Dr. Fauci and Stevie Wonder address political division at commencement ceremonies in Michigan

Two celebrities speaking at graduation ceremonies in southeast Michigan addressed political division and exhorted graduates to fight its pernicious effects this past weekend. I begin with Dr. Anthony Fauci delivers University of Michigan 2020 Comeback Graduation Remarks from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to the President, delivered a compelling speech to the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 graduates at the University of Michigan Comeback Commence at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, May 7, 2022. He applauded the graduates’ adaptability, resilience, and dedication despite the difficulties and uncertainties of the pandemic, saying he is “in awe” of them.

After praising the graduates and recounting how he began researching HIV and AIDS, he remarked on the polarized political environment where those on one side of the ideological divide reject science. In particular, he warned the attendees against "the normalization of untruths." That's a message I can get behind.*

WATCH: Stevie Wonder receives honorary doctorate from Wayne State from WXYZ to see and hear the other celebrity speaker last weekend.

Motown legend Stevie Wonder received an honorary doctorate from Wayne State University on Saturday.

I'm with Wonder; it's disheartening that Americans still have to fight for civil rights, voting rights, and reproductive rights, but fight we must.

*This is only indirectly a pandemic update. I'll probably get to "more pandemic news, including global death estimates" that I promised in NBC News and MSNBC report the U.S. passed 1 million deaths from COVID-19, a pandemic update Friday or Saturday. In the meantime, stay tuned for the final retrospective of the 2021-2022 blogging year on Throwback Thursday.

Politics, pastries, and Polish culture from Michigan for Paczki Day

Happy Paczki Day AKA Fat Tuesday!  For this year's celebration, I begin with something serious from WDIV in Detroit, Rep. Debbie Dingell talks Paczki Day and politics.

It's a tradition her late husband started decades ago, and she's keeping it going.

I think it's smart for Representative Dingell to bring paczki to "her friends in the media."  It certainly makes her look good in the eyes of both the media and the public and gets them to talk to her on good terms.  Speaking of being on good terms or lack thereof, I'm no fan of Mike Bloomberg, but I'm also no fan of vandalizing his campaign offices, either.  It's no secret that I don't like Trump at all, but I still disapprove of Trump's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame being demolished.  As I wrote then, "Don't trash symbols of the opposition--vote!"

On another note, I've been ignoring the coronavirus outbreak on this blog, so I'm glad Dingell mentioned it.  I'll have to make up for that omission later this week.

Enough seriousness on this fun holiday.  Follow over the jump for videos about paczki from Michigan.

It's Okay To Be Smart asks 'will we all eat bugs in the future?'

I can't resist a video about eating bugs once I know about it, at least, not for long.  So when YouTube suggested one to me when I was researching Recycling is broken but it can be fixed says It's Okay To Be Smart, it was a foregone conclusion that I would share it here.  Watch as It's Okay To Be Smart asks Will We All Eat Bugs in the Future?

People say insects are the food of the future. They’re more environmentally sustainable and more humane than other sources of animal protein. Can they really catch on in western diets? I’m a pretty adventurous eater, but I’ve never actually tried edible insects. So when I got invited to an edible insect Thanksgiving feast, I had to say yes. Along the way I learned that eating bugs isn’t really that new for humans, and that this really could be a delicious food we all eat in the near future.

As I wrote in Verge Science looks at the current state of farming insects for food, "I'm glad to see another revival of interest in the topic" of eating insects, AKA  entomophagy.  I really do think insects are a food of the future.  I'm also happy to see someone from Michigan in the video with Julie Lesnik of Wayne State University as the main expert on the subject.  Detroit represent!

It's Okay To Be Smart also referred its viewers to a video by Brain Scoop on eating bugs for Thanksgiving.  I'm sure I'll get to embedding it, too, but only after I post another entry about impeachment.  Stay tuned.

Lowest Labor Day gas prices in 11 years both good and bad

Not only was the gas price spike a dead cat bounce, but gas prices during Labor Day weekend are the lowest they've been in 11 years.  Wochit News reports on the resulting windfall for U.S. consumers in Labor Day Gas Price Bonus: $1.4 Billion.

Labor Day is historically one of America's busiest driving holidays, but this year it's likely to be remembered for being one of the cheapest.

With gas prices continuing to move lower, the national average for a gallon of gas this Labor Day is expected to fall to $2.44, marking the lowest price at the pump since 2004.

By the time the last charcoals have cooled on the barbecue, Americans will have saved a collective $1.4 billion compared with last year.

That in turn could result in more consumer spending on eating out at restaurants and other extras.

If so, that would be good news, exactly the kind that would offset decreases in spending from the recent stock market correction.

Follow over the jump for more good and bad news caused by this year's lower oil prices from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.

HIV news for World AIDS Day

Yesterday (which is still today from Chicago west to the Aleutians) was World AIDS Day.  I marked it a week late last year, when I posted AIDS: The pandemic in our midst. This year, I'm observing it along with the western two-thirds of North America and all of the eastern Pacific, so I'm not completely tardy.

Like last year, I'm sharing the news stories from Overnight News Digests, this time going back to The Archdruid on Ebola and other epidemic news, the last time I mentioned the disease.  I begin with two stories about in utero HIV transmission.

SUNY Stony Brook: Dr. Sharon Nachman Leads Network Involving NIH-Sponsored Study that Identifies Superior Drug Regimen for Preventing Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission

Stony Brook, NY – November 24, 2014 – The results of an international clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that taking a three-drug regimen during pregnancy prevents mother-to-child HIV transmission more effectively than taking a single drug during pregnancy, another during labor, and two more after giving birth.

“This study will help us to understand the safety and toxicity of these specific regimens in HIV positive pregnant women and their children,” said Dr. Nachman, Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Pediatrics at Stony Brook Medicine, and the Principal Investigator of the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) network, which conducts the PROMISE (Promoting Maternal Infant Survival Everywhere) Study. “As these women and children are followed, we will learn more about the long-term issues that may arise from these medications.”

Wayne State University: Research shows anti-HIV medicines can cause damage to fetal hearts
Just-published findings in the journal AIDS raise concern about potential long-term harmful impact of “antiretroviral therapy” on in-utero infants whose mothers are HIV-positive, but who are not infected with HIV themselves.
November 19, 2014

DETROIT, Mich., Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 – A study by a Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit Medical Center research team is shedding new light on the troubling question of whether the drugs often given to HIV-positive pregnant women can cause significant long-term heart problems for the non-HIV-infected babies they carry.

The study recently published in the journal AIDS shows that while the HIV medications have been successful in helping to prevent the transmission of the virus from mother to infant, they are associated with persistently impaired development of heart muscle and reduced heart performance in non-HIV-infected children whose mothers received the medicines years earlier.

“What our study indicates is that there’s potentially a long-term price to be paid for protecting the children of HIV-infected mothers from the virus,” said Steven Lipshultz, M.D., pediatrician-in-chief at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan and chair of pediatrics for the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Lipshultz is a specialist in the study of long-term toxic cardiac effects among children affected by cancer and HIV drug therapies.

Follow over the jump for more stories from the past three months in reverse chronological order.

Good economic news for election day

While I'm actually in a doomy mood, I'm just not up to posting something appropriately pessimistic.  Instead, I'm going to update Good economic news from Michigan universities with the latest good economic news.  I'm in need of cheering up after tonight's election results.

I begin with the national picture from the University of Michigan: Consumer sentiment in October highest in seven years, posted October 31, 2014.

ANN ARBOR—Consumer confidence posted its third consecutive monthly gain in October, rising to its highest level since July 2007, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

Conducted by the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) since 1946, the Surveys monitor consumer attitudes and expectations.

"Consumers have been gradually regaining their economic footing in the past several months, with confidence rising to the highest level since the start of the Great Recession," said Richard Curtin, director of the surveys. "This is not the first time such a strong rebound has occurred, but this time it appears to have more forward traction. Consumers have not overreacted to the negative news of a global slowdown or Ebola, nor to the positive news of lower gas prices. Instead, consumers have kept their focus on improved job and wage prospects. Finally, five years after the start of the recovery, consumers have begun to adopt the expectations and behaviors that have driven past expansions."

The October gain was due to improved personal finances as well as a more favorable outlook for the overall economy, according to Curtin. Indeed, consumers reported the most favorable personal financial expectations as well as the most positive year-ahead outlook for the national economy in the past seven years. What the survey did not find was any negative impact on confidence from the global economic slowdown, military conflicts, or Ebola. None of these issues was mentioned by more than a few respondents; instead, respondents emphasized improved wage and employment prospects due to a stronger economy. Gains in holiday spending are expected to be the best in several years, benefiting from higher confidence as well as falling gas prices at the pump.

Trick or Treat!  Hey, a treat!

Next, Wayne State University with the local economic picture in Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index remains strong in October, finishing at 54.7 , posted November 3, 2014.

DETROIT— The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for October is 54.7, down slightly from September’s 59.4.  A PMI value above 50 generally suggests economic growth.

“We continue to enjoy a bright economic outlook, said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s School of Business, who interpreted this month’s results.  Key indicators for growth include the New Orders Index, the Finished Goods Inventory Index and the Employment Index.  In fact, the Employment Index has remained over 50 since July 2012.”

Purchasing managers’ confidence continues to be up, with 93.4 percent believing the Southeast Michigan economy will remain stable or become more stable over the next six months, while only 6.7 percent anticipate a less stable economy.

Respondents reported prices were up for resins, aluminum and steel for the month, while oil and copper were down in price. They also noted the Ebola crisis disrupted air transportation and reported travel cost increases.

Professor Farnsworth approves in general, although I'm sure that he's not too keen on Ebola.

Follow over the jump for economic reports from Florida, Colorado, and Georgia.

Good economic news from Michigan universities

Once again I'm in an "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood, so I'll recycle the concept behind Good economic news from Michigan and elsewhere from last May and post some good news from the perspective of business as usual, complete with the second appearance of Professor Farnsworth in a row.

I begin with this item from the University of Michigan that I first posted in Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (MAVEN at Mars) on Daily Kos: Consumer sentiment strengthens in September.

ANN ARBOR—Consumer confidence posted a healthy gain in September due to more favorable prospects for the domestic economy as well as more favorable personal income expectations, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

The September reading, the second highest in the last seven years, points toward renewed strength in consumer spending. Conducted by the U-M Institute for Social Research since 1946, the Surveys monitor consumer attitudes and expectations.

While the September rebound brought confidence back to its highest levels since the Great Recession, confidence has repeatedly failed to move above this level, according to Richard Curtin, director of the surveys.

Note that it's not unalloyed good news; consumer confidence just won't move above a ceiling.  That's probably a good thing, as these are not business as usual times and the public probably senses that.

Next, something I'll post in this weekend's Overnight News Digest from Wayne State University: Economic expansion continues as Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index climbs to 59.4.

DETROIT— Reflecting an on-going confidence and enthusiasm for the economy, the Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for September is 59.4, up from 54.8 in August.  A PMI value above 50 generally suggests economic growth.

“Significant increases in both the Production (61.4) and New Orders (65.7) indices contributed to the uptick in the PMI, and are promising indicators of continuing growth, said Nitin Paranjpe, a supply chain faculty member at Wayne State’s School of Business, who interpreted this month’s results.  It’s also interesting to note that though the Employment Index dropped from 60.3 in August, to 54.3 in September, its three-month average is very strong at 59.3.”

Almost 90 percent of respondents believe the Southeast Michigan economy will remain stable or become more stable over the next six months.

My response to all of the above is to enjoy it while it lasts.  After all, the first Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S. caused the stock market to tank on Wednesday and Thursday's trading was characterized by Reuters as Wall St. ends flat, small caps rebound in volatile day.  See, I'm already out of my "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood, which makes me perversely pleased with myself.

Good economic news from campuses on the campaign trail for August 2014

While these aren't business as usual times, this week has been good news for the business as usual types with the both the good but not great jobs report and the Consumer Confidence Index hitting a post-recession high.  Georgia Tech goes first with Sizzling labor market recovery shifts focus to Fed action from August 1, 2014.

The labor market continued a sizzling pace of economic recovery in July. The economy created 209,000 new jobs while the unemployment rate edged up only incrementally from 6.1 percent to 6.2 percent. However, the latter increase occurred only because 329,000 workers enter the labor market over the last month. According to Thomas "Danny" Boston, an economics professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, when so many workers enter or re-enter the labor market, it is an optimistic sign that jobs are increasingly available. But the current growth comes with some worries.

The job gains were spread across all key industries, including construction (22,000) and manufacturing (28,000). Private non-goods producing sectors also experienced significant employment gains, including retail trade (26,700), business and professional services (47,000) and health care and social assistance (25,400).

One concerning outcome of the labor market picture is the fact that unemployment among Blacks increased notably from 10.7 percent to 11.4 perecent. However, the increase was caused primarily by over 200,000 Blacks entering or re-entering the labor market in July. Unemployment among whites and Hispanics remained constant at 5.3 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively.

All of the above would be great news if it weren't for the likelihood that the Fed is about to take away the punchbowl of zero interest loans within the year to combat the possibility of inflation.  Paul Krugman thinks this is wrong-headed, but that's a topic for another entry.  Instead, I'll continue on to the University of Michigan, which reported Consumer confidence: Favorable job and wage growth boost spending, also on August 1, 2014.

ANN ARBOR—More rapid job creation, higher wages and gains in household wealth have eased the financial strains on households as well as supported more favorable buying plans for vehicles and household durables, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

Conducted by the U-M Institute for Social Research since 1946, the surveys monitor consumer attitudes and expectations.

While consumers considered their current financial situation to now be in the best shape since the start of the Great Recession, those gains have not caused consumers to confidently expect a continuation of robust growth in the year ahead, said U-M economist Richard Curtin, who directs the surveys.

Nonetheless, confidence is sufficiently high to expand consumption by an annual rate of 2.5 percent in 2014.

Follow over the jump for good news about the state's economy from MSU and better news from Wayne State about the regional economy.

Diabetes news from Michigan universities

Here are two news items about diabetes from Michigan universities that I included in Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Mother's Day) on Daily Kos.  Both came out on the same day, May 8th.  If I hadn't been burned out from posting Examiner.com articles on wolf hunt ban and millage elections, I might have written one about these two.

First, the University of Michigan reports Financial insecurities hinder women from adhering to diabetes regimen.

ANN ARBOR—Changes imposed by a diabetes regimen are considered unmanageable by financially insecure women, a new University of Michigan study indicates.

Study participants who were brought up with fewer resources were more likely to have family members who were diabetic when fewer treatment options were available, exposing them to the worst-case scenario. Women with more resources were aware of less severe cases and typically had more ties to the health care field.

"It became apparent that having previous knowledge about diabetes and the regimen, as well as having previous experiences viewing complications unfold among loved ones, shaped the experience of diagnosis and attitudes toward diabetes," said Emily Nicklett, U-M assistant professor of social work and the study's lead author.

Looks like a good reason for health insurance reform.

Next, Wayne State University reports Grape skin extract may soon be answer to treating diabetes.

DETROIT — The diabetes rate in the United States nearly doubled in the past 10 years. Approximately 26 million Americans are now classified as diabetic, stressing an urgent need for safe and effective complementary strategies to enhance the existing conventional treatment for diabetes.

Preliminary studies by researchers at Wayne State University have demonstrated that grape skin extract (GSE) exerts a novel inhibitory activity on hyperglycemia and could be developed and used to aid in diabetes management. Recently funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, this $2.1 million transitional study will provide insights into the novel inhibitory action of GSE on postprandial hyperglycemia and will also provide preclinical data in support of the biological effectiveness and safety of GSE and its components in potential prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

“It is hopeful that our research may eventually lead to the successful development of a safe, targeted nutritional intervention to support diabetes prevention and treatment,” said Kequan Zhou, Ph.D., assistant professor of food and nutrition science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and lead investigator on the grant. “Our study will provide important pre-clinical data regarding the anti-diabetic mechanisms, biological efficacy and safety of GSE that should facilitate eventual translation into future clinical studies to assess GSE and its components as a safe, low-cost and evidence-based nutritional intervention for diabetes.”

I hope this treatment works.

Good economic news from Michigan and elsewhere

I'm in the rare position of being able to report solid news and still indulge my "I can't be all DOOM all the time mood."  Of course, it's all good news from the perspective of Business as Usual, but I'll take good BAU news right now, too.

First, the University of Michigan reported that Consumer confidence improved in April.

ANN ARBOR-Consumer confidence has rebounded to nearly its highest level since 2007, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

Conducted by the U-M Institute for Social Research since 1946, the surveys monitor consumer attitudes and expectations.

The April level of consumer confidence was just one index-point below the post-recession peak, according to U-M economist Richard Curtin, director of the surveys. The recent gain, he said, was due to much more positive assessment of consumers' current financial situations as well as renewed optimism about the outlook for the national economy during the year ahead.

That's the good news from a nationwide survey.  What about here in Michigan?  Wayne State University reports good news for this part of the state in  Solid economic growth for region continues according to Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index.

DETROIT - The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for April is 53.6. Though that's down slightly from 55.0 in March, it is still indicative of an expanding economy.  A PMI value above 50 generally suggests economic growth.

"The good news is the economy is continuing to come back," said Tim Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State's School of Business Administration, who interpreted this month's results.  "That the PMI settled down a bit from March, only demonstrates that the rate of growth is continuing at a steady pace, overall.  Another indicator of an expanding economy is the three-month moving average index, which increased from 51.5 to 52.0," Butler said.

Comments from purchasing managers responding to this month's survey ranged from "Companies continue to hoard cash and postpone capital investments and hiring," to "We are beginning to see our customers finally breaking loose and ordering capital equipment."

It's even better where I live, with the University of Michigan reporting Oakland economy leaving recession in its dust.

ANN ARBOR—Now entering its fifth year of recovery, Oakland County is leaving the 2008-09 recession firmly behind in its rearview mirror.

After bursting out of the recession with more than 65,000 new jobs over the past three years, the Oakland economy will add nearly 43,000 jobs through 2016—11,000 jobs this year, 15,000 next year and 17,000 the year after, say University of Michigan economists. And for the first time since 2003, Oakland's unemployment rate will fall below the national average this year, dropping to 5 percent by 2016.

"We see the continuation of a healthy recovery through 2016, extending its span to seven years, but with the pace of growth moderating a little more this year and accelerating again in the following two years," said economist George Fulton. "Oakland's recovery is supported by an expanding U.S. economy, a recovering local housing sector and increasing vehicle sales, with the Detroit Three fully participating.

"All of this is backed by the county's strong economic fundamentals and forward-looking policy initiatives."

Three years ago, I mocked U of M's forecast for Oakland County in The Business As Usual people are optimistic about Oakland County.  It turns out that the BAU people weren't optimistic enough.  The forecast was for 29,000 jobs over the past three years.  The county added more than twice as many.  As I wrote in October, when I recall I last posted good economic news, "This is great news for Business as Usual.  Too bad these (still) aren't Business as Usual times."  It was still good enough to break out Professor Farnsworth then, so this month's even better news deserves him, too.

Follow over the jump for economic surveys from Florida and Indiana orginally included in the past two Overnight News Digests on Daily Kos, which aren't bad, but aren't as good as the news from Michigan, either.

Science-based relationship advice for Valentines Day

Last year, it was Wayne State research on love for Valentines Day.  This year, history repeats itself as Wayne State presents more research on love and relationships to mark the day by touting the advantages of double dating.

Light a fire in your relationship: Wayne State University research says double dating may be the answer to a perfect Valentine’s Day
February 12, 2014

DETROIT — Romantic relationships often start out exciting, but later often become routine and boring. A Wayne State University study reveals that going on a double date may reignite passion in a couple’s relationship more effectively than the classic candlelit dinner for two. According to their research findings, integrating other couples into their social life can make couples feel more passionate toward their own romantic partners.

“Passionate love is one of the first dimensions of love to decrease in couples over time as the newness of a relationship begins to wane,” said Keith Welker, a doctoral student at Wayne State University and lead author on the study. "Relationships have widely been thought to flourish and develop in a broader network of social relationships, while emerging research has suggested that novel, arousing experiences can increase feelings of passionate love.”

The research, conducted by Welker and his advisor Richard B. Slatcher, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology in Wayne State’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, brings together these two research areas, which show interactions with other couples can increase feelings of passionate love. Such interactions, the researchers say, may cause partners to view their and the relationship in a new and positive light.

The study will be presented this week at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) annual conference in Austin.

That's not all.  Discovery News posted 5 Ways To Save Your Relationship With Science!

Need a date for Valentines day? Is your relationship falling apart? We all have love problems sometimes, so Trace and Meg Turney from Sourcefed are here with all the relationship advice you need... using science!

Happy Valentines Day!

Two months of good economic news from WSU

Last month, the news from Wayne State University was good: Economy experiencing third month of continued growth according to Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index.
October 3, 2013

DETROIT— The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for September is 59.9, reflecting a slight dip from 60.2 in August, but still providing strong evidence of an expanding economy with a three month average of 57.7.  A PMI value above 50 generally suggests economic growth.

“September marks the third consecutive month of increased economic activity throughout Southeast Michigan,” said Nitin Paranjpe, a supply chain faculty member at Wayne State’s School of Business Administration who interpreted this month’s results.   “Contributing to the drop in September’s PMI was a reduction in production by about four points to 64.6 from 68.5 in August, and employment which fell about five points to 54.2 for the month,” Paranjpe said.

The six-month outlook, according to respondents, is generally positive with 75% expecting the economy to remain the same or become more stable.  However, continuing concerns among them include the impact of the Affordable Care Act, the federal debt ceiling issue and concerns about inflation.

This month, it was even better: October Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index shows sharp upswing to 63.1, signaling continued growth in economy.
November 6, 2013

DETROIT— The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for Oct. is 63.1, up from 59.9 in Sept., raising the three-month average for the economy to a robust 61.1.  A PMI value above 50 generally suggests economic growth.

“Over the last fourteen months, the PMI has come in at 50 or above 13 times,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s School of Business Administration, who interpreted this month’s results.   “October’s numbers confirm that the Southeastern Michigan economy continues to strengthen,” Butler said.

Just over 75% of respondents report their expectations are for the economy to remain the same or become more stable, though several respondents reported upcoming programs may require closure for tooling and the short term government shutdown caused many CEOs to put things on temporary hold.

Prices for copper, plated steel, travel (air fare and related services), glue and corrugated materials were up in October.  Down in price were resin and petroleum.

This is great news for Business as Usual.  Too bad these aren't Business as Usual times.  Just the same, I think I should break out Professor Farnsworth.

Veterans Day on campus

I uncovered a lot of colleges observing Veterans Day while collecting stories for last night's Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Super Typhoon Haiyan).  The result was such a great aggregation of videos and articles that I am reposting all of them here.

Rutgers University goes first with Veterans Transition to Civilian Life at Rutgers.

When you've handled life and death in war, an exam in the classroom doesn't seem like such a big deal. But some veterans say succeeding in classes and fitting in were their biggest concerns when they came to Rutgers as nontraditional students. "Everyone has said 'thank you' and that is a huge thing," one veteran said. "It goes miles with us vets."

Here's the article that goes with it.

Rutgers University: Veterans Transition to Civilian Life at Rutgers
Rutgers student Juan Hernandez was one of first U.S. forces to touch down for Benghazi evacuation
Monday, November 11, 2013
By Fredda Sacharow

'The reality check of being in a third-world country was stark. Even the simple task of looking for clean water becomes an ordeal.' – Juan Hernandez

November 28 will mark Juan Hernandez‘s first Thanksgiving home after three years of active military duty with the U.S. Air Force, and he can practically taste his Mexican-born mother’s signature chicken tamales.

During his service abroad, the Rutgers student helped in the mission to bring American Foreign Service workers home from Benghazi after the deadly 2012 attack on their compound. He took part in humanitarian projects in Africa, dropping water bottles in Mali and Ethiopia to ensure residents had safe drinking water at hand. He trained forces in Ghana.

Now Hernandez is anticipating a series of firsts in the coming months: first birthday home after lengthy postings in Spain, Germany and Africa; first Christmas and New Year’s out of the military; and even today, his first Veterans Day as a veteran.

In his first semester at Rutgers’ School of Management and Labor Relations, where he’s majoring in both human resource management and labor studies, Hernandez says thoughts of home and family were never far from his mind throughout his years overseas.

Follow over the jump for more from Rutgers and other campuses on the campaign trail I originally included in Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Super Typhoon Haiyan) with a bonus video from Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (ACA and shutdown on campus) that I've been saving for the right occasion.

Election news for Food Day

I know I promised Food Day news from campuses on the campaign trail, and I will follow through, but I'm sitting on some election news that will turn into pumpkin before then, so it posts now.

First, breaking with the campuses on the campaign trail theme, is Detroit Mayoral Debate Preview - Watch October 29, 2013 at 7PM on Channel 7.

As we prepare for the final Detroit mayoral debate between Benny Napoleon and Mike Duggan, the debate panelists and partners discuss what they hope to hear.

WXYZ has since interviewed both candidates, beginning with Benny Napoleon.

7 Action News interviews Detroit Mayoral candidate Benny Napoleon.

Next, Mike Duggan.

Mike Duggan speaks about Detroit mayoral run.

WXYZ is not alone in hosting the candidates.

Wayne State organizations plan Detroit mayoral forums
October 14, 2013

DETROIT – Several Wayne State University organizations are sponsoring separate town-hall-style public forums in October with Detroit mayoral candidates Mike Duggan and Benny Napoleon.

The events are presented by the Political Science Students Association in cooperation with Wayne State’s Law School, Pre-Law Students Association, Student Senate and Center for Peace & Conflict Studies.

The schedule will be:

Benny Napoleon – 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium at the law school, 471 W. Palmer St., west of Cass Avenue.

Mike Duggan – 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, Alumni House, 441 Gilmour Mall (formerly Ferry Mall), off Cass Avenue behind the law school.

Each forum will include a brief presentation by the candidate followed by community conversations.

Follow over the jump for election news from universities in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

Campus Sustainability Day 2013

Today is Campus Sustainability Day.  To mark the occasion, I'm posting all the environmental stories from campuses on the campaign trail that I've included in the past two months of Overnight News Digests on Daily Kos but either haven't included in an entry about climate, energy, biodiversity, or food, or won't be including in tomorrow's entry about Food Day.  I'll begin with the two most recent, which are from Virginia Tech.

Mussels Meet Wild Cousins

Imagine a lifetime spent clinging to a riverbed by one foot. This is the case for freshwater mussels, and their limited mobility makes habitat loss difficult to avoid.

Virginia Tech in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to repopulate sections of the Clinch and Powell Rivers.

I'm a mollusk specialist; of course I'd put this one first.

Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech partners with Smithsonian to discover deeper link between soil microbes and plants

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 14, 2013 – In a recent study published in the journal Plant and Soil, Mark Williams, an assistant professor of horticulture in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and his collaborators at the Smithsonian and other institutions discovered that microbes in soil function symbiotically with plants, much like the 3 billion microbes in the human gut interact with the body.

“The study is consistent with the idea that there are complex but fundamental feedbacks between these diverse systems of soil microbiota and plant species,” said Williams. “These plant-microbial-soil interactions ultimately determine how ecosystem’s breathe life into the earth’s biosphere.”

Some of the interactions that occur in the soil microbiome — the combined genetic material of the microorganisms in soil — have not always been as readily apparent until now.

Follow over the jump for other environmental news from campuses on the campaign trail.

Nobel Prizes in the sciences

Near the end of Science awards from the ridiculous to the sublime, 2013 edition, I outsourced my speculation on the Nobel Awards to the L.A. Times.

Click on the link for the list of likely winners, which features three achievements worthy of recognition per category.  We'll find out starting today if any of the predictions were correct.

Discovery News and The Economist have the answers.

Nobel Prizes: Who Won & Who Got Snubbed

All of the 2013 Nobel prizes have been announced! This year's prizes went to people doing amazing work, but not everyone can be a winner. Trace looks at who won, who was snubbed, and which deserving scientists from the past never took home a medal.

Higgs’s bosuns
Awards for fundamental physics, how cells transport chemicals, and ways of modelling on a computer how those chemicals react once they have arrived
Oct 12th 2013

WILL he or won’t he? That was the question on the mind of anyone with a passing interest in the topic as representatives of Sweden’s Royal Academy of Science prepared to announce the winner of this year’s Nobel physics prize. Well, he did. Half a century after predicting the existence of the particle which bears his name Peter Higgs, of Edinburgh University, was awarded science’s highest accolade. Another, even bigger mystery was who would share the honour—and the cheque for SKr8m ($1.2m). In the event, after postponing the announcement twice (rare for the punctual Swedes) the prize-givers plumped for François Englert of the Free University of Brussels.
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Less predictably, and less controversially, the prize for physiology or medicine went to James Rothman of Yale, Randy Schekman of the University of California, Berkeley, and Thomas Südhof of Stanford University, for their work on vesicles. These are small, bubble-like structures, surrounded by fatty membranes, which ship hormones, enzymes and various other molecules around a cell, and sometimes export them to the outside world.
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Familiarity from school cannot, however, have been the explanation of a similar lack of questions after the announcement of the chemistry prize. This went to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel, a trio who have collectively helped tame the daunting mathematical complexity involved in simulating chemical reactions.

The only one that Thompson Reuters called was Higgs, which was probably the easiest prediction.  From the L.A. Times:

One of the favorites in this category – and a likely emotional favorite for many people who have been following the search for the Higgs boson – is Peter Higgs, who is projected to be a co-winner with Francois Englert. The two men predicted the existence of the subatomic particle, which is thought to be associated with an energy field that imparts mass to particles. Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider outside Geneva have all but confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson.

The rest of the winners were not called this year, although the economics prize was awarded to someone who was forecast to win last year.  He deserves an entry of his own later.  In the meantime, follow over the jump for announcements from U.S. universities involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson.

Shutdown and science from campuses on the campaign trail and Daily Kos

I concluded Food news from campuses on the campaign trail by writing "That reminds me; I have some shutdown stories to share.  Stay tuned."  Here they are, from Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (ACA and shutdown on campus) and Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (2013 Nobel Prizes).  I'm giving Wayne State University the featured position, as they are the home town institution.

Wayne State University experts available to comment about federal government shutdown
October 1, 2013

The nation is in the midst of a partial government shutdown as a dispute over the Affordable Care Act continues on Capitol Hill. Congress and the Senate appear to be far apart in passing a spending bill that would end the shutdown.

Experts say most Americans will not feel the effects of a short-term shutdown, as most essential government operations will continue to function. However, a longer-term shutdown may negatively affect the economy and government services.

Follow over the jump for the damage already inflicted on science.

Technology and security intersect at campuses on the campaign trail

Here's a leftover from last month, four stories about technology and security, both personal and national, from campuses on the campaign trail that I originally included in Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (LADEE launched) and Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (IgNobel Prizes) on Daily Kos.

Virginia Tech gets the honor of going first, as Virginia Tech creates Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience to better prepare for natural disasters.

Virginia Tech has announced a presidential initiative, the Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience, to bridge public policy and practice in the broad domain of community resiliency.

“We live in an interconnected and complicated world. This initiative aims to foster interaction among varied disciplines that contribute to global understanding of resilient communities,” said Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.

In concert with the most recent university strategic plan that calls for expansion of work in the realm of interdisciplinary and translational research, the new group will serve as an information nexus for organizations around the globe looking at disaster response and recovery, critical infrastructure, and urbanization.

I thought this story should go first because of its commentction to Floods in Colorado from ABC News and University of Colorado, which has jumped from 841 page views to 939 page views to become the second most read entry in this blog's history.

Follow over the jump for stories about more conventional aspects of security and technology.

August a good month for business as usual in Detroit

Here are two good economic stories for metro Detroit from the perspective of business as usual.  First, WXYZ reports The Big 3 automakers post big August gains.


WXYZ mentioned the annual sales rate in passing, but Bill McBride atCalculated Risk headlined it in U.S. Light Vehicle Sales increase to 16.0 million annual rate in August.  He then put the sales numbers in chart form for perspective.


Last month was the best month for car sales since November 2007, the last month before the Great Recession began more than five years ago.  I can even say it was a hot month, just like it was for this blog.

Of course, the strong performance of the auto companies contributed to an improving local economy, as Wayne State University described in Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index for August shows continued growth in economy, which came out on September 5, 2013, the same day as the auto sales figures.

DETROIT- The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for August is 60.2, which is a marked increase over July's PMI of 53.1, reflecting continued strengthening of the economy. The three month average is relatively unchanged at 54.2.

Butler also reported the Commodity Prices Index rose in August to 55.6 from 54.8 in July and prices for brass coil, copper and polypropylene increased, while petroleum is reported down in price.

"The strong PMI score is primarily a result of the improved Production, and New Orders Index values, both of which increased by more than ten points," according to Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply management at Wayne State's School of Business Administration. "Specifically, the Production Index increased in August to 68.5, from 54.8 in July, while the New Orders Index, a key component of the PMI, rose to 64.8 August from 53.2 in July. These values correspond closely to positive news from domestic automakers regarding sales, and to generally positive consumer confidence reports," Butler said.

Happy Motoring in the U.S. has peaked, but it's nowhere near dead yet.

The Harlem Shake on my YouTube feed

Just so I don't run the risk of missing the Harlem Shake craze before it's over, here are three videos from some of my regular sources performing this silly meme.  I begin with NASA, which is following up on NASA Johnson Style with NASA Wallops Harlem Shake.


  So, you think you're having a nominal countdown and then all of a sudden...

HARLEM SHAKE: WALLOPS STYLE. — at Wallops Range Control Center.
Wallops is the suborbital launch facility in Virginia, which doesn't get much attention.  This should do it for them.

Next, Wayne State University posted this version with their mascot and a bunch of their students rocking out in Harlem Shake Wayne State Style.  Look for the Guy Fawkes mask.

We did it and we're proud. Go, Warriors!

Finally, Drum Corps International created a promotional video to the song using existing footage of drum corps before and after they start dancing and posted it as Harlem Shake - Drum Corps Style.



Expect more in this vein for the rest of the month, as tomorrow is Pi Day, the day after that is the Ides of March, Sunday is St. Patrick's Day, and Thursday after that is the second birthday of this blog, with days of retrospectives after that.   Hey, I can't be all doom all the time!