UNCOVERED: 10 - The Untold Story

Brickbat: Lockdowns Down Under

The government of Victoria, Australia, has agreed to pay about $5 million (about $3.2 million U.S.) to settle a lawsuit brought by residents of Melbourne public housing who were forced into a hard 14-day COVID-19 lockdown with no warning in July 2020. Some 3,000 people may be eligible for compensation.…

Reason · Aug 23, 2023

Brickbat: Sorry, I Was Aiming at Your Dog

Tina Hight has sued the Columbia County, Arkansas, sheriff's office, Sheriff Mike Loe and Deputy Brian Williams after Williams shot her while trying to hit her Pomeranian dog. Hight called 911 for help in August 2022 for what she described as a domestic violence situation. But bodycam video shows when…

Reason · Aug 17, 2023

Brickbat: You Pay for Our Mistake

First, the city of Atlanta demolished a house owned by Everett Tripodis without properly informing him. Now, city officials are suing him to recoup the $68,000 they claim to have spent tearing down the house. The city wants to force the sale of the lot to pay for the demolition.…

Reason · Aug 15, 2023

Brickbat: Oh, You Meant Those Too?

The Telegraph reports that police in the United Kingdom have failed to solve any burglaries in almost half of the neighborhoods in England and Wales in the past three years. Last October, all of the chief constables in England and Wales promised to have an officer respond to every reported…

Reason · Jun 22, 2023

Brickbat: Bad Cop

Former Doraville, Georgia, police officer Miles Bryant has been charged with murder and kidnapping in the death of a 16-year-old girl. Prosecutors said that isn't the only crime he has committed. In a bond hearing, they said that on at least one occasion he used his badge to gain access…

Reason · May 12, 2023

Brickbat: Keep Looking

A report by the British Children's Commissioner found that police in England and Wales strip-searched almost 3,000 children between 2018 and mid 2022. More than half of those searches took place without a legally required appropriate adult present. And the searches did not always take place in police stations but…

Reason · Apr 7, 2023

Brickbat: Move It Along

For almost 20 years, stone benches have graced the sidewalks of San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood. They were first placed there by residents to make the place more attractive and to give them places to socialize. The sidewalks are very wide. One local TV station measured the distance from the…

Reason · Mar 27, 2023

Brickbat: OK, Everyone Is Welcome

Centennial Elementary School in Washington has backed off a plan to create a "safe space" club open only to "black, indigenous and people of color" students. After the club was announced, several white students expressed an interest in joining. Meanwhile, some parents said the idea of a racially segregated club…

Reason · Feb 17, 2023

Brickbat: Do You Know Who I Am?

The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission has found that two Detroit judges, Demetria Brue and Debra Nance, violated judicial ethics when they used their positions to try to get a discount on bicycle rentals during a conference on Mackinac Island, threatened to accuse the owner of assault when he refused, and…

Reason · Jan 10, 2023

Brickbat: Want To Know Why the Rent Is Too Damn High?

Michael Markellos and his mother own a 10-unit apartment complex in Chicago. He said his tax bill last year for all 10 units combined was $23,674. This year, the bill is $128,282 dollars, up 440 percent. "I was outraged. These are basically simple one-bedroom units for college graduates who work…

Reason · Dec 23, 2022