PODCAST

Think Out Loud

Oregon Public Broadcasting

OPB"s daily conversation covering news, politics, culture and the arts. Hosted By Dave Miller.

news

All Episodes

11:05

More than 150 teachers in WA were disciplined for...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/26

In the last decade, more than 150 teachers in Washington were disciplined for sexual misconduct. But new reporting from Investigate West found that many of these cases weren’t easily accessible to the public. The reason the information is hidden? When a teacher voluntarily surrenders their license, their information in the state’s misconduct database is shielded from public view. Nearly 45% of teachers on this database volunteered to surrender their license. Moe

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12:58

Flawed drug tests lead to thousands of cases of...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/26

There were more than 70,000 cases of alleged drug use during pregnancy sent to law enforcement officials across 21 states over six years, including Oregon. As reported in The Marshall Project, these cases involved unreliable drug tests that show inaccurate results, are difficult to read or are simply wrong. In Oregon, and in 12 other states, welfare agencies automatically report any positive test result to authorities. Shoshana Walter is a staff writer for The Marshall Project

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20:34

From the Olympics to yoga class, UO professor...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/25

Susan Sokolowski holds more than 100 patents, most of which she earned during the nearly 18 years she worked as a sports product designer at Nike. One of her favorite patents was for Flyknit, a knitted fabric upper that’s lightweight and provides a sock-like fit on shoes. The inspiration for it came, she says, from conversations she had with women athletes while working as a designer on Nike’s women’s footwear division, which launched in 2002. While at Nike,

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11:09

How AI is changing entry-level jobs in Oregon

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/25

Artificial intelligence is beginning to change the entry-level job market. AI often automates the repetitive tasks that might otherwise allow new employees to learn on the job, and some worry it could eventually replace those jobs altogether. A study from Stanford University found these changes were most likely to affect “AI exposed occupations” such as software development and customer service.Lucas Hellberg is an enterprise reporter for the Daily Emerald newspaper

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20:36

How college newspapers in Eugene, Corvallis and...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/25

College newspapers are often on shoestring budget, and at the same time they’re a vitally important source of information — especially for their student readers. At the University of Oregon’s The Daily Emerald and Portland State University’s The Vanguard, reporters have been tear-gassed while covering immigration protests. Though reporters at Oregon State University’s The Daily Barometer have not faced that challenge, the editor-in-chief says the

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12:51

Bend paraplegic skier qualifies for 2026 Paralympic...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/24

Next Friday, the 2026 Paralympic Games kick off in Milan Cortina, the same region in Northern Italy which hosted the recently concluded Winter Olympics. Anna Soens is an alpine skier from Bend with incomplete paralysis who earned a spot on the Team USA roster. She will now head to Italy to join more than 650 athletes from around the world vying for victory in nearly 80 medal events.It is her first time competing in the Paralympics where she has qualified for five events:

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17:25

Portland Playhouse stages work centering...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/24

Portland Playhouse in Northeast Portland is currently performing "Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous." The play follows four Black women artists as they confront their own and each other’s evolving definitions of art, protest, and storytelling. Audiences have until March 15 to see performances by Faith Lavon and Ashlee Radney, who play actors of different generations. They join us to discuss the production and its relevance today.

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22:24

Documentary ”Holding Liat” focuses on a Jewish...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/24

On October 7, 2023, Liat Beinin Atzili and her husband Aviv Atzili were kidnapped from their home in an Israeli kibbutz. The new documentary “Holding Liat” follows Liat’s family — including members in Portland — in the days and months that followed as they fight for her release and face their own conflicting perspectives on the crisis in Israel and Gaza. Lance Kramer, one of the producers of the film, and Joel Beinin, Liat’s uncle, join us.

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12:36

What does it take to protect bighorn sheep?

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/23

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs were recently recognized by the Wild Sheep Foundation for their ongoing efforts to preserve bighorn sheep populations. They’ve been taking measures to protect wild sheep in Oregon since the 1980s, helping to manage disease and predation. Austin Smith, general manager of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs branch of natural resources, joins us to discuss what’s threatening the population, and what it takes to protect these

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18:46

New OHSU study finds nearly a third of...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/23

Earlier this month, Oregon Health and Science University released new nationwide data that found low physician participation in Medicaid. Researchers deemed these physicians “ghost” providers: physicians who are enrolled in Medicaid, but don’t care for even a single patient covered by the federal health insurance program. Those findings also revealed that another third of physicians who are enrolled in Medicaid may be overburdened, with higher-than-average

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21:06

New head of Oregon Public Defense Commission...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/23

The Oregon public defense system has been in crisis for many years. The number of defendants who need representation has far outstripped the number of available public defenders. Previous reports found the state’s system violated Oregonians’ constitutional rights. Earlier this month the Oregon Supreme Court ruled unanimously that criminal charges against defendants must be dropped if an attorney cannot be found. Oregon lawmakers have passed legislation aimed at

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31:14

Portland doctor says many factors behind rising...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/20

According to recent surveys, the number of people who say they are experiencing burnout is on the rise. Dr. Zarya Rubin practices functional medicine in Portland who specializes in identifying and relieving burnout. She started a podcast last year that she both produces and hosts called “Outsmart Burnout.” She says burnout can manifest as physical and mental exhaustion, brain fog, an increase in anxiety and a decrease in productivity. The factors that contribute

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21:24

Two Oregon school districts on the first month of...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/20

Last month marked the beginning of a statewide ban on cell phones in Oregon schools. The executive order, issued by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, prohibits the use of personal devices such as phones, smart watches and earbuds during instructional hours, including lunchtime and between periods. School districts were to adopt policies by October 31, 2025, and enforce the new rules beginning January 1.Grant High School in Northeast Portland adopted a phone-free policy in 2024. South

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21:10

Hood River art exhibit anchors Black History Month...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/19

The Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River is currently hosting “Black Infinity House,” a free, immersive art exhibit on display for Black History Month until March 29.The exhibit is arranged into three spaces - an artist’s studio, a living room and a porch – that visitors walk through to experience art made by more than 30 Black Oregon artists whose work spans different genres and generations. It includes fabric art illustrating timeless vistas of

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20:24

Black community leaders in Portland say void left by...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/19

The Black newspaper The Skanner was founded more than 50 years ago by Bernie and Bobbie Foster. It became something of an institution and community organization for Black communities in Portland. The paper went entirely online in 2020 but continued to play a critical role in the lives of many Black Oregonians. Recently, the Fosters announced the paper had shut down as of Jan. 30. We sit down with former reporters for the paper, writers Donovan Scribes and Bruce Poinsette, along

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10:27

Investigation reveals impact of federal immigration...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/19

Last August, a van carrying seven farmworkers in rural Marion County was stopped by immigration agents.OPB reported on the arrest of the farmworkers, including a man identified as LJPL in court documents. He was arrested even though he had no criminal record and had a pending asylum application. That case and others involving the arrests of workers at dairy farms in Wisconsin and Vermont and a beef processing facility in Nebraska are described in a recent article by Investigate

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15:11

Washington made it harder for CPS to separate...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/18

Washington state made several changes in the last few years to prioritize keeping kids with their birth families. But a new investigation from KUOW found that over the same time period, more babies and children from families who’ve been investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) workers have died. Eilis O’Neill, a reporter for KUOW, joins us to talk about the story.

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13:01

Eugene’s LGBTQ+ resource center finds permanent home

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/18

According to its website, The Lavender Network is Eugene’s only LGBTQ+ service and community center. The coalition of five nonprofits offers health care, counseling, a free clothing closet and more to queer communities in Lane County. After renting different spaces around Eugene, the network opened its first permanent space near downtown on Feb. 10.Laura Henry is the manager of The Lavender Network. She joins us to talk about the importance of creating permanent spaces

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24:26

Oregon launches multi-agency effort to protect...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/18

Last month, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed anexecutive order creating an interagency council to better support immigrants and refugees in the state. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, there are more than 400,000 immigrants in Oregon, making up nearly 10% of the state’s population and nearly 13% of the state’s workforce. The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement at ODHS is leading this new effort which aims to boost coordination and

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53:27

REBROADCAST: Stacey Abrams on writing, AI and democracy

Think Out Loud ·

2026/02/17

Stacey Abrams has published more than a dozen books over the last 25 years. Those include thrillers, romance novels, children’s books and political memoirs and manifestos. That would be a full career for most people, but Stacey Abrams seems to have more energy than most people.While she has always been a writer, she has also been a tax attorney, a Georgia state lawmaker, the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and the first Black woman in U.S. history

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