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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21:11

Sunnyside Shower Project for Portlanders living on...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/08

When SE Portland resident Hannah Wallace went out with members of her neighborhood association in December of 2020 and asked people living on the streets what they needed most, the two things they heard most were: showers and laundry facilities. Wallace started the Sunnyside Shower project in response. The project began at Sunnyside Methodist Church with Wallace and a handful of volunteer offering showers twice a week. It now has dozens of volunteers and people can come 3 days a

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13:35

Offshore wind energy in Southern Oregon moving forward

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/08

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of Interior, recently announced next steps for developing floating wind facilities off the coast of Coos Bay and Brookings. These Oregon offshore wind turbines could power more than one million homes with renewable energy, according to the agency. Still, tribal leaders and commercial fishing groups remain concerned about how the projects could affect the ecosystem. We hear more about the latest

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10:03

Oregon’s groundwater is declining

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/07

Oregon's groundwater is being used faster than it’s being replenished, and the state’s aquifers are declining. The Oregon Water Resources Department is proposing new rules in response. The agency would change the way it decides if groundwater will be available for new users. Justin Iverson is the groundwater section manager for OWRD. He joins us to explain what we know about Oregon’s groundwater and what can be done to regulate its use.

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13:35

How the PSU library is faring after occupation by...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/07

It’s been just over a week since protesters took over the Branford Price Millar Library at Portland State University as part of demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza. Police eventually cleared the building and classes resumed last Friday, but the library remains closed as damage to the collections and facilities are assessed. Cris Paschild is an associate dean, university archivist and head of special collections at PSU. She joins us with more details on the

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20:34

Oregon 6th Congressional District GOP candidates Mike...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/07

In 2022, Oregon voters cast ballots for the first time in a newly created congressional district the state was awarded after the 2020 U.S. Census. The 6th Congressional District stretches from suburbs southwest of Portland to Salem, and includes all of Yamhill and Polk counties, as well as portions of Marion, Washington and Clackamas counties.We hear from two prominent candidates in the Republican primary vying for a chance to flip the seat in the fall. Mike Erickson is the

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14:07

Concerns grow over Canadian pipeline expansion and...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/06

Last week, crude oil started flowing through a newly expanded pipeline that stretches more than 600 miles from the tar sands of Canada’s Alberta province to an export terminal near Vancouver in British Columbia. The Canadian government spent $25 billion and more than four years to complete construction on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion which will triple its capacity to ship nearly a million barrels of oil a day. But the project has also raised concerns about the

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16:29

School libraries across Oregon see severe cuts, steep...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/06

School districts all over Oregon are struggling to find the money to fund vital services with declining budgets. Many of those districts are making cuts to library staff, which librarians say has a direct result on educational outcomes for students. They also say these cuts are also in direct opposition to the educational goals districts say they’re committed to — providing tutoring, research help and safe spaces for students experiencing bullying or isolation

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13:51

How effective are divestment campaigns?

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/06

Students across the country, including in Oregon, have escalated their protests in recent weeks of Israel’s war in Gaza. Many of the student protesters have been calling for their colleges and universities to divest from companies that do business with Israel. Similar calls were made in the 1970s and 80s as part of the effort to end apartheid in South Africa. But how effective have those divestment campaigns been in affecting change? And how realistic is it for educational

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11:37

Protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/03

More than 200 species of wildlife call the Owyhee Canyonlands home. The dramatic landscape stretches across southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, and is the ancestral homeland of several Indigenous tribes. While much of the region is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, advocates have championed for broader protections like a national monument or a wilderness designation. Kylie Mohr is a freelance journalist and correspondent for High Country News. She

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20:54

How some Oregon Schools are handling gun violence

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/03

Nearly a quarter of K-12 teachers in the U.S. reported going into a gun-related lockdown last year, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. Researchers also found that most teachers experience some degree of worry about the possibility of a school shooter. How does gun violence look like right now in Oregon schools, and what are districts doing to address threats and concerns? Andrea Castañeda is the superintendent for the Salem-Keizer School District. Mark

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12:02

What’s changed in Portland after a 90-day ‘fentanyl...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/03

Earlier this year, Gov. Tina Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a 90-day state of emergency to address what has become widely seen as a fentanyl crisis in downtown Portland. The idea was to bring more coordination and resources to bear on the crisis that is claiming lives through fatal drug overdoses and draining the resources of law enforcement, first responders, public health and medical professionals. The 90-day period

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15:20

How hearing loops spread across Lane County

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/02

Hearing loops are an assistive listening device that can significantly reduce background noise for hearing aid users. The device is relatively simple: a loop of copper wire encircles a desk, room or entire building, creating a magnetic field. People within that field can activate a particular setting on their hearing aids that allows sound from a microphone to be transmitted directly into their ear.Hearing loops are still gaining traction in the U.S., but the city of Eugene has

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16:21

Oregon Business advocacy group releases report on...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/02

Oregon Business and Industry, a business advocacy group, recently released the 2024 Oregon Competitiveness Book. The report is the first of a yearly look at how Oregon compares to other states as a place to do business. Angela Wilhelms, the president and CEO of OBI, joins us to reflect on the data compiled in this report.

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12:14

Portland State University Vanguard reporter on...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/02

Reporters with the Portland State University Vanguard have been on the ground as protesters have taken over the Branford Price Millar Library. The university closed campus on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday morning, Portland Police began to clear protesters from the building. [Does the campus remain closed?] Student journalists have provided updates on Instagram throughout the occupation. Kat Leon, editor-in-chief of the Vanguard, joins us with updates on the story, and to

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52:31

Gov. Barbara Roberts looks back over her career, as...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/05/01

In 1990, Barbara Roberts became the first woman elected governor of Oregon. She began her political career as a member of the Parkrose school board and then the board of Mount Hood Community College. She was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1980 and was chosen by her colleagues to be the House majority leader two years later. Two years after that, she became Oregon's Secretary of State, before going on to the top office. We spoke to Roberts in front of an

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28:54

Oregon marine vet killed fighting for Ukraine

Think Out Loud ·

2024/04/30

Joel David Beal was a U.S. Marine veteran who served from 2006 until 2010 including deployment to Iraq in 2008. As reported by the military media outlet, Task and Purpose, Beal received multiple military awards for his service and left the service with the rank of Lance Corporal. After he left the marines, he worked as a mechanic and a technician, repairing wind turbines. A year ago Beal went to Ukraine to fight alongside the country's military forces against the Russian

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12:29

Federal protections could be coming for an Oregon turtle

Think Out Loud ·

2024/04/30

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is thinking of adding some federal protections for a turtle found in Oregon. The western pond turtle is found in fresh water and wetlands west of the Cascades. It is also found in Nevada, Washington and California. If the agency’s proposal is approved, the turtle would be labeled as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Public comments are being taken until May 5, 2024. The turtle faces a number of challenges including habitat

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11:07

University of Oregon students set up encampment to...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/04/30

On Monday, students at the University of Oregon began setting up tents on the Eugene campus to protest the conflict in Gaza. They joined students at scores of other universities across the nation, including at Portland State University, where students set up camps, barricades and broke into Branford Price Millar Library. Student organizers of the protest on the UO campus are calling on the administration to divest from companies that have financial ties to the Israeli military

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18:05

Challenger Nathan Vasquez makes a case for why he...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/04/29

District Attorney Mike Schmidt is facing a challenge from one of his own senior deputy attorneys, Nathan Vazquez. Schmidt came into office as a reformer, with the goal of ending mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Vasquez says Schmidt has made Portland “unsafe and unrecognizable.” We talk to Vasquez about why he thinks he deserves the job.

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9:31

Homicides hit 15-year high in Salem last year

Think Out Loud ·

2024/04/29

The Salem Police Department recently released an annual report revealing trends and changes in the number of homicides, aggravated assaults, burglaries and other crimes over the past 15 years. Last year, there were 10 homicides in Salem, a 15-year high for the city of nearly 180,000 residents. Violent crime overall has increased by 35% since 2009 in Salem, while property crime has declined by 3% over the same time. Meanwhile, Salem police and city officials recently kicked off

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