The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, April 14, 2048 - 3A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, April 14, 2008 - 3A NEWS BRIEFS S JERUSALEM Israeli leaders ST snub Carter during Mideast trip th nig Former President Jimmy Cart- er brokered the first Israeli-Arab cia peace deal, but he's getting a cool of reception in Israel duringhis latest ovi visit to the Mideast. all Israeli leaders are shunning the ow globe-trottingpeacemakerforplan- On ning to meet with Khaled Mashaal, wi the head of Israel's archenemy its Hamas, and comparing the Jewish state's policies to apartheid. Mic AschedulereleasedbytheAtlan- ta-based Carter Center showed ad no plans for the former president res to meet any of Israel's key play- in ers: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, tia' Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni or C Defense Minister Ehud Barak dur- sit' ing this week's visit, which began rel yesterday. sup The only high-ranking official res on Carter's schedule was Israel's sit ceremonial head of state, President po: Shimon Peres. The 83-year-old rec former U.S. leader held a closed meeting with Peres shortly after inf arriving yesterday. Lif ha NEWYORK an Rowlinggoingto bal ter, courtwith Michigan sot publisherthisweek pei Author J.K. Rowling is eager to tell a judge this week that one of her biggest fans is in fantasyland if he believes a "Harry Potter" encyclope- diahe plans with a Michigan publish- er does not violate her copyrights. The showdown between Rowi- ing and Steven Vander Ark is sched- uled to last most of the week in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Rowling brought the lawsuit last year against Vander Ark's publish- er, Muskegon, Mich.-based RDR Books, to stop publication of the "Harry Potter Lexicon." Rowling is scheduled to testify today in a trial that is sure to gener- ate huge interest among Harry Pot- ter fans and the public. DETROIT American Axle makes new offerto T UAW members Striking United Auto Workers union members are considering a new contract offer from American Axle and Manufacturing Hold- igs Inc. as bargaining continues through the weekend. About 3,600 UAW members at five American Axle plants in Michi- gan and New York went on strike Feb.26 against the auto parts maker, which demanded steep pay cuts. American Axle spokeswoman Renee Rogers says company bar- gainers gave the UAW a new con- tract proposal Saturday. She says bargainers were returning to the table yesterday. The six-week strike has caused parts shortages that have closed or curtailed work at 29 General Mo- tors Corp. factories, affecting about 39,000 hourly employees. DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania Olympic torch makes its lone stop in Africa About 1,000 people cheered and marched with a team of 80 ath- letes and a Cabinet minister par- ticipating Sunday in the Tanzania leg of the Olympic torch relay, the flame's only stop in Africa. Officials have said that they do not expect any of the disruptions that have hit other torch runs in the world. Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai, how- ever, pulled out of the relay in Tan- zania to protest China's human ights record. Vice President Ali Mohamed Shein lit the Olympic torch, pass- ing it on to Cabinet minister Mohamed SeifKhstib, who led the relay team from the city's main train station the main stadium. - Compiled from Daily wire reports ,032 lumber of American service mem- bers 'ho have died in the war in Iraq, according to The Associated Press. There were no deaths were identified yesterday. Lawmaker to propose ten-percent rule EM CELLS, From Page lA 'We are very confident and we eplanning a long campaign with e assumption that we will get the natures needed," he said. The committee submitted offi- il ballot language in January. passed, the amendment would erturn a 1978 Michigan law and ow researchers to derive their n stem cell lines from embryos. ly embryos that would other- se be discarded by fertility clin- would be used for research. The initiative wouldn't reverse chigan's ban on cloning. Though the University is an vocate of embryonic stem cell earch, it doesn't have any role campaigning for the ballot ini- tive. Cynthia Wilbanks, the Univer- y's vice president of government ations, said the University has pported a change in the state's earch laws, but said the Univer- y cannot take an institutional sition on the issue because it ceives funding from the state. Robin Stephenson, director of ormation for the University's e Sciences, said the University s no role in campaigning, but is advocate embryonic stem cell earch. She said she thinks a lot initiative would have a bet- chance of passing, and passing oner, than similar legislation nding in the state House of Rep- resentatives. A bill proposed in April 2007 by Rep. Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) is still waitingto go before a House Judiciary Committee. The ballot committee decided to push for a constitutional amendment instead of a change to state law because of how long the bill has been waiting to go before a committee. Even though the University can't openly campaign for the bal- lot initiative, the campaign still has strong University ties. Sean Morrison, director of the University's Center for Stem Cell Biology is a founding member of Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research and Cures, an orga- nization that works to educate Michigan residents on stem cell research. While Morrison hasn't been involved directly with the bal- lot committee, he continues to work with MCSCRC to educate Michigan residents about stem cell research and the legislation. Marcia Baum, executive direc- tor of MCSCRC, acted as a spokes- woman for the ballot committee before it formed its own campaign group in November. The executive board is com- prised of 10 members. The origi- nal four are Rick Johnson, former speaker of the state House; former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-Battle Creek); Richard Whitmer, for- mer president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield; and Detroit Attorney Linda Bloch. In March, six new members were appointed to the board, including S. Martin Taylor, chair of the Uni- versity Board of Regents. Morrison saidhe personally sup- ports the ballot initiative because it would give University research- ers more stem cell research oppor- tunities. There are two basic kinds of stem cell research: adult and embryonic. Embryonic stem cells can divide indefinitely, and have the potential to grow into any kind of cell, making them easier for researchers to work with. Adult stem cells are less flexible than embryonic stem cells because they are partially specialized and lim- ited in quantity. The University opened a lab in February 2007 that uses private funding to conduct research on embryonic stem cells. Because of Michigan law, though, researchers in the lab aren't allowed to derive their own stem cell lines. Instead, they must obtain stem cells from other universities and research centers, which Morrison said slows the research process. "That's a huge impediment, because we can't study diseases here in Michigan, because we can't do research until someone else derives the line in the other state," Morrison said. Baum said MCSCRC officially supports stem cell research, but doesn't campaign for any form of legislation. She said it works to educate voters about the different kinds of stem cell research so they can make an informed decision. LSA junior Landon Krantz, president of the Student Society for Stem Cell Research, said his group supports the ballot initia- tive. He said he wants the group's members to take petitions home over the summer and to go door- to-door collecting signatures to help the campaign. "I don't think something as tedious and minute as signatures is going to stop it from getting on the ballot," he said. Krantz said he is convinced that when voters become educated on the issue, they will vote yes on the ballot. "When people know the facts, absolutely it'll pass," he said. LSA sophomore Lauren Bennett, chair of the University's chapter of Students for Life, which opposes embryonic stem cell research, said her group has been hosting edu- cational debates and lectures on campus. She said she'd be interest- ed in campaigning more in the fall as the election draws closer. "We'd be really interested in doing that," she said. The ballot initiative faces oppo- sition from Right to Life of Michi- gan and the Michigan Catholic Conference, which believe embry- onic stem cell research shouldn't be done because it destroys the embryos. Pam Sherstad, spokeswoman for Right to Life, said while the group advocates adult stem cell research, it doesn't see the need to destroy embryos that could otherwise develop into a human life. Sherstad said the group is currently concentrating on edu- cating voters, but that it would shift its focus to look at the ballot language if enough signatures are gathered to put the initiative on the ballot. "We continue to be a voice for the voiceless," she said. "We all ,began as embryos." Get free MCAT Verbal Edge! When you enroll with Kaplan in April!' 9 20 hours of additional prep D Extra quizes, workshops. and practice testsk ..-all available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A 5499 Vaue, FREE if you enroll byApril 301 1-800-KAP-TEST I kaptest.com/rebate I({A P L A N TEST PREP AND ADMISSIONS r