Channel 2 News Baltimore

Ask SAM: Straight Answers

Q: How and where do you report HUD fraud and Social Security disability fraud?

L.J.

A: There are various ways to contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General (OIG), where you can report cases of fraud, waste, abuse or serious mismanagement. You can call the OIG at (800) 347-3735; fax them at (202) 708-4829; send an email to hotline@hudoig.gov ; or write to HUD OIG Hotline (GFI), 451 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20410.

"All federal employees are required to report violations of law and Standards of Conduct and danger to public health and safety," according to the OIG website. "All citizens should feel a moral responsibility to report violations to assure that taxpayers' monies are well spent."

You can find tips, including what information they need in the report and how to report while protecting your identity, at www.hud.gov/offices/oig/hotline/index.cfm .

The easiest way to report Social Security fraud is at the administration's fraud hotline, (800) 269-0271. You can also write to Social Security Fraud Hotline, P.O. Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235, or fill out on online form at www.ssa.gov/oig/public_fraud_reporting/index.htm . That site also includes guidelines, some other alternatives including a TTY phone service, and frequently asked questions.

"Accusing a person of committing disability fraud can be more complicated than it might seem," according to the advice site eHow.com. "First, you have to know exactly why a person has been approved to receive benefits before you can know for certain that he is indeed doing something he should not be. It is difficult to judge a person if you do not know what physical limitations his condition might impose on daily activities.

"Some people actually suffer from mental or psychological impairments that can restrict them from performing certain physical activities. But if the facts give you reason to suspect a true case of fraud, then you should file a report."

Q: When will the movie "The 5th Quarter" be released on DVD?

D.J.

A: "The 5th Quarter," which was filmed here and is mostly set in Winston-Salem, will come to home video on Aug. 30 from Fox Home Entertainment.

The movie is based on the true story of Jon Abbate, a football star at Wake Forest University who is inspired by the memory of his younger brother. The cast includes Ryan Merriman, Andie MacDowell and Aidan Quinn, with some local actors in supporting roles. It will be available on DVD or Blu-ray, with a bonus feature that looks at the making of the film.

NASA To Fly Low Over Baltimore-Washington Area - News Story - WSB ...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A misguided photo shoot of Air Force One over New York City in 2009 terrified residents, infuriated the president, and cost the director of the White House Military Office his job. Now, NASA is working to prevent a similar panic in Washington D.C.

NASA officials this week announced plans for a new mission to monitor air pollution in the Baltimore-Washington traffic corridor that will include a series of low-altitude flights between the two cities. Trying to prevent a repeat of the chaos raised in New York, they are eager to get the word out to the public.

Michael Finneran, spokesman for the DISCOVER-AQ project, says that NASA is publicizing the flights to generate awareness and to make sure people "won't be surprised." "Public safety is paramount," he said.

NASA plans to use a P-3B, a 117-foot, four-engine turboprop plane, for flights that will be as low as 1,000 feet. The lower of the two aircraft will fly in spirals over several ground measurement stations along the flight path, which includes Interstate 95 and crosses over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The other aircraft will fly at around 26,000 feet. The flights are scheduled to start no earlier than June 27 and go through July.

Working with federal and state environmental agencies on this analysis, NASA says the flights are critical. All flights will be posted on the NASA website the night before takeoff.

"For some of these pollutant gases, the satellites are not as effective in detecting the quantities near the ground as they are at higher altitudes," Ken Pickering, a project scientist explained. Low-flying aircraft will help answer questions about existing data, and will provide "a complete picture of air quality over the Baltimore-Washington region," Pickering said.

Potential benefits from the research are not limited to Washington. Pickering said that these experiments "will help NASA design a next generation of air-quality satellites" leading to analyses for cities across the country, so that "ultimately public health can be better protected."

Flights are scheduled in Houston next, in 2013, and could be followed by flights in Los Angeles, Birmingham, Alabama or Atlanta.

So if you're in the Washington D.C. area over the next month, and happen to catch a glimpse of a startlingly low NASA aircraft -- don't hold your breath. In fact, NASA is hoping the new study will help everyone breathe easier.

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