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

12:44

Coastal Lincoln County affected by drought

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/13

Earlier this month, Gov. Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in Lincoln, Gilliam and Douglas Counties. In Lincoln County, low stream flows and dry conditions have greatly affected the coastal region. The declaration is uncommon there. We learn more about what it means from County Commissioner Kaety Jacobson.

en-us

13:48

Making data more accessible by turning it into sound

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/13

When you go to a museum or visit a science center, it’s not uncommon to see graphs, charts and other visual data displays included in the exhibit. But blind and low-vision visitors don’t get that same experience. Researchers with the Accessible Oceans pilot project are exploring how to turn some of that data into sound so it’s more accessible to all visitors. The project’s team of interdisciplinary researchers has been gathering feedback from visually

en-us

19:07

Longtime Portland crossword constructor shares what...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/12

You might be an avid crossword solver, but have you ever thought about what it takes to create them? Matt Jones has been making crossword puzzles since his late teens, with one of his first puzzles appearing in The New York Times when he was just 19. His weekly puzzle Jonesin’ has appeared in alt-weeklies across the country, including Willamette Week, since 2001. Jones joins us to share more about what it takes to be a crossword constructor and what he thinks makes a good

en-us

15:33

How to better support LGBTQ youth in foster care

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/12

LGBTQ youth are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness than their peers, due to a lack of support. Oregon youth in foster care need more options for temporary homes with foster parents committed to creating an affirming and safe environment. We talk with Unicorn Solutions founder Elliott Hinkle, who was formerly in foster care themselves, and current foster parent Mel Jory-Heywood.

en-us

18:27

Graphic novel ‘Wildfire’ encourages middle-grade...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/12

Breena Bard’s new graphic novel “Wildfire” focuses on Julianna, an eighth grader who’s forced to flee her home in rural Oregon and resettle in Portland following a wildfire. Julianna soon joins the conservation club at her new school, though she insists the fires that destroyed her home were caused by local boys with errant fireworks rather than climate change. The story follows Julianna as she processes her grief and learns to engage with climate issues

en-us

15:28

Ranching sustainably in Oregon

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/11

Jeanne Carver and her family have spent decades incorporating sustainable practices into their ranch. Her brand, Shaniko Wool Company, is certified under the Responsible Wool Standard. The certification includes third-party audits of the ranch and covers sheep welfare and sustainable land management. More recently, Carver has studied how much carbon her ranch has stored in its soil. We check in with her to learn more about sustainable ranching.

en-us

22:52

Pediatrician on vaccine skepticism and his approach...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/11

Oregon has one of the highest rates in the country for kindergarteners with vaccine exemptions. The state’s 7% rate is only lower than Utah’s (7.4%) and Idaho's (9.8%). Ryan Hassan is a pediatrician in Happy Valley and also serves as the medical director for Boost Oregon, a parent group working to increase vaccinations overall through education. He says he’s seen coronavirus vaccine skepticism bleed into skepticism towards well-established vaccines against

en-us

14:58

Oregon’s peppermint farms threatened by fungus

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/11

Oregon is one of the leading exporters of peppermint oil in the U.S. But a fungus called verticillium wilt, which affects the leading variety of peppermint, is spreading throughout the Willamette Valley. Reporter Berit Thorson recently wrote about the issue for Capital Press, and joins us to talk about what she learned.

en-us

22:03

How community paramedics in Oregon fill gaps in care...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/08

The Hermiston Herald recently profiled Jessica Marcum, a community paramedic at Umatilla County Fire District #1, about her job helping patients in the region. Unlike paramedics who respond to emergencies, community paramedics work to keep patients out of emergency rooms by providing in-home health services, from medication management after a hospital stay to making referrals for mental health services. Although community paramedics are found throughout Oregon, their impact is

en-us

11:35

Hood River library system goes mobile

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/08

Last spring, the Hood River library system went on the road with a bookmobile that travels to rural communities throughout the county. The van offers books, DVD players, laptops and free wifi to patrons This summer, the bookmobile started offering other services as well, including hygiene kits, cold water on hot days, and meals to school-age kids. Yelitza Vargas-Boots, the bilingual outreach librarian for the Hood River County library district, joins us to explain the services

en-us

18:56

Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez on changes to the...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/08

The Portland City Council this week unanimously passed a drug criminalization ordinance crafted by Public Safety Commissioner Rene Gonzalez and Mayor Ted Wheeler. The measure bans the public use of drugs, contingent on a change in state law to allow such measures. City commissioners also voted to direct lobbyists to push for that state law change. Addressing public safety and homelessness were chief among the issues Gonzalez campaigned on. Earlier this year he made a

en-us

17:40

What PAC-12 realignment could mean for the OSU...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/07

Football has been the main focus of the PAC-12 realignment, in which all but Oregon State University and Washington State University have jumped ship for other conferences. But what about the bands, cheer squads and other student groups that support athletics? As reported in the Daily Barometer, members of OSU’s marching band are facing their fair share of distress and uncertainty over the PAC-12 collapse. Mayri Ross is a fifth-year saxophonist in the OSU Marching Band and

en-us

20:22

Thinning makes forests healthier, according to...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/07

Forest thinning improves the health of older trees and enhances native biodiversity on federal lands in eastern Oregon. That’s according to a new study from Oregon State University, in partnership with local groups in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. We talk to James Johnston, the assistant professor in the College of Forestry at OSU who authored the study, about how selective thinning could make forests more resilient in the face of forest fires.

en-us

14:22

Jesse Johnson released from Oregon prison after 25 years

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/07

Jesse Johnson walked out of the Marion County Jail on Tuesday as a free man, after 25 years behind bars in Oregon. In 2004, Johnson was convicted of murdering 28-year-old Harriet Thompson in a Salem apartment — a crime that he denied committing. A jury then sentenced him to death, and Johnson lived on death row at the Oregon State Penitentiary until 2021, when his case was overturned by the Oregon Court of Appeals. Prosecutors quietly dismissed the case against him on

en-us

13:55

HEADLINE: Little Critter Crew works to rescue...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/06

While rescue shelters for dogs and cats can be found in many Oregon cities, there are fewer options for small pets like hamsters, hedgehogs, rats and chinchillas. The Little Critter Crew is working to change that. As reported in Eugene Weekly, the Eugene-based animal rescue has built a network of 32 foster homes across the state since it launched in 2020. Kayla Hernandez is the rescue’s co-founder. She joins us to share more details on how the “crew” operates

en-us

11:16

Oregon becomes latest state to take aim at greenhouse...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/06

This summer, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek recently signed into law an ambitious, $90 million climate package to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and leverage as much as $1 billion dollars in federal funds to tackle climate change. Among its provisions are rebates on medium and heavy-duty electric trucks and help for homeowners to offset the cost of installing heat pumps. It also makes Oregon the fourth state in the nation, along with Washington, Colorado and

en-us

27:21

US maternal death rates doubled over 20 year period

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/06

Maternal mortality rates in Oregon more than doubled in the twenty years from 1999 - 2019. They rose at an even higher rate in the U.S. as a whole. That’s according to a recent study - and the very first to look at rates across ethnic groups state-by-state. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this summer, a collaboration between researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington and Mass General

en-us

19:54

How Oregon is managing carbon emissions

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/05

In 2020, former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed an executive order to achieve the state’s carbon reduction goals. The order directs state agencies to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Three years later, we check in with Nora Apter, a senior program director for climate at the Oregon Environmental Council, about where the plan stands now and the progress Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality is making on climate goals.

en-us

22:15

Oregon Zoo and Metro Parks workers are asking for...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/05

For the last two months, Laborers’ Local 485 member employees with Metro Park and Nature and the Oregon Zoo have been working under an expired contract with Metro. Negotiations are ongoing, and employees are asking for hazard pay when working in extreme weather, extra days off when dealing with extremely traumatic situations in the workplace and higher pay across the board. Marina Garcia is the guest services lead at the Oregon Zoo. Kendra Carillo is the maintenance lead

en-us

11:47

Medicaid makes changes to make it easier for schools...

Think Out Loud ·

2023/09/05

Earlier this year the federal government announced changes aimed at making it easier for schools to get reimbursed for services that they are already providing to children on Medicaid. The program has the potential to serve students where they already are, get schools more needed funding and shift the paradigm on how to approach childhood disability and neurodiversity. But many challenges remain. Portland based freelance journalist Shasta Kearns Moore is the mother of

en-us

1,868 results

Think Out Loud

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci