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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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All Episodes

14:28

A third of Oregon’s licensed psilocybin service...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/22

Oregon became the first in the nation to legalize psychedelic therapy through psilocybin back in 2020. What soon followed were bans in various jurisdictions, large costs for individuals seeking treatment and other barriers to access. Now, new reporting from The New York Times found that a third of psilocybin service centers have closed and other states have also begun offering this therapy, including Colorado and New Mexico. Andrew Jacobs is a health and science reporter for the

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23:41

Portland band Typhoon celebrates 20 years

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/21

This weekend the Portland band Typhoon will play two concerts celebrating 20 years of making music together. The band broke out in the early 2010s, with albums like "Hunger and Thirst" and "White Lighter." Two members of the band, Kyle Morton and Shannon Steele, join us to talk about the band’s history and future.

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19:46

Gov. Tina Kotek has a plan to boost Oregon...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/21

State lawmakers and business leaders have argued high taxes and stringent regulations are hurting Oregon businesses. In 2025, not long after a CNBC report ranked Oregon near the bottom of states to do business, Gov. Tina Kotek announced a plan to change that. Among other goals, it aims to sharpen the state’s competitive edge through changes to permitting and taxation, partnerships with the private sector and incentives to invest in Oregon.Angela Wilhelms is the president

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8:57

One year of suing the Trump administration

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/21

Since President Trump took office a year ago, Oregon has sued the administration more than 50 times, often teaming up with other Democrat-led states. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has held a series of town hall meetings with other state attorney generals to discuss their efforts and ask for feedback. We ask Attorney General Dan Rayfield about what he has learned from these events.

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23:00

First comprehensive report of reptiles and amphibians...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/20

There are 27 different species of reptiles and amphibians in Columbia County, Oregon, according to the first ever herpetological-assemblage report of the region. The report is the work of Jon Hakim, who grew up in Columbia County and has been obsessed with reptiles and amphibians his whole life. It took over 15 months and many volunteer hours to visit every possible habitat type in the county and log all the different species, including 6 never seen before in the county. We talk

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13:09

National Guard recruitment center in The Dalles shows...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/20

Amid crackdowns by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, some are turning to serve for the U.S. military in order to receive protections for their undocumented family members. The Parole in Place program provides a protection from deportation for undocumented parents and spouses of military members.New York Times reporter Greg Jaffe, who covers the Pentagon and the U.S. military, spent eight days in The Dalles, reporting on National Guard recruitments in the city and

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16:57

Portland City Council elects new council president,...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/20

After three city council meetings, a dozen rounds of deadlocked voting and hours of debate, the 12 councilors on Portland City Council have officially elected a new council president and vice president. Jamie Dunphy, representing District 1, was elected as the new council president with Olivia Clark, representing District 4, as vice president. Both were notably reluctant to take on the role. As president, Dunphy will be in charge of running council meetings, appointing city

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52:32

Poet and author Kwame Alexander’s newest book tackles...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/19

Kwame Alexanderhas written many books and picture books for children, tackling a range of different topics. In 2022, his book, “The Door of No Return,” was published as the first installment in a trilogy starting in Ghana in the 1800’s. The book is written as a series of poems, following a young boy, Kofi, who is eventually captured and sold into the slave trade. Kwame Alexander joined us for a conversation recorded at the Portland Book Festival in 2022 to talk

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14:57

After raids and arrests, Oregon farmworker union...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/16

In October 2025, more than 30 farmworkers were arrested outside Woodburn, OR in a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was one of ICE’s most aggressive enforcement actions that year in Oregon. But it was also one of the moments that led the state’s largest farmworker union to launch a series of monthly boycotts in protest.Why? Immigrant labor fuels the state’s economic engine, and so do their dollars: 2023 data show immigrants in Oregon hold

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18:45

Prospective parents lose thousands of dollars after...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/16

Surro Connections was once a reputable surrogacy agency that operated out of Camas, Washington. The company helped match surrogates with prospective parents and facilitated communication and payments between them. But the agency abruptly closed late last year, leaving clients without access to the tens of thousands of dollars needed to pay the surrogates carrying their children. The whereabouts of the company’s founder, Megan Hall-Greenberg, are unknown. Investigative

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18:45

Tracking Oregon’s progress in reducing climate impact...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/16

In 2024, former Oregon state Treasurer Tobias Read unveiled a plan to make the state’s public employees retirement fund investments achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Last September, Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law the Climate Resilience Investment Act which directs the Oregon Treasury to pursue profitable clean energy investment opportunities and reduce fossil fuel holdings in the retirement fund, which is valued at more than $100 billion. A new report released this

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52:04

Exploring memory, longing and home with author Colm...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/15

Irish author Colm Tóibín has written short stories, essays, plays, articles and memoirs. But he’s best known for insightful novels such as “Brooklyn,” which follows Eilis Lacey as she emigrates from her home in Ireland to New York City. When she returns to Ireland for a family member’s funeral, Eilis finds herself caught between the comfort of home and the obligations of her new life in America, forcing her to decide between the

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52:31

What is the purpose - and the future - of public...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/14

OPB spent over a dozen years following a group of students from Kindergarten through the end of High School in 2025. The result was an amazing body of stories of the real lives and experiences of students, teachers, and families as they negotiate our public education system. One of the questions we have now is: how do you measure the success of education? We’ve gathered a group of big thinkers for a conversation about public education – what it is designed to do, who

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52:13

Author David Grann on his book 'The Wager'

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/13

Author David Grann often writes about obsession. His stories feature people doing extraordinary, and often dangerous or morally questionable, things in pursuit of ambitious goals. He’s the author of the books “Lost City of Z,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “The Wager.” Grann is also obsessive himself - about the research and details he puts into his books. We talk to Grann in front of a group of students at Nelson High School in

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13:18

Air pollution can impact adolescent brain...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/12

A new study from Oregon Health & Science University found that air pollution can impact adolescent brain development. The analysis indicated that exposure to common air pollutants is associated with accelerated cortical thinning in areas of the brain responsible for language, mood regulation and socioemotional processing. Researchers observed changes even in children who were exposed to pollution at levels the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe.Calvin Jara is

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16:31

After promising results, a pilot program giving cash...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/12

The Oregon Department of Human Services recently evaluated the first phase of a pilot program that gives $1,000 a month to youth experiencing homelessness. So far, the direct cash transfer program is producing promising results, including significant reductions in youth homelessness and improved mental health outcomes for participants. Now, early into its second phase, the program is riding the tailwinds of the first. Matt Rasmussen is the program manager for the Youth

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22:46

University of Washington collaborates on study using...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/12

By many measures, political polarization in the U.S. has grown in recent years. It’s reflected in recent surveys which show record high numbers of Americans who identify as conservative or liberal, or the stark differences between Republicans’ and Democrats’ current feelings toward the federal government. Social media can exacerbate this polarization, especially when algorithms social media companies use feed content that not only aligns with a user’s

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14:03

Oregon program aimed at helping people get jobs after...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/09

The WorkSource Oregon Reentry program helps people incarcerated in the state work on resumes, map out career goals and even connect with future employers. The program is funded by a roughly $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and from the state, but those funds are set to expire this year. A bill in the Oregon legislature earlier this year would have funded the program, but failed to become law. Danielle Dawson is a collaborative investigative reporter for

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13:13

University of Washington study reveals financial...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/09

A recent study from the University of Washington School of Medicine reveals a national snapshot of the ways Americans are vulnerable to financial insecurity after undergoing medical procedures.Surveys showed that about 38% of people who undergo surgery in the United States report experiencing financial hardship after surgery – meaning they have incurred medical debt and have difficulty paying medical bills, or they delay medical care for fear of cost. John Scott is a

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18:16

A preview of Washington’s 2026 legislative session

Think Out Loud ·

2026/01/09

On Monday, Washington state lawmakers will meet in Olympia to kick off a 60-day legislative session. Last month, Gov. Bob Ferguson unveiled a proposed $79 billion supplemental budget that aims to fill a $2.3 billion shortfall in part by tapping the state’s rainy day fund and making cuts to spending on state programs and services. Lawmakers in both chambers will consider other proposals to shore up the state’s finances, including a contentious plan by Senate Democrats

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