Gomers -- What’s going wrong

WHISTLE IGNORED: The U.S. Justice Department has decided not to get involved in two lawsuits against the city of St. Paul, Minn., alleging up to $180 million in fraudulent use of federal housing money. Congress's whistle-blowing champion, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, is whistling foul, saying it's one of the worst betrayals of the False Claims Act he's witnessed and “tramples” the interests of taxpayers.

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GONE: Just days after a Cedar Rapids City Council committee decided the historic former Globe Grocery store in New Bohemia was worth saving, a fire of suspicious origin burned the building to the ground. Fire officials said the early morning blaze on Nov. 30 was the city's 39th structure fire since 2008 in areas hit by record flooding. All involved vacant or abandoned buildings, and most are considered suspicious.

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FLU BUG: Federal health officials say the flu season is off to its earliest start in nearly a decade, and they're predicting a severe run, especially the most severe primary strain that's so tough on the elderly. Iowa is seeing a similar spike, and all three strains covered by this year's vaccine have been reported. Got a flu shot yet?

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