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

21:12

In Northeast Oregon, rural counties address homelessness

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/20

Earlier this year, millions of dollars were allocated to counties across the state as part of a homelessness state of emergency. We hear from an organization based in rural Oregon that’s working on rehousing residents in Baker, Grant, Union and Wallowa counties. Connie Guentert is the executive director of Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, Inc. She joins us with details of the organization’s work.

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16:40

Honoring Chinese immigrants buried in Portland’s Lone...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/17

Lone Fir Cemetery is one of the oldest continuously operating cemeteries in Portland. It also serves as a painful reminder of the racist and exclusionary treatment of Chinese immigrants who first arrived in Oregon in the mid-1800s, working as miners, merchants and other laborers. From the 1860s to the 1920s, roughly 2800 Chinese immigrants were buried in a section of Lone Fir known as Block 14. Ledgers were used to record the names of many of the people who were buried there so

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14:06

Latest forecast shows Oregon’s economy is stabilizing

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/17

After facing pandemic-era high inflation rates and a shift in migration, Oregon’s economy is stabilizing, according to a new forecast. The forecast also notes that economic recovery post-pandemic has been inclusive across the board, as people of all backgrounds are seeing lower poverty rates and higher rates of employment. Josh Lehner is an economist with the state. He joins us to share more on the state of Oregon’s current population trends and what the labor market

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22:57

Trip to Portugal offers Oregon lawmakers a look at...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/17

Two dozen elected officials, law enforcement officers and substance use treatment providers traveled from Oregon to Portugal recently to learn about the country’s 20-year-old drug decriminalization program, which inspired Oregon’s voter-approved Measure 110. The trip was organized and largely paid for by the Health Justice Recovery Alliance, a statewide advocacy organization focused on implementing M110. The group met with Portuguese policymakers and addiction

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22:04

The tough job of being a county clerk in Oregon

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/16

With the presidential election less than a year away, a recent survey commissioned by the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division highlights the challenges facing Oregon’s county clerks. Researchers at Reed College’s Elections & Voting Information Center surveyed nearly all of Oregon’s 36 county clerks who not only administer elections but also record property transactions and issue marriage licenses. But as the survey reveals, that job has become

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30:55

District, union leaders on contract negotiations to...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/16

Portland Public Schools students are out of class for the 10th day this month as the first strike in the district’s history continues. The Portland Association of Teachers claims the most recent offer it presented to the district would significantly reduce the financial gap between the two sides, but the district has disputed how much the proposal would actually save. Renard Adams is chief of research, assessment and accountability for PPS. Angela Bonilla is the president

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22:59

University of Washington research could lead to...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/15

Tooth enamel is the strongest substance produced by the human body, protecting the sensitive lower layers of the teeth. But once it wears away, we can’t regrow it. The cells that create enamel, called ameloblasts, die shortly after the teeth are formed. New research from the University of Washington could eventually change that, however. Researchers have succeeded in transforming stem cells into ameloblasts, which can produce a rudimentary enamel under the right

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16:14

New lumber mill in Philomath aims to market Oregon...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/15

Oregon’s timber reputation is largely built from softwoods like Douglas Fir. But a new lumber mill in Philomath aims to take advantage of the many hardwoods available on the western side of the state. Patrick Lumber aims to mill Oregon white oak, Pacific maple, tan oak, madrone, chinquapin, myrtle and Oregon ash trees from lots that are being thinned for fire protection. David Halsey, CEO of Patrick Lumber, joins us to tell us about their strategy for this new mill.

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12:45

New report finds abortion access varies in Oregon jails

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/15

The Oregon Justice Resource Center recently released a report focusing on access to abortion in Oregon county jails. It found that access to the procedure varies widely by county. We hear more about the report from Brittney Plesser, co-director of the Fair Law Project at Oregon Justice Resource Center.

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20:43

How 'gunfluencers' are changing the way firearms are...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/14

The way in which Americans have purchased firearms, and how they’re advertised, has changed greatly over the years. But a recent study from Oregon State University sheds light on a new group helping target consumers: gun influencers. Aimee Huff and Michelle Barnhart are both associate professors at OSU’s College of Business. They both join us to discuss how gun culture has changed over the years and the role these influencers are playing.

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18:21

Portland city council will decide voter changes to...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/14

Portlanders passed a ballot measure in November 2020 to overhaul police oversight with more than 80% of the vote. And exactly how to do that is what the volunteer members of the Police Accountability Commission have been meeting for the better part of two years to do. That commission presented its findings and roughly 100-page report to the city council this summer. The city council will be voting Wednesday on whether to adopt a modified version of that PAC report and give the

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13:52

Oregon Attorney General on how to impact fentanyl crisis

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/14

Last week, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum gathered experts from different fields together to talk about the fentanyl crisis facing the state. The all-day event included discussions of the scope of fentanyl addiction, what works to treat it, what young people know about the drug, and how law enforcement can effectively address the crisis. AG Rosenblum joins us to talk about what she learned, and what the next steps should be in addressing fentanyl abuse in the state.

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18:11

Former Oregon State University professor reflects on...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/13

In July 2022, oceanographer Dawn Wright made history by becoming the first Black person to dive to the deepest known spot on the planet. Victor Vescovo, a former Naval officer, entrepreneur and explorer, invited Wright to accompany him on the expedition to descend more than six-and-a-half miles to Challenger Deep in the western Pacific Ocean. Wright is the chief scientist at Esri, a California-based company that develops mapping software. Wright used the occasion of her sixth

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13:45

How the landscape of sports media is changing

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/13

Many Portland and Seattle sports fans were angry last month after Xfinity announced they would have to pay more to watch Trail Blazers, Mariners and Kraken games on cable. As the Washington Post reports, regional sports networks are feeling the pressure as streaming services cut into their revenues from broadcast rights. And with immersive reality domes expected to broadcast NBA and NHL games in the near future, the experience of sports viewing could be set to dramatically

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21:26

Students at UO become first to unionize undergraduate...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/13

Undergraduates at the University of Oregon have organized student workers - a first in the country at a public institution. The union represents a number of positions, including resident assistants, dining hall workers and other undergraduate positions. Mae Bracelin is a second-year political science student at the University of Oregon. Noah Thompson is a fifth year political science major. They are both organizers with the UO Student Workers union and join us to discuss working

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52:19

Making the rounds with Oregon Zoo veterinarian Carlos...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/10

Doctor Carlos Sanchez has an unusual and challenging caseload of patients. For one thing, they have scales, feathers, horns and fur, and can’t really say where it hurts. But it’s his job to oversee the medical care and treatment of more than a thousand animals as the head veterinarian at Portland’s Oregon Zoo. In our latest installment in our series on professions, we accompany Dr. Sanchez as he makes his daily rounds to check up on some of his favorite

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16:41

Vasectomy rates rising after Roe v. Wade overturned

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/09

Vasectomy rates have risen in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the legal right to abortion in 2022. At Oregon Health & Science University, Jason Hedges performs about 500 vasectomies a year. He’s also one of the relatively few surgeons who does reversal procedures as well. He says like others in his field, he’s seen the interest rising and wait times for the procedure increase. Hedges joins us to discuss

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16:16

New documentary shares the true story that inspired...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/09

Last summer, Oregon made national headlines as timbers from the infamous Beeswax Wreck were discovered along the North Coast near Manzanita. The Beeswax Wreck, named for one of the products the ship carried, is said to be one of the inspirations for the beloved film, “The Goonies.” The wreck has also attracted the attention of treasure hunters in the past, searching for signs of its wreckage or anything it may have been carrying onboard. Now, a new documentary and

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19:59

Mercy Corps joins calls for humanitarian ceasefire in...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/09

Mercy Corps, a humanitarian aid organization based in Portland, has had a small staff based in Palestine for years. For the last month, they have been checking in with staff members about the conditions on the ground. The organization is calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to provide aid to Gaza. Arnaud Quemin, the Middle East regional director for Mercy Corps, joins us to talk about what he’s hearing from staff, and what is needed for an effective humanitarian response

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22:38

Slaying a Drag-a-thon’ tells the story of Portland’s...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/11/08

RuPaul might be the country’s most famous drag queen, but in the Pacific Northwest, the LGTBQ+ community is still feeling the loss of Darcelle, who passed away earlier this year. The icon, also known as Walter Cole, was arguably the best known and loved drag queen in the region. Darcelle XV Showplace, the drag bar institution she created, lives on where she and others have performed for decades. So when Portland writer and podcast host Eden Dawn was pitched the idea of

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