos activated in Detroit woman

Dr. John Flack, chairman of Wayne State University \'s department of internal medicine, commented about Rheos, an experimental device designed to work like a pacemaker for controlling blood pressure. The tiny generator device is implanted into a person's chest and two electrodes are placed on both sides of their neck. Observing a patient's systolic blood pressure decrease from 240 to 208 as the device is activated, Flack, the study\'s principal investigator, said that in two to three months, she'll really start seeing an impact.

Home, Suite Home: New dorm offers apartment-like living at WSU

The 11-story, 900-bed residence, is popular with students who like Reva Baldwin, from Oak Park , like the amenities. "You get your own room, more space. It's worth it," said Baldwin, a sophomore. "We'll always be a commuter campus," WSU President Irvin D. Reid said Monday. "But we want to be able to support people with different lifestyles and accommodate those who would like to have an experience on campus." The $51.5 million dorm is the third residence hall to be built in the last three years. A single costs $5, 670 per academic year. A private bedroom in a four-person suite is $5,040, and a shared bedroom in a suite is $4, 535. Or students can share a room for $4, 175 - the same price as the other residence halls. The article featured a photo of students moving into a new dorm room.

Agriculture & Environment: A Tea Time Mystery

When a 52-year-old Missouri woman went to the doctor in 1998 complaining of a sore back, she was thought to have disc disease. Turned out she was drinking inordinate amounts of instant ice tea, which lead to skeletal fluorosis. But the average teetotalers should not be concerned. "It may be that certain brands ought to cut down the amount of fluoride in their tea or add a warning label to their product, "said Michael Kleerekoper, director of research of bone and mineral metabolism at Wayne State University .

Vulnerable adult abuse training

Wayne State's Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), in partnership with other organizations, is offering training on vulnerable abuse for prosecutors, advocates and law enforcement officers to meet the needs of a growing aging population, and 54 million people nationwide with disabilities. Training sessions, titled "Understanding and Investigating Vulnerable Adult Abuse and Neglect: The Role of Law Enforcement," will be offered throughout the state until November. Participants will learn skills needed to identify adult abuse, obtain accurate information from vulnerable adults and determine proper measures to offer assistance.

Top campus crime - theft

Campus police at colleges across the state and the nation say theft of everything from bicycles to laptops is the top campus crime. They also say most of those crimes are preventable, if students lock their doors and watch their belongings. Recent crime stats over the past three years show assaults ranging from 20 at Wayne State to 82 at the University of Michigan . The story features a photo of Wayne State freshman Kevin Kotermonski, 17, of Roseville , attending a safety session August 12 at Wayne State University . The story also features a sidebar composed of tips from campus police departments at WSU, MSU and U of M. A related story, by Maryanne George, says alcohol is often a factor in serious crime, and students are not safe from assaults and rapes on the campuses of EMU, MSU and the U of M.