u of m

New poll shows Michiganders holding conflicting views of 'fracking'

Steve Carmody — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:21:00 +0000

A new poll shows a slim majority of Michiganders support natural gas fracking, though they want the industry to face more regulations and pay more taxes.

Michigan’s natural gas industry has grown as companies have used a technique called Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, to break up shale deposits releasing natural gas.

Critics complain fracking is contaminating drinking water and causing other environmental problems.

U-M study: Most parents are distracted drivers

Steve Carmody — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:05:12 +0000

A new University of Michigan survey finds many parents are distracted behind the wheel.

The U-M researchers surveyed more than 600 parents to find out what distractions they face while driving with their children.

Report: many parents give toddlers cough and cold medicine when they shouldn't

Steve Carmody — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:13:47 +0000

University of Michigan researchers say more than forty percent of parents are making a serious mistake when they try to treat their toddlers for a cough or cold.

In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be used in children under age of four. The drugs have not been proven effective for young children and may cause serious side effects.

But a new poll by U of M researchers says more than 40% of parents are using the medicine to treat their toddlers.

Wolverine guard Trey Burke leaving Ann Arbor for the NBA

Steve Carmody and The Associated Press — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:29:00 +0000

The Michigan Wolverines are losing a key player on their men’s basketball team.

Sophomore guard Trey Burke led the team to the NCAA championship this month. Along the way, Burke picked up multiple awards, including the Associated Press college player of the year. So it’s not really a surprise that he will forego his final years of college eligibility to possibly a big pay day in the NBA.

Burke considered going pro a year ago, but decided to come back for his sophomore season. He led Michigan to the NCAA title game, where the Wolverines lost to Louisville.

Wolverines play for NCAA title tonight

Steve Carmody — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:44:00 +0000

The Michigan Wolverines will play tonight for what would be the Ann Arbor school’s first NCAA men’s basketball title since 1989.

It’s been 20 years since the Wolverines last played in a national championship game. They lost that game to North Carolina. The year before the team lost to Duke.

In the two decades since, U of M has made quick exits from the March Madness tournament.

The Louisville Cardinals have been more successful lately in the tournament, but their last national title was in 1986.

Tip off for tonight’s game will be after 9.

Michigan defeats Syracuse, Wolverines will play Louisville in NCAA title game

Steve Carmody and The Associated Press — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:08:01 +0000

Michigan is headed to Monday’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship.

The Michigan Wolverines survived a late surge by the Syracuse Orange to win Saturday night’s national semi-final . The final score was 61 to 56.

Sequestration spending cuts may put the brakes on some projects in Michigan

Steve Carmody — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Local governments and businesses are waiting to see how they will be affected by automatic federal budget cuts that take effect today.

In Grand Rapids, the city’s plans for a new rapid bus service may end up being delayed by the sequester cuts.

Peter Varga is the CEO of The Rapid. He says 80 percent of the funding for the nearly $40 million project is slated to come from the federal government.

Sequestration could cost Michigan universities millions of dollars in federal research funding

Steve Carmody — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:21:00 +0000

Tens of billions of dollars in federal spending cuts will take effect March first, unless Congress does something to stop the sequestration.

And Michigan’s major research universities may be among those feeling the sting.

The late Mike Wallace enjoyed his ties to the University of Michigan

The Associated Press — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:35:27 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Three-quarters of a century after Mike Wallace graduated from the University of Michigan, his name and his contributions live on at the Ann Arbor school.

The veteran CBS newsman died Saturday in New Canaan, Conn., at age 93.

Wallace came to Michigan from Brookline, Mass. He reported for the student-run newspaper The Michigan Daily and did radio work as well, graduating in 1939.

Mike Wallace, legendary broadcast journalist and U of M alumnus, dies

The Associated Press and Steve Carmody — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:57:42 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) — A spokesman says CBS newsman Mike Wallace, famed for his tough interviews on "60 Minutes," has died. He was 93.

CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco says Wallace died Saturday night.

A milestone for the University of Michigan's stem cell program

Steve Carmody — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:32:50 +0000

The stem cell research lab at the University of Michigan has reached a significant milestone.

A stem cell line developed from a 5 day old human embryo donated to U of M’s stem cell program has been certified by the National Institutes of Health. That’s significant, because there are only 147 embryonic stem cell lines approved by the NIH. Many of them are old lines with certain drawbacks for researchers.

Gary Smith is the co-director of the stem cell program. He says U of M is just one of a handful of universities in the United States making new human embryonic stem cell lines for research.

“Any investigator across the United States...or really across the world can utilize those embryonic stem cells," says Smith, "And in fact (the researchers) can use those embryonic stem cells to submit research….or for funds from the National Institutes of Health to do research on those lines.”

Smith says U of M plans to submit another 10 stem cell lines for certification.

All but official: NHL's Winter Classic coming to the Big House

Steve Carmody — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:03:04 +0000

The National Hockey League tomorrow will make official that Michigan Stadium will host next year’s Winter Classic matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Today, the University of Michigan Board of Regents agreed to lease the college football stadium for a pro hockey game for three million dollars.

Big time hockey in the open air is rare, but not unheard of. For example, this won’t be the first hockey game at the Big House. More than 104 thousand fans watched U of M defeat MSU on a specially built ice rink on the Michigan Stadium field in 2010. The NHL matchup is expected to draw as many fans, and possibly more, to Ann Arbor.

The largest crowd ever to see an NHL hockey game was 71 thousand at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2008.

This will be the second time the Red Wings have skated in the National Hockey League’s Winter Classic.

Since its inception in 2008, the Winter Classic has become a popular event on the NHL schedule.

U of M study finds problems with carpooling and booster seat use

Steve Carmody — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:01:01 +0000

A new University of Michigan study finds most parents are hesitant to insist their young children use booster seats when they carpool.

Public service announcements remind us that children between 4 and 8 years old, under 4 feet 9 inches tall, must be in a booster seat when riding in a car. But that message is not convincing most parents to insist on a booster seat when their kids carpool with other children.

U of M study finds obesity-related cirrhosis becoming a bigger problem for the elderly

Steve Carmody — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:01:01 +0000

A new University of Michigan study finds a particular type of liver disease is becoming increasingly common among the elderly.

Cirrhosis is a chronic condition that slowly deteriorates the liver. Long associated with alcoholism and Hepatitis C, obesity now is linked to a growing percentage of Cirrhosis patients.

Wolverines win Sugar Bowl in overtime

The Associated Press — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:43:44 +0000

Brendan Gibbons drilled a 37-yard field goal down the middle in overtime to lift Michigan to a 23-20 victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night.

The victory capped an impressive debut season for head coach Brady Hoke, who has led the Wolverines (11-2) back to prominence with a BCS bowl victory. Denard Robinson highlighted an otherwise unspectacular night with touchdown passes of 45 and 18 yards to Junior Hemingway.