Stories
Story links point to external (
) sites.
Government
Basin Street Blues
(06.07.2011, North Bay Bohemian)
The shady dealings behind Petaluma's Theatre District and the nearly $10 million bill left to the city
New Orleans Tale (Sept. 21, 2005)
Greed, incompetence and stupidity — who says the Bush administration doesn't have a disaster plan for New Orleans?
The truth about Arnold (Feb. 15, 2005)
The movie star poses as a corruption-fighting moderate. But since taking office, he's pursued a blatantly right-wing agenda while raking in big bucks from special interests — and ignoring his own financial conflicts.
Death, Maiming, Money and Muni (Aug. 6, 2003)
Award winning (IRE, AAN) investigation of the San Francisco Muni.
Sleeping with the Auditor (June 6, 2002)
KPMG Peat Marwick does for San Francisco what Arthur Andersen did for Enron.
San Francisco International Airpork (Mar. 22, 2000)
This award-winning story caused the city of San Francisco to sue the general contractor.
Dirty Pool (Aug. 8, 2001)
An outrageous example of municipal corruption during the administration of Mayor Brown.
Rewarding Failure, Part 1 (Nov. 17) and Part 2 (Dec. 9, 1998)
A two-part investigation of the SF Muni public transit system.
Mental Cruelty (June 13, 2001)
Michael Wise and Susan Owsley are recovering schizophrenics who got the right kind of help and got off the street. The mayor’s secret budget cuts will make sure that doesn’t happen anymore.
The Affordable Housing Disaster (Oct. 25, 2000)
How a cozy alliance of government bureaucrats and nonprofit developers spends tens of millions of dollars building almost no housing for the poor.
Hospital, Heal Thyself (Aug. 15, 2001)
Bond-funded Laguna Honda is behind schedule, and way over budget.
Politics
An All-Too-Fragile Union (May, 2005)
Thousands of Bay Area gay and lesbian couples are learning that domestic partnership isn't in their best interest — and may never be.
Kamala’s Karma (Sept. 9, 2003)
She’s smart, she’s experienced, and she’s running for DA, but she’s Willie Brown’s ex-girlfriend and some people are trying to crucify her for that.
Bringing Up Baby Gavin (April, 4, 2003)
How William Newsom’s pipeline into the Getty fortune has put money — lots of it — in his politically ambitious son’s pocket.
Who is Clint Reilly, Really? (Feb. 21, 2001)
Reilly reveals himself: warts and all.
Unintended Consequences (Aug. 20, 2003)
Right wingers cook up Davis recall only to see it hijacked by a man named Arnold.
Cheerleaders of War (Jan. 22, 2003)
Post-Saddam Iraq will be a gold mine of opportunity, exile leaders say.
War Torn (Feb. 5, 2003)
Despite their hatred of Saddam, many Iraqis living in the U.S. oppose Bush’s war.
A Smuggler’s Tale (Dec. 11, 2002)
Can pencils be turned into nuclear bombs?
Damage Control (Feb. 27, 2002)
S.F. Elections Dept. pays public relations firm $225 an hour to polish its image.
Dead Mud Walking (October 10, 2001)
A ballot measure that would create a Municipal Utility District has so many legal flaws, it’s all but DOA. In fact, passing the measure might delay the advent of public power in SF for years.
Political Economy (Nov. 17, 1999)
How a Willie Brown real estate venture snagged tens of millions of dollars in government subsidies, and opened the way for Democrat heavyweight Angelo Tsakopoulos to make even more money.
A Matter of Fat (Jan. 17, 2002)
The city’s new weight discrimination law is badly reasoned, legally defective, costly and bad for public health.
Indecent Disclosure (Nov. 17, 1999)
Willie Brown plays hide-and-seek with his tax returns.
Crime
The Perfect Crime (May 8, 2002)
Jewel thieves have figured out a way to get rich and not get caught.
Griftin’ on the Dock of the Bay (Nov. 2003)
How Port developer Carl Ernst went fishing for political influence to help his pier 38 project.
Double Injustice (July 12, 2000)
A con man squeezed $26 million out of 140 victims. Then a U.S. bankruptcy trustee squeezed them again.
The Great Minnow Hunt (Dec. 6, 2000)
FBI botches investigation of Housing Authority and Brown protégés.
The Great Bank Thievery (Dec. 31, 1997)
How Bank of America stole billions of dollars from the state of California.
The Fix Is In (Feb. 26, 2003)
That is what whistleblowing architect Janet Campbell claimed, until she was fired from her job at UCSF.
National Security
Battlespace America (April 19, 2005)
The new Pentagon can peruse intelligence on U.S. citizens and send Marines down Main Street.
Surprise! (Jan 21, 2004)
If you think S.F. is ready for a terrorist attack — even two years plus after 9/11 — think again!
Big Doctor is Watching (May 18, 2003)
As of April 14, the national security police can monitor your medical records. So can your local police.
The Spybots Among Us (Dec. 12, 2001)
How the National Security Agency tracks terrorists in cyberspace.
The Dilemma of Sara Jane Olson (Sept. 19, 2001)
Can accused domestic terrorist Sara Jane Olson get a fair trial in the immediate aftermath of 9/11?
Physics
M (Feb. 10, 1999)
String theory physics at it most comprehensible.
How Dimensions Work (Feb. 10, 1999)
Sidebar to “M.”
Secrets of Almaden (April 5, 2000)
An elegant experiment at at Bay Area lab echoes through the world of quantum physics.
Small Wonders (Dec. 8, 1999)
The real science behind the nanotech hype.
Looking at Foresight (Dec. 8, 1999)
Side bar to “Small Wonders” on Eric Drexler’s unscience.
Art, religion, sex, etc
The Great Golden State Gas Swindle (Oct. 19, 2005)
Think you're paying more for gasoline because of natural disasters? That’s just what the scamming oil industry wants you to believe—but it's not true.
The Fate of Vitamins (May 27, 2005)
A low-profile organization created by the United Nations is about to ban global trade of many essential nutrients — and there may be nothing you can do to stop it.
The Codex Agenda: Allowing Pharmaceutical Corporations to Control the Fate of Vitamins
(Smart Publications, 11.21.2007)
Part two of "The Fate of Vitamins," about a little-known international body that wields immense power over the global food market, including the trade of vitamins and mineral supplements.
Mud, Sweat & Tears (October 13, 2004)
Stock car racing enthusiasts sour on the war on Iraq.
Capital Rap (Dec. 3, 2003)
From revolutionary rapper to stockbroker, the long strange journey of Paris, aka Oscar Jackson, Jr.
Disease Detective (Jan. 15, 2003)
Deborah Hayden’s new book Pox pulls the covers off famous people with syphilis.
Artjournalism (Sept. 9, 2000)
A profile of legendary Beat artist and film maker Bruce Conner.
The Rabbi Who Would Save the World (March 20, 2002)
Michael Lerner has won many followers with his ideas for world peace. But if all he is preaching is the golden rule, why is he so controversial?
The Case for Ending Rent Control (August 9, 2000)
Old Wounds (March 14, 2001)
News reports about the lawyers whose dog killed Diane Whipple have stirred unpleasant memories among a few of their former clients.
You Could Be Jammin’ (July 5, 2000)
There’s a way to foil rude cell phone users. But it’s illegal.