Iserotope Extras #57: Bike Batman

Glorious Thursday to you! Thank you for opening up Iserotope Extras! This edition begins with Bike Batman in Seattle, follows with Child Protective Services outside of Los Angeles, keeps going with the death penalty across the country, and finishes with school segregation in Oakland. Click one, clic

Glorious Thursday to you! Thank you for opening up Iserotope Extras! This edition begins with Bike Batman in Seattle, follows with Child Protective Services outside of Los Angeles, keeps going with the death penalty across the country, and finishes with school segregation in Oakland. Click one, click all, and please enjoy.

Bike Batman: The Real-Life Superhero Who Beats the Cops to Bike Thieves

Bike Batman was just an average-seeming guy in Seattle who liked to ride his bicycle. He had no inkling of becoming a vigilante who would face off against criminals while armed with little more than a smartphone, some spare time, and a large amount of courage. But sometimes in life, the cape finds you.

A Family Matter

One afternoon, Danyelle and Randy Branning’s three children are taken away by Child Protective Services after their teenage daughter accuses her father of abuse. The children are placed in foster care, where the youngest boy becomes a victim of sexual abuse. The Brannings hire an attorney, who charges CPS with removing children from their parents without a warrant. You want there to be a hero in this story — maybe the lawyer, who fights for what is right, or the parents, for fighting for their children — but everyone, sadly, is messed up.

Where the Death Penalty Still Lives

I got to see Bryan Stevenson last night at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, and as usual, he was captivating. He reminded the audience that California, though it hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, has the largest death row in the country. While the death penalty has declined nationwide, a small percentage of counties carry out the bulk of capital punishment. This article explains why.

Two Moms Choose Between Separate and Unequal Schools in Oakland

Oakland does a much better job being a racially diverse city than its more-famous counterpart across the Bay. But like most cities in America, its public schools are largely segregated by race and poverty. Two moms wrestled with this problem and came to very different approaches.

Hey, that’s the end of Issue #57. Congratulations! Please send this issue to a friend or family member, encouraging them to join. I’ll see you back here next Thursday at 9:10 am!