News
Universal basic income: The check could be in the mail
When Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang introduced his “Freedom Dividend,” a plan to give every adult in the United States an unconditional $1,000 per month, he did so by prophesying a world in which you, the average worker, are no longer necessary. The machines are coming for your jobs, Yang argues on his campaign site…
Why is empathy for homeless people lacking? Science
In Great Britain last year, a survey taken before Christmas found that 74% of people were worried about the levels of homelessness. The survey commissioned by the charity Crisis measured attitudes toward the 236,000 people experiencing homelessness across the country today, and its findings seemed positive; 61% of people felt “angry, upset or frustrated” about…
Merkley: Horrific conditions persist at border as U.S. traumatizes children
Simply “do the math” to see how the Trump administration has manufactured the crisis at detention facilities holding migrant children, said Dr. Amy Cohen, a child psychiatrist who has visited these centers over the past year. “Since 2017, the average length of stay has been two to three times longer than during the Obama administration,”…
Culture
What home means to David Lynch
David Lynch is such an enigma he’s become an adjective. The Urban Dictionary defines “Lynchian” as a “balance between the macabre and the mundane” and, more frankly, “You have no fucking clue what’s going on, but you know it’s genius.” Equally brilliant and baffling, the director’s work feels like it contains the answers to life,…
With 2 albums in 5 months, Anderson .Paak is not your average rapper
No corner of California is invisible to Anderson .Paak’s eye. After releasing his sun-soaked debut, “Venice,” in 2014, the soulful singer, producer and drummer caught the attention of West Coast hip-hop legends Dr. Dre and The Game, both of whom featured him on their 2015 records. .Paak cruised along the California coast after that. His…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Grateful for family and for the paper she sells
Kay Semple is a good listener, outgoing and friendly. “I always taught my children that you learn a lot more when you listen than when you talk. The more you inquire, the smarter you will become,” she said. Originally from Cape Cod, Mass., Kay is from a large family with many brothers and sisters. “Growing…
Opinion
A democracy that reaches the unhoused
Clipboards in hand, the teams dispatched to survey people on the streets about their experiences with first responders. They were gathering feedback for how to design the Portland Street Response pilot. This surveying effort tackles a hard truth. If 911 dispatchers are inundated with so-called unwanted-person calls – every 15 minutes, according to a Willamette Week…
