2 Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com NEWS SUDOKU MEDIUM 5 8 7 1 1 2 9 5 7 6 8 5 1 3 7 3 9 1 4 6 6 2 8 7 3 5 3 7 8 © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com! Sudoku Syndication http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ 1 of 1 2/12/09 12:08 PM CHOCOLATE puzzle by sudokusyndication.com Scientists receive flu research grant $34.3 million will be used to develop more effective vaccines A team of international scientists secured a $34.3 million, seven-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for their international research on influenza, commonly known as the flu. The team includes Aubree Gordon, University of Michigan assistant professor of epidemiology, and Paul Thomas, professor at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Gordon said her group’s research could provide more data to create better flu vaccines and lead to new insights into immune system responses. “I was incredibly excited, and it took a little while to sink in,” Gordon said. “I think vaccines are one of the best tools that we have to improve global health. I think this grant in particular may have broader impacts as I think it will provide insight into the development of the immune system in addition to our influenza-specific findings.” The seven-year observational study will consist of a team of international experts in immunology and virology, two new cohorts in California and New Zealand and one existing cohort in Nicaragua. Each location has different flu seasons and vaccination rates, with rates being highest in Los Angeles and lowest in Nicaragua. Gordon believes each area may have different strains of influenza, so the vaccines may be different. The three locations could help determine if immunity is affected by different flu seasons in different hemispheres. State Rep. announces bill to forbid styrofoam in Michigan On Friday afternoon, state Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor, announced a bill to ban most single-use polystyrene foam at a press conference in Bandemer Park on the shore of the Huron River. Rabhi was joined by members of Environment Michigan, the state-level muscle of environmental advocacy group Environment America. “Single-use polystyrene, as was stated, is such a scourge of our environment,” Rabhi said. “It impacts our waterways and it impacts the environments that we all love. We’re standing here on the banks of the Huron River in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan, on a gorgeous sunny day, and all around us there are people enjoying this beautiful asset in our community. The worst thing that could happen is if we continue to allow those polystyrene, single-use containers to be used and then not recycled and thrown into our waterways.” Rabhi’s bill would ban the use of unenclosed polystyrene foam — commonly referred to as styrofoam — at the state level, with exceptions for medical, veterinary and research purposes. Small businesses could also be exempt from the law if the business can prove there are no reasonable alternatives. This legislation is associated with a companion bill which would earmark revenue from violations of Rabhi’s bill to a state fund promoting clean water and mitigating plastic pollution. The companion bill is being introduced by state Rep. Jim Haadsma, D-Battle Creek, who Rabhi said was a leader on this issue, though meetings in his district kept him from attending the event. Environment Michigan Director Nathan Murphy thanked Rabhi and Haadsma for their work and said single- use plastics like styrofoam are not worth the harm they cause to wildlife and water bodies. “We need to ban single- use convenience plastics like styrofoam, which is one of the worst offenders,” Murphy said. “These bills will make a real difference for our waters and our water life.” A study from the Rochester Institute of Technology found 22 million pounds of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes every year from the U.S. and Canada and plastic accounts for approximately 80 percent of the Great Lakes shorelines. Rabhi advocates to ban styrofoam Read more at michigandaily.com MICHAL RUPRECHT Daily Staff Reporter ALEX HARRING Summer Managing News Editor Photo Courtesy of Alex Harring 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com CASSANDRA MANSUETTI Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 opt.3 cassette@michigandaily.com RYAN KELLY Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 dailydisplay@gmail.com EDITORIAL STAFF Barbara Collins & Alex Harring Managing News Editors news@michigandaily.com Erin White Editorial Page Editor tothedaily@michigandaily.com Jorge Cazares & Akul Vijayvargiya Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com Julianna Morano Managing Arts Editor arts@michigandaily.com Alexandria Pompei & Natalie Stephens Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com Alec Cohen & Kathryn Halverson Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com Silas Lee Managing Copy Editor copydesk@michigandaily.com Devak Nanua & Sam So Managing MiC Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Amir Basha Managing Online Editor webteam@michigandaily.com CONTACT INFORMATION Newsroom Office hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. 734-763-2459 opt.3 News Tips news@michigandaily.com Corrections corrections@michigandaily.com Letters to the Editor tothedaily@michigandaily.com or visit michigandaily.com/letters Photo Department photo@michigandaily.com Arts Section arts@michigandaily.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandaily.com Sports Section sports@michigandaily.com Magazine statement@michigandaily.com Advertising Phone: 734-418-4115 Department dailydisplay@gmail.com The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. 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