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Sleeping outside is no longer a crime in Boise: is Seattle next?

caption: Homelessness has reached crisis levels in Seattle.
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Homelessness has reached crisis levels in Seattle.
KUOW File Photo/John Ryan

Seattle’s streetcar may not be named Desire after all – eventually, it might just be known as "canceled."

Episode Clips

Boise homelessness ruling, 9.12.18

Last week a judge in Boise ruled that criminalizing sitting, lying, and sleeping in public spaces was cruel and unusual punishment. What does that mean for homeless people in Seattle? Tristia Bauman is a senior attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; she talks with Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes.

AI and dementia, 9.12.18

If you have a parent or grandparent dealing with dementia, they may struggle with something called sundowners syndrome. As night falls, many adults become agitated and afraid. Right now, that’s usually treated with sedatives. But what if you could simply hand someone a calming object? That’s the idea behind a robotic harp seal named Paro. Quartz reporter Corinne Purtill has written about the technology and the ethics of robots in the context of cognitive decline.

Streetcars with Mike Lindblom, 9.12.18

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has a dilemma. Should she fulfill the promise of a new downtown streetcar? Or should she scrap the over-budget project? We asked Seattle Times reporter Mike Lindblom.

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