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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20:07

Efforts advance to replace nearly 100-year-old Hood...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/13

While it’s not the I-5, there’s another bridge spanning the Columbia River that may be in even more need of replacement. Last month, the federal government announced it was awarding $200 million to help pay for the replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon bridge in the Columbia River Gorge. Marla Keethler is the mayor of White Salmon and a commissioner on the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority which was created last July to oversee the bridge replacement

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15:50

State economist on Oregon’s economic outlook

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/13

A recent economic forecast by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis shows that state lawmakers have more than $500 million to spend than previously expected. Still, much of the money has been accounted for and a slow population growth could negatively affect Oregon’s economy in the future. Mark McMullen, the state economist, joins us with details of the forecast.

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27:06

International Guitar Night features diverse talents,...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/12

Since its launch two dozen years ago, International Guitar Night has grown from performances in a handful of venues to encompass more than 80 shows in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Brian Gore, a Portland-based singer-songwriter, created International Guitar Night as a way to showcase the solo guitar musicians from around the world he finds and brings together to perform on a single stage. Gore recently has a new album of his own. He joins us along with 2 of the musicians,

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11:15

Is Washington’s farmworker overtime law working as...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/12

Washington’s farmworker overtime law took full effect this year, with workers now legally required to receive overtime pay after working 40 hours in a single week. In Oregon, a similar law is being phased in — workers currently receive overtime payment after 55 hours of work. The law was intended to fairly compensate farmworkers for the long hours worked during the growing and harvest seasons, but some workers say it’s actually led to lower earnings as farmers

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14:52

OHA Director Dr. Sejal Hathi on her priorities for...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/12

Sejal Hathi recently took over as director of the Oregon Health Authority. An attending physician, Hathi previously served as New Jersey’s designated state health officer and deputy commissioner for public health services. She also advised the Biden-Harris administration on public health policy for two years. Hathi has held faculty positions in the schools of medicine and public health at Johns Hopkins University. She joins us to tell us more about her new role and her

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43:09

REBROADCAST: Author Erica Hayasaki on nature vs. nurture

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/09

Erika Hayasaki’s book “Somewhere Sisters: a story of adoption, identity, and the meaning of family” explores a very complicated multi-family, multinational story. At the heart of the book are sisters: identical twins born in Vietnam. One was adopted by a wealthy family in the U.S., one was raised in rural Vietnam. We spoke to Hayasaki in 2022 in front of an audience at the Portland Book Festival.

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26:14

University of Oregon office launches training program...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/08

The Oregon Office for Community Dispute Resolution supports 12 centers across the state where trained mediators help community members settle disagreements before they go to court. Housed within the University of Oregon law school, the office also provides the basic training needed to begin the process of becoming a court-appointed mediator. It recently offered its first series of trainings entirely in Spanish, in what might be the first program of its kind in the

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19:14

PeaceHealth hospice and homecare nurses near Eugene...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/08

After almost a year of negotiations, nurses with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services are going on strike. More than 90 nurses with the Oregon Nurses Association will be striking for two-weeks starting Feb. 10. These nurses provide hospice care and other services to patients in the Eugene-area. The nurses have been working under an expired contract since April 2023 and are looking to raise safety standards, increase recruitment and retention and provider better pay

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26:55

Warm Springs tribal member wins coveted arts fellowship

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/07

Scott Kalama is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. He works as a certified prevention specialist at the Warm Springs Indian Reservation to mentor youth and raise awareness about the risks associated with drug and alcohol use. Growing up on the reservation, his older brother handed down CDs and mixtapes of Tupac and other hip hop artists which sparked Kalama’s own musical calling and journey. Performing under the name “Blue Flamez,”

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17:20

How Oregon is working toward shelter and housing goals

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/07

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said this week that the state has exceeded its goals for the 2023 homelessness state of emergency. Over the last year/since the emergency was declared, more than 1,000 new low-barrier shelter beds were added, nearly 2,000 people were housed and almost 9,000 households were given aid to prevent them from becoming homeless. Andera Bell is the executive director of Oregon Housing and Community Services. She joins us to share more about these

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12:45

Washington lawmakers address practice of intercepting...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/06

In Washington, millions of dollars in child support payments are intercepted by the state from custodial parents who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal assistance program that includes cash benefits. Lawmakers are considering a bill with bipartisan support that would redirect a portion of future child support payments back to families. Brandon Block is an investigative reporter at Cascade PBS. He has reported on the bill and joins us with details.

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17:28

What a Kroger-Albertsons merger could mean for shoppers

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/06

Two of the largest supermarket chains in the U.S. are planning to merge. Kroger and Albertsons first announced their proposed merger in 2022. The Federal Trade Commission has been reviewing the proposal for more than a year and is expected to make a decision soon. Meanwhile, lawmakers, consumer advocates and others have raised concerns about the proposal. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently sued to block it, arguing that it would reduce competition and raise prices

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13:20

Eugene’s 4J School Superintendent facing allegations...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/06

The public school superintendent at the 4J School district in Eugene is under investigation, the Eugene Weekly is reporting. The school board hired Andy Dey in 2022 when similar allegations surfaced. A Seattle area firm has turned over its investigation to the school board, which met for another executive session Monday night. Eugene Weekly editor Camilla Mortensen has been following the story, in collaboration with the University of Oregon’s Catalyst journalism program,

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23:32

Lane Community College librarian one of 10 honored...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/05

The American Library Association’s “I Love My Librarian Award” recognizes public, school, college and university librarians for their “exceptional” accomplishments and “outstanding public service.” Only 10 librarians across the country receive the award, and this year, one of the recipients is from Oregon. Claire Dannenbaum is a reference and instruction librarian at Lane Community College. We talk with her about the joys – and

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21:18

How libraries are meeting the needs of kids in their...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/05

As libraries change to meet the needs of their communities, these public spaces are seeing their services expand in different ways. For some, it’s the growth of children’s areas and play spaces. But how do libraries plan for these spaces and what does it take to make libraries a welcoming place for all ages? Several Multnomah County libraries are currently under renovation, with some opening as early as this summer. Some of these renovations include expanding

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25:40

Spokane nursery is helping youngest victims of...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/02

Mothers who use fentanyl, meth or other substances during their pregnancies can give birth to babies who have to spend weeks in the hospital to treat their exposure to and withdrawal from drugs. After their release, caregivers can still struggle to soothe and feed them. Tricia Hughes, a registered nurse in Spokane, discovered this when she and her husband began fostering babies born dependent on heroin and other substances two decades ago. That experience inspired a 15-year-long

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18:32

Oregon Republican House Leader on M110 and other...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/02

Oregon lawmakers are deciding whether to make changes to the state’s landmark drug decriminalization law, Measure 110. A bipartisan committee has been meeting since October to hear testimony from law enforcement, substance use disorder experts and treatment providers. Democratic state lawmakers recently put forth a proposal that would recriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs. Republicans have introduced their own proposal, which includes harsher penalties for

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21:56

Democratic state lawmakers propose changes to Measure...

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/01

Oregon lawmakers are deciding whether to make changes to the state’s landmark drug decriminalization law, Measure 110. A bipartisan committee has been meeting since October to hear testimony from law enforcement, addiction experts and treatment providers. Democratic state lawmakers recently put forth a proposal that would recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs. Republicans have introduced their own proposal that includes harsher penalties for possession and

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23:53

Lessons learned from the devastating winter storm

Think Out Loud ·

2024/02/01

It’s been a few weeks since cold, ice and wind battered Oregon, killing at least 15 people and bringing much of the state to a grinding halt. The region has weathered many storms but this one prompted Gov. Tina Kotek to declare an emergency, enabling the possibility of federal funding and reimbursement to clean up the damages. We’re joined by Rachel Pearl and Chris Voss with Multnomah County, Drew Hanson with PGE, Jody Yates with PBOT, and Eve Gray with Lane County

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16:16

Portland ski team affected by unusual weather this year

Think Out Loud ·

2024/01/31

The East Side High Schools ski team has student racers from several schools in Portland including Grant, Cleveland and Franklin. This year, the team faced a power outage during a school trip, and other trips were canceled because of too little and too much snow. The already compact season is even shorter this year because of weather conditions. We learn more about the team and the ups and downs of this season from Head Coach Randy Hewitt and student racers Nora Isles and Liam

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