The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com
Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
RICHMOND, Mich.
Woman's body
found, foul play
not suspected
Authorities are awaiting toxi-
cology results to determine how
a 22-year-old St. Clair County
woman died.
Police say an autopsy Mon-
day on Samantha Ward's body
revealed no signs of foul play.
Ward, of Columbus Township,
was out Friday night in Macomb
County's Richmond with friends
at a tavern. Police say she took
a different path as the group
started to walk to their homes.
Her body was found about 9 a.m.
Saturday without a hat, jacket or
gloves. Temperatures early Satur-
day morning were near or below
zero.
Police were reviewing surveil-
lance video from shops in the
area.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Airport mix-ups
an increasing issue
At a time when a cellphone
can guide you to your driveway,
commercial pilots attempt to
land at the wrong airport more
often than most passengers real-
ize or government officials admit,
according to an Associated Press
search of government safety data
and news reports since the early
1990s.
On at least 150 flights, includ-
ing a Southwest Airlines jet last
month in Missouri and a jumbo
cargo plane last fall in Kansas,
U.S. commercial passenger and
cargo planes have either landed
at the wrong airport or started to
land and realized their mistake in
time.
SANAA, Yemen
Yemeni officials
tasked with fixing
many local issues
A key Yemeni panel tasked
with devising a new system to
address the local grievances that
have fed the impoverished Ara-
bian Peninsula nation's instability
agreed Monday to transform the
country into a state of six regions.
But the system of federal-
ism chosen by the panel, to have
six regions rather than two, is
opposed by southerners who feel
dominated by the more populous
north.
The decision comes at the end
of two weeks of talks by delegates
from across the country on a new
political map to end decades of
centralization that fed internal
conflicts in the north and south.
The federalism plan will be
included in the new constitution,
to be put to a referendum.
SEOUL. South Korea
North Korea
rescinds invitation
to U.S. diplomat
North Korea has canceled for
a second time its invitation for a
senior U.S. envoytovisit the coun-
try to discuss a long-detained
American's possible release, the
State Department said Monday.
The cancellation comes only
days after detained American
missionary Kenneth Bae told a
pro-Pyongyang newspaper that
he expected to meet this month
with the envoy. It signals an
apparent protest of upcoming
annual military drills between
Washington and Seoul and an
alleged mobilization of U.S.
nuclear-capable B-52 bombers
during training near the Korean
Peninsula. North Korea calls the
planned drills a rehearsal for
invasion, a claim the allies deny.
Bae's sister, Terri Chung, said
the family is alarmed and sad-
dened that North Korea has
rescinded the invitation. But she
said the family is encouraged by a
growingnumber of people calling
for his freedom - Jackson in par-
ticular. Chung said she and her
mother have met with Jackson
and support his humanitarian
mission to bring Bae home.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
NIGHTOWL
From Page 1
campus communities to increase
Night Owl ridership. Next week,
fliers will be distributed to off-
campus residential areas highly
populatedbymostlystudents, like
the Varsity Apartments and Ster-
ling 411 Lofts, Fakhoury said.
Proppe added that CSG is
working to add the Night Owl
routes to the University's "Magic
Bus" application, although he said
this hasn't been possible because
the University cannot ascertain
FEVER
From Page 1
and vomiting. In certain severe
cases, both diseases can be deadly.
The NS1 protein described in
the report originates in infected
cells, and is responsible for the
viruses' development. Once it's
in the bloodstream, it can cause
bleeding, and hide the infection
from the immune system.
"What we didn't know before
but we know now is which parts
of the protein are responsible for
helping the virus to get replicat-
ed inside cells and which parts of
the protein are involved in inter-
actions with the immune system
when it gets secreted into the
bloodstream," Smith said.
The structure of the protein
was illuminated through a pro-
cess known as x-ray crystallog-
raphy, which uses x-ray beams
to determine 3-D structure of
crystalline solids. The imaging
procedure was performed at the
who owns the software.
The drive to increase the num-
ber of students taking the Night
Owl reflects CSG's efforts to
expand the program and make
it marketable to the University's
Administration, which Proppe
said he hopes will fund the late
night bus routes starting next
year.
During Night Owl's plan-
ning stages in June, the Univer-
sity's parking and transportation
administrators told CSG repre-
sentatives that 20 riders per bus
per hour on average would put
CSG in a place to secure funding
for a permanent route. Ridership
Argonne National Laboratory in
Illinois, but the difficult process
of purifying the protein was per-
formed in Smith's lab at the Uni-
versity.
"A lot of times in crystallogra-
phy, when you do this technique,
one of the major blocks is to be
able to produce enough protein
that is uniform, homogeneous"
Kuhn said.
There are currently no known
effective treatments for these
diseases, but the research team
said they are hopeful that their
findings could lead to the devel-
opment of vaccines.
"We are planning a whole
series of experiments to think
about antivirals and think about
developing vaccine strategies,"
Kuhn said.
NS1 is an unusual protein
because it comes out of the
infected cell, which makes it a
target, Kuhn said. The protein
also has various jobs through-
out the infection cycle. The right
antiviral could potentially attack
the protein in multiple steps in
already exceeds this rate.
Although CSG representatives
will not give a formal funding
proposal until March, Proppe
said administrators and the Uni-
versity's Board of Regents have
already given the project soft sup-
port.
"This is a kind of important
initiative, and it's relatively inex-
pensive for the University to take
on," Proppe said. "If we can get
to 500 (riders per night), that'd
really just blow it out of the water.
It's really our plan not to just con-
tinue the program, but to expand
as well."7
the life cycle of a virus and dis-
able it.
Kuhn said he has been in
discussions with companies to
develop vaccines against Dengue
virus. However, finding the right
vaccine for Dengue virus is a
complicated process, since there
are four different strains of the
virus. Scientists are still working
to better understand the interac-
tions between these forms of the
disease.
"People get the most severe
forms of the disease, it seems,
when they've been infected by
more than one of the four types,"
Kuhn said.
In the future, Smith said she
wants to explore if NS1 is related
to this differentiation, which is
an important factor in the cre-
ation of a vaccine that could tar-
get a specific form of the disease
with minimal complications.
Smith will give a lecture on
crystallography on Feb. 20 at 4
p.m. at Palmer Commons.
SNYDER
From Page 1
the bottom-up, an element
that's missing in other urban
areas such as Chicago.
"We need our corporate
community in particular ...
to do a better marketing job,"
Snyder said. "We know how to
make things, so we're poised to
be in the center of a big come-
back, and that's what I've been
tryingto create."
He added that students
would be more inclined to stay
in state if they were aware of
the options for high-skill, high-
paying jobs, particularly in the
auto industry.
Because he is focused on fill-
ing high-paying jobs, he said
he isn't concerned with raising
the minimum wage in the state,
an issue that has drawn popu-
lar support lately, especially
among college students. Of the
many questions raised by stu-
dents on social issues, Snyder
refocused them to ballot-box
issues as opposed to something
he would focus on as governor.
"I appreciate the social
issues, but right now we still
need to stay focused on help-
ing people find jobs," he said. "I
don't want to screw it up."
Snyder ended his speech by
encouraging students to aim
high and "be bold."
Andy Hoffman, a professor
in the Business School and the
School of Natural Resources
and Environment, moderated
the talk. In an interview after
the event, he said the question
of jumping between sectors
was interesting because of the
many opportunities students
have today to develop career
paths that don't fit into tradi-
tional molds.
"He's an intense guy, he's
very business," Hoffman said.
"I think he was probably an
outlier for his day, and I think
students can learn from that."
Business graduate student
Damian Chatman, president of
the Ross Student Government
Association and organizer of
the event, said he thought the
governor had an interesting
perspective to give students on
the intersections of the public
and private sectors.
"I think the governor had
some great words for the stu-
dents going forward," Chatman
said.
PARTIES
From Page 1
cases.
Craft explained that Dishell
and Shokar are the kind of peo-
ple who students can trust to
advocate concrete change and
veer away from bureaucratic
issues.
"When I see someone that I
can believe in that can do really
great things for the student
body, I want to get behind it,"
he said.
The other two parties from
last year's election, Momen-
tUM and youMICH, are inac-
tive, and it is unclear if any
other parties will run candi-
dates for executive positions.
Additionally, the Defend Affir-
mative Action Party has run
candidates every year, but has
not yet announced their nomi-
nees.
INNOVATION
From Page 1
on the demand for such technol-
ogy in the marketplace and how
the teams distinguished them-
selves from competitors, accord-
ing to the press release.
On top of financial support,
contest winners will receive
access to curricula produced by
the National Science Foundation's
Innovation Corps. The seven-
week program, which is being
offered to undergraduates for the
first time, will provide students
with business skills necessary to
develop and market their innova-
tive ideas.
Several of the projects focus on
areas of medical technology. Such
programs include Safe Sense, a
head impact sensor designed for
use in football safety; iSuture,
a surgical suture simulator and
Savant, a program that could help
doctors better use DNA data to
diagnose patients.
Another project, Carbon Cash,
will allow users to better track
their environmental impact and
promote energy efficiency.
According to a 2012 report by
Global Entrepreneurship Moni-
tor, a London-based organization
that produces annual internation-
al economic reports, entrepre-
neurial activity in the U.S. is atits
highest point since the beginning
of the survey in 1999.
However, a recently published
five-year study found that the
University Research Corridor -
a research alliance between the
University, Michigan State Uni-
versity and Wayne State Univer-
sity - was not competitive with
other similar university clusters
nationwide when examining the
number of startups each group
was responsible for. The report
indicated that t he University of
Michigan was responsible for 11
of 14 startups in the URC.
Ken Nisbet, associate vice pres-
ident for research at the Univer-
sity's Technology Transfer Office,
said economic factors in Michi-
gan may have contributed more to
the lack of startups than a lack of
innovation.
"When you start a company,
you don't do it in a vacuum,"
Klinke said. "We're connecting
students to local mentors and
venture capitalists and engaging
them in the Michigan entrepre-
neurial ecosystem. The hope is
many will stay due to the roots
they're growing through this pro-
gram."
Last July, University President
Mary Sue Coleman addressed
the need for students to create an
impact on the economic condition
of the state, specifically the revi-
talization of Detroit.
"We all know that there's a
lot of work to do, but right now,
it's more important than ever to
recognize the powerful, youth-
ful energy that we feel has real
momentum in Detroit," Coleman
said.
Detroit revitalization was
also cited as a key component in
the decision to move this year's
MHacks to Detroit, event orga-
nizers said. The event drew about
1,200 students to the city for a
36-hour programming competi-
tion, allowing companies to show-
case technological resurgence
occurring in the city.
Final prize announcements
will be made this Friday at 2 p.m.
at the Stamps Auditorium.
NYC mayor
talks inequality
in first address
Nevada officials refuse to
defend gay marraige ban
Governor, attorney
general say voter-
approved prohibition
isn't viable
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -
Nevada's attorney general and
governor said Monday that they
won't defend the state's gay mar-
riage ban when it goes before
a federal appeals court, say-
ing that a recent court decision
makes the state's arguments
supporting its constitutional
amendment "no longer defen-
sible."
Attorney General Catherine
Cortez Masto, in a motion filed
with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals, said Nevada's legal
arguments defending the vot-
er-approved prohibition aren't
viable after the court's recent
ruling that potential jurors can-
not be removed from a trial dur-
ing jury selection solely because
of sexual orientation.
"After thoughtful review
and analysis, the state has
determined that its arguments
grounded upon equal protection
and due process are no longer
sustainable," Masto said in a
statement.
Nevada's move comes as the
federal government and courts
around the country in recent
months have chipped away at
laws the prohibit marriage and
benefits for same-sex couples.
In a one-month span from
December to January, two fed-
eral judges struck down state
bans on gay marriage for the
same reason, concluding that
they violate the U.S. Constitu-
tion's promise of equal protec-
tion under the law.
Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Repub-
lican seeking re-election this
year, said he agreed with the
Democratic attorney general's
action.
"Based upon the advice of
the attorney general's office and
their interpretation of relevant
case law, ithas become clear that
this case is no longer defensible
in court," Sandoval said in an
email to The Associated Press.
The state's move was hailed
by gay rights advocates and civil
libertarians.
"This is fantastic evidence the
state has recognized that equal-
ity for all people in Nevada and
certainly across the country is
of utmost importance," said Tod
Story, executive director of the
American Civil Liberties Union
of Nevada.
The state's move was an
about-face from January, when
the attorney general's office
filed a lengthy brief supporting
the gay marriage ban that voters
approved in 2002.
Eight same-sex couples,
some married for decades, sued
the state, arguing that the law
is unconstitutional. A federal
judge in Reno upheld the law in
2012, sending it to the appeals
court in San Francisco.
One of the plaintiffs, Caren
Jenkins, said she was delighted
by the development, though it
doesn't mean gay marriages are
imminent in Las Vegas'wedding
chapels.
"This issue is far from
resolved. The constitutional-
ity issue still needs to be dealt
with," Jenkins said. "But it
certainly is something to cel-
ebrate."
Tara Borelli, senior attorney
with Lambda Legal, a gay rights
advocacy group that represent-
ed the couples, said Nevada's
move is "a signal there's no lon-
ger any excuse to defend this
discrimination."
"I think it will send a pow-
erful message to the court that
no Nevada official is willing to
defend the ban any longer," she
said.
Leaders with the Coalition
for the Protection of Marriage, a
conservative group that pushed
for Nevada's gay marriage ban,
did not immediately respond to
messages seeking comment.
State of the City
speech focuses on
lessening income
disparities
NEW YORK (AP) - New
York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
used his first State of the City
address Monday to press gov-
ernment to marshal its power
to battle income inequality, a
liberal call to action that will
be closely watched around
the nation.
By virtue of a campaign
focused on income dispar-
ity and landslide win that
installed him at the helm of
the nation's largest city, de
Blasio has become a lead-
ing spokesman for a growing
movement to narrow the gap
between the haves and have-
nots.
He promises to help by
hiking taxes on the rich to
pay for prekindergarten,
raising the minimum wage
and providing ID cards for
people in the country ille-
gally.
"We're fighting to give
everyone a fair shot," he said
Monday during the speech
at a community college, "so
that city government doesn't
set its priorities by the needs
of those at the very top ...
while ignoring the struggle
of those born under a less
lucky star."
The first Democrat to
deliver the address in more
than 20 years, de Blasio
unveiled a decidedly left-
leaning agenda. His sig-
nature issue, to which he
devoted the climax of his
speech, was to again call for
a tax hike on New Yorkers
making more than $500,000
a year to pay for universal
prekindergarten.
"Many wealthy New York-
ers ... know that a gilded
city isn't the New York they
signed up for, even if they
currently find themselves
doing quite well," de Blasio
said. "Raising taxes on the
rich makes our commitment
to our kids more than just
words."
The plan, welcomed in
the cities' liberal circles, has
run into obstacles. De Bla-
sio can't raise taxes without
approval from state lawmak-
ers, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo
has steadfastly refused to
consider the issue, instead
offering to dedicate existing
money in the state budget to
pay for the program. And on
Monday, even as de Blasio
spoke, State Senate Republi-
can Leader Dean Skelos told
reporters that he would not
allow legislation containing
a tax hike on city residents to
advance.
But prekindergarten is
not the only front on which
de Blasio is pressing state
lawmakers in the capital of
Albany. He revealed in the
speech that he plans to ask
them next week for the power
to raise the minimum wage in
the city.
"We will send a powerful
signal to the people of New
York that we honor work and
that we are committed to
making work pay," he said.
De Blasio, who did not
specify what he wanted the
new minimum to be, joined
a national push to raise
minimum wage levels. Last
month, President Barack
Obama called for the federal
wage to be raised from $7.25
to $10. And Cuomo and law-
makers reached a deal last
year to raise New York's min-
imum wage to $9 by the end
of next year.
De Blasio, who expects
nearly lockstep cooperation
from the Democratic-con-
trolled City Council, also said
he wants to expand existing
living wage legislation and
wanted municipal ID card to
be available to all residents
this year regardless of their
immigration status.
"To all of my fellow New
Yorkers who are undocu-
mented, I say: New York City
is your home too, and we will
not force any of our residents
to live their lives in the shad-
ows," the mayor said.
Previous measures to issue
statewide ID cards have fal-
tered, but other U.S. cities,
including San Francisco and
New Haven, Conn., issue sim-
ilar documentation.
4 I'
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