Shocking online thread sees people calling out cities that have installed 'anti-homeless architecture' - from sharp spikes to bench bars - to stop people from sleeping in public places
By Freya Drohan For Dailymail.com
08:15 EDT 16 Sep 2019 , updated 16:42 EDT 16 Sep 2019

The origin of the term is unknown, but cities throughout the world show examples of the purposefully obstructive design features. However, some - like sloping benches or 'artwork' in wide doorways - are subtle enough that members of the public never really pause to think of their intent.

The thread called out the most prevalent examples of anti-homeless architecture, causing outrage and forcing people to take notice of inhumane and insidious design practices.

Several images show benches with bars in the middle of the seating area - a normal sight in many urban areas.

A Canadian Twitter user shared an image of a park bench painted in LGBTQ-friendly rainbow colors that had multiple dividing bars in the middle.

Social media users were angered at how the bench could promote inclusivity to one community while discriminating against people who were seeking a place to sleep.

Bette Midler
✔
@BetteMidler
Dear Donnie, Yesterday you attacked the homeless for living on "our best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings." Why don’t you put them up in your hotels & rentals? I hear you’ve got plenty of room these days!

By Paul LeBlanc, CNN

Updated at 7:06 PM ET, Tue September

Obama meets with teen climate activist Greta Thunberg: 'You and me, we're a team'
By Paul LeBlanc, CNN

Updated at 7:06 PM ET, Tue September 17, 2019

This teen activist has a message for Trump
This teen activist has a message for Trump 00:45
Washington (CNN) — Former President Barack Obama on Monday met with Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg as part of her visit to Washington, DC, to promote environmental issues.
"Just 16, @GretaThunberg is already one of our planet's greatest advocates," Obama tweeted after his meeting with Thunberg. "Recognizing that her generation will bear the brunt of climate change, she's unafraid to push for real action."
Thunberg established herself as a bona fide climate action figure after staging weekly sit-ins outside the Swedish Parliament, spawning a burgeoning movement of youth climate activists to hold their own protests in more than 100 cities worldwide.

Read more at https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/17/politics/barack-obama-greta-thunberg-climate-change/index.html

Homelessness Is a Nationwide Crisis That Must Be Addressed.
A lot can happen in 15 years: You attend college. You get a new job. You rent your first apartment. You get married, start a family, buy a house. For Jossalyn, little has happened. She has spent the past 15 years homeless.

Like many others I meet on the streets, Jossalyn has fallen through the gaps in the safety net. She is surviving now, but how long will it be before Jossalyn becomes critically vulnerable?

I’m reminded of a question Nancy Lublin and her daughter asked me repeatedly on a recent tour of Skid Row. Besides 911, who can people call when they see a homeless person needing help? And there are people in dire need of homeless services everywhere.
Please read full story at https://invisiblepeople.tv/who-do-we-call-when-a-homeless-person-needs-help

Veteran journalist Cokie Roberts, who joined an upstart NPR in 1978 and left an indelible imprint on the growing network with her coverage of Washington politics before later going to ABC News, has died. She was 75.

Roberts died Tuesday due to complications from breast cancer, according to a family statement.

A bestselling author and Emmy Award winner, Roberts was one of NPR's most recognizable voices and is considered one of a handful of pioneering female journalists — along with Nina Totenberg, Linda Wertheimer and Susan Stamberg — who helped shape the public broadcaster's sound and culture at a time when few women held prominent roles in journalism.

In a word, don’t.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering if you should call the police on a homeless person, the answer is probably no.

Unfortunately, many people feel entitled to call the cops any time they are made uneasy or uncomfortable by a homeless person.

In many of these cases, little to no interaction actually takes place. The caller was never in any sort of danger. Yet the homeless person is still subjected to a potentially harmful visit from law enforcement. All because someone decided they didn’t want to have to look at or share space with that person.
Please read the whole story at https://invisiblepeople.tv/ultimate-guide-to-calling-police-on-homeless-people/

A team of Trump administration officials toured a California facility once used by the Federal Aviation Administration this week as they searched for a potential site to relocate homeless people, according to three government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private tour.

President Trump has directed aides to launch a major crackdown on homelessness in California, spurring an effort across multiple government agencies to determine how to deal with sprawling tent camps on the streets of Los Angeles and other cities, officials said.

Trump is expected to visit California on Tuesday and Wednesday. One administration official with knowledge of Trump’s visit to California said there were discussions about an announcement related to California’s growing homeless problem next week, but a second official said that any decision could be premature and that it was not on the current schedule for the trip.