In the news

Charge in forced miscarriage debated

The case of a teenager who hit his pregnant girlfriend repeatedly in the stomach to force a miscarriage is raising questions among legal experts regarding what charges should be lodged against the teen. Since the girl involved consented to the beatings, there is question whether the boy can be charged with causing the death of the fetus. "It's a very long established principle of law that you can consent to any assault short of death," explained WSU law professor David Moran. "Football is a fine example of consenting assault. Boxing is another."

Iraqis in Michigan gear up to vote

In Iraq\'s first national election -- set for Jan. 28-30 for expatriates -- Michigan is expected to have the largest contingent of voters in the United States. About 95,000 living in the state are eligible to cast their ballots in the historic first election. However, including expatriates in the United States in the process of voting may give the impression that the United States is manipulating the outcome, according to Frederic Pearson, director of Wayne State's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. \"They will be viewed by some as a foreign element,\" he said

Experts dissect Detroit crisis

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is holding a two-day Detroit Economic Forum at Wayne State University designed to help the city rethink urban government. Among issues discussed are Detroit\'s population decline and the per capita cost of city services for residents. Detroit's population has dropped from just below 2 million in 1950 to about 900,000 today. Today the forum will focus on solutions to the structural fiscal problems. A Detroit News editorial also highlights the summit and notes Wayne State as the site.

Detroit Public Television offers fresh perspectives and personal insights from some of the auto industry's top executives

"Leaders on Leadership," produced by Detroit Public Television in association with the Wayne State University School of Business Administration, is featured as one of Detroit's leading shows that offers access to the top business leaders in America. Guests respond to questions posed by host Larry Fobes, director of the SBA's Institute of Organizations and Industrial Competitiveness and Wayne State students in the studio.

Affirmative action can harm students

Frank Wu, dean of Wayne State University Law School and also supporter of affirmative action, argued a recent study by UCLA law professor Richard H. Sander, who states that eliminating racial preferences in law schools will actually result in more, not fewer, black lawyers. Regarding Sander, Wu said, \"He uses old data from 2001 to support his claims that without affirmative action there would only be a 14 percent decline in the number of African-American law school applicants. If Sander had used new data from 2002 and 2003, there would be a more significant decline of 35 to 45 percent of African-American applicants.\"

Economic grants just don't work

The federal government spends tens of billions of dollars every year on economic-development projects, but it's not clear if the projects work. In 2001, for example, the figure was $57 billion. Peter Eisinger of Wayne State University observed that despite their dubious value the programs enjoy wide popularity and there is \"extremely broad agreement as to the desirability of substantial government involvement in the creation of private-sector employment.\"