Dallas Affordable-Housing Practices Violate Civil Rights Laws. This sort of thing can get really wonky. But millions of dollars are at stake, not to mention the city’s reputation, not to mention actual real people’s lives. So if you want to wrap your arms around the problem a little better, listen to this episode of This American Life. (Seriously. The history of HUD, involving Mitt Romney’s dad, is fascinating. Take the time. Dig in.)
Four Former SMU Frat Brothers Busted in Marijuana Grow Operation. I’d like to know more about this story. The four guys — Louis Michael Olerio, Jr., Jeremy Cash McElroy, Eric Irving Love, and Jeffrey Scott Gannon — are all in their mid-30s, and their grow operation, spread across 11 houses in Richardson and Dallas, started in 2004. So they were a couple years out of school when they started. I hereby call on Joe Tone and his staff at the Observer to tackle this pronto. Take me back to school, when these cats met. Tell me how it happened. I promise to read the story. (Let me know if you need any other ideas.)
Psycho Shanon Back in the Hospital. If you listened to Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, you know the show’s producer, Shanon Murphy, underwent brain surgery last month. There was some concern about infection, and she’s back in the hospital.
