Library - Art Library, Location - LIB, Call number - N7397.6.M6 P47 2011

On a single night in 2022, 582,462 people experienced homelessness in the United States, and numbers are on the rise. Since 2017, there has been a 6% increase in homelessness.

The federal Office of Personnel Management ordered federal employees to leave the office early on Monday amid Washington, D.C., area storm warnings. The severe storms covered most of the area with a tornado watch through 9 p.m., causing many places in the Beltway area to close early or adjust hours.

Why are Washingtonians using the Empower ride-sharing app?

The Angels took pitcher C.J. Wilson and outfielder Josh Hamilton from the Texas Rangers each of the last two winters. But those poachings don't seem to have hurt their A.L. West rivals. Instead, Texas was off to a 14-7 start entering play on Thursday and has already swiped four of six games from Los Angeles this season.

In an email sent to all Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers on Tuesday, SPD Deputy Chief Eric Barden celebrated the end of King County Jail’s misdemeanor booking restrictions and told officers to immediately begin increasing arrests. Barden called the decision “another great step forward for the City and, particularly, for Seattle PD.” by Ashley Nerbovig

In an email sent to all Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers on Tuesday, SPD Deputy Chief Eric Barden celebrated the end of King County Jail’s misdemeanor booking restrictions and told officers to immediately begin increasing arrests. Barden called the decision “another great step forward for the City and, particularly, for Seattle PD.” Not so great for Seattle’s poorest and most vulnerable residents, who will comprise the “overwhelming majority of people” jailed under this change, said King County Department of Public Defense Interim Director Matt Sanders in a statement to The Stranger Thursday.

In September, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine announced an agreement to lift booking restrictions, which had previously prevented SPD officers from jailing people pre-trial for low-level and non-violent crimes such as low-value theft, criminal trespass, and public drug use. The restrictions went into place because of COVID-19 and remained active due to low staffing at the jail, which is a predicament still plaguing the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD). Department spokesperson Noah Haglund said that the jail has 60 staffing vacancies as compared to the start of 2024 when it was closer to 100. But with those 40 additional guards, Constantine believes the new agreement balances booking needs with the wellbeing of jail staff, Haglund said.  

The agreement, which took effect November 1, increased the number of jail beds the City could use for misdemeanors to 135. Barden explained in his email Tuesday that in the six months prior, SPD held on average about 90 people a day on misdemeanors at the jail, so the increase would mean an additional 45 beds available to officers per day. The jail held well over 200 people on misdemeanor charges per day in 2019, according to Barden.

“So, while we are moving in the right direction, we are nowhere near pre-pandemic capacity,” Barden said.

With booking restrictions lifted, Barden told officers to book people into jail “whenever there is a public safety interest.” The only time officers should not consider booking someone, Barden counseled, was when the City reached or neared its 135-bed capacity. “Otherwise, booking decisions consistent with pre-pandemic assessments should be utilized.” The email made no mention of considering diversion options.

In a call with the Stranger, Barden explained that "public safety interest" meant officers should arrest if they believe a person could continue to be a problem for a business, the community, or residents in the area, and said officers should not arrest if those factors aren't present. Barden argued that arresting people can both remove them from a cycle of crime, prevent further decompensation for people in a mental health crisis, and set them on a path toward recovery.

Sanders disagreed with that perspective and pointed to studies that show jailing people pre-trial undermines public safety in many cases, and increases the chances that someone commits another crime. Even one to two days in jail can disrupt a person’s life, making it difficult to maintain stable housing, secure medical care for behavioral health conditions, or hold down a job. Lifting the booking restrictions means people presumed innocent might spend time in jail for the lowest level of crimes that might not even end up charged, and still have their entire lives disrupted, Sanders said.

Barden said he understood that perspective, but as he drives around Seattle he sees more disorder than he did before the booking restrictions went into place. As a result, even while the restrictions remained in place in 2023, property and violent crime in Seattle fell compared to 2022, and homicides fell in 2024, which speaks to an empirical improvement in public safety, if not a subjective cosmetic change to downtown Seattle.

The City has made it clear in the past two years that it plans to use cops to address substance abuse, poverty, and people with mental illness, all issues many argue would be better addressed through social services and unarmed alternative response teams. The City has tried to establish new diversion paths, and when it created its drug law earlier this year it came with a policy requiring SPD to consider diversion before booking someone in jail for drug use. Barden said that lifting booking restrictions would not change that. 

Returning to a pre pandemic booking mindset means potentially returning to the days when officers threw people in jail for stealing $30 sleeping bags and souvenir pennies. We reached out to City Attorney Ann Davison to ask her perspective on whether she also planned to crack down on prosecuting low-level, misdemeanor crimes, as she’s advocated for in the past, but she declined to comment. 

Update: The Mayor's Office told the Stranger that it believes the City needs an adequate number of jail beds and the ability to book people into jail and people who cause harm in the City should be held accountable. But, "jail is not always the first or most appropriate option," and Harrell has strongly advocated "for diversion and treatment options to help nonviolent offenders get the services they need."

Like the main characters of his latest book, author and journalist Nate Schweber is shaped by his upbringing in the Western United States…

The 'Born to Die' singer is hyping up her upcoming studio album, which is due in July this year, by offering a preview of the title track on social media.

Explaining the reason why she had been absent from social media, Lauren Lentz admits to having 'blocked and deleted more people and comments than I can count' in the wake of her husband's cheating scandal.

The Little Mix member debuts her burgeoning baby bump as she announces to her social media followers that she is expecting her first child with fiance Andre Gray.

The 'God's Plan' hitmaker also lets out on social media a clip of 3-year-old Adonis gushing over LeBron James while watching the NBA star's highlights.

Explaining the reason why she had been absent from social media, Lauren Lentz admits to having 'blocked and deleted more people and comments than I can count' in the wake of her husband's cheating scandal.

The eco-drag challenge is here.

Shreyas Srinivasan, Paytm's Chief Product Officer, has announced his departure from the company after more than ten years. His exit comes after Paytm sold its ticketing platform, Insider.in, to Zomato. Srinivasan played a key role in Insider.in's growth, from its inception to its merger with Paytm.

Food delivery giant Swiggy debuted on the stock market with a premium over its IPO price, despite ongoing financial losses. Analysts expressed caution, citing market volatility and the company's negative earnings, while acknowledging its revenue growth. Swiggy plans to use the IPO proceeds for investments in subsidiaries, technology, and marketing.

Hugo Boss reported third-quarter operating profit slightly above expectations, but acknowledged it won't achieve its 2025 revenue and profit growth targets due to weak demand. Despite cost-cutting measures, the luxury fashion brand faces challenges from cautious consumer spending and a difficult market, particularly in China.

Under Armour's shares surged 20% after the company raised its annual profit forecast, driven by cost-cutting measures and a focus on full-price sales. Founder and CEO Kevin Plank's strategy of reducing discounts and inventory helped boost gross margins, signaling a potential turnaround for the sportswear brand.

Richemont, the owner of Cartier, fell short of profit projections for the first half of the year and expressed caution regarding China's recovery, causing a decline in European luxury stocks. The company's sales were impacted by a downturn in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China, where consumer confidence remains low.

Net sales rose 40% to $301.1 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with analysts' average estimates of $285.8 million, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Millennium Babycares Ltd announced the closure of a Rs 122 crore private placement round with Bharat Value Fund (BVF), which acquired a significant minority stake. BVF is managed by Pantomath Capital and targets a corpus of Rs 2,000 crores. The funds will be used for market expansion in India and internationally.

Shares of FirstCry fell 4.5% after the GST department initiated an investigation at its Mumbai head office and Pune warehouse. The company assured normal operations, with no details on alleged violations.

Atlanta-based emerging artist Captain Highside hones in on his funky yet sultry musicality with “Technicolor Rewind,” the focus track from upcoming LP SAGITTARIUS II, a smooth neo-soul anthem that comes…

Rising indie artist Jacob Reddy released his first EP, 'These Streets Are Ours.' This EP is a powerful tribute to strength and modern-day rebellion. It features five songs that showcase…

Patricia Linares habla sobre los testimonios presentados ante la JEP

Panelistas plantearon que reforma pensional debe ser una prioridad, algunos consideran que el sistema de pilares es una alternativa para solucionar vacíos.

Panelistas consideran que el Presidente tiene un discurso irrespetuoso en el que solo busca dirigirse a su base de apoyo y a quienes considera la oposición.

Panelistas analizaron el impacto que tienen hechos de violencia en el futuro de las nueve mesas de negociación que tiene abiertas el Gobierno.

¿Cómo nos afectan las enfermedades cardiovasculares?

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Este es el personaje del día de Melquisedec Torres.

Escuche el programa de este lunes 30 de septiembre. La Luciérnaga, un espacio de humor y opinión de Caracol Radio que desde hace 31 años acompaña a sus oyentes en su regreso casa.

Escuche el programa de este lunes 14 de octubre. La Luciérnaga, un espacio de humor y opinión de Caracol Radio que desde hace 31 años acompaña a sus oyentes en su regreso casa.