Indy on Air

The release of artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022 launched many conversations about AI in the past few months. With original writing that can't be caught by plagiarism checks and that can be indistinguishable from human writing, concerns have been raised about the potential for cheating in academics. Many also wonder what the future of AI will hold. We talked to University of Washington professor Jeff Blimes and a teacher at Eastlake High School for their perspectives on AI.

With air quality in the Seattle area the worst in the world in October, many wondered whether this would be yet another "new normal." After all, wildfires nearby have brought smoke to Sammamish nearly every year in recent memory. We talked to a firefighter and local hiker for insights into the impact of these fires and what is being done to address them.

It’s no secret that there’s a national teacher shortage right now, and that many teachers are not happy with the resources the district provides them inside and outside classrooms. With Seattle schools starting a week late from a teacher strike, we wondered how teachers in Sammamish feel about returning back to school this year. We talked to three teachers in the Lake Washington and Issaquah school districts to get insights on what our local teachers are faring as schools try to return to pre-pandemic life.

Lead producer Julia Gudis and producer Sehrish Daud reflect on their two years producing Indy on Air in their final episode before they sign off  and head to college. In it, they offer a masterclass to anyone who wants to start podcasting and get news and views out to the world.

In April 2021, Sound Transit posted an update about the North Sammamish Park and Ride, a parking lot for drivers to leave their cars in to travel through public transport, moving the completion date to 2045 - 21 years after the previous 2024 promise. We talked to former council member Jason Ritchie and a few Sammamish citizens to gain a better understanding of what the North Sammamish Park and Ride is, and why it’s taking so long to build.

In President Biden’s words, Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine is “a flagrant violation of international law.” This war has forced more than 4.5 million Ukrainians to flee their country, leaving the world in shock, sadness, and economic ruin. We spoke to a UW history professor, a Sammamish resident, and a Ukrainian refugee to learn about how we got to where we are today and how our community has been impacted by this war.

Ever since the brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police in 2020, there has been a national awakening on the need for police reform. Last year, Washington state passed House Bill 1310, which aimed to limit the use of the force by police to reduce deaths. We spoke with state representative Roger Goodman — who represents the 45th District and chairs the House Public Safety Committee — to gain a better understanding of the police reform legislation, how it impacts our community, and the work that he has done this year to clarify some parts of the legislation at the request of law enforcement.

After nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, cases and hospitalizations have hit new records in King County due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant. With some schools shutting down, a general lack of staff across businesses, and shortages of COVID testing, people have been wondering — when will all this be over, and what is our local government doing to help us get through the current crisis? We spoke to Mayor Christie Malchow to find out how the City of Sammamish has addressed these challenges.

For many Sammamish residents, holiday plans are forging ahead, despite the world being hit, once again, with a new COVID-19 variant. With many uncertainties on how extensively the omicron variant will spread, and how severe cases could get, some people have become more cautious about holiday travel plans. Others are still planning to make that long overdue trip to see family members or go on a destination vacation. We spoke with a few members of our community to see how omicron has impacted their holiday plans.

Teachers across the country are being targeted for “left-leaning” curriculums by conservatives, who have zeroed in on opposition to critical race theory and ethnic studies in the media and on political campaigns. We invited guests with opposing perspectives — conservative radio host Jason Rantz and Eastlake High School humanities teacher Shila Hodgins — to see how far apart the two sides really are.