ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Monday, January 13, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
BUBBLE FUN
ADMINISTRATION
‘U’ charged for nuclear security violations
Nuclear Regulatory Commission fines for multiple incidents By AUSTEN HUFFORD Online Editor
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Friday a proposed $3,500 fine against the University’s Radiation Safety Service for “security-related violations” discovered during a routine inspection. The security violation occurred on the Ann Arbor campus and the University “took immediate corrective actions” after it was informed of the violation. The NRC found two safety violations and one security violation during its June 2013 inspection and subsequent interviews, according to the inspection report sent to the University and obtained by The Michigan Daily. All of the violations are classified as Severity Level IV, the lowest level violation for those that are “more than minor concern.” In the inspection report released to the public, information about the violation that resulted in the fine was withheld for security reasons.
RYAN REISS/Daily
Music, Theater & Dance junior Elias Wygodny creates bubbles in front of the UMMA during an A2 Bubbles event on Sunday.
RESEARCH
Brehm center, national org. to enhance diabetes studies University receives $1 million grant to examine the disease By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Reporter
The University’s Brehm Center and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation have partnered to investigate a new hypothesis about the origins of
Type 1 diabetes. Scientists have long supported the idea that in Type 1 diabetes, the body loses its ability to produce insulin due to the death of beta cells, which are insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Recently, however, researchers at the Brehm Center found evidence that beta cells may not be dying, but instead regressing to an immature state and losing the ability to produce insulin.
JDRF, the top Type 1 diabetes fundraising organization worldwide, granted the center roughly $1 million to explore the hypothesis. Andrew Rakeman, director for JDRF’s Cure Therapies division, said the collaboration intends to confirm the process is occurring and, if it is, to look for ways to disrupt and reverse beta cell regression. “The first steps will be to really show through animal
models, mouse models with Type 1 diabetes, as well as with samples from humans with Type 1 diabetes whether or not this process is occurring,” Rakeman said. “Second, we’ll be beginning to look at what are the mechanisms that cause the beta cells to lose function, and could we think about drugs or therapies that would disrupt that mechanism.” The Brehm Center was See DIABETES, Page 5A
ANN ARBOR
GOVERNMENT
City could claim land wanted for campus growth With the right of first refusal, A 2 can purchase Edwards Bros. land By EMMA KERR Daily Staff Reporter
More property, more problems. While the University has plans to purchase the $12.8 million Edwards Brothers property on South State Street, the city of Ann Arbor holds the power to use its right of first refusal to block the University’s purchase of of the 16.7 acres of land. However, the city would then be compelled to purchase the property, and most likely, search for a private entity to buy the land. Although the city does not have a specific need for the extra property, many city
council members see its purchase as important to maintain Ann Arbor’s quality of life and prevent the property from falling off the tax rolls. Conversely, the University holds that its growth is in the best interests of students and faculty at the University, as well as the city of Ann Arbor. The Michigan Department of Treasury reports that Ann Arbor’s tax base has grown by 36 percent since 2001, while comparable communities in Michigan experienced a decline of 4.9 percent. The difference is in part due to the University’s presence and growth in Ann Arbor, according to Jim Kosteva, the University’s director of community relations. The growth translates into about $23 million of additional annual tax revenue for the city. “You shouldn’t look at the purchase of a property by the See LAND, Page 5A
One of the safety violations concerned a 2012 incident in which cadmium-109 was used on two human research subjects without the proper licensing. The report said while the University took “corrective action” at the time, not enough was done subsequently to “prevent recurrence.” The other safety violation said the University did not properly notify the NRC after it stopped using its license at the Murchie Science Building on the Flint campus. The report said this violation occurred because of a “misinterpretation” of the statute. The RSS is part of the University’s Occupational Safety and Environmental Health office and is charged with providing training, guidance and technical support regarding radiological material at the University, according to its website. The University was sent the inspection report on Oct. 4 and appears to have responded on Nov. 8. According to a “conversation record” made by the NRC, Dennis Palmieri, a senior OSEH representative, told the NRC that the University “does not dispute any of the violations referenced in the subject letter,” referring to the University’s response sent in November.
Sierra Club asks Snyder for policy changes Report card gives Gov. a weak review before annual State of the State address RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Omar Barghouti speaks on why the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement asks the world to boycott Israel until it ends its mistreatment of Palestinians on Friday at Hutchins Hall.
Palestinian activist urges ‘U’ to divest from Israel Barghouti’s talk draws praise and ire across campus By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
With a focus on universal human rights and activism, Omar Barghouti — a key mem-
ber of the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel — received a standing ovation from those in attendance at his guest lecture in Hutchins Hall Friday night. “The very basis of BDS is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in that, a very basic concept that has been forgotten to an extent: that all human beings are born
free and equal in dignity and rights,” Barghouti said. Barghouti, a Palestinian activist and commentator, explained BDS’s mission by focusing on what he said were oppressive Israeli policies, including a lack of access to education for many Palestinians. “BDS was launched by PalSee ACTIVIST, Page 5A
By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter
The results are in, and the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club has given Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder weak reviews. The club’s “gubernatorial Scorecard” — an evaluation of environment-related actions during Snyder’s tenure — ranked Snyder on energy, environment and what the group calls “good government” policies. The group found that the governor made only eight decisions the Sierra Club approved of as environmentally sound. The evaluation was originally based on the group’s evaluation of 36 bills and administrative actions, See SIERRA CLUB, Page 5A
Winless in Wisconsin Michigan’s first Big Ten series against Wisconsin ended in a fistfight and two losses.
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 33 LO: 16
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 46 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU..................... 3A OPINION.....................4A
ARTS...........................6A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A S P O R T S M O N DAY. . . . . . . . . .1 B