Blood Diamonds

It's a creepy feeling, knowing these masked men have cased you for weeks, studying your every move. Leon Rozio had crossed paths with their kind before — highly organized South American theft gangs that employ sophisticated surveillance and commando-style assault tactics.

Rozio, age 64, is one of a dying breed of independent jewel dealers, and part of his work involves ferrying tiny amounts of precious gems. A typical load easily runs into the six figures. This time South American jewel thieves had followed him from Miami, along the toll roads and through the SunPass... full story >>

Pitch Perfect

Derek Nicholson throws on a pair of black gym shorts, tucks in a red T-shirt, grabs his iPod and goes for a walk around the ballpark. It's 103 degrees, and the sun is beating down on QuikTrip Park. With three hours left before game time, nothing takes him out of his routine.

In this blistering August heat, the Grand Prairie AirHogs will face the Pensacola Pelicans. But right now, in this newly built $20 million stadium, all is quiet. No fans are in the stands, no kids play in the swimming pool tucked away in right field, no one is puffing away in the cigar bar behind the seats... full story >>

Barack Obama gives principal Michael Johnston extra credit

At 3:10 p.m. on May 28 — dismissal time on the last day of school at Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts in Thornton — 500 students in the seventh through eleventh grades gave a final cheer that echoed through the gymnasium. "Have a great summer!" a teacher shouted, giving the kids their cue to file out.

"No! No! You can't go!" principal Mike Johnston yelled as he came flying down the bleachers. "I've got another announcement!" Teachers who'd already suspected Johnston was stalling were now sure of it.

A few minutes later, the entire staff was gathered... full story >>

The Passion of Victoria Osteen

For one glorious spring day, students get out of class to watch as priests mumble their way around the church. Legend has it the collars are talking about the various tortures and annoyances Jesus went through on his way to being crucified, but usually there's too much whispering and strenuous attempts to withhold laughter amongst the young'uns to hear much of what's going on.

The go-getters at Houston's massive Lakewood Church are about as far... full story >>

With the end of Bodies Revealed, Kansas City’s troubled Union Station faces another uncertain future

It's still spring, and tickets are selling strong for the Bodies Revealed exhibit in the bowels of Union Station.

On this late-April Saturday, the parents of two children — one boy and one girl — are picking up their exhibit tickets at the box office. Next to them, a woman paces in front of the ticket windows; some in her group weren't able to make it, and she's giving away a free pair.

The family enters the exhibit, seeing for themselves the plasticized corpses flaunted for months on banners and billboards and in newspaper ads. They seem as interested and... full story >>

A field guide to the Republican National Convention

After almost two years of anticipatory civic brouhaha and financial hand-wringing, the Republican National Convention is finally upon us. As you read this, more than 100,000 politicos, protesters, prostitutes, journalists, and other unsavory characters are beginning to descend upon the Twin Cities. Portions of downtown St. Paul streets have been shut off to traffic, transforming the usually fallow district into a carnival-like island of media-contrived madness and rank political posturing.

Morbid curiosity may compel some of you to visit Ground Zero and soak it all in. We don't... full story >>

A severely diabetic Valley woman faces criminal charges over her "service animal": a chimpanzee named Joey

Playing the perfect host, he jumps into his guest's arms and lays a big kiss on his cheek before showing the visitor around the well-appointed, spotless 5,300-square-foot residence.

Joey's wearing light-blue pajamas colorfully adorned with space ships, planets, and the words, "Out of This World." But it's early on a balmy August morning, so why stand on ceremony?

He leads the way up to the second story, and steps over to a pool table, next to which a hairy, 20-year-old tree... full story >>

Going for Gold

A quick glance through a propped-open door at Kezar Pavilion reveals a dozen or so women of Amazonian proportions outfitted in snazzy black uniforms anticipating a serve. The red and black logos emblazoned upon the players' backs indicate the group is the Academy of Art University's volleyball team — that, in addition to the ubiquitous Academy of Art bus idling out on Stanyan.

Given the school's rapacious appetite for real estate and aforementioned bus fleet, just about the only place in San Francisco you might be surprised to see an Academy of Art insignia would be on a... full story >>

Kevin Slaten's Head Is About to Explode: The exiled sports-talk radio ranter needs to get some things off his chest

It sounds like Kevin Slaten's head is about to explode.

"If the story goes like that, there'll be a lawsuit against you and the RFT, and when I get back on the air I'm going to destroy you," the exiled sports-talk radio host's voice seethes from the telephone. "I'm telling you right now, I'm coming after you with guns blazing.

"I'm telling you. I'm not threatening you. I'm promising you. You go ahead and write bullshit about me, and you better not have one skeleton in your closet. I'll go back and find every guy in your life you've ever dated and I'll destroy you with... full story >>