The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - 3

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - 3

NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
HS football player
detained after
punching a coach
A 16-year-old high school
football player was detained by
police in suburban Detroit after a
67-year-old assistant coach on an
opposing team was punched fol-
lowing agame.
The Detroit News reports
Monday that Oakland County
sheriff's deputies took the West
Bloomfield Township player into
custody after Friday's game at
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek.
The Stoney Creek coach was
knocked to the ground after
coaches from both teams argued
following the 50-28 victory by
Rochester Hills.
Sheriff's Capt. Mike John-
son says "there was a disagree-
ment (about) the play of the game
between the two staffs" and that
witnesses saw the punch that
felled the Stoney Creek coach.
MIAMI
Man dies after
live roach-eating
contest in Fla.
The winner of a roach-eating
contest in South Florida died
shortly after downing dozens of
the live bugs as well as worms,
authorities said Monday.
About 30 contestants ate the
insects 'during Friday night's con-
test at Ben Siegel Reptile Store in
Deerfield Beach about 40 miles
north of Miami. The grand prize
was a python.
Edward Archbold, 32, of West
Palm Beach became ill shortly
after the contest ended and col-
lapsed in front of the store, accord-
ing to a Broward Sheriff's Office
statement released Monday. He
was taken to the hospital where
he was pronounced dead. Authori-
ties were waiting for results of an
autopsy to determine a cause of
death.
LON[ 3
UK police: Elderly
couple unwittingly
grew marijuana
British police say an elderly
couple unwittingly grew a mon-
strous cannabis plant in their yard
after buying what they thought
was an innocuous green bush at a
flea market.
Police in Bedford, a commuter
town 90 kilometers (55 miles)
from central London, posted a
picture of a luxuriant cannabis
plant growing as tall as the fence
in v4hat appeared to be someone's
back yard.
In a message posted to Twitter
Friday the force said the plant had
been "seized today."
"Elderly couple bought shrub
at car boot sale, tended carefully-
biggest cannabis plant we had

seen!!" the message exclaimed.
SARCELLES, France
French Jews fear a
wave of attacks
The gunshots outside a syna-
gogue and the grenade that shat-
tered the windows of a kosher
groceryspreadfearintothestreets
- but caused little surprise.
Jews across France say anti-
Semitic threats have escalated
since a deadly assault on a Jewish
school in the southwestern town
of Toulouse this spring. The attack
on the grocery store in the Paris
suburb of Sarcelles came several
weeks ago, and the synagogue in
nearby Argenteuil was this week-
end.
In all cases, police suspect
Muslim extremists. The Toulouse
attacker was a Frenchman trained
by Islamist paramilitaries. And
anti-terrorist police killed one
man and arrested 11 in raids this
weekend against an Islamist cell
suspected in the Sarcelles attacks.
French Jews believe the dan-
ger comes from radical messages
that appeal to young Muslims
in France who are unemployed,
angry, alienated and looking for
someone to blame.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt tRomney gestures during a campaign rally on Mon-
day in Newport News, Va.
Romne: U.S. must help
Syrian rebels oust Assad

In foreign policy
speech, presidential
challenger proposes
different course
LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) -
Mitt Romney declared on Mon-
day the U.S. must join other
nations in helping arm Syrian
rebels to oust Syrian President
Bashar Assad, casting Presi-
dent Barack Obama's efforts as
weak and part of a broader lack
of leadership in the Middle East
and around the globe.
Hoping to bolster his own
foreign policy credentials, the
Republican presidential chal-
lenger said the would identify
and organize those in the Syrian
opposition who share American
values, them work with Ameri-
can allies to "ensure they obtain
the arms they need to defeat
Assad's tanks, helicopters and
fighter jets."
"It is essential that we devel-
op influence with those forces
in Syria that wilkone daylead a,
countfy that sits at the heart of
the Middle East," Romney said.
In a wide-ranging address at
the Virginia Military Institute,
Romney attempted to establish
an image for voters of himself
as a man who would be a strong
commander in chief. In his
remarks, he criticized Obama's
policies toward Iraq, Afghani-
stan, Iran and Israel.
Nowhere did he emphasize a
different course as strongly as in

Syria. Romney cast the civil war
there as a proxy conflict with
Iran - and said it's in America's
interest to court an opposition
likely to play a key role in lead-
ing a future Syria.
Activists say more than
32,000 people have died in
Syria's conflict, which began
19 months ago with Assad's
government cracking down on
protests. That crackdown was
followed by armed rebellion in
many parts of the country and,
eventually, a full-scale civil war.
Obama's administration still
seeks a peaceful political transi-
tion, even though the president
acknowledged in August that the
likelihood of a softlandingfor the
conflict "seems pretty distant."
Romney aides said he wasn't
calling for the U.S. to directly arm
the rebels.
Nor has Obama. The presi-
dent's re-election campaign dis-
missed Romney's remarks as
"saber-rattling" and accused the
Republican of refusing to outline
just how his policies would differ
from the incumbent's.
The administration hasd en
quietly coordinating with part-
ners in the region who want to
provide military assistance. But
Obama has opposed directly pro-
viding weapons to the rebels or
using U.S. air power to prevent
Syrian jets from flying.
The U.S. role in coordination
is currently aimed at maintain-
ing some measure of control over
which groups receive weapons.
Administration officials have
been pressing America's Arab

allies for months about the danger
of equipment such a§ shoulder-
launched rockets and other heavy
weaponry falling into the wrong
hands. The official line is that any
arms assistance to the rebels only
further militarizes a conflict that
should be solved through a peace-
ful transition strategy.
Privately, officials concede
that countries such as Saudi
Arabia and Qatar have made dif-
ferent decisions, and the U.S. is
working with them so that con-
cerns about extremism and the
proliferation of certain types of
weapons are taken into account
in their decision-making.
The head of the Turkey-based
Syrian National Council, the
main Syrian opposition group,
said Romney's comments were
the "right statement." Abdelba-
set Sieda said he was not disap-
pointed in the U.S. president,
but added that "Obama must do
more to stop the killing."
When pressed, Romney pol-
icy advisers refused to say if
the Republican would support
or encourage allies to deliver
heavier weaponry, including
shoulder-fired rockets, to the
opposition forces in Syria.
Romney's comments come at
a critical time in part because
the violence in Syria has spilled
over the border and into Tur-
key, with fighting continuing
Monday for a sixth straight day.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
warned Saturday the conflict
between those neighboring
countries could embroil the
broader region.

Detroit Police
chief steps down
amid sex scandal
Search begins for Robinson posted a photo on
Twitter of her with a police
fifth chief in four gun in her mouth. Her attor-
ney, David gtobinson, said the
years after chief's photo was posted, after she
«y,, learned Godbee was at a police
retirement conference a week ago in San
Diego with another woman. He
DETROIT (AP) - Detroit's said Godbee had other officers
police chief stepped down Mon- locate Angelica Robinson and
day after a week of embarrass- put her under surveillance.
ing revelations about a sexual There was no mention of the
relationship with a subordinate, scandal in an eight-paragraph
forcing the city to search for a letter Godbee sent to Mayor
fifth leader in four years for a Dave Bing announcing what
department dealing with one was described as a "retirement."
of the nation's highest violent- Bing insisted he didn't push the
crime rates. 25-year veteran to leave but
Ralph Godbee was hired two called it the "right decision."
years ago to replace a prede- "He was very contrite, I
cessor fired following an affair think embarrassed," Bing said
with a female officer who alleg- at a news conference. "He felt
edly also had a relationship he had let me down. He felt he
with Godbee. His departure had let the department down.
extends the revolving door of He felt he had let the citizens of
leadership in a cash-strapped Detroit down. We're not perfect
city. Detroit's next chief will be individuals, and a lot of us make
its 10th since 1991, and several mistakes. This one was very
of those were forced out amid costly."
allegations of wrongdoing. As the city begins its search,
"Not having a stable head police rank-and-file are becom-
makes the rest of it unstable," ing more vocal about a 10-per-
former Detroit Police Chief Isa- cent pay cut and 12-hour work
iah McKinnon said of the musi- shifts enacted near the end of
cal chairs in the city's top cop's Godbee's tenure. Bing's office
office. "The officers are going to contends those cuts and others
go out and try to do their jobs, are necessary to help reduce a
but you need a stable head." budget deficit of more than $200
Godbee stepped down after million and to help keep Detroit
married internal affairs officer out of state receivership.
Angelica Robinson said she and McKinnon, who led the
the married chief had a year- police department for four
long sexual relationship. It was years in the mid-1990s and
the second alleged tryst with a resigned to teach at a local uni-
subordinate to surface against. versity, said the city should also
Godbee since he became chief look outside the ranks for its
in 2010. new chief.
Sandusky, victims to
speak at sentencing
Former Penn friends and family members
- including his wife, Dottie -
St. coach will be have written letters of support.
Dottie Sandusky plans to attend
sentenced on 45 the hearing, he said.
ca eGiven the number of charges,
charges the serious nature of his crimes
and his age, the 68-year-old
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - Sandusky faces the likelihood
Jerry Sandusky and at least some of a sentence that will send him
of his victims plan to address the to state prison for the rest of his
judge at his sentencing, a pro- life. Sandusky was convicted in
ceeding that may last less than June of abusing 10 boys over 15
two hours, lawyers said after a years, including some attacks
closed-door meeting to iron out inside Penn State athletic facili-
logistics ahead of the Tuesday ties.
hearing. "The important thing for us
Sandusky lawyer Joe Amen- is, it starts the appellate pro-
dola said "it's as certain as cer- cess," Amendola said.
tain can be" that the former One element of the appeal
Penn State assistant football is expected to be a claim that
coach will speak to Judge John the defense did not have time
Cleland and assert his inno- to adequately prepare for trial.
cence before he is sentenced on Sandusky was charged in
45 counts of child sexual abuse. November, following a lengthy
"What I anticipate he'll say is investigation.
he's innocent," Amendola said Tom Kline, lawyer for a
outside the courthouse Monday young man who said Sandusky

afternoon. groped him in a shower when
Amendola said he did not he was 12 or 13, said his client
expect any others to speak on plans to read a statement Tues-
Sandusky's behalf, although day.
Did somebody say
MOAE TRIPIP9
We're headed your way! See you at the
grad fair on your campus.

Nobel prize in Medicine awarded
for innovative work on stem cells

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Researchers' that the DNA from specialized
cells of frogs, like skin or intesti-
uork separated nal cells, could be used to gener-
ate new tadpoles. That showed
more than four the DNA still had its ability to
drive the formation of all cells of
generations the body.
At the time, the discovery had
OCKHOLM (AP) - Two "no obvious therapeutic benefit
tists from different gen- at all," Gurdon told reporters in
ns won the Nobel Prize in London. "It was almost 50 years
cine Monday for the ground- before the value - the potential
ing discovery that cells in value - of that basic scientific
ody can be reprogrammed research comes to light."
come completely different In 1997, the cloning of Dollythe
potentially opening the sheep by other scientists showed
to growing customized tis- that the same process Gurdon
or treatments. discovered in frogs would work
e work of British researcher in mammals.
Gurdon and Japanese sci- More than 40 years after
Shinya Yamanaka - who Gurdon's discovery, in 2006,
torn the year Gurdon made Yamanaka, 50, showed that a
scovery - has raised hopes surprisingly simple recipe could
veloping transplant tissue turn mature cells back into primi-
at diseases like Parkinson's tive cells, which in turn could be
liabetes. And it has spurred prodded into different kinds of
w generation of labora- mature cells.
studies into other diseases, Basically, the primitive cells
ding schizophrenia, that were the equivalent of embry-
ead to new treatments. onic stem cells, which had
sically, their work paved the been embroiled in controversy
o making the equivalent of because to get human embryonic
yonic stem cells without the cells, human embryos had to be
al questions the embryonic destroyed. Yamanaka's method
pose. provided a way to get such primi-
heir findings have revolu- tive cells without destroying
ed our understanding of embryos.
cells and organisms devel- "The discoveries of Gurdon
the Nobel committee at and Yamanaka have shown that
holm's Karolinska Institute specialized cells can turn back
n announcing the 8 million the developmental clock under
r ($1.2 million) award. It certain circumstances," the com-
he first of this year's Nobel mittee said. "These discoveries
s, with five more awards to have also provided new tools for
nounced by next Monday. scientists around the world and
rdon, 79, showed in 1962 led to remarkable progress in

many areas of medicine."
Just last week, Japanese scien-
tists reported using Yamanaka's
approach to turn skin cells from
mice into eggs that produced
baby mice.
Gurdon has served as a profes-
sor of cell biology at Cambridge
University's Magdalene College
and is currently at the Gurdon
Institute in Cambridge, which
he founded. Yamanaka worked
at the Gladstone Institute in San
Francisco and Nara Institute of
Science and Technology in Japan.
He is currently at Kyoto Univer-
sity and also affiliated with the
Gladstone Institute. Yamanaka is
the first Japanese scientist to win
the Nobel medicine award since
1987.
Gurdon said he first thought
someone was "pulling my leg"
when he got the call from the
Nobel committee. He said he
planned to celebrate with a drink,
but expected tobe back in the lab
Tuesday morning and thathe had
no plans to retire.
Yamanaka told Japanese
broadcaster NHK that he was at
home doing chores on Monday
when he got the call from Stock-
holm. "Even though we have
received this prize, we have not
really accomplished what we
need to. I feel a deep sense of duty
and responsibility," Yamanaka
said.
Choosing Yamanaka as a
Nobel winner just six years after
his discovery was unusual. The
Nobel committees typically
reward research done more than
a decade before, to make sure it
has stood the test of time.

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