Email Author ANNA MERLAN

2013 Stories by ANNA MERLAN

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  American Atheists Call Out Robert Jeffress, the Pope, GOP Politicians on New Texas Billboards [Updated]

  published Mar 04, 2013

  If you're tired of seeing the Reverend Robert Jeffress' elfin little face at every turn, it might be best to avoid the highway for awhile. The pastor, along with one of his most charming quotes -- "W... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Scott Griggs on Drilling: There Was "Systemic Failure," and No One Asked "Tough Questions"

  published Mar 01, 2013

  On Wednesday, we watched together as the Dallas City Council sort of, kind of, attempted to ask City Manager Mary Suhm and City Attorney Tom Perkins a couple of questions. Namely: Why did Suhm quietly... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Area Woman Wants it Known That She's Had Lots of Random Sex Through Craigslist

  published Mar 01, 2013

  Yesterday, we told you about an unfortunate area man whose plans for a Craigslist threesome resulted in zero threesomes and one potential watch theft. I indicated that I believed it was unlikely that ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Area Man's Craigslist Threesome Ends In Non-Threesome, Possible Watch Theft

  published Feb 28, 2013

  Gentlemen. Let's get really real for a moment, shall wer It's very unlikely that a woman on Craigslist wants to have sex with you. Or rather, it's very unlikely that a woman on Craigslist wants to hav... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Mary Suhm Tells City Council She Did Nothing Wrong in Park-Drilling Deal: A Live Blog

  published Feb 27, 2013

  On Friday, we told you about a memo Mary Suhm sent to the City Council, in which she insisted that she had "had the authority to sign a non-binding letter with Trinity East," the company which has bee... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Watch As a WWE Host Tries Real Hard To Ambush-Interview Glenn Beck

  published Feb 26, 2013

  Pro wrestling and Glenn Beck are in a fight. Apparently this has been news for a few weeks, but we've only just learned about it, courtesy of Mediaite, who bring us the delightful video clip you see a... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Kinky Friedman Says He May Run for Governor, and This Campaign Will Be "Serious"

  published Feb 25, 2013

  In 2006, Kinky Friedman -- singer, songwriter, satirist, head Jewboy in charge -- ran as an Independent for governor of Texas. Although he ultimately received less than 13 percent of the vote, it was ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Anson Chi, Accused of Trying to Blow Up a Plano Gas Main, Faces Even More Charges

  published Feb 22, 2013

  Last summer brought us the story of Anson Chi, a Plano man who's accused of trying to detonate a bomb next to a gas main on West Park Road. The bomb did go off, perhaps earlier than Chi was hoping; po... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Black Nonbelievers of Dallas, Texas' First Black Atheist Organization, Launches Sunday

  published Feb 21, 2013

  Just about a year ago, Dallas's atheist community announced a new billboard in South Dallas, celebrating "black atheists and freethinkers." This year, just in time for the tail end of black history mo... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  State Senator Wendy Davis Wants To Bring Federal Fair Pay Laws for Women To Texas

  published Feb 20, 2013

  There was an interesting, widely under-reported battle going on in the state legislature this morning, and it hinged around consistently badass Fort Worth state Senator Wendy Davis. Back in January, ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Texas Freedom Network Poll: Most Texans Support Birth Control and Family Planning

  published Feb 19, 2013

  Texas Freedom Network has a lot to be irritated about lately. TFN is a left-leaning advocacy group focusing on things like civil liberties, church-state separation and not wasting classroom hours teac... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  SMU Police Get Anonymous Tip About Hazing (That Maybe Didn't Happen) at a Frat House

  published Feb 18, 2013

  In yet another piece of bad publicity for SMU's fraternities, the university's police department reports there was a "hazing incident" at Sigma Alpha Epsilon over the weekend. Two reports were filed... More >>

• Arlington Police Bought Two Drones, Which They Hope to Start Using Very Soon

  published Feb 15, 2013

  Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration released a list of all the city and state entities who have applied for a license to fly unmanned aerial drones. That list was released in response to a ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Dallas' City Plan Commission Just Got a Very Special Workshop on How Safe Gas Drilling Is

  published Feb 14, 2013

  When we last left the beleaguered members of the City Plan Commission, they were opting to once again delay a vote on energy company Trinity East's application to drill for natural gas in the floodpla... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Here's Why Neither Texas Senator Voted for the Violence Against Women Act

  published Feb 13, 2013

  The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It now heads to the House for what will likely be an ugly battle over its renewal; President Obama used ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Mayor Mike Rawlings Wants 10,000 Men to Rally Against Domestic Abuse, Isn't Entirely Sure What Will Happen After That

  published Feb 12, 2013

  This morning at the Dallas Museum of Art, Mayor Mike Rawlings, along with about 1,000 other men in suits sharing the stage, announced a new campaign dubbed "Men Against Abuse." The next stop on this ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Police: SMU Student Was Assaulted and "Held Against His Will" at a Frat House Last Night [Updated]

  published Feb 11, 2013

  From SMU's crime logs, we bring you a brief, somewhat disturbing, deeply weird police report: at 8:18 last night, campus police reported that a student was "was assaulted and held against his will" at... More >>

• Texas Reps. Say Planned Parenthood Recruits Schoolkids, Aim to End Its Sex Ed Effort

  published Feb 08, 2013

  Texas parents beware: your children are being "imperiled" by "abortion peddlers" who want to teach them "sex education." No. No, they're not. Although at some point someone might want to teach them t... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  The Printable Gun Guys Made a 30-Round AR-15 Magazine and Named It "The Cuomo"

  published Feb 07, 2013

  Over the past few months, we've brought you sporadic updates on Cody Wilson, a UT Austin law student who heads up a group called Defense Distributed. They want to make a printable gun, an ambition t... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Rep. Jason Villalba Files Bill To Create Armed "School Marshals" [Updated]

  published Feb 06, 2013

  Back in December, freshman state representative Jason Villalba, who hails from North Dallas, got a lot of attention for his plan to file a bill allowing Texas school teachers to carry guns. The bill... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  As Texas' 500th Execution Approaches, Death Penalty Opponents Ramp Up Calls For Reform

  published Feb 05, 2013

  On an August night in 1998, Douglas Feldman pulled his Harley up next to an 18-wheeler that had just cut him off on a highway in Plano. Feldman shot and killed the driver, Robert Everett, then paused... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Glenn Beck Is Producing A Fourth of July Spectacular, Narrated By the Man in the Moon

  published Feb 04, 2013

  When last we heard from Southlake resident, event planner and patriotic pants designer Glenn Beck, he had just announced his plans for a $2 billion libertarian community, which he's dubbed Independen... More >>

• Carrollton Man Gets 36 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Crappy Counterfeit Cellphone Accessories

  published Feb 01, 2013

  The iPhone cases with crooked "Chanel" logos you see over at your local cellphone accessory store or mall kiosk could be evidence of an international criminal conspiracy, according to the feds. A Carr... More >>

• Attorney General Greg Abbott Just Challenged President Obama to a Skeet Shooting Contest

  published Jan 31, 2013

  Last week, in an interview with the New Republic, President Obama said something about his love for skeet shooting, the subtle art of throwing a clay disk up in the air and shooting the hell out of i... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Barrett Brown Found Competent To Stand Trial; Pleads Not Guilty On Newest Charges of Concealing Evidence

  published Jan 30, 2013

  In a brief hearing this morning, United States District Judge Sam Lindsay found former self-proclaimed Anonymous spokesperson Barrett Brown mentally competent to stand trial. The judge will issue an o... More >>