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Investigative journalism in the public interest. That’s what we focus on in Dallas-Fort Worth and throughout Texas. Join the conversation. Help us expose the problems and provide solutions. March 2010
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Report: End stenography, start digital recording to promote courthouse access and transparency Fort Hood shooter's lawyer asks: Is Army treating Nidal Hasan differently because he's a Muslim? SeaWorld's killer whale kills again. Now what? Retired Fort Hood Capt. Shannon Meehan is speaking out again about the human costs of war Muslim activist group CAIR is unusually quiet about longtime board member's deportation The tax law that suicide pilot Joe Stack hated Do you have a tip about the Austin plane crash? Update on why I'm afraid to fly: American Airlines, Southwest and regulators are all under fire Politicians are not returning donations from alleged Texas Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford Fort Hood fallout: Military suspends trainer with ties to terror suspects; criminal inquiry pending Categories
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March 4, 2010
Then you'll want to read the rest of this blog post. "Court administrators would have difficulty justifying courts' continued dependence on stenographic reporting if they were to describe the process by which the majority of state trial courts create, produce, and maintain the official record of the hundreds of thousands of court proceedings annually," a national association of court officials concludes. The Conference of State Court Administrators' report begins with provocative questions. What, it asks, would ordinary people say "if they learned that thousands of staff are assigned to individual courtrooms to make this manual record even though few cases are appealed? How might they react if they learned that the manual recording of those proceedings is made in a media that could be interpreted into written English only by the individual making the record? ![]() ![]() The entry "Report: End stenography, start digital recording to promote courthouse access and transparency" is tagged: Conference of State Court Administrators , court reporter , Darlie Routier , death row , digital recording , National Association of Court Reporters , official court record , public access , Rowlett , stenographer , stenography , Texas Office of Court Administration , transparency , trial transcript , verbatim record March 2, 2010
Galligan complains, among other things, that the Army is gearing up for a death-penalty trial but has refused his request for a "mitigation specialist" -- an expert who could address extenuating circumstances that might spare Hasan from capital punishment. Col. Morgan Lamb denied the defense request "because the mitigation specialist also happens to "What is the rationale for such disparate treatment? One can't help but wonder - is it because [Hasan] is Muslim?" Elsewhere on the blog, for reasons I don't understand, Galligan uses President Obama's middle name (Hussein) when referring to him and misspells his first name. How does the Army respond to the defense claims? "Fort Hood officials have no plans to comment on personal blogs related to the November 5, 2009 incident," says an e-mail I just received from post spokesman Tyler Broadway. ![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood shooter's lawyer asks: Is Army treating Nidal Hasan differently because he's a Muslim?" is tagged: Army , Barack Hussein Obama , capital punishment , death penalty , defense attorney , Fort Hood , Fort Lewis , John Galligan , massacre , mitigation specialist , Morgan Lamb , Muslim , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , Obama February 25, 2010
Company officials aren't saying what the future holds after a killer whale lived up to its name yesterday at SeaWorld Orlando. Horrified tourists watched as trainer Dawn Brancheau (right) perished, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Tilikum, the orca that killed her, had been involved in the deaths of two other people -- a trainer in 1991 and a visitor who sneaked past security in 1999. SeaWorld isn't saying much today on its Web site -- just this: "SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego will be open Thursday, February 25 as scheduled (SeaWorld San Antonio is not yet open for the season) but Believe shows and Dine with Shamu experiences at all SeaWorld locations have been suspended; no decision has been made for future dates at this time." Do you have a tip about amusement park safety? Send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook.
![]() ![]() The entry "SeaWorld's killer whale kills again. Now what? " is tagged: amusement park , Dawn Brancheau , killer whale , orca , Orlando , San Antonio , San Diego , Sea World , SeaWorld , Tilikum , tourism , tourist , tourist attraction , trainer February 24, 2010
First he wrote the book Beyond Duty, explaining how he accidentally killed a family in Iraq and how depression nearly killed him afterward. Then, shortly after the Fort Hood massacre, he told me that shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan had been seeking to have psychiatric patients on the base prosecuted for war crimes. That wasn't a popular thing to say at the time, given that a Hood higher-up had recently called Hasan a "hardworking, dedicated young man who gave great care to his patients." Speaking up also meant Meehan had to reveal that he had been a psych patient at the Central Texas post. His latest soul-baring appears this week in The New York Times, where he also issues a challenge to us civilians: "In recent months I've been trying to honor the lives I took by writing and speaking in public about my experience, to show that those deaths are not tucked neatly away in a foreign land," Meehan writes. "They may seem distant, but they are not. Soldiers bring the ghosts home with them, and it's everyone else's job to hear about them, no matter how painful it may be." ![]() ![]() The entry "Retired Fort Hood Capt. Shannon Meehan is speaking out again about the human costs of war" is tagged: Army , Beyond Duty , depression , Fort Hood , Iraq , massacre , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , psychiatric patient , psychiatrist , Roger Thompson , Shannon Meehan , war crimes February 23, 2010
Recently, for example, it denounced the introduction of full-body scanners in airports as a violation of Islamic rules about modesty. Its Web site carries many press releases on a variety of civil rights issues. But CAIR has been quiet about the recent deportation order against Richardson resident Nabil Sadoun (left), a longtime member of the group's national and DFW chapter boards. When I asked national CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper for an interview, he responded with this e-mail: "Peace. Perhaps speak to his attorney. She is the best source of information on the case." Hooper did not respond when I followed up with written questions about CAIR's view of the deportation case and its relationship with Sadoun. Sadoun's attorney, Kimberly Kinser of Richardson, didn't respond to my phone call and e-mail. ![]() ![]() The entry "Muslim activist group CAIR is unusually quiet about longtime board member's deportation" is tagged: Abdurahman Alamoudi , Brighter Horizons Academy , CAIR , civil rights , Council on American-Islamic Relations , deportation , Hamas , Holy Land Foundation , Ibrahim Hooper , imam , Islamic Society of North Texas , Jordan , Kimberly Kinser , Mousa Abu Marzook , Muslims , Nabil Sadoun , Richardson , suicide bombings , Syria , terrorism , Tulsa , United Association for Studies and Research February 19, 2010
The 1986 legislation started as a favor to IBM and "made it extremely difficult for information technology professionals to work as self-employed individuals, forcing most to become company employees," The Times reported. "Many software engineers and other such professionals say that the law denies them the opportunity to become wealthy entrepreneurs and that it makes it harder to increase and refine their skills, eventually diminishing their income." Joe Stack, in the note he posted online before flying a plane into IRS offices in Austin yesterday, said those who wrote the law "could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave." ![]() ![]() The entry "The tax law that suicide pilot Joe Stack hated" is tagged: Andrew Joseph Stack III , Austin , IBM , Internal Revenue Service , IRS , Joe Stack , plane crash , software engineer , suicide attack , suicide note , suicide pilot , tax law February 18, 2010
Send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. What we have so far: A small plane crashed this morning into the Echelon office complex in northwest Austin. Austin TV station KVUE says the building that was hit is at 9430 Research Blvd. The IRS has offices there, according to the Austin American-Statesman. And the FBI has a field office elsewhere in the complex, at 9420 Research Blvd. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Do you have a tip about the Austin plane crash?" is tagged: Austin , Echelon , FBI , KVUE , plane crash , Research Boulevard
Now my investigative reporting colleague in Washington, Dave Michaels, is breaking a story about similar problems at Fort Worth-based American. "Federal regulators have failed to correct mounting and long-standing maintenance deficiencies at American Airlines despite receiving detailed complaints about the carrier's problems," Dave writes, citing a report due to be released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general. The Federal Aviation Administration responded by saying it has been working with American to "elevate its maintenance practices" and was strengthening its oversight of other carriers. FAA officials proposed a $2.9 million fine Wednesday against American Eagle for flying inadequately repaired planes, The Dallas Morning News' Eric Torbenson reported. AA and Southwest say they're proud of their safety records. ![]() ![]() The entry "Update on why I'm afraid to fly: American Airlines, Southwest and regulators are all under fire" is tagged: American Airlines , Dave Michaels , Department of Transportation , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , inspector general , maintenance , safety , Southwest Airlines February 11, 2010
Janvey started asking them to pay up a year ago. Many have not done so, reports Dave Michaels of the The Dallas Morning News' Washington bureau. Click here for Janvey's list of who has paid and who owes what. ![]() ![]() The entry "Politicians are not returning donations from alleged Texas Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford" is tagged: Allen Stanford , Congress , Democratic Party , Ponzi scheme , Ralph Janvey , receiver , receivership , Republican Party February 8, 2010
There was at least one more: Louay Safi (shown at right). A month after the worst military-base massacre in U.S. history, he taught Islam to officers who were deploying to Afghanistan. He'd been doing this work on bases around the country, as a military subcontractor, since 2005. That same year, federal prosecutors named Safi an unindicted co-conspirator in the terrorism-support trial of his old buddy Sami al-Arian. The reason: a wiretapped phone call in which the two men mocked a U.S. order banning dealings with foreign terrorist groups and agreed that Jews controlled the White House. Al-Arian has since been convicted. But he still faces criminal contempt charges for refusing to testify before a grand jury about the International Institute of Islamic Thought -- a northern Virginia think tank that counterterrorism agents raided in 2002, when Safi was its research director. Safi now faces a criminal inquiry by the military but has never been criminally charged. He denies wrongdoing. He also has described post-9/11 counterterrorism crackdowns as a "campaign against Islam." ![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood fallout: Military suspends trainer with ties to terror suspects; criminal inquiry pending" is tagged: 9/11 , Afghanistan , al-Qaeda , Anwar al-Aulaqi , Anwar al-Awlaki , campaign against Islam , Dar al-Hijrah , FBI , Fort Hood , hijackers , IIIT , International Institute of Islamic Thought , Islam , Islamic Society of North America , ISNA , Louay Safi , massacre , military subcontractor , mosque , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , North American Islamic Trust , Sami al-Arian , terrorism , Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , Underwear Bomber , war against Islam , Yemen January 8, 2010
At right is what the facility looked like when under construction in 2008. Below are scenes from Wednesday's collapse. ![]() ![]() The entry "Photos of Cowboys builder's latest collapse" is tagged: collapse , Dallas Cowboys , Meadville Tribune , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Pennsylvania , practice facility
This one's at a fairgrounds in northwest Pennsylvania, reports a little paper there called The Meadville Tribune. And fortunately, no one was hurt -- unlike here, where one Cowboys staffer was permanently paralyzed below the waist, another suffered a broken neck without paralysis, and 10 others were injured less seriously. Last fall, a federal agency blamed the Cowboys collapse on a long series of design failures and warned that many similar tent-like structures remain in use around the world. "All of those buildings, the National Institute of Standards and Technology said, need to be checked for similar problems," we reported in October. A judge in Philadelphia previously blamed a third collapse there on design errors by the same company: Canada-based Cover-All Building Systems and its U.S. subsidiary, Summit Structures. It has denied wrongdoing and insisted its buildings are safe. The Philadelphia collapse occurred after a heavy snow in early 2003, as did the latest Pennsylvania collapse. Last year's disaster in Irving occurred during a thunderstorm.
If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Another collapse for Cowboys facility's builder" is tagged: collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , fairgrounds , Meadville Tribune , National Institute of Standards and Technology , Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , practice facility , Summit Structures January 4, 2010
1. If you're catching up on the recent rise in terror threats, The News published a nice takeout by The Washington Post exploring Al-Qaeda's re-emergence in Yemen. Yemen is the base of the imam who advised the Army psychiatrist behind the Fort Hood killings, as my colleague Brooks Egerton has blogged, and has apparent ties to the Nigerian who tried to blow up a plane bound for Detroit. 2. Much has been written about the economic wonders of the new Cowboys Stadium. The News' Jeff Mosier reminds us that in one instance what Jerry giveth Arlington, he taketh from Dallas. Fair Park had a "hollow feeling" as the annual Cotton Bowl football game was played out west for the first time Saturday. Makes you wonder what the economic losses were for Dallas? Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Yemen threats grow beyond Fort Hood, Fair Park misses departed Cotton Bowl game" is tagged: airplane , Al-Qaeda , Al-Qaida , Anwar al-Awlaki , Arlington , bombing , college , Cotton Bowl , Cowboys Stadium , Dallas , Detroit , economic impact , Fair Park , football , Fort Hood , Jerry Jones , killings , Nidal Malik Hasan , Nigeria , plane , shootings , terror , terrorism , Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , Yemen December 15, 2009
FBI agents who discovered Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's extremist ties before the Fort Hood massacre may not have had access to key Army records on the psychiatrist, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (right) said today. That's because some information counter-terrorism investigators need stays in military education or training files "and does not make its way to the personnel files" that intelligence agencies would get for an initial review, said Collins. She's the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which is investigating how pre-massacre intelligence about Hasan was handled. Hasan's colleagues and superiors repeatedly raised concerns about him during his psychiatric training in the Washington area, as has been widely reported since the Nov. 5 slaughter. Issues included his fundamentalist Islamic leanings, religious proselytizing, commitment to the Army, poor work performance and mental stability. "It doesn't appear that the military has updated its personnel policies to reflect the threat of Islamic extremism," Collins said after a closed hearing with Defense Department officials. "There appears to be a real gap in the protocols in the personnel procedures, and that is an issue we're exploring." Army spokesman George Wright said he couldn't comment on Hasan's personnel file. But in general, he told The News, a soldier's supervisor decides whether to include letters of counseling or reprimand in the soldier's personnel file. ![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood massacre update: Military policies fail to meet 'threat of Islamic extremism,' senator says" is tagged: Anwar al-Aulaqi , Anwar al-Awlaki , Army , Carla G. Hawley-Bowland , Defense Department , extremism , FBI , Fort Hood , George Wright , Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee , imam , James Clapper; Karl Schneider , Joseph Lieberman , massacre , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , personnel files , radical , Senate , Susan Collins , terrorism , Walter Reed Army Medical Center December 14, 2009
But state and local governments can't post the alerts unless they pay the contractor a fee, The New York Times reports today, citing a non-yet-public audit by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general. Never mind that taxpayers have committed more than $50 million to the project. The transportation department responded to the audit, according to Times, by citing "nine letters from members of Congress -- many of whom had received frequent campaign contributions from executives at Traffic.com -- who demanded, among other requests, that it skip a competitive bidding process and give more money to Traffic.com." The story does not identify the politicians. It says Traffic.com, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Navteq, didn't respond to a request for comment. In case you're wondering, yes, Traffic.com alerts do appear on dallasnews.com. Do you have a tip about traffic? Government contracts? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Government told to pay for traffic-jam alerts, even though taxpayers subsidized system" is tagged: alert , dallasnews.com , electronic signs , freeways , government contract , highways , inspector general , message board , Navteq , taxpayers , traffic , traffic jam , Traffic.com , transportation department December 11, 2009
She was a widowed mother in Nigeria, struggling to feed six young children. A Nigerian couple living in North Texas provided her fake immigration documents and lured her here, promising a salary and payments to her kids. Here's what she allegedly got in return: 16-hour work days of cooking, cleaning and caring for the couple's kids -- seven days a week, for nine years. Virtually no money or contact with the outside world. Forced sex with the man of the house. An unnamed Catholic priest ultimately helped her to escape, federal records say. Emmanuel Nnaji and wife Ngozi Nnaji are now charged with conspiracy, forced labor and other crimes. If convicted, they face up to 55 years in prison. Federal records say they have lived in Irving, Arlington and Fort Worth. The man's adult son tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the charges are bogus. How many more cases like this are out there? Plenty, according to this U.S. State Department report. Do you have a tip about human trafficking or modern-day slavery? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Feds: FW couple kept Nigerian slave for 9 years" is tagged: Arlington , Catholic , domestic servitude , Emmanuel Nnaji , FBI , Fort Worth , fraud , human trafficking , immigration , Irving , Justice Department , Ngozi Nnaji , Nigeria , priest , slave , State Department , Tarrant County December 8, 2009
Federal Bureau of Investigation boss Robert Mueller said the review will be conducted by William Webster (right), who formerly headed the FBI and the CIA. FBI officials have acknowledged that one of its terrorism task forces intercepted e-mails a year ago between Hasan and an extremist imam in Yemen. The officials say no investigation resulted because the correspondence was consistent with Hasan's psychiatric research on Muslims in the military. Intelligence experts consulted by The Dallas Morning News say any contact with the imam, Anwar al-Awlaki, should have been pursued. The FBI said it has completed a preliminary review of its pre-massacre actions and policies. A spokesman declined to comment today on what that probe found. "We must be sure that the systems we have in place give investigators the tools they need to carry out their responsibilities. At the same time, we must ensure constitutional protections and the confidence of the American public we serve," Mueller said. "It is essential to determine whether there are improvements to our current practices or other authorities that could make us all safer in the future." Webster will coordinate his work with reviews being conducted by the military and will seek not to interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation, the FBI said.
![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood update: FBI seeks outside review of its pre-massacre "policies, practices and actions"" is tagged: Anwar al-Aulaqi , Anwar al-Awlaki , Army , CIA , extremist , FBI , Fort Hood , imam , massacre , Muslims in the military , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , psychiatrist , Robert Mueller , terrorism , William Webster , Yemen December 3, 2009
Almost a month after the Fort Hood massacre, lawmakers investigating it still don't have information from federal agencies regarding what they knew in advance about shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (right), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said today that his investigators haven't been able to interview members of an FBI-led joint terrorism task force who knew about Hasan's contact with a radical imam before the Nov. 5 shootings. Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, said his committee also requested documents that haven't been produced. "Put me down as restless right now, but still understanding that they have a lot they are doing." ![]() ![]() The entry "Senator: We can't get info on Fort Hood shooter" is tagged: Anwar al-Awlaki , Caryn Wagner , Charles Allen , Dave Michaels , Department of Homeland Security , FBI , Fort Hood , Homeland Security Committee , Joseph Lieberman , massacre , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , Peter Hoekstra , Senate , Susan Collins December 2, 2009
Read our story for some preliminary discussion of the Army's possible motives. We're working on a follow-up story now. Do you have questions you'd like to see asked and answered? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Army asks: Is Fort Hood shooter insane?" is tagged: Army , Fort Hood , insanity , John Galligan , massacre , mental competency , mental health , mental responsibility , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan November 19, 2009
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan apparently targeted soldiers and avoided others nearby, U.S. Rep. John Carter and an anonymous source close to the investigation told the paper. The story makes sense in light of previous reports that Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, had ties to a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki. Before the massacre, the imam advocated killing soldiers who fight against Muslims; afterward, he called Hasan a hero. Do you have a tip about Fort Hood? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Hasan reportedly skipped over civilians" is tagged: Anwar al-Awlaki , Army , Austin American-Statesman , civilian , cleric , extremist , Fort Hood , imam , Islam , Islamist , massacre , Muslim , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , psychiatrist , radical , Rep. John Carter , soldier , Yemen November 18, 2009
"Whether we meant to or not, I think we led expectations of availability to be higher than they have been," said Anne Schuchat (right), who heads the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "And so that, I think, can lead to frustration." Schuchat testified before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which reported her acknowledgment in a news release. Committee chairman Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, said the CDC initially "estimated that almost half the U.S. population would be in a priority group to receive the vaccine. However, an advisory group also generated a secondary and more limited list of those who were most at risk in case vaccine availability fell short of what was planned. "This is exactly what happened, but states, counties, and cities were allowed to target whatever population they chose for vaccination. This has led to understandable public frustration and anger, mixed with confusion over just who should get vaccinated.... I worry that we are undermining confidence, generally, in the public health system, and that people most at risk are not only not getting the vaccine but have stopped trying." The New York Times covered the hearing but barely touched on this issue. Dallas County's health department is trying a new vaccine-distribution strategy with pharmacies, The Dallas Morning News' Jeffrey Weiss reports today. Do you have a tip about swine flu and the vaccine? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: U.S. officials acknowledge misleading public about the availabililty of swine flu vaccine" is tagged: Anne Schuchat , CDC , Centers for Disease Control , Dallas County Health Department , H1N1 , Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , Jeffrey Weiss , Joseph Lieberman , pharmacies , Senate , shortage , swine flu , vaccine November 17, 2009
The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee said Tuesday that the government's failure to deal with Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's growing radicalism was similar to the intelligence community's failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., made his comments after attending a closed-door briefing with administration officials about last week's massacre at Fort Hood, which killed 13 people. Lieberman didn't discuss any details of the briefing but said all signs indicate that Hasan committed an "act of Islamic extremist terrorism." "There is a similarity to 9/11, which is there was information in different places in our government, which if it had been connected, would have said to people this guy was a real danger," Lieberman said. Several people have told The News that Hasan, a psychiatrist, was conflicted about being a Muslim in the U.S. Army, complained that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan constituted a "war on Islam," and wanted some of his patients to face war crimes charges. ![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood update: Hasan committed "extremist terrorism," senator says after secret briefing" is tagged: 9/11 , Afghanistan , Army , Barack Obama , extremist , Fort Hood , Homeland Security Committee , Iraq , Islamist , Joseph Lieberman , massacre , Nidal Hassan , Nidal Malik Hassan , psychiatrist , radical , Senate , Susan Collins , terror , terrorism , war crimes November 13, 2009
Here are the key links: 1. A Texas congressman says Nidal Malik Hasan wired money to Pakistan, which Muslim extremist groups use as a base to raise funds and carry out terrorist attacks. 2. Hasan is permanently paralyzed, one of his lawyers says today. ![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood massacre update: DMN has more on the Pakistan connection -- and Hasan's paralyzed" is tagged: Army , Fort Hood , jihad , massacre , Muslim extremist , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hassan , paralyzed , Rep. Michael McCaul , terror
Coming soon? Now that about 22 million people have gotten sick around the country and 3,900 have died? The Dallas Morning News got tired of waiting for the state to provide data. So reporter Jeffrey Weiss wrote an open-records request for vaccine shipment information. What resulted is our own searchable database of providers in the Dallas area who are supposed to have the shots and mist. Check it out. Do you have a tip about swine flu? The Department of State Health Services? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Find H1N1 vaccine with our database" is tagged: CDC , Centers for Disease Control , Department of State Health Services , H1N1 , Jeffrey Weiss , mist , searchable database , shot , swine flu , vaccine November 12, 2009
* Formal charges were filed against Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan -- "13 specifications of premeditated murder, in violation of Article 118, Uniform Code of Military Justice," as the Army puts it. More on this below. * The White House released a copy of a memo that President Obama sent to the secretary of defense, the director of national intelligence and the head of the FBI. It reads: "On November 6, 2009, I directed that an immediate inventory be conducted of all intelligence in U.S. Government files that existed prior to November 6, 2009, relevant to the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, especially anything having to do with the alleged shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, U.S. Army. In addition, I directed an immediate review be initiated to determine how any such intelligence was handled, shared, and acted upon within individual departments and agencies and what intelligence was shared with others... Preliminary results of this review shall be provided by November 30, 2009." * The Dallas Morning News' Dave Michaels reports that authorities have been looking into whether Hasan wired money to Pakistan, which is battling a massive Islamist insurgency and is widely believed to be Osama bin Laden's hiding place.
![]() ![]() The entry "Fort Hood update: murder charges, Obama order and a DMN story on the Hasan money trail" is tagged: Army , Barack Obama , FBI , Fort Hood , insurgency , Islamist , massacre , murder , national intelligence , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , Osama bin Laden , Pakistan , secretary of defense , slaughter , Uniform Code of Military Justice November 11, 2009
Officials discussed the question last year at his military medical school and the Army hospital in the Washington, D.C., area where he later worked, National Public Radio is reporting. ![]() ![]() The entry "DC-area health officials questioned Hasan's sanity" is tagged: Army , Fort Hood , massacre , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan
There were no obvious clues left behind, of course. But there was a plastic container for this LaserMax sight -- the kind of thing you might buy if you were planning to shoot a bunch of people. ("FIRST SHOT CONFIDENCE," the manufacturer advertises.) Price tag: $229.99. Guns Galore, the Killeen store where Hasan bought a handgun in August, sells the product for that price. Lee says they also saw several old bottles of prescription pills. One, from early 2001, was for the HIV medication Combivir. Combivir (in combination with another anti-HIV drug) was a popular weapon against HIV in 2001. That's according to Dr. Brady Allen, a Dallas HIV specialist who just spoke to my colleague Sue Goetinck Ambrose. Combivir sometimes was prescribed to health care workers immediately after they feared they'd been exposed to HIV via needle stick or blood splash. Hasan graduated from a military medical school in Maryland in 2001. For reasons that aren't immediately clear, the prescription came from a pharmacy on Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio. Also in Hasan's apartment were Jordanian and Israeli coins, a high-grade paper shredder and a book from India called Dreams and Interpretations. Hasan, you may recall, moved out of the apartment last Thursday, a few hours before the shooting rampage. The complex manager gave journalists permission to view the unit today. ![]() ![]() The entry "Scene at Fort Hood massacre suspect's apartment: gun device, pill bottles, high-grade shredder" is tagged: AIDS , apartment , Army , Brady Allen , Combivir , Courtney Perry , Fort Hood , gun sight , Guns Galore , HIV , Killeen , LaserMax , Lee Hancock , massacre , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan November 5, 2009
Authorities initially said they killed the major after he took part in a shooting rampage that left about a dozen colleagues dead at the Central Texas base. Tonight, inexplicably, they are saying that Hasan was wounded but survived. Hasan worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the nation's capital for six years before being transferred to Texas in July. He was going to be sent into a combat zone overseas soon and didn't want to go, relatives and other said. Hasan graduated in 2003 from the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Md., which is part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Its curriculum is longer than those found at other U.S. medical schools, with students getting training in areas specific to career-oriented military physicians. Virginia Board of Medicine records say he completed his residency in psychiatry in 2007 at Walter Reed. He recently completed a fellowship there in disaster and preventive psychiatry. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, which is part of Uniformed Services University, lists Hasan as a member. The organization describes itself as "one of the nation's oldest and most highly regarded, academic-based organizations dedicated to advancing trauma-informed knowledge, leadership and methodologies." Do you have a tip (as opposed to a rant) about Hasan? Email me, please. ![]() ![]() The entry "Who is Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan?" is tagged: Army , Fort Hood , massacre , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan November 4, 2009
1. Officials overstated the number of Texas jobs created or saved with federal stimulus funds, reports Dave Michaels, who does investigative work in our Washington bureau. Want to check out stimulus spending for yourself? There are plenty of search tools on this Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board site. 2. Texas' $300 million investment in teacher merit pay did not boost student achievement, researchers from Texas A&M and other universities conclude. Do you have a tip about stimulus spending? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Government spending in Texas did not produce all the successes that officials claimed" is tagged: Dave Michaels , economic recovery , government spending , jobs , merit pay , Obama , Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board , Rick Perry , stimulus , student achievement , teachers , Terrence Stutz , Texas A&M November 2, 2009
Now a spokeswoman for Jeff Vitt's Star Medical Group says he did nothing wrong and blames the dispute on a communication problem -- failure to clarify the distinction between Star Medical and another Vitt company called Flu Shots of America. Texas health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said Friday that Star claimed to be a private medical practice, making it eligible for an early shipment of vaccine. The state's theory has been that such practices are the best way to reach the highest-risk patients first. But Vitt's business turned out to be what the state calls a mass vaccinator, and it was selling shots to anyone willing to pay $20. Vitt's spokeswoman, Elaine Vitt, said in an email today: ![]() ![]() The entry "Flu Shots of America owner Jeff Vitt denies misrepresenting himself to get vaccine stash" is tagged: CDC , Department of State Health Services , DSHS , Elaine Vitt , Farmers Branch , Flu Shots of America , H1N1 , Jeff Vitt , mass vaccinator , Star Medical Group , swine flu , Texas health department , vaccine
Some were upset that I didn't get the couple tickets. Others upset at Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's office. "You can bet - in a Dallas minute - that Sen Hutchinson's large contributors can get tickets to any D.C. venue anytime that they want them," one person wrote. The way the White House staff explains it, tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. With how divisive party politics are, I'm sure we'll all hear about it before long if that's not true. Still, I have no doubt that any Congressional office staff member would be sure to be first in line for a big contributor. UPDATE: A staffer at a congressional office was hurt by my cynicism in the above paragraph about their efforts on behalf of constituents, saying it was "grossly unfair to take that cheap shot." While, I don't think it was a cheap shot, I do agree that the comment was cynical and I'm feeling some remorse since the job is probably thankless for the staffers who do that work. While I am a cynic, I think I was trying to go overboard in showing I wasn't snowed about inside favors being granted left and right as some readers attest.
![]() ![]() The entry "Problem Solver: White House tours difficult to get" is tagged: Kay Bailey Hutchison , Problem Solver , tours , White House October 30, 2009
The Associated Press has a good national roundup story out on low-risk people getting the swine flu vaccine. "Public health officials don't want to be vaccine police. Many don't turn anyone away who wants the vaccine, though some locations are tougher than others," the AP reports.
Meanwhile, check out the comments on my swine-flu post from earlier today. Many people clearly are extremely frustrated with how vaccine distribution has been handled. ![]() ![]() The entry "Swine flu vaccine: Who can get scarce resource?" is tagged: public health , swine flu , Tarrant County Health Department , vaccine , vaccine police October 29, 2009
At FreedomWorks, the former House majority leader from Denton County makes $500,000 a year to proclaim, among other things, that "billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies have done little to make alternative energy sources more practical." Dave Michaels, a reporter in The Dallas Morning News' Washington bureau, takes a long look today at Armey's dual roles. While FreedomWorks is often "antagonistic to politicians of both parties ... the general disposition of the lobbyist is to be sweet to officeholders," Armey acknowledged. "This is always a problem, and people have struggled with it in Washington. "Few have mastered it as I have." Do you have a tip about lobbyists and lobbying? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dick Armey's contradictions" is tagged: Dave Michaels , Dick Armey , DLA Piper , FreedomWorks , Obama , stimulus , tax credits , wind farm October 28, 2009
Here's a partial list of National Transportation Safety Board findings, in chronological order: * Federal authorities ordered the bus company off the road because of safety violations. Do you have a tip about transportation safety? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: The bus ride from hell" is tagged: Angel de la Torre , Angel Tours , Barrett Broussard , bus crash , bus safety , Iguala BusMex , National Transportation Safety Board , NTSB , Todd Gillman October 21, 2009
Sgt. John Russell is accused of the deadliest soldier-vs.-soldier attack in the six-year war. His father, Wilburn Russell of Sherman (right), told The Dallas Morning News back in May that macho military culture inhibits men from seeking help: "If a guy actually goes to the clinic and asks for help, they think of him as a wimp, and he's got something wrong with him and try to get rid of him." But the military report also notes: "There is no clear procedure ... for managing soldiers identified as 'at risk' for suicide or the proper way to conduct suicide watch." Do you have a tip about mental health and the military? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: North Texas soldier went unwatched" is tagged: Army , counseling center , Iraq , John Russell , mental health , military , Sherman , soldier-vs.-soldier , suicide watch October 20, 2009
1. The Dallas City Council spent much of Monday talking about ethics reform, The News' Rudy Bush reports on the City Hall blog. Among the proposals: lobbyist registration, bans on lobbyist gifts and new requirements on zoning cases. The point of the last one: weakening the type of power that Hill, as a council member, wielded over developers who needed his approval for their projects in his district. The plan calls for multiple council members to weigh in on zoning cases. 2. I'm getting to this item a little late, and some of you may wish you hadn't ever seen it. The McClatchy newspaper chain found that Moody's Investors Service "punished executives who questioned why the company was risking its reputation by putting its profits ahead of providing trustworthy ratings for investment offerings." Doesn't restore your confidence in Wall Street, does it? Do you have tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas council mulls ethics after Hill trial" is tagged: Angela Hunt , bribery , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Council , Don Hill , ethics , housing collapse , investment ratings , lobbyists , Moody's Investors Service , reform , Securities and Exchange Commission , toxic assets October 6, 2009
This comes on the heels of a September audit that questioned the use of federal tax dollars by another Texan who scorned the stimulus: Gov. Rick Perry. The federal audit found that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission under Perry had billed the Medicaid program for nearly $300,000 in care and prescription drugs it shouldn't have given legal and illegal immigrants. ![]() ![]() The entry "Your tax dollars: Hypocrisy in the heart of Texas?" is tagged: Barack Obama , immigration , John Cornyn , Kay Bailey Hutchison , NASA , Pete Olson , Rick Perry , stimulus , Texas Health and Human Services Commission September 30, 2009
The report from the federal Government Accountability Office identified possibly widespread fraud in Texas and other states involving purchases of controlled substances under Medicaid, the federal-state medical program for the poor. Among the interesting Texas tidbits was a case of "doctor shopping" by a Medicaid beneficiary who used prescriptions from more than 70 doctors to obtain 4,700 pills of Vicodin from 40 pharmacies. In our recent "Cost of Care" series on why health care is so expensive in North Texas, I touched on fraud in the home health industry. Medicare and Medicaid are lucrative targets for fraudsters. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General recently reported that state Medicaid fraud control units across the country recovered $1.3 billion in fiscal 2008. ![]() ![]() The entry "Medicaid fraud report fingers Texas" is tagged: fraud , Government Accountability Office , Gregg Jones , healthcare overhaul , Medicaid , Obama , prescription drugs
As my story in today's paper notes, Texas is the heart of the U.S. chemical industry, especially along the Gulf Coast from Beaumont-Port Arthur (right) to Corpus Christi. The toxic substances law regulates chemicals as they come into contact with people through products or industrial uses. Risks from chemical emissions into the air fall under the Clean Air Act. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Toxic chemicals next on EPA's hit list" is tagged: Environmental Protection Agency , EPA , Lisa Jackson , toxic chemicals , Toxic Substances Control Act September 25, 2009
In addition to the father defending Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, he told the Agence France-Presse that his son "suffered psychological problems after the death of his mother of cancer in 2007, when he decided to go to the United States to live and study with his friend. "But regardless of these problems," he added, "I know my son is innocent." You can read more of the Agence France-Presse story here. And you can catch up on the latest developments from The Morning News on our Crime Blog, and even read the criminal complaint for yourself. ![]() ![]() The entry "Alleged Dallas bomber's father speaks in Jordan: 'We as a family never believed in terrorism'" is tagged: bomb , car , Dallas , downtown , FBI , Fountain Place , Hosam Maher Husein Smadi , Italy , Jordanian , skyscraper , terrorist
1. The more you need help, the less likely you are to get it. That seems to be the logic transportation officials are using in deciding how to spend federal stimulus money. Reports USA Today: "Dallas trails only Los Angeles in miles of bad roads, yet it has received less than 1% of the $530 million that Texas approved for road repairs." A TXDoT official says our roads are so bad that fixes would cost too much to be eligible for funds. 2. The Dallas Morning News' Victor Godinez has a fascinating back story today about the Perot family confidant who's accused of insider trading. Reza Saleh, it turns out, helped rescue Perot employees from a prison in his native Iran 30 years ago. Now he's adding to the embarrassment facing Perot-affiliated investments this year. My colleagues Gary Jacobson and Brendan Case wrote a few months ago about the multi-billion dollar collapse of a family hedge fund. Do you have a tip about street repairs? Hedge funds? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook.N ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Stimulus money bypasses Dallas roads" is tagged: Brendan Case , Gary Jacobson , hedge fund , insider trading , Iran , Parkcentral Capital Management , Perot , Reza Saleh , road repairs , SEC , Securities and Exchange Commission , stimulus , Texas Department of Transportation , TXDoT , USA Today , Victor Godinez September 17, 2009
1. Charles Dean Hood (right) may well deserve to die for murdering two people in Plano. But I'd feel a whole lot better about killing killers if I knew they got a fair trial. And that's very much in doubt here. The latest: Texas' highest court said yesterday that it's too late for the defense to use evidence that the trial judge and Collin County's DA were, um, romantically entangled. Defense attorneys tried to work this angle earlier but 2. The appeals court decision comes at a particularly difficult time for Texas' image. I recently summarized three other ongoing capital punishment embarrassments, including two in which there's real doubt about a convicted man's guilt. In one of those cases, the defendant has already been executed. Do you have a tip about law enforcement? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Can Texas use death penalty fairly?" is tagged: Cameron Todd Willingham , capital punishment , Charles Dean Hood , Collin County DA , death penalty , district attorney , judge , Michael Toney , Michael Wayne Richard , prosecutor , Sharon Keller , Texas Court of Criminal Appeals , Tom O'Connell , Verla Sue Holland September 15, 2009
Late last week, a hidden-camera video showed Baltimore employees of the community group -- which has faced voter-fraud allegations since the '08 elections -- giving dubious advice to a man and a woman posing as a couple. The advice? How to cover up their purported jobs in prostitution on tax forms. FOX News was the biggest outlet to jump on the story, and ACORN was again left defending itself. As the furor has simmered with additional videos, some GOP-minded commentators accused other media of downplaying or outright ignoring the controversy. That's probably what led to the e-mails we received today. ![]() ![]() The entry "Reader Talkback: Where are the ACORN stories? We've been publishing, blogging them." is tagged: ACORN , advice , Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now , Census , Fox News , HUD , IRS , tax , voter fraud September 9, 2009
The company -- which is seeking to reorganize and now uses the name S2 Engineers -- also has issued its first statement about the collapse: "Scott Jacobs and JCI stand by the services rendered for Summit Structures regarding the Dallas Cowboys indoor practice facility. Mr. Jacobs and JCI do not have any further comment at this time as litigation is pending." Pennsylvania-based Summit and its Canada-based parent, Cover-All Building Systems, designed and built the practice facility in 2003. The two people most seriously injured in its May 2 collapse -- Cowboys staffers Rich Behm and Joe DeCamillis -- sued the two companies and JCI last month, alleging that they conspired to conceal the giant tent-like structure's defects. ![]() ![]() The entry "Firm tied to Cowboys collapse files for bankruptcy" is tagged: collapse , conspiracy , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , defects , Frank Branson , Irving , JCI , Jeffrey Galland , Joe DeCamillis , practice facility , Rich Behm , S2 Engineers , Scott Jacobs , Summit Structures , tent-like structure September 8, 2009
1. Why does Texas lead the nation in repeat teen pregnancy? Bob Garrett of The Dallas Morning News' Austin bureau looked at several factors in Monday's paper. Among them: Only Utah and the Lone Star State require state-funded clinics to get parents' consent before giving their teens birth control. And Utah at least tells young people on a state Web site to go to Planned Parenthood if they don't want to involve their parents. 2. Have you ever thought about what you'd do if you were pregnant and knew the baby was doomed? Over the past two Sundays, my colleagues Lee Hancock and Sonya Hebert traced one family's journey in words, photos and video. If thus stuff doesn't haunt you, have someone check your pulse. Do you have a tip about matters of life and death? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Texas leads in repeat teen pregnancy " is tagged: abortion , birth control , birth defect , Deidrea Laux , genetic abnormality , Lee Hancock , parental consent , Planned Parenthood , pregnancy , repeat teen pregnancy , Robert Garrett , Sonya Hebert , state-funded clinics , T.K. Laux , teen pregnancy , Thomas Laux , trisomy 13 September 1, 2009
1. This is 2009, right? And entering a suspect's bail info in one Dallas County computer doesn't get it into other computers? And a man (Ezequiel Moreno, right) accused of sexually abusing a teen and plotting her kidnapping can get out of jail because the computers aren't connected, as my colleagues Scott Goldstein and Jennifer Emily report today? And Dallas County commissioners want to cut spending on criminal justice? 2. Do shrinking newspaper budgets make it easier for government officials to hide what goes on in courtrooms, as The New York Times reports today? Does a bear poop in the woods? Do you have a tip about Dallas County government? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Kidnap-sex abuse suspect set free; Dallas County's computer system blamed" is tagged: budget cuts , commissioners , computers , courtrooms , criminal justice , Dallas County , Ezequiel Moreno , jail , Jennifer Emily , kidnapping , legal battle , New York Times , newspapers , openness , plot , public access , Scott Goldstein , sexual abuse , technology August 31, 2009
1. See the red ring around this little boy's neck? It's a reminder of the window-blind cord that nearly killed him a few months ago. His family, the Yearouts of Garland, say last week's federal recall of several brands of window blinds didn't go far enough in addressing strangulation risks, The Dallas Morning News' Ray Leszcynski reports. The Yearouts now advocate banning corded products from day-care facilities in Texas. Thinking about all this took me back to my recent post on killer bassinets. 2. Is part of the Southwest Airlines fleet about to be grounded? The News' Eric Torbenson says the hometown air carrier is about out of time to resolve its latest maintenance mess. Do you have a tip about a household product? Southwest Airlines? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Window blinds nearly kill Garland boy " is tagged: bassinet , child friendly , Consumer Product Safety Commission , cords , day care , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , Garland , maintenance , recall , safety , Southwest Airlines , strangulation , window blinds , Yearout August 26, 2009
1. There is increasing support for the idea that the state of Texas executed an innocent man, reports Christy Hoppe of The Dallas Morning News' Austin bureau. Cameron Todd Willingham (right, in a photo being held by a cousin), of the North Texas town of Corsicana, was convicted of killing his three young children in a fire. He insisted that he was innocent but was put to death in 2004. A new study commissioned by the state Forensic Science Commission concludes that a fire marshal who investigated the deaths "seems to be wholly without any realistic understanding of fires and how fire injuries are created." The Chicago Tribune has been dogging this case for some time; click here for more detailed coverage. 2. Southwest Airlines' maintenance practices are facing new scrutiny from the FAA, reports Eric Torbenson of The News. This time the issue is whether the Dallas-based airline used unauthorized parts when repairing older Boeing 737s. Still no word on why a football-sized hole opened up during a Southwest flight last month. Do you have a tip about the Willingham case? Airline maintenance? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Innocent Dallas-area man executed?" is tagged: Boeing 737 , Cameron Todd Willingham , capital murder , Chicago Tribune , Christy Hoppe , Corsicana , Craig Beyler , death row , Eric Torbenson , executed , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , hole , innocence , maintenance , Manuel Vasquez , repairs , Southwest Airlines , Texas Forensic Science Commission , Texas State Fire Marshal , unauthorized parts August 21, 2009
1. The bassinet pictured at right looks like a place where a baby would enjoy sweet dreams. But it's really a death trap, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The latest apparent victim is a 6-month-old girl in Fort Worth. Four baby deaths have now been linked to convertible "close-sleeper/bedside sleeper" bassinets manufactured by Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa. Two have died since the federal commission issued a recall and safety alert a year ago. 2. The Fort Worth victim, who hasn't been publicly identified, died in January. So why is the safety commission only now sounding the alarm again? New commission chair Inez Tenenbaum said she could not discuss the death because it remains under investigation, according to the Associated Press. 3. What has become of Simplicity? Here's what the commission says: "SFCA Inc., the Reading, Pa.-based company that purchased the assets of juvenile product manufacturer Simplicity Inc. after foreclosure, no longer appears to be conducting day to day operations. SFCA Inc. is no longer answering phone calls or responding to e-mails from consumers." Do you have a tip about product safety? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: FW baby dies in recalled bassinet" is tagged: baby , bassinet , Consumer Product Safety Commission , Fort Worth , Inez Tenenbaum , investigation , recall , safety alert , SFCA , Simplicity August 19, 2009
1. A new study raises questions about the promotional campaign for a cervical cancer vaccine that Gov. Rick Perry unsuccessfully tried to mandate for Texas girls. Gardasil manufacturer Merck funded messages by medical groups that "did not address the full complexity of the issues surrounding the vaccine and did not provide balanced recommendations on risks and benefits," the study says. It was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 2. Lake-wrecking zebra mussels are emerging in North Texas, WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reports. What is to be done about these little pests, which can clog public water-supply pipes? Do you have a tip about public health? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Study questions vaccine campaign " is tagged: cervical cancer , Channel 8 , Gardasil , Gov. Rick Perry , JAMA , Journal of the American Medical Association , lakes , Merck , North Texas , promotional campaign , vaccine , WFAA-TV , zebra mussels August 17, 2009
1. What is going on in the offices of Dallas County constables Jamie Cortes and Derick Evans? The News' Kevin Krause brings us another in an increasing list of stories on their activities, which always seem to involve vehicles or a towing company they're employing. 2. Dallas' Mexican consulate office is under investigation for financial improprieties, The News' Alfredo Corchado tells us. Similar allegations arose a few months ago. Trend or coincidence? 3. Tarrant County College trustee Robyn Medina Winnett was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting, the Star-Telegram reports. It's the latest unflattering headline for TCC's administration. 4. Haven't heard from former U.S. House Majority Leader and Texas' own Dick Armey in a while. Talking Points Memo's Muckraker blog explores how Armey's lobbying firm apparently received blowback from his advocacy group's role in organizing health-care protests. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Money questions for Dallas constables, Mexican consulate, Tarrant County College admin" is tagged: consulate , Dallas County constables , Derick Evans , Dick Armey , DLA Piper , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , Enrique Hubbard , FreedomWorks , investigation , Jamie Cortes , Mexican , Mexico , Robyn Medina Winnett , shoplifting , Tarrant County College August 11, 2009
1. Co-defendant Allen McGill (shown at right) testified Monday that his sham Black State Employees Association of Texas opposed a housing developer's project to force the hiring of minority contractors who'd give it kickbacks later, The News' Jason Trahan reports. Once the developer played ball, the opposition lifted. McGill and his cohort, Darren Reagan, realized that they were ones worked over months later: The developer was an FBI informant. 2. The Hearst network of newspapers, which includes Houston and San Antonio, is wrapping up a series that finds about 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors. That echoes The News' State of Neglect investigative series, which earlier this year found that Texas lets hospitals hide their mistakes from the public. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: In Dallas, "support" ain't what it seems" is tagged: Allen McGill , Black State Employees Association of Texas , bribery , BSEAT , corruption , Dallas City Hall , Darren Reagan , deaths , doctors , errors , hospitals , medical , medicine , mistakes , nurses , trial August 5, 2009
1. There's a new twist in the controversial dealings between Dallas County constables and the troubled towing company they're using: One of the law enforcers gave a worker from the firm a job, The News' Kevin Krause blogs. A state agency is investigating. 2. Dallas' housing director testified in the City Hall bribery trial that he thought Don Hill and co-defendant D'Angelo Lee were too cozy with developer Brian Potashnik, The News' Jason Trahan reports. Hill approved Potashnik's projects against recommendations from the housing department, which we reported in this 2005 story. 3. The New York Times explores the pharmaceutical industry's influence on scientific research: A company secretly paid a ghostwriter to draft published papers backing hormone therapy in women, benefiting later as sales of the drugs it produced soared. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas constable's ties to tow firm grow" is tagged: Bill Fisher , Brian Potashnik , constables , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Dallas County , Derick Evans , Don Hill , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , Elsevier , hormone replacement therapy , Jaime Cortes , New York Times , pharmaceutical , PLoS Medicine , Premarin , Prempro , Southwest Housing Development , Wyeth August 4, 2009
1. Good news, bad news at the Dallas City Hall bribery trial, The News' Jason Trahan tells us. If you're Don Hill: You probably look more favorable to jurors after you were heard doubting the ethics of your co-defendant, D'Angelo Lee, on phone conversations secretly taped by the FBI. If you're Lee: Your co-defendant is heard doubting your ethics on phone conversations secretly taped by the FBI. 2. Supporters of the federal stimulus package said it was a chance to make $65 billion in repairs to crumbling, aging bridges. Want to guess where I'm headed next after that set-up? The Associated Press found that nearly half of the ones slated for funding are in good shape and wouldn't have qualified for money in normal circumstances. Best use of the stimulus? 3. This isn't our typical watchdog story to highlight: Lewisville High School cheerleaders had illegal drugs, such as Ecstasy, at a weekend clinic, KXAS (NBC-5) reports. As school district officials investigate, they should ask this of themselves: When was the last time they tested cheerleaders for drug use? District policy allows it, and athletes have been subjected to it after reports of steroid abuse. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Co-defendants at odds in bribery trial, stimulus funds astray, cheerleaders with ecstacy" is tagged: administration , bribery , bridges , camp , cheerleaders , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Don Hill , drugs , ecstasy , ethics , Kathy Neely , Lewisville , Obama , spending , stimulus , testing , trial , wiretaps July 31, 2009
1. Dallas Congressman Pete Sessions has ripped earmarks. And yet he gave a sweet one worth $1.6 million to an Illinois company that wants to build a blimp the military could use, Politico reports. A former aide to Sessions just so happens to lobby for said company, which said it had no government contracting experience. 2. Were you one of the Texas parents who locked in cheaper college tuition for your kiddo by prepaying years ago? Well, that piggy bank is nearly broke, the Houston Chronicle tells us. The state comptroller asks you not to panic just yet. 3. Jury of your peers? A Dallas County judge said prosecutors unfairly eliminated minorities from hearing the death-penalty case of a black man, leaving only whites, The News' Jennifer Emily reports. This reminds me of our investigation team's 2006 series, Striking Differences. It found both prosecutors and defense sought to remove jurors based on race. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog or me on Twitter, or join our Facebook group. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Pete Session's fickle dislike of earmarks" is tagged: Adrian Plesha , all-white , blimp , college , comptroller , congressman , death penalty , earmark , James Broadnax , James Ferguson , Jim G. Ferguson Inc. , judge , juries , jury , lobbyist , Mike Snipes , military , minorities , Pete Sessions , prepay , race , strikes , Striking Differences , Susan Combs , Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan , Texas Tomorrow Fund , tuition , university July 27, 2009
The suit targets the Coppell-based SAT and ACT Test Prep Center and its operators, a Cedar Hill couple named Frances Stuart and John Joseph Stuart (at right, after his recent arrest on unrelated charges -- more on that below). I just tried to reach the Stuarts at the Coppell business and got a recording saying that the phone had been temporarily disconnected. I also left a message for them at the Student Resource Center, a virtually identical business that Frances set up in May, using a downtown Dallas address. My original blog post about consumer complaints led me to do a little digging about the Stuarts. I discovered that John had been convicted of sexually exploiting a child in Arizona, was a registered sex offender -- and had failed to tell police that he was working at the prep center. Cedar Hill police responded by arresting him. The AG's office says the Stuarts' telemarketers made calls to several states, "falsely telling parents that their children had expressed an interest" in test-prep software. Many who bought the material "discovered that the CD they received matched an outdated, 2006 version that was offered by a nationally recognized company" for far less. The Stuarts have previously denied wrongdoing. I last heard from them early this month, when Frances posted a comment on another of my blog posts and told me to "go to hell." ![]() ![]() The entry "AG sues owners of Coppell test-prep company" is tagged: Cedar Hill , college prep , consumer , Coppell , downtown Dallas , Frances Stuart , fraud , John Stuart , lawsuit , SAT and ACT Prep Center , sex offender , Student Resource Center , telemarketing , test-prep software , Texas attorney general
1. Food and Drug Administration data found that "deviations" from good food-manufacturing processes were found in nearly a third of 16,500 safety inspections during the last fiscal year, the Chicago Tribune reported. 2. So you want to eat organic food and are willing to pay the higher price. Can you be sure you're getting what you're buying? The agency responsible for ensuring such authenticity is overworked and understaffed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Do you have a tip these or other subjects? Send me an e-mail or leave me a comment. Like social networking? Follow us on Twitter at DMNInvestigates and ReeseDunklin. You can also join our Facebook group at DallasNews Digs. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Is food safety under scrutiny enough?" is tagged: Department of Agriculture , FDA , Food and Drug Administration , Food Inc. processing , health , National Organic Program , overhaul , safety inspections , USDA Organic , violations July 15, 2009
1. The North Texas Tollway Authority is taking new steps to warn wrong-way drivers, Dallas Morning News transportation writer Michael Lindenberger reports. Read Michael's blog for more discussion about whether the blame for recent crashes lies entirely with drunken drivers or also with tollway design. 2. The recent Supreme Court decision requiring lab analysts to testify in court about their findings is a huge boost for crime suspects, The Washington Post reports. "This is the biggest case for the defense since Miranda," a defense lawyer tells the paper. Legal-minded readers, are you seeing any local impact yet? Do you have a tip about tollways? Lab analysts? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas Tollway crashes all about DWI?" is tagged: crime suspects , Dallas Morning News , defense , drunken drivers , DWI , lab analysts , Michael Lindenberger , Miranda , North Texas Tollway Authority , Supreme Court , testify , tollway design , transportation blog , Washington Post , wrong-way crashes July 13, 2009
1. We all know canines can help track escaped prisoners. But can they correctly ID crime suspects? There are growing questions about the only dog handler in Texas who does scent-identification lineups, the Victoria Advocate reports. A faulty dog ID recently sent a South Texas man to jail for a rape he didn't commit. Some judges have now barred the handler -- Fort Bend County Deputy Sheriff Keith Pikett -- from testifying. 2. Gov. Rick Perry gave sheriffs $2 million to install Webcams on the Mexican border. But few arrests and drug busts have resulted, an El Paso Times investigation shows. Do you have a tip about dogs or dog handlers? Drugs? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Texas dog handler catching criminals?" is tagged: deputy sheriff , dog handler , drug bust , El Paso Times , Fort Bend County , Gov. Rick Perry , identify suspects , illegal immigrant , Keith Pikett , Mexican border , Victoria Advocate , Webcam July 10, 2009
1. Dallas banned public display of real-looking toy guns in 2007. But that did not stop a couple of guys from nearly getting shot by police recently, as The Dallas Morning News' Steve Thompson reports today. Do we need a law that bans the replicas outright, as other governments have tried? Who makes these products? Why is their manufacture allowed? Why do parents buy them for their kids? 2. The New York Times says John Shipley, an FBI agent in Texas, has been charged with running an unlicensed business: dealing guns that ended up in Mexico, used in narco-vs.-army shootouts. Do you have a tip about real guns? Fake guns? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Fake guns can be really deadly in Dallas" is tagged: army , ban , Dallas police , fake guns , FBI , John Shipley , manufacture , Mexico , narco , New York Times , parental responsibility , public display , replica guns , shootouts , toy guns , unlicensed gun dealer July 9, 2009
Now let's look at a mansion in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. Printz is a real estate lawyer. He sold the seven-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bath place for about $6 million, public records show. Records show that he also owns 80 acres of undeveloped land a little further north, in Napa Valley. His business partner, James S. Goody, owns about five acres there, plus a home in San Francisco valued at $1.7 million. I could not locate them for comment this afternoon. The Web site for their company, Bay Equity Real Estate Acquisitions, lists no contact information. A phone number I found elsewhere online is answered by a recording that does not state the company's name. ![]() ![]() The entry "Sweltering Pleasant Grove apartments: Follow the money to California real estate bigwigs" is tagged: air conditioning , apartment complex , Balch Springs , bankruptcy , Barclay Square , Bay Equity Real Estate Acquisitions , Brian Printz , court hearing , heat , James Goody , Kenneth Chaiken , Louisiana , low income , mansion , Marin County , Napa Valley , Oklahoma , Pleasant Grove , San Francisco , Texas Bay Barclay Square , Zillow.com
1. Who are the Texas textbook advisers saying that Thurgood Marshall and Cesar Chavez are not major figures in U.S. history? One is a Massachusetts evangelical named Peter Marshall, whose Web site would be happy to sell you books, DVDs and more. The other is a North Texas evangelical named David Barton, whose Web site would be happy to sell you books, DVDs and more. 2. Most of America lives in major metro areas. But we urbanites and suburbanites aren't getting our fair share of federal transportation stimulus money, a New York Times analysis suggests. Do you have a tip about textbooks? Stimulus spending? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Who are the Texas textbook advisers?" is tagged: adviser , Cesar Chavez , curriculum standards , David Barton , evangelical , federal spending , metro areas , Peter Marshall , public schools , social studies , textbooks , The New York Times , Thurgood Marshall , transportation stimulus , WallBuilders July 8, 2009
1. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn uses more taxpayer dollars on travel than any of his colleagues. The Texas Republican says the Politico.com report was "a little bit of a cheap shot," according to WFAA-TV/Channel 8. 2. Should students have the right to carry concealed weapons on college campuses? Is Texas going to give the gun lobby its big break on this issue? The Wall Street Journal has an interesting national roundup today. Do you have a tip about politicians' spending? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Texas Sen. Cornyn has big travel bill" is tagged: Channel 8 , college campus , concealed weapons , gun lobby , John Cornyn , Politico.com , taxpayer , travel spending , Wall Street Journal , WFAA-TV July 7, 2009
1. Despite Six Flags Over Texas' best efforts, some info is finally getting out about what went wrong with the Texas Giant last week. The wooden roller coaster promises "sheer white-knuckle terror" when it's working right. Sounds like its failure was pretty scary, too -- a safety inspector told me the last car on the train lost its proper track position and was dragged up to 300 feet, gouging the rails. 2. Six Flags isn't the only amusement park with safety problems. Federal regulators are investigating a deadly monorail crash that occurred early Sunday at Disney World, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Do you have a tip about amusement parks? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: New Six Flags coaster-failure details" is tagged: Disney World , failure , fatal crash , federal regulators , inspector , monorail , NTSB , Orlando Sentinel , safety problems , Six Flags Over Texas , Texas Giant , The Dallas Morning News , wooden roller coaster July 6, 2009
1. George Orwell would have appreciated this: Some students who failed the TAKS test are counted as passing for purposes of new school accountability rankings, Dallas Morning News reporters Holly Hacker and Jeffrey Weiss showed. Why? A formula predicts that these failers are likely to pass the next time. What if the prediction is wrong? No problem. The schools' rankings don't drop. 2. Charter schools are privately run, but we taxpayers finance them. So the government exercises fiscal oversight, right? Wrong, reports The Dallas Morning News' Matthew Haag. Onto that stage steps Imagine Schools, a nationwide charter school management company with a real estate program that some officials say hurts students. It's planning to expand into McKinney next year. State officials OK'd the move despite concerns that Imagine lacked non-profit status. Do you have a tip about school testing? Charter schools? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Love those Texas school-rule loopholes" is tagged: accountability rankings , charter schools , failing , fiscal oversight , formula , Holly Hacker , Imagine Schools , Jeffrey Weiss , management company , Matthew Haag , McKinney , non-profit status , passing , publicly financed , TAKS , taxpayers , TEA , Texas Education Agency July 2, 2009
Spokeswoman Sharon Parker said today that hot, dry weather caused misalignment of the wooden track. The ride will remain closed all day today, she added. But she did not initially answer this question: Did any riders report pain or injury when the ride was stopped Monday afternoon? Late today, she emailed this response: "Our First Aid department did not inform me of any." Amusement parks must tell the Texas Department of Insurance about all injuries that require a physician's attention, TDI spokesman Jerry Hagins said. But they only need to file reports quarterly, so there's no way to get new info today. State officials do not inspect the rides or require owners to notify them when safety problems arise. The state does require owners' insurance companies to hire an inspector. That person must perform an annual check and certify to the state that rides are fit to operate.
![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Six Flags Over Texas update " is tagged: annual check , certificate , hot weather , injury report , inspect , insurance company , Jerry Hagins , misalignment , pain , roller coaster , safety problems , Sharon Parker , Six Flags Over Texas , sticker , Texas Department of Insurance , Texas Giant , wooden track
1. The Wall Street Journal humorously pulls back the curtain on a "going out of business" expert in Dallas. Carpet salesman Cyrus Hassankola even called his business Going Out of Business at one point, until the Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office took note. 2. A federal lawsuit accuses Dallas electricity retailer Stream Energy of operating a pyramid scheme, Dallas Morning News reporter Elizabeth Souder writes. The company hotly denies the claim and says it uses the time-honored multi-level marketing approach of Mary Kay. The suit takes aim at Stream's marketing arm, Ignite, whose Web site includes this pitch: "Find out how you can make money on your energy bill. Wouldn't you like to get paid every time you turn on the power?" Do you have a tip about rug sales? Multi-level marketing? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. Or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallasite forever going out of business" is tagged: Better Business Bureau , carpets , degregulation , electricity , Elizabeth Souder , federal lawsuit , going out of business , Ignite Inc. , liquidation , Mark Kay , pyramid scheme , rugs. Cyrus Hassankola , sales , Stream Energy , Texas attorney general , The Dallas Morning News , The Wall Street Journal July 1, 2009
But spokeswoman Sharon Parker won't talk about what's wrong, beyond saying that staff "detected an error with one of the cars on the track." What kind of error? "I haven't been given that information yet," she told me. "I'm just holding tight until the engineers provide me with that information." Why aren't they telling people more? Parker's response: "Our priority right now is getting to the root of it and making sure that we get it up and running safely. To me that's the No. 1 priority. I'm in constant communication with them. When the time is appropriate they will let me know, and I will convey that information to you guys. Until that time there is nothing else to share." The ride is scheduled for a $10 million renovation next year, as my newspaper reported in March. No major injuries were reported on the ride last year, according to this terrific searchable database published by the San Antonio Express-News. It covers all injury reports that Texas amusement parks must make to the state Department of Insurance. Six Flags made headlines last month when its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection. ![]() ![]() The entry "They won't talk: Six Flags Over Texas" is tagged: amusement park , bankruptcy , engineers , renovation , safety , San Antonio Express-News , Sharon Parker , Six Flags Over Texas , Texas Department of Insurance , Texas Giant
1. Here's the most interesting proposal I've heard in a while: a a national database of undiagnosed diseases. The idea was inspired by the mysterious death of a suburban Austin boy named Charles August "Cal" Long, the Austin American-Statesman reports. It summarizes the goal this way: "doctors and scientists could describe symptoms, exchange information and compile data that could be used to solve medical mysteries." Two Texas legislators recently introduced a bill in Congress -- Rep. Michael Burgess, who is a physician from North Texas, and Rep. John Carter of Central Texas, who long ago lost one of his own children to an unknown disease. 2. The Social Security Administration is not only paying benefits to the dead, it's also denying aid to living folks who are misclassified as deceased. Here's the inspector general's report on which McClatchy Newspapers based its story. Do you have a tip about death, or databases, or another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Texans want mystery-disease database" is tagged: Austin American-Statesman , Cal Long , death benefits , denying aid , inspector general , McClatchy Newspapers , misclassified as dead , national database , Social Security , U.S. Rep. John Carter , U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess , undiagnosed diseases June 30, 2009
1. Another day, another long high-speed chase: This morning a woman eluded Dallas-area police officers for almost two hours. Yesterday a man did it for about 90 minutes. Dallas police themselves stayed out of the way -- their tight restrictions on speeding got even tighter last year after an officer racing to a disturbance without lights or siren killed a 10-year-old boy named Cole Berardi (lower right). 2. The latest reason to fear Veterans Affairs hospitals: A doctor who treated prostate cancer patients delivered faulty radiation implants in 92 of 116 cases, The New York Times reports. This comes right on the heels of the scandal over dirty colonoscopy equipment, which apparently infected patients with AIDS and hepatitis. Here's a full report from the VA's inspector general. Do you have a tip about police policy? VA hospitals? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Dallas County chases worth the risks?" is tagged: AIDS , Cole Berardi , colonoscopy , constables , Dallas police , dirty equipment , Gary Kao , hepatitis , high-speed chase , inspector general , policy , pursuit , radiation oncologist , restrictions , speeding , VA hospitals , Veterans Affairs June 29, 2009
A number of grassroots groups are out to scuttle the application of John Hall, a former top Texas environmental official, to be regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. That's because Hall has been working as a lobbyist for more than a decade, representing big petrochemical companies, Waste Management, and other firms that frequently clash with anti-pollution activists. The opponents contend that Hall -- who has made as much as $9 million as a lobbyist since 1998 -- is hopelessly conflicted out of running the EPA in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. They also weren't thrilled with his tenure as chairman of the old Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, predecessor of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, from 1991-95. They plan a press conference Tuesday morning outside the EPA's regional office in downtown Dallas. Hall defends his performance in state office and his work as a lobbyist. He says he has scrupulously avoided conflicts of interest. ![]() ![]() The entry "In print: Groups target possible EPA regional chief" is tagged: Al Armendariz , Environmental Protection Agency , EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson , John Hall , Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
1. If you missed this yesterday, don't miss it now: My enterprising colleagues Lee Hancock and Katie Fairbank showed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has known for decades about sand issues related to Dallas' levees. But now, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the agency is finally digging for more info. That could mean many millions in extra expenses for the Trinity River Corridor Project. 2. Friday's Hot Link #2 wondered about the safety of DART's automated systems that are supposed to keep trains from getting too close to one another. Here are some answers from transit agency spokesman Morgan Lyons, courtesy of Dallas Morning News transportation writer Michael Lindenberger. These questions are on our minds, of course, because of last week's Metrorail disaster in DC that killed nine people. Do you have a tip about the Trinity project? Commuter trains? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Katrina + sand = Dallas river woes" is tagged: automated systems , commuter trains , Dallas Area Rapid Transit , Dallas City Hall , DART , DC , disaster , Hurricane Katrina , Katie Fairbank , Lee Hancock , levees , light rail , Metrorail , Michael Lindenberger , Morgan Lyons , sand , Trinity River Corridor Project , U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , Washington June 26, 2009
1. Arlington police suspected Jason Farrington of fracturing his baby's skull in March. But they didn't think they had enough evidence to arrest him. Child Protective Services let Mom take baby home from the hospital after she promised Dad wouldn't live with them. Now 4-month-old Jayden Farrington is dead, Dallas Morning News ace crime reporter Steve Thompson reports. And Dad is finally in jail. 2. Also lost in the celebrity shuffle: There's growing evidence that a technology failure contributed to the commuter-train crash that killed nine people Monday in the nation's capital, The Washington Post reports. How safe are similar systems here? Do you have a tip about CPS? Commuter trains? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at "DMNInvestigates." ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Why did Arlington baby have to die?" is tagged: Arlington , child abuse , Child Protective Services , commuter train , CPS , crash , Jason Farrington , Jayden Farrington , Metrorail , police , skull fracture , Steve Thompson , technology failure , Washington Post June 23, 2009
1. Another month, another mass-transit disaster: This latest one, which killed at least seven people in the nation's capital, was supposed to be impossible, The Washington Post reports. A computer should apply brakes automatically if trains get too close. Another mystery: The driver of the train that crashed had a clear line of sight but apparently never braked, either. Was she incapacitated? Using a cell phone, like the drivers I wrote about last month? 2. Another week, another higher-ed exec getting paid by taxpayers not to work: Tarrant County College Chancellor Leonardo de la Garza has quit with two years left on his contract -- but still will receive $700,000, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The story lacks much context; go to the Fort Worth Weekly for that. Last week, Elsa Murano quit as Texas A&M boss. Here's her deal, as reported yesterday by my colleague Holly Hacker: "She will be on leave for a year and keep her president's $425,000 salary, plus an additional $295,000, and she agreed not to sue. She plans to return as a professor, at a $260,000 salary." Do you have a tip about mass transit? Higher ed? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Why are commuter trains crashing?" is tagged: brakes , cell phone , commuter train , computer , crash , DART , Elsa Murano , Fort Worth Star-Telegram , Holly Hacker , Leonardo de la Garza , Metrorail , paid not to work , resigned early , Tarrant County College , taxpayers , Texas A&M , The Dallas Morning News , Washington Post June 22, 2009
1. The entire back page is about Zicam, a line of homeopathic cold remedies. "Based on the FDA's recommendations, we have voluntarily taken two nasal products off the shelves," the ad says. But it never says what the safety issue is: Hundreds of users claim the non-prescription products have destroyed their sense of smell. The manufacturer, Matrixx Initiatives, disputes this -- but also has paid millions to settle claims from customers, The New York Times reports. Another thing the ad doesn't mention is this sharply worded warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2. Back up to yesterday's paper for an excellent set-up piece on the Dallas City Hall corruption trial, which is getting under way this morning in federal court. My colleague Jason Trahan did a terrific job of laying out the issues and the players. This morning's update: Developer-defendants Brian and Cheryl Potashnik didn't show up in court. Do you have a tip about over-the-counter drugs? The City Hall trial? Another subject? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: This ad is nothing to sneeze at" is tagged: advertising , anosmia , Brian Potashnik , Cheryl Potashnik , cold remedies , consumer complaints , corruption , D'Angelo Lee , Dallas City Hall , Don Hill , FDA , federal court , Food and Drug Administration , homeopathic , Judge Barbara Lynn , Matrixx Initiatives , nasal gel , non-prescription , over the counter , Ray Jackson , Sheila Hill , smell , trial , voluntary removal , warning letter , Zicam June 12, 2009
1. Recession? What recession? Irving's City Council voted last night to pay City Manager Tommy Gonzalez more than $390,000 a year. That makes him the highest paid city manager in the area and maybe the state, my dogged colleague Brandon Formby reports. Gonzalez made news last week with text messages saying the Dallas Cowboys organization "pushes things thru" City Hall and built a practice facility that "probably never was structurally sound enough." He made those observations shortly after the facility collapsed; Brandon obtained the texts with an open-records request. 2. Frontiers of outsourcing: Southwest Airlines has reversed course and will use a company in El Salvador, Aeroman, to perform some "heavy" maintenance work. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: The richest city manager of them all?" is tagged: Aeroman , Brandon Formby , Brooks Egerton , City Manager Tommy Gonzalez , collapse , Dallas Cowboys , El Salvador , highest paid , Irving City Council , maintenance , open-records request , outsourcing , pay raise , practice facility , salary , Southwest Airlines June 9, 2009
1. Judges must not hear cases involving major campaign contributors, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. So what do we do in Texas with litigation involving billionaire home builder Bob Perry, who has given big bucks to all nine justices on the state's highest court? 2. Many new details of the tainted-syringe scandal are emerging in a ProPublica/Chicago Tribune report. It paints a chilling picture of problems at the Food and Drug Administration. Among the four people who've died is a Texas toddler. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: What if all the judges have a conflict? " is tagged: Bob Perry , campaign contributions , Chicago Tribune , conflict of interest , donors , FDA , Food and Drug Administration , ProPublica , recusal , tainted syringes , Texas Supreme Court , U.S. Supreme Court June 8, 2009
First, they have disclosed the name used by a man who received the funds: William "Bill" Ryan. They describe him as white, in his 60s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds, with wavy, graying hair. He is "very personable and animated," and has "a distinguishable New York accent." The officials say he is a "con man" who posed as a parishioner and probably is using a fake name. They say they have no photo of him -- but maybe somebody reading this does? Ryan and three others the diocese won't name received a series of Western Union payments in New York "over three and a half months," diocese spokeswoman Annette Gonzales Taylor said. She said the FBI has dropped its inquiry into the matter without coming to any conclusions about what happened. The FBI would not confirm or deny that. ![]() ![]() The entry "Can you help find Irving church's lost money?" is tagged: Annette Gonzales Taylor , Anthony "Tony" Densmore , Brooks Egerton , Church of the Incarnation , Dallas Catholic Diocese , FBI , Irving , missing funds , New York , scam , University of Dallas , Western Union , William "Bill" Ryan
1. Many readers are outraged by Jennifer Emily's story on a cop who was caught on audiotape ignoring a robbery suspect's request for an attorney. They complain that the Dallas DA's office is soft on crime because it dismissed robbery charges against Mario Wright; they don't like The Dallas Morning News' slant on the story. Now, I share their frustration that a violent man might have escaped justice. But folks, think before you whine: Cops who don't follow the rules wreck cases for prosecutors. And it's a waste of taxpayer money to pursue cases you can't win in court. 2. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, is mad at the press, too. He says liberal media bias is a greater threat to the nation than recession or terrorism. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Hot Links: Let's blame the media!" is tagged: Dallas County district attorney , Hot Links , Jennifer Emily , Jeremy Liebbe , liberal media bias , Mario Wright , Miranda , recession , request an attorney , robbery , terrorism , U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith
The 2000 U.S. Census did show that Plano's population at the time was 10.2 percent Asian. But that percentage was made up of several separate Asian populations, who speak different languages. But the Asian populations are believed to have grown, so Plano is watching closely to see what happens with the 2010 census, said Diane Zucco, the city's secretary. "While we may have seen a marked increase in the Asian population, it's not reflected during elections yet, because we have not had a census since 2000," she said. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Multilingual ballot rules" is tagged: Asian , ballots , elections , Plano , Problem Solver , voter rights May 27, 2009
1. We're No. 2!!! Dallas is celebrating the loss of its standing as the big city with the worst crime rate in America, The Dallas Morning News' Tanya Eiserer reports. But keep reading her report to find the caveats. 2. We're No. 1!!! Dallas County is cementing its standing as the nation's leader in exonerations. Jerry Lee Evans is the latest man to go free for a heinous crime he didn't commit, The Dallas Morning News' Jennifer Emily reports. 3. We're not as bad as Mexico!!! The Los Angeles Times offers a new measure today of how far narco-corruption has spread into local governments in our neighbor to the south. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, May 27, 2009" is tagged: corruption , crime rate , Dallas , DNA , exoneration , Jennifer Emily , Jerry Lee Evans , Mexico , statistics , Tanya Eiserer May 21, 2009
1. They're not calling it another exoneration, but that's what it amounts to: Antrone Johnson won a retrial Wednesday for a sexual assault that the original prosecutor's notes say never happened, The Dallas Morning News' Jennifer Emily reports. Dallas County DA Craig Watkins says he won't retry Johnson. (Sidebar: Anybody out there know what has become of the defendant's original lawyer, Vivian Ray Davis, who was convicted of bribing another prosecutor and surrendered his law license?) 2. DA Watkins, meanwhile, is warring over money with powerful fellow Democrat John Wiley Price, The News' Gromer Jeffers Jr. reports. What will the outcome of the budget fight mean for justice? 3. Here's a breaking story I want to know more about: American Airlines pilot fails breath test and is barred from operating a London-Chicago flight. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, May 21, 2009" is tagged: American Airlines , Antrone Johnson , breath test , budget , Chicago , Craig Watkins , Dallas County district attorney , exoneration , Gromer Jeffers , Jennifer Emily , John Wiley Price , London , Patricia Hogue , pilot , Ray Davis , sexual assault May 20, 2009
The Texas attorney general's office built this little database, which shows that donations to many of the fund-raising groups are not tax-deductible. And a lot of the donations go to overhead, not to needy cops. "Each year, many generous Texans provide financial support to organizations that purport to benefit peace officers and their families," AG Greg Abbott said. "The online resource launched today ensures contributors have easy access to these organizations' financial information. As a result, Texans can make informed decisions and determine the percentage of their dollars that will actually benefit peace officers." ![]() ![]() The entry "Telemarketing for Texas cops? Get the facts." is tagged: database , fund raising , law enforcement , telemarketing , telephone soliciting , Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott May 19, 2009
1. Information = immunity for airline workers who report safety violations. But government regulators have tolerated "inconsistent use" and "potential abuse" of the reporting program, The Dallas Morning News' Dave Michaels writes. His story is based on a federal safety audit that began after a Texas mechanic checking on an oil leak was sucked into a jet engine. 2. Abuse of mentally disabled people at the Corpus Christi State School was far worse than state officials claimed, records obtained by Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw show. 3. I see Dallas smokers toss their butts on the ground every day, and it drives me nuts. But is San Francisco's new plan -- a 33 cents-per-pack trash tax -- the way to go? Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, May 19, 2009" is tagged: abuse , airline safety , ASAP program , aviation , cigarette , Continental airlines , Corpus Christi State School , Dave Michaels , Emily Ramshaw , FAA , fight club , government regulators , inspector general , mechanic , mentally disabled , open records , San Francisco , trash tax May 15, 2009
A reader of my blog post yesterday said DART should follow Massachusetts' lead and ban drivers from carrying the things. Massachusetts acted after a Boston trolley driver crashed while texting, injuring 49 (lower right). "It bothers me, especially given the driving habits of some DART operators, that many of them wear Bluetooths (Blueteeth?) or talk on handsets while driving," the reader wrote. "Driving distracted when you're hauling people seems criminally stupid." DART spokesman Morgan Lyons says violators face the full range of discipline, including termination. He says there is no talk at the transit agency of banning bus and light rail drivers from carrying phones. DART changed course in 2000 and began allowing drivers (except Trinity Railway Express engineers) to carry cell phones on duty, the memo shows. But the phones were supposed to be out of sight, turned off and used only in emergencies. ![]() ![]() The entry "Should DART drivers carry cell phones?" is tagged: Addison , Arapaho , Boston , Brooks Egerton , bus , cell phone policy , Dallas , DART , Irving , Southern California , train crash , trolley crash May 14, 2009
1. Dallas' venerable Majestic Theatre is in deep trouble, Channel 8 reports. DSM Management Group is punting control back to the city at a time when the overall economy stinks and the Majestic is about to face new competition from the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. 2. Worried about those bus/train drivers who love their cell phones too much? Massachusetts is cracking down after a trolley operator who was texting his sweetheart injured nearly 50 people in a crash. Should DART follow suit? Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, May 14, 2009" is tagged: Boston , bus , cell phone ban , crash , Dallas Center for the Performing Arts , DART , DSM Management Group , Majestic Theatre , public transit , texting , train , trolley May 13, 2009
1. Looking for broader perspective on the case of the North Texas soldier accused of killing five fellow troops in Iraq? Check out this award-winning investigation by the Hartford Courant. 2. Federal law bars nonprofit groups from engaging in partisan politics. But it apparently allows a foundation funded by some of Gov. Rick Perry's wealthiest backers to court pastors at election time, according to Dallas Morning News writer Wayne Slater. Here's a tax filing by the Niemoller Foundation, which dubbed its wooing campaign the Texas Restoration Project. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, May 13, 2009" is tagged: Hartford Courant , Iraq , IRS , mental health , Niemoller Foundation , nonprofit , Rick Perry , Sherman , soldiers , tax law , Texas Restoration Project , Wayne Slater May 12, 2009
1. Your car warranty is about to expire!!! So claim the automated phone calls that pester Americans by the millions and that a U.S. senator wants to stop. 2. Federal regulators accuse former Dallas Cowboys player Michael Kiselak, his Westlake firm and related parties of misleading investors, The Dallas Morning News' Eric Torbenson reports. An online bio says Kiselak also founded the Sports Business Network to help fellow ex-pro athletes. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, May 12, 2009" is tagged: automated phone calls , car warranty , consumer , Dallas Cowboys , fraud , investors , Kiselak , Michael Kiselak , SEC , Sports Business Network , Westlake May 11, 2009
A couple of them wrote to me to complain about how American Airlines handled the weather. I'm aware of what bad weather does to airline schedules since I've had plans disrupted waiting for my husband - an American pilot - to get home. So I made some calls. One reader was really happy with how things turned out. The other -- not so much. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Air travel weather woes" is tagged: airport , American Airlines , delays , luggage , Problem Solver , storms , Weather May 6, 2009
I heard from David Walters, a Certified Public Accountant in DeSoto, about problems he experienced with late postmarks. "I mailed an envelope with 30 corporation tax extensions on March 16, 2009 (due date for mailing is Mar 15, which fell on a Sunday.) The postmark showed March 19 !! The IRS disallowed all 30 extensions," he wrote. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: More post office problems" is tagged: April 15 , Internal Revenue Service , IRS , post office , problem solver , tax deadline May 5, 2009
The engineer says he didn't work long at builder Summit Structures and didn't have much to do with the project. Dallas' Manhattan Construction Co., the general contractor, says it, too, had little involvement. The company listed as civil engineer on a building permit application says it had no involvement at all. What's next? Stay tuned. ![]() ![]() The entry "Cowboys update: One engineer, two collapses" is tagged: Brandon Formby , Brooks Egerton , collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , Duraweave , Enrique Tabak , Halff Associates , Intertape Polymer Group , Irving , Jim Kumpula , Manhattan Construction , microburst , National Weather Service , New England Patriots , OSHA , Philadelphia , practice facility , Summit Structures , training facility , WinStar World Casino
2. Plano's new animal-control rules are causing confusion. Plano beatwriter Ted Kim has a handy tip sheet to help. (Residents, for instance, can be fined for failing to "visibly carry" pooper scoopers when walking pets.) 3. A government panel said yesterday that KBR, the Houston-based contractor assisting U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, is the subject of at least 16 reports of alleged fraud or improper conduct. A company spokeswoman defended KBR's record and told the Associated Press that it has been quick to report employee wrongdoing.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Tuesday, May, 5, 2009" is tagged: Afghanistan , animal control , constables , contractors , Department of Public Safety , DPS , Iraq , KBR , Pets , Plano May 3, 2009
So was this building just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It's an odd thought, given that the whole point of the steel-framed, fabric-covered building is to give the team a place to practice in bad weather. The manufacturers, Summit Structures and Cover-All Building Systems, tout their work in building other sports facilities, including ones for the New England Patriots and Texas A&M. But I can't find any mention on the company Web sites of the Cowboys facility. Why? Another issue we're looking at: A Summit-built warehouse in Pennsylvania partially collapsed during a 2003 snowstorm, less than two months after opening. A 2007 court order blamed Summit for design flaws. "We design for snow load and wind load," an executive for the manufacturers told a Canadian newspaper in 2003, as I reported today in The News. "It's not a bubble."
![]() ![]() The entry "Why did the Cowboys practice facility collapse?" is tagged: bubble , collapse , Cover-All Building Systems , Dallas Cowboys , design flaws , Irving , New England Patriots , Philadelphia , practice facility , Summit Structures , Texas A&M , warehouse collapse May 2, 2009
Barton demanded corrective action or else he'd blitz with proposed legislation. After the House subcommittee hearing in Washington, a spokesman for the lambasted system said, "Any time Congress speaks, you take it seriously." So what pressing matter is at issue? College football's method for picking its best team. Now, I love college football. Great atmosphere. Better than the NFL, I say. But as the Associated Press reminds us, "Congress is grappling with a crowded agenda of budgets, health care overhaul and climate change." I might add one of the worst economies since the Great Depression and two years-long wars. Setting aside any discussion about whether college football actually needs a better system, I wonder if this is really the best use of congressmen's and their staff's time? How much did the travel and preparation for this hearing cost taxpayers? Watch an excerpt from the hearing and tell me what you think. ![]() ![]() The entry "Congressmen tire of "BS," vow action in hearing" is tagged: BCS , Bobby Rush , Bowl Championship Series , college football , Joe Barton , national championship , playoff system May 1, 2009
2. Rich guys with money trouble, Part II: Another Dallas financier has been accused of participating in a pay-to-play scheme involving a big New York pension fund, Dallas Morning News reporter Brendan Case writes. This time it's Saul Meyer of Aldus Equity, who denies wrongdoing. Previously, hedge fund manager/classical music impresario Barrett Wissman pleaded guilty in the case. 3. For much of the world beyond our borders, today is Labor Day. So here's a sweet little tale from the Austin American-Statesman about government rewarding strike breakers. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Friday, May 1, 2009" is tagged: Austin , Barrett Wissman , Capital Metro , Dallas Stars , Mesquite rodeo , pay to play , pension fund , public transit , Saul Meyer , strike breaking , Texas Rangers , Tom Hicks April 30, 2009
1. I said it in yesterday's Hot Links, and I'll say it again: Swine-flu news coverage needs more perspective. Every kind of flu kills. Today's gold star for combating hysteria goes to this report in the Los Angeles Times. 2. Dallas Morning News reporter Tanya Eiserer dug out the outrage story of the day: A police officer who was branded a liar, fired and banned from testifying got his job back and went right on testifying. Now an untold number of court cases may be ruined. 3. Federal transportation officials are finally ordering a national review of bus safety. This comes after a series of deadly accidents, including one blamed on a retread tire that killed 17 religious pilgrims near Dallas. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 30, 2009" is tagged: bus crash , bus safety , Dallas County district attorney , Dallas police , hysteria , pilgrims , Randy Sundquist , retread , Sherman , swine flu , Tanya Eiserer April 29, 2009
Here's what I've learned: SAT and ACT Prep Center co-owner John Joseph Stuart (right) is a registered sex offender. He was convicted of sexually exploiting a child in Arizona six years ago. State law requires offenders to tell authorities where they live and work. Stuart apparently did fine on the first requirement -- he disclosed his address to police in the Dallas suburb of Cedar Hill, where he owns a home. But he didn't tell the cops about the prep center, which shares a parking lot with a day care center and is around the corner from Coppell Middle School West. He said he was self-employed as a housing remodeler. Stuart, who is 32, didn't respond to my messages this week. His wife told me to call their attorney, who didn't respond to a message either. ![]() ![]() The entry "Update: Test-prep biz owner has sex-crime past" is tagged: Cedar Hill , consumer complaints , Coppell , day care , John Stuart , middle school , SAT and ACT Prep Center , sex offender registration
I'll try to update this as I find other tools. If I missed something, send me an email, and I'll add it to the list. 1. The World Health Organization has a helpful Web site. The highlights include FAQs on such topics as contracting swine flu, tips for treating it and food safety measures. You can check the flu's stage in the pandemic alert chart, download audio and print press briefings, and sign up for RSS feeds. 2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has its own FAQs, counts U.S. cases and posts travel advisories. You can download podcasts and guides for treating sick children, pregnant women and airline passengers. And if you love Twitter, you can follow the CDC's tweets. 3. In Texas, the Department of State Health Services dedicates a page, which includes the latest press releases. Dallas County, Tarrant County and Collin County are tracking the number of local cases. 4. The Association of Health Care Journalists has links to video of government hearings and downloadable transcripts of officials' testimony. Other links are available only to members. 5. Last but not least, DallasNews.com has a survival guide with additional tools, Web links, Twitter pages and archives of news stories. ![]() ![]() The entry "Tracking swine flu: Resources and tools " is tagged: CDC , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Department of State Health Services , outbreak , resources , swine flu , WHO , World Health Organization
1. I understand why people are concerned about swine flu. But how about a little perspective? Other kinds of influenza kill tens of thousands of people around the U.S. every year, as this government report reminds us. 2. No Child Left Behind, the law that Dallas' W touted so highly, isn't closing the achievement gap between whites and minorities, The New York Times reports. 3. Texas appears ready to join many other states in protecting reporters who protect their sources, writes Dallas Morning News reporter Terrence Stutz. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, April 29, 2009" is tagged: achievement gap , CDC , confidential sources , George W. Bush , influenza , journalists , No Child Left Behind , shield law , swine flu , Texas Legislature April 24, 2009
Now that they've lost that fight, we're learning that there have been at least 19 serious strikes at D/FW International Airport in recent years and two more at Dallas Love Field. The Dallas Morning News and other media sought the data after North Texas native Chesley Sullenberger (right) landed a bird-crippled jet in New York's Hudson River. Check out the Federal Aviation Administration data for yourself, if you like. ![]() ![]() The entry "Bird strikes seriously damage 19 planes at D/FW " is tagged: aviation , bird strikes , Chesley Sullenberger , D/FW International Airport , data , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , jet , Love Field , open records , secrecy , U.S. Airways Flight 1549
Here are a few public-interest stories catching our eye in The Dallas Morning News and around the Web-o-sphere: 1. Can Dr. Alfred Gilman make Texas' cancer-research dreams come true? Dallas Morning News science expert Sue Goetinck Ambrose says he's quitting as dean of UT Southwestern's medical school in hopes that he can. But funding is a huge question mark, as Sue recently showed. 2. Big corporations that questioned whether fossil-fuel emissions contributed to global warming ignored their own scientific advisers, The New York Times reports. 3. URGENT! Can we get an investigative reporter to check this out? Seriously, this Austin American-Statesman headline is the funniest thing I've seen in a newspaper for a while: Biden visits to speak at private Democratic fund raiser; police investigate Austin bank robbery
Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Friday, April 24, 2009" is tagged: Alfred Gilman , cancer research , global warming , greenhouse gases , Joe Biden , lobbying , UT Southwestern April 23, 2009
1. A sports development without public financing? Minor league baseball near downtown Dallas? That's what these guys say. The site was once considered for the new Cowboys stadium, which is now going up in Arlington. Last we heard, development was not exactly booming in that area. Or at Dallas' Victory project. 2. I like wine just fine. But I'm not so sure about the Texas Legislature's priorities. Lawmakers can't seem to pass a bill requiring pharmaceutical companies to report the gifts they give to health care providers, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw reports. But they are suspending rules and fast-tracking a bill that would allow BYOB at restaurants. Here's the official analysis of S.B. 2523. 3. When illegal immigrants go to jail in the United States, what happens to their children? Some are being adopted by citizens, The New York Times reports. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 23, 2009" is tagged: adoption , arena , BYOB , Cowboys , development , gifts , health care , Hicks , illegal immigrants , minor league baseball , Perot , pharmaceutical companies , restaurant , sports , stadium , Texas Legislature , Victory project , wine April 22, 2009
The Federal Aviation Administration won't get to keep bird strike data secret, after all. The Obama administration's top transportation official overruled a proposed FAA rule to keep data on the strikes from the public. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is scrapping a proposal by the Federal Aviation Administration that would make secret its data on when and where birds and airplanes collide. The Dallas Morning News has a standing Freedom of Information Act request for the data, which was requested after a U.S. Airways jet splashed into the Hudson River on January 15. ![]() ![]() The entry "FAA ordered to release bird strike data" is tagged: airplanes , birds , faa , transportation , wildlife strike database
1. Bad timing for the feds: A top lawyer in the Securities and Exchange Commission's Fort Worth office has been charged with assaulting a police officer. J. Kevin Edmundson is one of the attorneys who's supposed to be focusing on the fraud case against Texas billionaire Allen Stanford. Yes, Stanford's Web site is still up today, but a note on it warns: "As of April 24, 2009, the Stanford Financial website will be redirected to www.stanfordfinancialreceivership.com." 2. Change in our winds? The EPA wants deep cuts in cement kilns' emissions of mercury and other pollutants, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Randy Lee Loftis reports. What will that mean for the kilns in Midlothian, whose emissions often blow right toward nearby Dallas? Stay tuned. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, April 22, 2009" is tagged: Allen Stanford , cement kilns , EPA , fraud , Kevin Edmundson , Midlothian , pollution , SEC April 21, 2009
"The Dallas Morning News does a great job in presenting the issues, but falls short in helping the public react or participate," he wrote. Elected officials seem to send out a lot of bulk campaign mailers with that information, but few of us actually save those for when we need them. We do have the DMN Voters Guide, information on local races and candidates, on our website. And The League of Women Voters also has an incredibly nice interactive guide. Just enter your zip code and it'll break out who represents you. ![]() ![]() The entry "DMN Problem Solver: Reaching elected officials" is tagged: elected officials , problem solver , questions , solutions April 17, 2009
I called the Texas Comptroller's Office after I couldn't find The SAT and ACT Prep Center in the state's online database of sales taxpayers. The comptroller will investigate, spokesman R.J. DeSilva said. Company co-owner John Stuart gave me this reason for not paying: "We don't sell in Texas." But the Better Business Bureau in Dallas says it has received complaints from Texas and around the country. The Texas Attorney General's office now says it, too, is reviewing consumer complaints about the company. ![]() ![]() The entry "Tax officials, AG looking at Coppell test-prep firm" is tagged: ACT , attorney general , college prep , complaint , consumer , refund , SAT , test prep , Texas comptroller
2. Still nervous about eating peanuts and pistachios? In light of recent salmonella outbreaks, a new study by an ex-FDA official recommends an overhaul the nation's food-safety system, The Washington Post reports. The pitch: standardize basic safety rules, improve coordination by streamlining inspectors at all levels under one parent agency, and spend $350 million over five years on underfunded states and cities. 3. The state estimates that about 3 percent of Texas nursing homes have no sprinkler systems, or lack sufficient ones, to prevent fires. A House bill by state Rep. Carol Kent of Dallas would add $3 million in funding for fixing the safety hazards, Robert Garrett of The News' Austin bureau reports. But, we wonder, how are the nursing homes still operating?
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Friday, April 17, 2009" is tagged: Carol Kent , certification , FDA , fire hazards , food safety , Katherine Leal Unmuth , nursing homes , peanuts , pistachios , qualifications , Robert Garrett , salmonella , Teachers April 16, 2009
1. Let's start with a bang: the biggest real-estate bankruptcy in U.S. history. Shopping-mall owner General Growth Properties filed for protection from creditors today. At least for now, it will keep running its malls around the country, including the Galleria and several other big names in the Dallas area. Who wins and who loses from this? 2. Fallout from the collapse of Texas billionaire Allen Stanford's financial empire: Four Dallas-area brokers are accused of profiting from fraudulent CDs sold through an offshore Stanford bank, Dallas Morning News reporter Gary Jacobson writes. 3. Texas Youth Commission workers who were fired during the 2007 abuse scandal could get their jobs back because of a federal judge's ruling, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw writes. How bad was the abuse, which The News played a lead role in uncovering? Check out this video package. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 16, 2009" has no entry tags. April 15, 2009
1. Happy Tax Day! Now sober up and consider this question: Is your tax preparer a crook? No problem, a Fort Worth Star-Telegram investigation finds. It focuses on a woman who has a history of financial crime but continues to work as a storefront tax preparer -- a profession that Texas and most other states don't regulate. Nor are there national standards, the IRS admits. The Fort Worth woman now faces charges that she helped clients cheat the IRS out of millions by claiming bogus dependents and bogus business expenses. 2. Plano ISD is shelving a proposal to quit penalizing middle-schoolers for cheating or late assignments, Dallas Morning News reporter Matthew Haag reports. This comes just a week after Matt showed, using an open-records request, that teachers were dubious about the plan.
Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Wednesday, April 15, 2009" is tagged: Barrett Wissman , Carlyle Group , cheating , corruption , grading , HFV Asset Management , Hunt family , IRS , Matthew Haag , open records , pension fund , Plano ISD , Plano schools , regulation , securities fraud , tax evasion , tax preparer April 12, 2009
1. Is your wallboard making you sick? There are growing complaints about fumes from Chinese drywall, which began pouring into this country after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, the Associated Press reports. Government agencies are investigating, lawsuits are flying in the Southeast, and some national politicians want to ban the stuff. Is there a problem in North Texas? 2. Dallas is not alone in charging drivers a fee for crashing their cars. Other cash-strapped local governments are trying this and even wilder ways to raise money, The New York Times reports. Would you believe a "streetlight user fee?" Know any other charges we ought to check out? 3. State employees who care for Texans with profound disabilities are working huge amounts of overtime, costing taxpayers millions and possibly endangering patients. That's the conclusion of Dallas Morning News database editor Ryan McNeill and investigative reporter Emily Ramshaw. Did I miss a good story? Or do you have a tip? Send me an e-mail and let me know. ![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Sunday, April 12, 2009" is tagged: Chinese drywall , construction , disabled , fumes , housing , overtime , patient care , state employees , state schools , user fees April 9, 2009
According to the BBB: * Telemarketers tell parents that the test-prep software "is somehow connected with the student's high school, or that the student ordered the product." I called company co-owner John Stuart for a response and left a message. He called back and introduced himself as John Miller. Why the different name? "Well, Stuart is my legal last name, but I use the name Miller." Soon he was telling me that the BBB "is nothing but a scam" and that its report of complaints "doesn't carry any weight."
![]() ![]() The entry "Consumer alert on Coppell test-prep company" is tagged: ACT , attorney general , BBB , Better Business Bureau , consumer complaint , SAT , test prep April 7, 2009
VA hospitals in Florida (Miami, at right), Tennessee (Murfreesboro, near Nashville), and Georgia (Augusta) -- and maybe all over the country -- apparently weren't sterilizing a tube between procedures. They were waiting till the end of the day. One colonoscopy patient now has tested positive for HIV, the Associated Press reports. AP has been covering this story for months and previously reported that more than a dozen patients had tested positive for hepatitis. The Veterans Affairs Department says it's investigating whether there's a link between the sterilization failures and the infections. It says the problem was corrected by mid-March. Readers, can you shed light on Texas VA hospitals' sterilization procedures? ![]() ![]() The entry "VA sterilization failures = deadly diseases?" is tagged: colonoscopy , contamination , health care , VA hospital , veterans April 6, 2009
Toronto-based Weizhen Tang targeted Chinese Americans and Chinese Canadians, authorities say. Similar complaints are pending in Canada. His Plano companies include WinWin Capital Management. On his blog, Tang admits hurting investors but denies stealing. Tang raised up to $75 million, the feds say. That's real money, but still a far cry from claims involving the politically well-connected Texas billionaire Allen Stanford. In a new interview with ABC, he denied wrongdoing, cried and threatened to punch a reporter. ![]() ![]() The entry "Another alleged Ponzi, this one in Plano" is tagged: Allen Stanford , investment fraud , Plano , Ponzi schemes , Weizhen Tang
The one Texas case on the list involves Raul Chavez-Beltran. He's accused of helping bring mercury-contaminated soil and other hazardous waste into El Paso from Mexico. Why not just dump it in Mexico? The EPA site doesn't detail the case. We've asked a spokesman for more info. Stay tuned. ![]() ![]() The entry "Environmental crime: EPA's most-wanted list" is tagged: criminal justice , databases , EPA , fugitives
2. The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston received $44,000 in improper royalties for classroom materials used in a statewide pre-K program it runs, the Houston Chronicle reports. The other problem is, university officials had told lawmakers last year they hadn't taken the payments. A state senator and representative are now calling for a review. 3. The White House may require new management at companies that seek federal bailout assistance, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday. Some critics say he has a double standard because, unlike the ouster of GM's chairman last week, he hasn't pushed for leadership change in the banking industry.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Monday, April 6, 2009" is tagged: airline safety , American Airlines , bailout , education , FAA , Geithner , University of Texas April 5, 2009
The Associated Press reports the government is rejecting citizenship bids because the applicants' American spouses died before their green cards were approved and before their marriages reached the two-year mark. This comes amid a U.S. crackdown on foreigners who try to gain residency through sham marriages. In Hanford's case, the 33-year-old who was born in the Philippines came to the U.S. legally with her American-born fiancée. She filed for permanent residency and settled into life in San Antonio. But he died while her application was stuck in bureaucratic red tape. She is now challenging the government's deportation in a San Antonio federal court. Others affected by the "widow provision" include men and women from all countries and walks of life, the AP reports. Among them: a Kosovo native who worked at the United Nations, the wife of a U.S. Border Patrol agent killed in action, and the former head chef for Princess Diana.
![]() ![]() The entry "Widows face deportation as U.S. rejects citizenship" is tagged: citizenship , Immigration , widow provision
1. Our 2006 "Road Hazards" investigation of Texas truck safety found that a fourth of the 953 drivers faulted in fatal crashes earlier this decade had been previously convicted or sentenced to deferred adjudication probation. Now the FBI has linked long-haul truckers to serial killings claiming 500 victims across the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reports. Grapevine police are pursuing one of the truckers. 2. Gas wells tapping into the Barnett Shale have grown by the thousands in D-FW's western counties. Proposed Senate Bill 686 would try to lessen safety risks for residents by letting energy companies run pipelines along state highways rather than through neighborhoods, the Star-Telegram reports.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Sunday, April 5, 2009" is tagged: bailout , big rigs , gas drilling , pipelines , Roads , safety , serial killings April 4, 2009
2. The Texas Education Agency is investigating the severe paddling that sent a Lincoln High student to the doctor with multiple bruises and welts. Dallas ISD police didn't push a criminal case nor did administrators give the state a heads-up. A TEA official said: "It seems that this has been mishandled since the beginning." 3. Another public servant is in legal trouble. A judge granted a protective order against a Dallas police spokesman whose wife accuses him of abusing her son and threatening to kill her. "I'm going to find that family violence has occurred," the judge said.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Saturday, April 4, 2009" is tagged: bailout , bonuses , DISD , Fannie Mae , Freddie Mac , paddling , public servants in legal trouble , TEA April 2, 2009
1.) Going over your boss's head is dicey. Legislatures in states where governors balked at federal stimulus money shouldn't try it either, the White House's budget czar says. This could impact Texas. 2.) The Dallas coach who paddled a kid 21 times broke his board at one point. But he fixed it and continued on, leaving the student with severe bruising that led to a doctor referral. In my youth, one "licking" was enough to leave me whimpering. 3.) Mexico's decision to send 5,000 troops to its Texas-U.S. border shows signs of easing the drug violence. That plan, though, is temporary. 4.) Army Corps of Engineers to Trinity River project: We don't think so.
![]() ![]() The entry "Investigates Hot Links: Thursday, April 2, 2009" is tagged: DISD , drug violence , federal stimulus , Hot Links , Mexico , Trinity River |