PODCAST

Think Out Loud

Oregon Public Broadcasting

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

news

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14:25

OHSU study finds patients of color nationwide twice...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/10

The federal COVID-19 emergency declaration, which expanded Medicaid coverage, officially ended last spring. Since then, state agencies that oversee Medicaid have been updating their eligibility rosters and disenrolling patients who no longer qualify. While some patients were determined ineligible, the vast majority were disenrolled for administrative reasons such as incomplete applications, incorrect paperwork and missed renewal notices. A recent study from Oregon Health &

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17:40

City of Salem committee recommends cuts to council to...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/10

Salem is far from the only Oregon city to be struggling with balancing its budget amid rising costs and declining revenues. Leaders cite property tax limits, the end of pandemic aid money and inflation rates, among other factors. But as a capital city, it’s one that gets more attention than others. Earlier this year, Salem city residents reacted overwhelmingly negatively to big proposed cuts to the library to attempt to address the shortfall. Those cuts were restored as a

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9:16

Criminal case dismissed against burn boss in Grant...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/10

In October 2022, Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley arrested Ricky Snodgrass, a U.S. Forest Service employee who was leading a prescribed burn that jumped to private land and burned roughly 20 acres. In February of this year, a grand jury indicted Snodgrass on a misdemeanor count of reckless burning. His case was then moved to federal court, where it was dismissed last week. The case was a particularly striking example of longstanding tensions between federal agencies and local

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22:58

Burton, a 3 year-old comfort dog in Multnomah County...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/07

Last month, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office had a swearing-in ceremony for Burton, a new member on its force. He won’t, however, be apprehending suspected criminals, working on investigations or responding to requests for back-up. But the help he will provide is just as valuable, albeit in a different way, to deputies and the communities they serve. Burton is the department’s first comfort dog. His handler, Deputy Kerri Oman, takes the 85-pound,

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17:20

What’s being done to try to get those in Gaza medical...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/07

Since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Israel's retaliatory air and ground military response has left Gaza in ruins. Less than a third of the hospitals there are intact and operating at even a diminished capacity. As Beaverton doctor Ahmed Ebeid put it after he returned from a volunteer trip to the region, people are dying from war wounds even if they make it to a clinic or hospital due to a lack of capacity, medicine and basic medical supplies like gauze and surgical gloves. We talk

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12:31

Potential changes to Oregon’s agricultural labor...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/07

In April, members of the Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers Association gave testimony at a Wasco County Commissioners meeting over potential rule changes to Oregon’s agricultural labor housing standards. The growers claim many of the changes are too costly to implement and unrelated to health and safety. Columbia Gorge News recently reported on the meeting amid the yearslong effort by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division to update agricultural labor housing rules,

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23:24

A look at Oregon’s latest economic forecast

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/06

According to the latest economic forecast, Oregon’s economy is steady. But at the same time, state economists say that job growth over the past few years has been at some of the state’s lowest levels in recent history. The forecast also found that there is a 50% chance for Oregonians to see another kicker in 2026. Josh Lehner interim state economist for Oregon. He joins us with more.

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13:19

In Oregon, rodeos honor past generations and the...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/06

The Sisters Rodeo has begun. The event will last through June 9 and features multiple performances and a parade. Next month, St. Paul will host its rodeo over the 4th of July. The rodeos have run for more than 80 years and host thousands of spectators in their rural communities. We hear more about the events from Brian Greig, the director of sponsorships and marketing for the Sisters Rodeo Association and Karen McKillip, the general manager for the St. Paul Rodeo.

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16:33

Oregon, California universities collaborate to...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/06

Floating offshore wind projects are slowly moving forward off the coasts of California and Southern Oregon. The projects could power millions of homes, but they’ve also raised concerns from tribal governments, environmental organizations and the commercial fishing industry. The Pacific Offshore Wind Consortium aims to address some of those questions. Made up of centers at Oregon State University, Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the consortium will conduct

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37:17

Crafting spirits in Portland

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/05

We’re taking a deep dive into people’s work lives. We want to learn what it takes to do different jobs and how these professions change us.On the latest installment of our series, we visit Freeland Spirits in Portland, which is owned and run by women. Master Distiller Molly Troupe creates spirits, like gin and whiskey. She takes us behind the scenes and shares more about her craft and the rye whiskey—grown and distilled in Oregon—that Freeland recently

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17:03

Pamplin Media Group sells sells two dozen Oregon...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/05

The Pamplin Media Group announced Monday that the Portland Tribune and more than two dozen of its other local newspapers in Oregon had been sold to Mississippi-based Carpenter Media Group. As reported in Willamette Week, Ross Island Sand & Gravel, part of R.B. Pamplin Corp., has been under fire for its failure to refill the cavernous hole it dug while mining the Willamette River bottom from 1926 to 2001. The R.B. Pamplin Corp., which has a variety of business holdings, had

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21:04

The Oregon Game Project Challenge lets students...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/04

Since 2007, the Oregon Game Project Challenge teaches middle and high school students in Oregon how to go from video game players, to developers in a year long competition. Every season a new theme is announced and competitors have the entire school year to develop a video game from start to finish, including coding, art and sound design. This year's competition was in mid-May, and the team Toast Lads from Century High School won best in show for their game, MARK3T M3TAL. Jason

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13:06

Portland’s Fathom offers new immersive art experience

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/04

There’s a new entry in Portland’s art scene. But it’s not your typical exhibit or art show where the canvases or sculptures are carefully curated and displayed to be enjoyed from a respectful distance. Instead, Fathom is an underwater-themed immersive art experience abounding with opportunities for interaction, whether it’s the 21-foot-long, animatronic humpback whale that sings at the touch of a button, glowing treasure chests, a room of infinity mirrors

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18:24

Drug thefts at a southern Oregon hospital shed some...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/04

In December 2023,news broke thata nurse at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center reportedly stole fentanyl from patients in the intensive care unit, by replacing their IV medication with tap water. This wasn’t the first time narcotics were stolen by an employee at the hospital, and it isn’t the only hospital in Oregon where this is happening. Poor data collection and oversight makes drug diversions hard to track among local, state and federal agencies. Kaylee Tornay

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19:08

Biotoxin affects shellfish harvesting in Oregon,...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/03

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Agriculture recently announced the closure of shellfish harvesting throughout the entire Oregon coast.In Washington, officials have also closed shellfish harvesting throughout the state’s Pacific Coast.Agencies are checking for a marine biotoxin which can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. The naturally occurring biotoxin affects the nervous system. People with paralytic shellfish poisoning can

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9:40

Forested western wetlands could be important

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/03

When you think of wetlands, youprobably think of marshy areas around lakes and rivers. But there are alsowetlands in the damp forests of the Pacific Northwest. And those wetlands canbe very important for storing carbon and helping to slow climate change.Researchers in Washington are mapping the forested wetlands of the West.Natalia Mesa, Editorial Fellow for High Country News, joins us to talk aboutthe effort, and the importance of wetlands, which she recently wrote about.

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12:16

The promising potential of using iron instead of...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/03

Iron is one of the cheapest and most abundant metals on the planet, unlike nickel and cobalt, which are used in lithium-ion batteries to power electric vehicles, and ubiquitous devices, from mobile phones to laptops. Oregon State University chemistry researcher Xiulei “David” Ji is an author of a new study that shows iron can be used to replace metals that are scarce, expensive and can be environmentally damaging to extract. He hopes this technology will be the spark

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12:54

How police guns can end up being used in crimes

Think Out Loud ·

2024/06/03

Since 2006, more than 52,000 police guns were used in crimes across the U.S. In many cases, these weapons ended up in the hands of the general public in completely legal ways. Law enforcement agencies, including the Oregon State Police and the Portland Police Bureau, have sold or traded-in their firearms to gun stores or manufacturers in order to obtain newer models. Chris Hacker is an investigative data reporter with CBS News who reported on this trend in collaboration with The

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35:28

A visit to ‘The Burned Piano Project: Creating Music...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/31

Two years ago, a Portland Jewish family’s home was destroyed in an arson. As they got rid of all their burned belongings, the one thing they couldn’t bear to do was toss out with the rest of the burned remains a 100 year-old Steinway grand piano that had belonged to “Grandma Bess.” Much of it was intact, though not restorable. They reached out to musicians and artists and ultimately found their way to Jennifer Wright. She’s a classical pianist by

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18:02

New bike garden coming to Vancouver

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/31

A bike garden in Vancouver will have its grand opening next month. Also known as traffic gardens, these types of spaces help children and adults practice bike and road safety in a controlled environment. Will Grimm is the lead design and project manager for the Heights Bike Garden. Fionnuala Quinn is the director of Discover Traffic Gardens and consulted on the project. They join us with details.

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