DECEMBER 2, 2011
The now infamous pepper-spraying incident involving students at UC Davis November 18th makes me think of many other notable student protests that have ended in violence-- Arab Spring and students protesting at Tahir Square, Kent State, and Tiananmen Square. For me, the Tiananmen Square protests were notable because I had a chance to intern with CNN Beijing in ’94 and log hours of video in the days surrounding June 4th 1989 massacre. It’s chilling to think that those pro-democracy student protests ended with martial law being declared by the government and the military shooting and killing hundreds of protesters. Five years after that Tiananmen Square protests, the government was still censoring television news coverage of that event. I know because every time a story made reference to the event, the tv screen would go to black. I remember how strange that seemed the first time I was sitting in the CNN Beijing bureau inside an apartment in the diplomatic compound and the video turned to “snow.”
When I think back to those days in China, I realize how lucky we are to have the right to protest virtually anywhere in the U.S. We have the right to protest. And, the media can cover it without worrying about being censored.
-sphan
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: Week in Review via tweets
MARCH 7, 2011
#Sacramento firefighter fall from roof >> staffing shortage concerns? (text and video link) http://bit.ly/dROBHa #News10
Feb 27, 2011
Former FBI agent helped with Jaycee Dugard kidnapping investigation (text and video) http://bit.ly/fDDmuN #News10
Feb 28
Off duty officer shoots and kills family pet pit bull (text and video link) http://bit.ly/eXIz53 #news10
Mar 1
Jailhouse interview tonight in Sacramento 11pm #news10 http://twitpic.com/45kop6
Mar 2
My jailhouse interview: http://bit.ly/gVjI0t #news10 (text and video link) Suspect denies Rancho Cordova murder charges after arrest
Mar 2
The findings might sound startling #news10 11pm http://twitpic.com/45v0z4
Mar 3
E.coli on shopping carts may not b bad 4 u afterall. #News10 11pm I'll explain http://twitpic.com/45v2bf
Mar 3
What's on that shopping cart handle?! E.coli. Why you should/shouldn't be concerned. http://bit.ly/ia5dzF #News10
Mar 3
Read more…
#Sacramento firefighter fall from roof >> staffing shortage concerns? (text and video link) http://bit.ly/dROBHa #News10
Feb 27, 2011
Former FBI agent helped with Jaycee Dugard kidnapping investigation (text and video) http://bit.ly/fDDmuN #News10
Feb 28
Off duty officer shoots and kills family pet pit bull (text and video link) http://bit.ly/eXIz53 #news10
Mar 1
Jailhouse interview tonight in Sacramento 11pm #news10 http://twitpic.com/45kop6
Mar 2
My jailhouse interview: http://bit.ly/gVjI0t #news10 (text and video link) Suspect denies Rancho Cordova murder charges after arrest
Mar 2
The findings might sound startling #news10 11pm http://twitpic.com/45v0z4
Mar 3
E.coli on shopping carts may not b bad 4 u afterall. #News10 11pm I'll explain http://twitpic.com/45v2bf
Mar 3
What's on that shopping cart handle?! E.coli. Why you should/shouldn't be concerned. http://bit.ly/ia5dzF #News10
Mar 3
Read more…
Saturday, February 26, 2011
REPORTER NOTEBOOK: What inmates are hiding in jail, CA's marijuana laws, our local soft terrorism targets, a subpoena....
FEBRUARY 26, 2011
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: What inmates are hiding in jail, CA's marijuana laws (and the impact on our legal system), our local soft terrorism targets, a subpoena......
Some really interesting stories this past week. Our job allows us to go behind the scenes, understand what law enforcement deals with in jails or during investigations.
***During this week’s jail sweep at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, some of us were able to see the inmate contraband deputies recovered in an unprecedented “simultaneous shakedown” that happened throughout the entire facility. I also looked at the growing gang activity in our jails.
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124225
I've known about jail lockdowns.
I’ve been inside Folsom State Prison among inmates (who were walking to and from the canteen) when alarms went off, and everyone was required to hit the ground immediately until inspections were cleared.
A while ago. I learned from the Folsom Prison, how inmates would create shanks from broken plastic spoons and toothbrushes (with the heads broken off); inmates would sharpen them into weapons.
I've known about why oranges are a no-no (because they can be used to make alcohol).
I didn’t realize that inmates would cheek medication (that they were required to take) and sell it to others or use it as a form of currency. I didn’t realize that inmates could create rope from plastic trash bags that they would braid together.
It’s a sad thing to see. It’s a difficult life—for inmates. And, it’s a challenging and sometimes dangerous job for law enforcement.
It’s a bit unnerving to learn that there are 30 inmate assaults a month—on average—in Sacramento’s main jail. Last year, 17 of those assaults involved hand-made weapons.
*** I talked to an attorney and then a McGeorge Law professor this week about our new state marijuana laws .
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124682
It’s really interesting to know that in 2009, 78,000 people were arrested in California on marijuana charges. 80% of them were misdemeanors. But, misdemeanors don’t necessarily mean jail time. And, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s department, less than 1% of the people in Sacramento County jails are actually there on marijuana related charges. While these new CA marijuana laws don't actually reduce jail overcrowding, they do cut down on court time, fees, and processing. The attorney I spoke to says if you're caught with an ounce of marijuana, that's an infraction now---a lot like paying for a jaywalking ticket; and, it doesn't go on your record like a misdemeanor.
*** This week, I sat down with a terrorism expert after a Saudi student was arrested in Lubbock, Texas on terrorism charges. We talked about our own local "soft targets."
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124850
It was a fascinating conversation with him (retired veteran law enforcement ) and also his wife (also veteran law enforcement). The expert teaches police and sheriff’s deputies and emergency crews how to handle critical incidents. He was there during the Unabomber investigation. He (and his wife) were there during the Good Guys incident in South Sacramento in 1991. On a side note, his wife responded when a disgruntled gunman entered KCRA3 and made demands---back in 19?? . Fortunately that incident ended peacefully. His wife is also a retired gang detective that specialized in Asian Gangs—Hmong and Vietnamese. That truly is impressive because most gang detectives I have talked to and interviewed are men . This woman is tough mentally and physically.
And, in the middle of all this, I was subpoenaed for a story I worked on. Honestly, I don’t know how many other reporters have been subpoenaed. Some of them have talked about how they “almost “got subpoenaed, or how an investigator wants to see their notes or the raw footage taken from an interview with a suspect or victim. It’s another thing when the deputy or guy taps on your car window, says your name, and hands you the papers to appear in court. As reporters, we all know about the California Shield Law. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out.
Read more…
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: What inmates are hiding in jail, CA's marijuana laws (and the impact on our legal system), our local soft terrorism targets, a subpoena......
Some really interesting stories this past week. Our job allows us to go behind the scenes, understand what law enforcement deals with in jails or during investigations.
***During this week’s jail sweep at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, some of us were able to see the inmate contraband deputies recovered in an unprecedented “simultaneous shakedown” that happened throughout the entire facility. I also looked at the growing gang activity in our jails.
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124225
I've known about jail lockdowns.
I’ve been inside Folsom State Prison among inmates (who were walking to and from the canteen) when alarms went off, and everyone was required to hit the ground immediately until inspections were cleared.
A while ago. I learned from the Folsom Prison, how inmates would create shanks from broken plastic spoons and toothbrushes (with the heads broken off); inmates would sharpen them into weapons.
I've known about why oranges are a no-no (because they can be used to make alcohol).
I didn’t realize that inmates would cheek medication (that they were required to take) and sell it to others or use it as a form of currency. I didn’t realize that inmates could create rope from plastic trash bags that they would braid together.
It’s a sad thing to see. It’s a difficult life—for inmates. And, it’s a challenging and sometimes dangerous job for law enforcement.
It’s a bit unnerving to learn that there are 30 inmate assaults a month—on average—in Sacramento’s main jail. Last year, 17 of those assaults involved hand-made weapons.
*** I talked to an attorney and then a McGeorge Law professor this week about our new state marijuana laws .
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124682
It’s really interesting to know that in 2009, 78,000 people were arrested in California on marijuana charges. 80% of them were misdemeanors. But, misdemeanors don’t necessarily mean jail time. And, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s department, less than 1% of the people in Sacramento County jails are actually there on marijuana related charges. While these new CA marijuana laws don't actually reduce jail overcrowding, they do cut down on court time, fees, and processing. The attorney I spoke to says if you're caught with an ounce of marijuana, that's an infraction now---a lot like paying for a jaywalking ticket; and, it doesn't go on your record like a misdemeanor.
*** This week, I sat down with a terrorism expert after a Saudi student was arrested in Lubbock, Texas on terrorism charges. We talked about our own local "soft targets."
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124850
It was a fascinating conversation with him (retired veteran law enforcement ) and also his wife (also veteran law enforcement). The expert teaches police and sheriff’s deputies and emergency crews how to handle critical incidents. He was there during the Unabomber investigation. He (and his wife) were there during the Good Guys incident in South Sacramento in 1991. On a side note, his wife responded when a disgruntled gunman entered KCRA3 and made demands---back in 19?? . Fortunately that incident ended peacefully. His wife is also a retired gang detective that specialized in Asian Gangs—Hmong and Vietnamese. That truly is impressive because most gang detectives I have talked to and interviewed are men . This woman is tough mentally and physically.
And, in the middle of all this, I was subpoenaed for a story I worked on. Honestly, I don’t know how many other reporters have been subpoenaed. Some of them have talked about how they “almost “got subpoenaed, or how an investigator wants to see their notes or the raw footage taken from an interview with a suspect or victim. It’s another thing when the deputy or guy taps on your car window, says your name, and hands you the papers to appear in court. As reporters, we all know about the California Shield Law. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out.
Read more…
Friday, January 7, 2011
What I reported for News10 this week: From viral video to dead birds to doomsday billboards
JANUARY 7, 2011
News10 Reports this week: #5 Investigators probe Rancho Cordova woman’s murder http://bit.ly/gmh5eU
News10 Reports this week: #4 YouTubeVideo fuels questions about Rocklin Police: necessary or excessive force?Couple speaks out. http://bit.ly/ei7Zga
News10 Reports this week: #3 Mass number dead birds. UCDavis expert says it happens more than you think http://bit.ly/gl4TUI
News10 Reports this week: #2 Governor Brown appoints top advisors, includes his wife. http://bit.ly/hmOpNg
News10 Reports this week: #1 Doomsday billboard cites May 21, 2011 http://bit.ly/f7XRqm
Always looking for a compelling story to share... Please email me: sphan@news10.net or send me a message via Twitter: @suzannephan
-Suzanne
News10 Reports this week: #5 Investigators probe Rancho Cordova woman’s murder http://bit.ly/gmh5eU
News10 Reports this week: #4 YouTubeVideo fuels questions about Rocklin Police: necessary or excessive force?Couple speaks out. http://bit.ly/ei7Zga
News10 Reports this week: #3 Mass number dead birds. UCDavis expert says it happens more than you think http://bit.ly/gl4TUI
News10 Reports this week: #2 Governor Brown appoints top advisors, includes his wife. http://bit.ly/hmOpNg
News10 Reports this week: #1 Doomsday billboard cites May 21, 2011 http://bit.ly/f7XRqm
Always looking for a compelling story to share... Please email me: sphan@news10.net or send me a message via Twitter: @suzannephan
-Suzanne
Friday, December 17, 2010
Holiday giving: keeping it simple
DECEMBER 17, 2010
As Christmas approaches, I think many of us feel excited and anxious at the same time. I’m happy about the holiday lights, the ornaments, the fresh smell of pine from our Christmas tree….and then I’m, anxious about all the things I have to do, want to buy, wish I could buy.
In the past few years, my significant other and I have made it a point to keep Christmas gift giving to a minimum. Really. No more than 20 dollars on a gift for each other. It has been a card and a tree ornament. A hand written note of our favorite memories of each other. A single edition of a Wine Spectator. A book. Warm fuzzy socks.
I think sometimes we have the desire to please by buying. And, sometimes, we end up getting carried away. Is this year’s gift just as good as last years? Can it be better? Is it the latest and greatest? Might he/she be disappointed if it’s the wrong size, color, style, make or model?
Honestly, I would feel much better with something that’s home-made, something edible, something thoughtful than another thing to put on the shelf, something I’ll wear once and put away.
Christmas gifting is what you’d like to give. It’s also what you’d like to do for someone.
Of course, I’d love an iPhone or a plane ticket to Mexico City. But, I can buy those things myself. Honestly, I’m just as happy to share a glass of wine or a plate of fresh baked cookies with my loved ones and friends.
I'd love to hear from you....
Email: sphan@news10.net
Facebook: SuzannePhanNews10
Twitter: @suzannephan
Read more…
As Christmas approaches, I think many of us feel excited and anxious at the same time. I’m happy about the holiday lights, the ornaments, the fresh smell of pine from our Christmas tree….and then I’m, anxious about all the things I have to do, want to buy, wish I could buy.
In the past few years, my significant other and I have made it a point to keep Christmas gift giving to a minimum. Really. No more than 20 dollars on a gift for each other. It has been a card and a tree ornament. A hand written note of our favorite memories of each other. A single edition of a Wine Spectator. A book. Warm fuzzy socks.
I think sometimes we have the desire to please by buying. And, sometimes, we end up getting carried away. Is this year’s gift just as good as last years? Can it be better? Is it the latest and greatest? Might he/she be disappointed if it’s the wrong size, color, style, make or model?
Honestly, I would feel much better with something that’s home-made, something edible, something thoughtful than another thing to put on the shelf, something I’ll wear once and put away.
Christmas gifting is what you’d like to give. It’s also what you’d like to do for someone.
Of course, I’d love an iPhone or a plane ticket to Mexico City. But, I can buy those things myself. Honestly, I’m just as happy to share a glass of wine or a plate of fresh baked cookies with my loved ones and friends.
I'd love to hear from you....
Email: sphan@news10.net
Facebook: SuzannePhanNews10
Twitter: @suzannephan
Read more…
What a week.
DECEBMER 17, 2010
What a week. I’m glad the rain and stormy weather are here to wash away so much of the crime and grime in the past week.
I think reporters approach crime scenes in two ways: 1) It’s my job. Gather and sort the facts as professionally as possible. I’m an investigator piecing together what and why it happened, and I am sharing the story. 2) "My goodness. Someone was just killed here." The caution tape. The markers for the bullet casings. The poor family. How in the world could that possibly happen? Why did that have to happen?
On one hand, we do our job. On the other hand, it’s emotionally and mentally exhausting. Making that dreaded door knock. Dialing the number of a loved one. Talking to that best friend or the family member. It's definitely a very difficult part of the job.
On Sunday of this week, it was the gut-wrenching stabbing of two children in Vacaville—a 13 year old girl and her 18 month old brother--allegedly by a friend of her older teen brother. The big sister was stabbed 30 times. Her baby brother—10 times. But, they survived. Police say the teen girl was also sexually assaulted. It’s enough to make anyone ill to their stomach.
Then, the heart-breaking story about the 30 year old mother who died as she shielded her 2 year old son from gunfire. Talking to her brothers, her best friend, the babysitter/gal pal and learning more about the woman,mother, sister she was. It was senseless how she lost her life right before the holiday. She and her son had just finished taking Christmas photos. It was tough learning about suspected gang members and the way the shootout claimed 2 lives—the mother and another person’s—who happened to also be a father of a toddler.
It’s so sad. And, it’s reality for some people. It’s not an episode of CSI.
I wonder about the officers, the medics, the homicide detectives, the chaplains---how they deal with this type of reality day in and day out. As reporters, we compartmentalize everything. And, we do the best to get through the day, through the story, the follow-up stories, the followup interviews. Sometimes, its like riding a wave. I feel like I’m just holding my breath. And then, at the end of the day, or in this case at the end of the week, after a series of crimes, I’m ready for a good cry---during yoga class or while I'm waiting at a stoplight.
It’s true. That’s just me. Others cope in different ways.
It’s not a sign of a veteran or a novice. I’ve been reporting for 16 years now. It’s sign that we’re human. And, the things we see, experience, are exposed to, are sometimes extreme.
It makes the special stories even more important, the unique features even more worthwhile. The stories where we are able to breathe and share a bit of good helps restore my faith in humanity.
What a week. I’m glad the rain and stormy weather are here to wash away so much of the crime and grime in the past week.
I think reporters approach crime scenes in two ways: 1) It’s my job. Gather and sort the facts as professionally as possible. I’m an investigator piecing together what and why it happened, and I am sharing the story. 2) "My goodness. Someone was just killed here." The caution tape. The markers for the bullet casings. The poor family. How in the world could that possibly happen? Why did that have to happen?
On one hand, we do our job. On the other hand, it’s emotionally and mentally exhausting. Making that dreaded door knock. Dialing the number of a loved one. Talking to that best friend or the family member. It's definitely a very difficult part of the job.
On Sunday of this week, it was the gut-wrenching stabbing of two children in Vacaville—a 13 year old girl and her 18 month old brother--allegedly by a friend of her older teen brother. The big sister was stabbed 30 times. Her baby brother—10 times. But, they survived. Police say the teen girl was also sexually assaulted. It’s enough to make anyone ill to their stomach.
Then, the heart-breaking story about the 30 year old mother who died as she shielded her 2 year old son from gunfire. Talking to her brothers, her best friend, the babysitter/gal pal and learning more about the woman,mother, sister she was. It was senseless how she lost her life right before the holiday. She and her son had just finished taking Christmas photos. It was tough learning about suspected gang members and the way the shootout claimed 2 lives—the mother and another person’s—who happened to also be a father of a toddler.
It’s so sad. And, it’s reality for some people. It’s not an episode of CSI.
I wonder about the officers, the medics, the homicide detectives, the chaplains---how they deal with this type of reality day in and day out. As reporters, we compartmentalize everything. And, we do the best to get through the day, through the story, the follow-up stories, the followup interviews. Sometimes, its like riding a wave. I feel like I’m just holding my breath. And then, at the end of the day, or in this case at the end of the week, after a series of crimes, I’m ready for a good cry---during yoga class or while I'm waiting at a stoplight.
It’s true. That’s just me. Others cope in different ways.
It’s not a sign of a veteran or a novice. I’ve been reporting for 16 years now. It’s sign that we’re human. And, the things we see, experience, are exposed to, are sometimes extreme.
It makes the special stories even more important, the unique features even more worthwhile. The stories where we are able to breathe and share a bit of good helps restore my faith in humanity.
Friday, November 26, 2010
A Grateful Reporter: Meeting Some Amazing Families This Year
NOVEMBER 26, 2010
I’m grateful to have met some extraordinary families this year. I’ve interviewed them on all sorts of subjects for special reports. In my story "Mancession," I talked to a family about women becoming the breadwinner of the family because of layoffs. In "Pregnant Drinking" I spoke to a remarkable mother of 7 and professional mom blogger about a British study that says its ok for pregnant women to drink in moderation. In another story, I talked to a great mom about moms saving money and her favorite tips. Another extraordinary mom I met recently is going back to school to finish her degree in psychology while raising a remarkably tech-savvy young boy with Asperger’s syndrome.
This is one of the experiences I’m grateful for as a reporter. I’m grateful to meet families who make me realize the importance of family--through thick and through thin. It’s wonderful to see how some families, if faced with adversity or personal challenges, overcome them.
I’m grateful that they’ve trusted me enough to share their story. I’m grateful they invite me into their home. I know that I’m a rather private person, slow to open up and share with others. And, I realize how much it takes to trust someone with intimate details or to simply invite a stranger into one’s home. I’m grateful that I’m able to spend a few moments with someone and their loved ones, talking to them on their couch or at their kitchen table. I’m happy to share a story---no matter how little time I'm given. From these experiences, I’ve learned a bit more about human nature, about family, and about the love that helps many people to triumph.
I’m grateful to have met some extraordinary families this year. I’ve interviewed them on all sorts of subjects for special reports. In my story "Mancession," I talked to a family about women becoming the breadwinner of the family because of layoffs. In "Pregnant Drinking" I spoke to a remarkable mother of 7 and professional mom blogger about a British study that says its ok for pregnant women to drink in moderation. In another story, I talked to a great mom about moms saving money and her favorite tips. Another extraordinary mom I met recently is going back to school to finish her degree in psychology while raising a remarkably tech-savvy young boy with Asperger’s syndrome.
This is one of the experiences I’m grateful for as a reporter. I’m grateful to meet families who make me realize the importance of family--through thick and through thin. It’s wonderful to see how some families, if faced with adversity or personal challenges, overcome them.
I’m grateful that they’ve trusted me enough to share their story. I’m grateful they invite me into their home. I know that I’m a rather private person, slow to open up and share with others. And, I realize how much it takes to trust someone with intimate details or to simply invite a stranger into one’s home. I’m grateful that I’m able to spend a few moments with someone and their loved ones, talking to them on their couch or at their kitchen table. I’m happy to share a story---no matter how little time I'm given. From these experiences, I’ve learned a bit more about human nature, about family, and about the love that helps many people to triumph.
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