Michigan’s governor-elect, U-M triple-alum Rick Snyder, was not the only Wolverine Republican to win a high-level election this month. At least four other alums, including a former football player, were elected to the US House or Senate.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions announced Nov. 4 that it has accepted the self-imposed sanctions initiated by U-M during the NCAA Response on May 25, and added an additional year of probation for the football program. The university contested two allegations, and the NCAA report was favorable in each instance.

A paralyzed patient may someday be able to “think” a foot into flexing or a leg into moving, using technology that harnesses the power of electricity in the brain, thanks in part to new breakthroughs by U-M researchers. Includes video.

When female monarchs are sick, they find plant “medicine” that will reduce infections in their offspring. Infected female butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on certain milkweed plants that will make their offspring less sick, suggesting that monarchs have evolved the ability to medicate their offspring.

Snyder may help Michigan entrepreneurs; alum Darren Criss joins the cast of “Glee”; B-school students triumph; the importance of vitamin D for breastfed babies; raising a competent, confident young man; and more.

It’s an invention that could counter terrorist threats. A table-top gamma-ray detector created at U-M can not only identify the presence of dangerous nuclear materials, but can pinpoint and show their exact location and type, unlike conventional detectors which are not able to be as specific. Includes video.

You can improve your mental function simply by having conversations…but the tenor of the talking makes a difference. Turns out a friendly conversation helps, but once you turn competitive, the benefits dissolve.

Does your hometown display mostly “head” strengths, like intellect and creativity? Or is it more of a “heart” city, emphasizing social ties and kindness? U-M researchers Christopher Peterson and Nansook Park, who study the components of a meaningful life, say that many cities tend in one direction or another—and that affects citizens’ happiness, affluence and even politics.

For the fourth time since 2005, the University of Michigan ranked first in the nation in the number of U.S. Department of State Fulbright Student grantees.