PODCAST

Think Out Loud

Oregon Public Broadcasting

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

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15:47

5 years after the Almeda Fire, Talent’s new...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/29

Erica Alexia Ledesma was born in Medford and grew up in nearby Talent and Phoenix. After graduating from the University of Oregon, she moved back to Southern Oregon and, as she put it, “immediately got to community organizing.” She was among the community members who gathered for a strategy and solutions brainstorming meeting a month after the 2020 Almeda Fire destroyed thousands of homes, displacing many who had lived in historically low-income, Latinx and

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14:41

What rebuilding Phoenix has been like, 5 years after...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/29

Five years ago, the Labor Day Fires killed 11 people and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, becoming the deadliest and destructive wildfire season in the state’s history. Since then, the city of Phoenix has focused on rebuilding, including housing, rebuilding Blue Heron Park and building a new food truck lot known as the Phoodery. Eric Swanson is the city manager of Phoenix. He joins us to share more on what rebuilding has looked like.

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10:24

An update on the Flat Fire and its impact on...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/29

The Flat Fire, which is burning two miles northeast of Sisters in Central Oregon, has grown to more than 23,000 acres and is 13% contained, as of Friday morning. The fire broke out last week, grew rapidly and prompted Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation orders in Deschutes and Jefferson counties. On Thursday, Level 3 orders were downgraded to Level 2 in both counties. According to an update posted Thursday morning, five homes have been destroyed by the fire, the cause of which is still

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14:55

How IRCO is helping Oregon refugees and immigrants...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/28

President Donald Trump declared an indefinite pause on new refugee admissions to the U.S. on his first day in office in January. Shortly after, he froze federal funding for resettlement agencies that provide services to refugees in the U.S. The decisions are part of a broader crackdown on immigration that’s led to arrests and deportations across the country.The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, or IRCO, provides education, health, employment and other support

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13:34

Portland player wins North American Scrabble...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/28

Scrabble is more than just a family pastime for Portland resident Nigel Peltier. For him, it’s been a decades-long pursuit. Peltier first entered the tournament scene as a teenager, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the top-rated players in North America. This summer, he won his first North American Scrabble Players Association National Championship, dominating the final match with six “bingos,” or seven-letter words played in a single turn. He

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23:50

Portland officials share efforts they say are helping...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/28

According to the violent crime survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, there were 17 homicides in Portland in the first half of 2025 compared to 35 for the same period last year. That 51% decline is the largest drop in homicides among the 68 city and county police agencies represented in the survey. Aggravated assaults, rapes and robberies have also declined in Portland and nationwide, according to the survey. Gun violence, however, continues to be a problem, with three

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20:11

Over-the-counter pill has improved access to birth...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/27

The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of over-the-counter birth control pills two years ago. The decision has dramatically increased access to contraception, according to a new study from Oregon Health & Science University.Researchers found that more than a quarter of participants who were using the over-the-counter pill had switched from using no birth control at all. They also found that members of the over-the-counter group were more likely to be uninsured

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17:16

Study says Portland is a national leader in green...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/27

Over the past few decades, Portland has built one of the most extensive green stormwater infrastructure systems in the country. Instead of relying only on pipes and drains, it has created thousands of rain gardens and green streets to help keep sewage out of the Willamette River. Much of that work has not only involved city engineers but also local community members — from volunteers who ‘adopt’ and maintain storm drains to nonprofits that rip out pavement and

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15:31

Child care options increasing for Oregon...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/27

The availability of child care for children ages 3 to 5 in Oregon is steadily increasing, according to a new report from Oregon State University. In 2018, three-quarters of the state’s counties were considered preschool child care deserts, but as of last year, that number dropped to just nine. However, all but two counties are still considered child care deserts for children ages 0 to 2. Megan Pratt is an associate professor of practice at OSU and the report’s lead

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22:03

Portland refugee reflects on 8-year anniversary of...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/26

Eight years ago, the military in Myanmar launched a weekslong campaign of genocide against the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim ethnic minority. Investigators from the United Nations documented the scale of the “extreme violence” they found: the killing of thousands of civilians; mass rapes of “hundreds, possibly thousands” of women and girls; nearly 400 villages burned to the ground. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh where they live

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31:04

As 5-year anniversary of Labor Day fires approaches,...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/26

Nearly five years ago, a combination of dry conditions and heavy winds starting on Labor Day quickly accelerated the spread of multiple wildfires that had broken out in Oregon’s Western Cascades. Eleven people died in the Labor Day fires, which burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, from Clackamas county to the California border.As the fifth anniversary of the deadliest fires in the state’s history approaches, we hear from two

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33:34

As 5-year anniversary of Labor Day fires approaches,...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/25

Nearly five years ago, a combination of dry conditions and heavy winds starting on Labor Day quickly accelerated the spread of multiple wildfires that had broken out in Oregon’s Western Cascades. Eleven people died in the Labor Day fires, which burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, from Clackamas county to the California border. As the fifth anniversary of the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history approaches, we hear from

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19:24

Multnomah County chair on Preschool for All,...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/25

After hours of public briefings, discussions and a public listening session, Multnomah County Commissioners decided last week to pause a controversial move to change Preschool for All’s funding stream. Commissioners were meant to vote this week on an ordinance that would have adjusted the program’s income tax threshold based on inflation, something the governor asked them to do. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson joins us to discuss the current state of the

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52:07

REBROADCAST: Homeless people in the Pacific Northwest...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/22

As a part of President Trump's takeover of policing in the nation's capital, he has pledged to remove homeless people and encampments from the city. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said homeless people who don’t leave the city will face punishment in the form of fines and jail time. Cities across the country are struggling with how to regulate homeless camping, including in the Pacific Northwest. We take this moment to listen back to several conversations we had

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24:53

Former OHA director reflects on running the agency...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/21

On June 30, 2021, former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown held a Reopening Oregon Celebration at Providence Park in Portland. Years later, Oregon schools and businesses are fully open, many workplaces have returned to in-office work and people regularly gather together inside. Patrick Allen is the former director of the Oregon Health Authority. He ran the agency during the height of the pandemic and joins us with details of what he learned working through a once-in-a-century crisis.

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16:38

Oregon doctor warns of rise in cannabis poisoning...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/21

The number of cannabis-related reports to poison control centers across the U.S. has risen greatly since 2009, according to new reporting from the New York Times. They also found a rise in cases where cannabis poisoning led to breathing problems and even life-threatening effects, especially among teens and adults. Rob Hendrickson is the medical director of the Oregon Poison Center at OHSU. He joins us to share what he’s seen in the emergency room in recent years.

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11:02

Oregon Secretary of State responds to Trump...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/21

Earlier this week, President Trump said he’s working on an executive order to end mail-in ballots and voting machines across the country. The administration cites corruption as the leading cause for action despite there being no evidence of widespread voter fraud from voting by mail. Oregon’s Secretary of State Tobias Read joins us to share his response and efforts to protect Oregon’s vote-by-mail system for elections.

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21:37

Wildfire crews are getting sick, dying and aren’t...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/20

Wildfire crews do important work managing wildfires, but that work is often done without masks. A recent New York Times investigation found many wildfire fighters are getting cancer, cardiovascular diseases and have died because of the toxic smoke they inhaled while on the job. Researchers at the U.S. The Forest Service have recommended wildfire crews be required to wear masks for decades, but the agency has refused. Hannah Dreier is an investigative reporter for the times and

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12:36

A look at Oregon’s new recycling program

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/20

Oregon recently launched a recycling program that aims to hold businesses accountable for the packaging waste they create. The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (RMA) charges producers of paper, packaging and food serviceware for the products they distribute in Oregon. The goal is to fund recycling services in small communities through the fees that businesses pay into the program.The RMA was the first law of its kind to pass in 2021 and was followed by similar

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19:02

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute will get a $2 billion...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/08/20

Phil and Penny Knight have pledged $2 billion to Oregon Health & Science University for cancer research. The Knight Cancer Institute will become self-governed within OHSU and will have its own board of directors. In December, renowned cancer researcher Brian Druker announced his resignation as the institute’s CEO but said last week he will return as the inaugural president of the organization. He joins us with details about what this means for cancer care in Oregon.

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