Rina Miller

A Michigan hospital is working with a robot that’s designed to help people with spinal cord injuries walk again.

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit is one of 10 hospitals in the nation trying out Ekso – a battery-powered exoskeleton.

Patients with spinal cord injuries fit entirely into the robotic frame, which helps them stand and walk.

Diane Patzer was one of three RIM physical therapists who worked with patients during the initial trial of the Ekso.

Update: 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28:

Eastern Michigan University issued this statement:

A state lawmaker says people who get cash assistance from the state should be required to perform community service. 

Sen. Joe Hune  says his bill would give people “some skin in the game.”

He gives some examples of what kinds of community service he has in mind:

“Helping out at a local library, your school district, your local government, highway cleanup, the local 4H program,  MSU Extension, your local food bank, at the senior center,” he says.

Several former prison inmates who received a multi-million dollar abuse settlement from the state may never see the money. Some may actually owe more than they would have received.

In 1996, more than 800 women filed a class action suit against the Michigan Department of Corrections. The women said they’d been repeatedly raped and abused while in prison.

In 2009, they were awarded a $100 million settlement.

University of Michigan researchers say a drug used to treat advanced breast cancer actually led to an increase in the number of tumor-forming cells.  The FDA revoked its approval of the drug last year.

The drugs Avastin and Sutent were used to shrink tumors and slow the progress of breast cancer.  But the effects didn’t last and when the tumors returned, they were more aggressive.

Dr. Max Wicha is director of U-of-M’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

A Michigan school district has decided to keep one of two books it had considered banning from its curriculum.

“Beloved” by Toni Morrison is a novel that deals with slavery. It contains physical and sexual abuse, and the murder of a child by her mother, so her daughter won’t be sent into slavery.

After two parents complained the Plymouth-Canton school superintendent ordered the book removed from an advanced placement English class.

That drew an outcry from the community.

On Friday, the district decided not to ban the book.

A health care advocacy group says it’s in Michigan’s best interest to create a health insurance exchange group right away.

Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network Executive Director Marjorie Mitchell (MICHUHCAN) says lawmakers should not wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

A decision is expected this summer.

"We don't have to agree on everything, but we do need to solve the problems of our people," she says. "Seventeen percent of our gross national product (spent on health care) and  rising is not a sustainable thing."

Mitchell says 1.3 million people in Michigan don’t have health insurance and another 600,000 are underinsured.

If Michigan does not create its own health insurance exchange by January 1, 2013, the federal government could step in to run the program for the state.

"We will be way behind in being prepared to do what needs to be done," Mitchell cautions.

Gov. Snyder is also urging lawmakers to establish the exchange, but is facing resistance from Republicans.

Mitchell says 50 percent of bankruptcies in the U.S. result from people who are unable to pay their medical bills. She says many people are forced to turn to emergency rooms when their health deteriorates -- a much more expensive option.

"The Affordable Care Act won't cover everyone, but they will pick up many hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan," she says.

The law often derisively referred to as "Obamacare" by many Republicans has eliminated the donut-hole in prescription coverage for seniors and covers preventive health services without co-payments. It has also allowed parents to provide coverage to their children until they reach age 26.

"We have a responsibility to each other, the same as we do for our roads," Mitchell says. "I don't have children, but I pay for education. I'm proud to pay for other children's education, because that's the future of our country.

Mitchell says with the expansion of Medicaid in 2014, along with subsidies and a health care exchange, Michigan will become more competitive in the marketplace because it will have healthier students and workers.

*Correction - An earlier version of this story stated that the federal government will set up a health care exchange in Michigan if the state does not create one by June. The deadline for state participation in a health care exchange is January 1, 2013. The government could allow more time for an exchange to be established if the state has made progress toward an exchange. More information can be found at HealthCare.gov. The copy has been corrected above.

At a time when many Michigan cities are struggling to stay afloat, Ann Arbor ended its budget year with a surplus.

Mayor John Hieftje says Ann Arbor was not immune to the downturn in the economy, including the loss of property values and state revenue sharing.

But the city posted a nearly $1 million surplus in its general fund budget last year -- more than expected.

Hieftje says Ann Arbor has about 300 fewer employees today than it did a decade ago. The city didn't fill many vacant positions and cut upper and mid-level management jobs. 

Flint’s emergency manager has signed an executive order creating monthly meetings with the city council. The meetings will include time for public comment.

Gov. Snyder appointed Michael Brown as Flint’s emergency manager in late November.

The move stripped the mayor and city council of their powers and ended council meetings.

The city will start monthly meetings in February, but the only role the council will have will be to call the meeting to order and adjourn it.

The emergency manager will conduct all business.

Working online from home is growing in popularity in Michigan.

A nonprofit group says about 47% of adults in the state say they telework now, or would like to.

Eric Frederick is with “Connect Michigan.”

He says teleworkers tend to be better-educated. He also says the trend is growing with people 55 and older – including retirees who want to supplement their income.

And Frederick says as more businesses expand their online presence, they’re looking for employees.

A Michigan woman who taught at a religious school has lost her discrimination claim at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cheryl Perich  taught math, social studies and other classes at Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Redford. She also taught a religion class and sometimes led prayers.

When Perich tried to return after medical leave in 2004, she was told a substitute teacher had been hired to finish the school year. She argued, and was fired for insubordination.

So Perich sued, claiming protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ford is recalling almost a half million minivans and SUVs.

One recall is for about 245,000 Ford Escapes from model years 2001 and 2002. The automaker says possible corrosion in the automatic braking system could lead to an electrical short.

"In some cases, the module could also overheat, resulting in some smoke and potentially a fire," says Dan Pierce, Ford’s safety communications manager.

Pierce says there have been a few reports of fires, but no accidents or injuries.

A new report finds students who attend online schools in Michigan are not performing as well on standardized tests as those in traditional public schools. 

The National Education Policy Center found about 27 percent of online schools met federal achievement standards in the last school year. That compares to about 51 percent at brick-and-mortar schools.

The study says the largest growing subgroup of public charter schools is virtual -- or online -- schools.

Western Michigan University education professor Gary Miron co-authored the study.

Proposed legislation in Michigan would let some people keep their arrest record private --  if they go into a diversion program.

The state Senate is considering a package of bills that would let a judge decide whether certain court records would be closed to the public.

"If someone is picked up for substance abuse, domestic violence or parental kidnapping, there are diversion programs to change somebody's life," says Rick Jones, a co-sponsor of the measures.

General Motors says it will modify all of its Volt models. The announcement comes after federal side-crash tests resulted in three battery fires.

The fires occurred up to three weeks after the tests when coolant leaked into the cars' batteries.

There has been no recall of  GM’s electric Volt, but the automaker is voluntarily asking owners to bring their cars in for a fix.

"We've added some structure that allows the load to be spread, so it doesn't cause intrusion into the battery pack or coolant leak," says Mary Barra,  GM’s senior vice president of Global Product Development.

GM sold about 8,000 Volts in the U.S. over the past two years. No fires have been reported by customers.

Volt owners will be notified when dealers get the repair parts – probably in February. GM says the modification should not take more than a day and a loaner car will be provided.