Email Author ANNA MERLAN

2013 Stories by ANNA MERLAN

• Texas Politicians Use Gosnell Verdict to Remind You How Much They Want to Outlaw Abortion

  published May 14, 2013

  If there's one thing everyone in America can agree on this morning, it's that Kermit Gosnell is disgusting and belongs in an especially dank and fetid section of some sort of subterranean prison. In ... More >>

• FEATURED STORY

  A Dallas Man Was Sitting at a Park When He Was Kicked in the Face, Forced to Sing a Song

  published May 13, 2013

  It was a really nice day yesterday, wasn't itr Not too windy, not too hot, not too humid. Perfect Sunday weather, all the better to sit in the park, feel the fresh air, and, with any luck, not have so... More >>

• FEATURED STORY

  Bryce Reed, a West EMT Whose Best Friend Died in Blast, Arrested for Having "Destructive Device" [Updated]

  published May 10, 2013

  Updated below. Original story, 10:05 a.m.: An EMT and incident commander with West Emergency Medical Services was arrested early this morning on charges of possessing a "destructive device," multiple... More >>

• FEATURED STORY

  Worth the Wait, DISD's Potential New Sex Ed Curriculum, Teaches Some Really Weird Stuff

  published May 09, 2013

  This year, a group of parents and administrators at the Dallas Independent School District embarked on pretty much the most thankless task there is: finding a new sex ed curriculum for the district's ... More >>

• Wait, Why in the Hell Did Facebook Donate Thousands of Dollars to Ted Cruzr

  published May 08, 2013

  It's pretty frequent these days to experience Impotent Facebook Rage (IFR), in which the social media giant does something so profoundly irritating or angry-making that you immediately vow to get off ... More >>

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  COVER STORY

  Sex Ed the Texas Way

  published May 9, 2013

  Teenagers have a favorite word, one they deploy frequently. An easy way to ensure its arrival in conversation is to bring up sex... More >>

• Dallas LGBT Activist C.d. Kirven Arrested This Morning in Austin After Sit-In at the Capitol

  published May 01, 2013

  The Dallas Voice is reporting that local LGBT activist C.d. Kirven was arrested in Austin today after a sit-in at the offices of Senators Bob Deuell and Brian Birdwell, Republicans from Greenville an... More >>

• Arlington Police Would Like An Exemption From State Rep's Proposed Anti-Drone Law

  published Apr 30, 2013

  Last year, the Arlington Police Department bought a pair of teeny tiny adorable drones, which the FAA gave them the go-ahead to fly back in March. The APD was stoked, dubbing their new toys their "Avi... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The Girl Who Accused Highland Park Baseball Star Ryan Romo of Rape is Now Suing Him

  published Apr 29, 2013

  The 16-year-old girl who accused a former Highland Park baseball star of rape is now countersuing him in civil court. In March, after a grand jury declined to indict Ryan Romo on rape charges, the ... More >>

• Christian Columnist: Gay Boy Scouts Disappoint Jesus With Their "Sexual Anarchist Agenda"

  published Apr 29, 2013

  Meet Linda Harvey, a talk radio host on a Christian station in Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she's the founder and main opinion-spewer behind Mission: America, which promotes itself as "Christian ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Poll: Which Dallas Observer Writer is a "Snarky, Superior, Angry Bitchr"

  published Apr 26, 2013

  Hang on to your hats, everybody, because I'm about to give you a super-duper exciting glimpse into the inner workings of the Dallas Observer. We get a lot of email from our readers. Some of it comes d... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  In Brief Answer, Family of Ryan Romo's Accuser Denies Defamation, Other Charges

  published Apr 25, 2013

  Back in March, after a grand jury declined to indict him on charges of rape, former Highland Park High School student Ryan Romo sued his accuser and her family. The complaint alleged five separate cou... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The SMU Community is Celebrating the Bush Library the Way College-Aged W. Would Admire

  published Apr 24, 2013

  Are you excited about the George W. Bush Presidential Centerr We're so excited. Not quite excited enough to fight our way through the throng of ex-presidents and "Bush-Cheney Alumni" attending the de... More >>

• Peace Activists Can Protest the New Bush Center, Judge Rules, So Off They Go

  published Apr 22, 2013

  Last week we told you about a group of activists who were suing the City of Dallas, claiming they're being illegally barred from participating in a protest during SMU's dedication this week of the new... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Steve Stockman, L.A. Filmmaker, Can't Stop Getting Mistaken For Steve Stockman, Crazy Congressman

  published Apr 19, 2013

  The first tweet hurt Steve Stockman's feelings a little. It read, in full: "YOU ARE A STUPID FAT FUCK." "I haven't actually put on any weight lately," Stockman writes in an email. "And though I'm no... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Judge: No More Delays in Trial of University Park Woman Accused of Distributing Child Porn

  published Apr 17, 2013

  Almost a year ago, Erika Perdue, a 41-year-old "socialite" from a tony University Park neighborhood, was arrested and indicted on charges of distributing lots and lots of child pornography. As we repo... More >>

• Six Activists Are Suing Dallas In Federal Court, Claiming They're Being Illegally Barred From Protesting George W. Bush Center Dedication

  published Apr 16, 2013

  Six long-time progressive activists have filed suit against the city of Dallas, claiming they're being illegally barred from protesting the April 25 dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Cente... More >>

• Texas is Last in High School Graduation, First in Hazardous Waste, and Other Depressing Tidbits from a New Legislative Report

  published Apr 15, 2013

  The Texas Legislative Study Group is a caucus of around 50 Democratic representatives from the Texas House, and they're real buzzkills. The LSG keeps a full-time staff of policy analysts around, who a... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  With More Police Officers in Schools, Thousands of Texas Students Wind Up In Court Each Year

  published Apr 12, 2013

  On Tuesday, Eric told you about a DISD sixth-grader who was arrested at his school, DISD's Learning Alternative Center for Empowering Youth, after attempting to steal $4 from a classmate. After his ta... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Here Are All The Reasons Why Texas Teenagers Can't Seem to Stop Getting Pregnant

  published Apr 10, 2013

  Congratulations, Texas! After a lot of hard work and many long nights, we're number one in the nation for repeat teen births. According to the Centers for Disease Control, which released a new report ... More >>

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  COVER STORY

  The Bizarre Life and Troubling Death of DarkSide, the Dallas Rave Church That Never Was

  published April 11, 2013

  The Lord had chosen an unlikely vehicle for his message to John Wayne. But when John learned he'd been DJing in a church, he knew it was... More >>

• Dallas Man Simply Wanted to Shoot His Glock into a Pile of Trash in His Yard

  published Apr 09, 2013

  Around 5:30 this morning, 29-year-old Tomas Cavazos developed a serious beef with a pile of trash. A neighbor called police to report that the man appeared to be shooting the hell out of some debris i... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  CNN and CBS Both Off the Hook in Defamation Lawsuit Over That Nonexistent Mass Grave

  published Apr 09, 2013

  A couple weeks back, we gave you an update on the unlucky Liberty County couple still trying to sue the self-proclaimed psychic who wrongly told police they had a huge mass grave filled with tiny dea... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  After Family Planning Cuts, More Than 17,000 Dallas County Women Lost Access to Care

  published Apr 05, 2013

  In 2011, as we just cannot seem to stop mentioning, your state legislators cut $73 million from the state's family planning budget, instituted a tiered funding system designed to give family planning ... More >>

• The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Just Can't Seem To Stop Killing Each Other

  published Apr 04, 2013

  This week, we've given you a little background on the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, and some reasons why two experts familiar with the gang are skeptical that they could be behind the murders of Kaufman... More >>