Rina Miller

U-M doctors use 3-D printer to build life-saving device

Rina Miller — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000

An Ohio baby is likely alive today because of the collaborative ingenuity of two University of Michigan doctors and their teams

Kaiba Gionfriddo has a condition called tracheobronchomalacia -- a blockage of the airway to the lungs. The condition affects about 1 in 2,200 babies born in the U.S. Many grow out of it by the time they’re two or three years old. Sometimes the disorder is misdiagnosed as asthma.

Kaiba stopped breathing every day, and his parents, April and Bryan Gionfriddo, were told their child would probably not survive.

Detroit event will swap weapons for groceries

Rina Miller — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:07:46 +0000

A groceries-for-guns exchange is set for Saturday in Detroit. People who turn in an unloaded gun will get a $50 grocery gift card.

Gerald Acker is a partner in the Southfield law firm Goodman Acker, which is sponsoring the event. He says they want to do something about gun violence.

Things that go boom in the night? Maybe not

Rina Miller — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:50:12 +0000

When Michigan relaxed its fireworks laws last year, some people took things too far. Now lawmakers may make some changes.

The idea of the original law was to give municipalities more flexibility in the sale and use of fireworks.

It was also meant to bring fireworks sales revenue to Michigan.

No property taxes for disabled vets? It could happen

Rina Miller — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:09:12 +0000

Some Michigan veterans who have been classified as 100 percent disabled because of an injury could have their property taxes eliminated under a measure proposed in the State Senate (SB104).

State Sen. Glenn Anderson, D-Westland, says the vets would be restricted to 200 percent of the poverty rate to qualify.

"Theoretically, the very highest compensation someone might be receiving could be in the $40,000 to $45,000 range," Anderson says. "But they're going to have additional expenses if they're 100 percent disabled."

Flint's emergency manager tries to sell Santa and his reindeer

Rina Miller — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:23:06 +0000

When Flint's emergency manager put the city's Santa Claus display up for auction, some local residents decided that was going too far.

Melodee Mabbitt says her hometown doesn't need more bad news, so she and her husband bid $150 for the jolly old elf, his sleigh and four reindeer that sit atop Flint's city hall during the holidays.

The comma problem

Rina Miller — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

The comma may be a very small punctuation mark, but people often have very strong feelings about how it should, and should not be used.

On this edition of "That's What They Say," host Rina Miller and University of Michigan Professor Anne Curzan discuss the Oxford comma, semicolons and breaking rules.

Listen to the full segment above.

The week in review: Expanding Medicaid, teacher union dues, schools in money trouble

Jack Lessenberry and Rina Miller — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:05:00 +0000

This week in review, Rina Miller and Jack Lessenberry discuss a bill to expand Medicaid, how school districts will no longer collect union dues from teachers, and the financial trouble with Buena Vista and Pontiac schools.

Software firm offers free classes for military veterans

Rina Miller — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:05:47 +0000

Military veterans who have a background in engineering or manufacturing can brush up on their skills with free training from a Detroit-area software company.

Siemens Product Lifestyle Management in Livonia is one of 22 locations across the country offering the classes.

Michigan House Dems pursue tighter restrictions on gun ownership

Rina Miller — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:43:30 +0000

A trio of Democratic lawmakers says the state needs to revamp its gun laws.

A law proposed by Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, would expand gun-free zones to include libraries and disallow open carrying of firearms in public buildings.

Another measure introduced by Rep. Vicki Barnett, D-Farmington Hills, would strengthen mental health services by requiring parity with other medical services.

Exercise: Good medicine for arthritis, depression

Rina Miller — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:33:36 +0000

You know the old joke, "Doctor, it hurts when I do this?" and the doctor says, "Well, don't do that?"

That's not the case when it comes to arthritis and physical activity.

About two million Michiganders suffer from arthritis. According to state health officials, a sedentary lifestyle can make arthritis worse -- and make you more vulnerable to depression.

"People with arthritis pain do worry about whether those activities will exacerbate pain, and that can be a demotivator for them certainly in getting started," says Annemarie Hodges, who's a public health consultant in the arthritis program at the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Ypsilanti, Willow Run teachers learn whether they'll keep jobs

Rina Miller — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Teachers in the soon-to-be-merged Ypsilanti and Willow Run school district have learned whether they'll be returning to the classroom.

Both districts were in financial trouble, with a combined deficit of about $13 million.

Superintendent Scott Menzel says more than 250 current teachers applied for jobs in the consolidated district.

He says 171 teachers will have jobs this fall; many of them are seasoned instructors.

Will vanilla frosting make a rat's behind look big?

Rina Miller — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Let's say you're a rat and someone gives you the option of eating vanilla frosting instead of boring old rat food.

If you're a female rat, you're probably going to eat that frosting -- six times likely more than males.

It's no secret that eating disorders are more prevalent among women than men, but new research from Michigan State University finds that might be caused by biology -- not just emotions or social pressure.

The week in review: Run for Senate, live-in partners, DPS emergency manager steps down

Jack Lessenberry and Rina Miller — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This "week in review," Rina Miller and Jack Lessenberry discuss the U.S. Senate race, allowing health coverage for live-in partners and the retirement of the emergency manager for Detroit Public Schools.

Dad urges support of cardiac emergency drills in Michigan schools

Rina Miller — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:31:32 +0000

The state House Education Committee this week heard testimony from parents whose children died in school after suffering cardiac arrest.

Among those parents was Randy Gillary. His 15-year-old daughter, Kimberly, collapsed during a high school water polo game in 2000.

Gillary says although CPR was begun immediately, it was too late. Kimberly was removed from life support two days later.

"We basically lost her on the pool deck," Gillary says.

Popular Detroit art exhibit destroyed by fire

Rina Miller — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:48:49 +0000

A popular Detroit art installation was destroyed by fire this morning.

The Obstruction of Justice House was part of the Heidelberg Project on Detroit's east side. It was created by artist Tyree Guyton. He used discarded items and paint to transform two city blocks into an eclectic and sometimes controversial art exhibit.

Guyton's wife, Jenenne Whitfield, describes,"You turn down the street, and there's this explosion of color: The trees, the sidewalks, the vacant lots. All had been turned into a giant landscape, a work of art that is literally known around the world."