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

18:53

How should Portland’s clean energy fund be spent?

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/06

The Portland Clean Energy Fund was passed by voters in 2018. The 1% tax on retail sales of companies that make a billion dollars or more has generated a fund much bigger than expected. Many non-climate projects have asked for some of this money. Now the mayor and other officials want to spend $75 million in PCEF funds to go toward Portland’s share of the $600 million in total taxpayer money for the Moda center remodel. We talk with Portland City Councilor Steve Novick, who

en-us

21:44

Cheetah researcher and conservationist Laurie Marker...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/03

Laurie Marker has spent nearly half a century with cheetahs. Her career began when she moved to Oregon in the early 1970s to open the third winery in the state. She began working at Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR to help support her business. This move would start a decades long career working with cheetahs. She eventually found the Cheetah Conservation Fund and moved to Namibia to create a dedicated wildlife reserve and research center for these large felines. Today, cheetahs

en-us

17:30

Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/03

On Tuesday, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation signed an agreement with Fred Mitchell to acquire his vast collection of Columbia River Plateau tribal artwork and artifacts. The collection includes 15,000 stone points and tools, 1,250 historic photographs, 800 beaded bags and pouches, baskets and other items. Mitchell is a retired former mayor and firefighter from Walla Walla, Washington who started collecting arrowheads when he was 5 years old and amassed

en-us

12:58

What happened to the people evicted from a large...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/03

Last spring the U.S. Forest Service cleared out a large number of people living in the forest south of Bend in an area known as China Hat. More than 100 vehicles and numerous personal effects were left behind. According to a new story from Investigate West and FORJournalism Lab, the Forest Service may have fallen short of constitutional obligations to give China Hat residents a “reasonable” opportunity to retrieve their belongings. David Dudley, a special project

en-us

24:14

Northern California condors suspected to be tending...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/02

California condors, the largest land bird in North America, almost went extinct in the late 1980s. But successful breeding programs such as the one at the Oregon Zoo have helped raise their worldwide population from a low of 22 birds to roughly 600.Since 2022, the Yurok Tribe has partnered with Redwood National and State Park to release condors bred in captivity into the wild. A pair of those birds are believed to be tending the region’s first egg in more than a century

en-us

14:10

As the West faces an unprecedented snow drought, ski...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/02

Low snowpack and high temperatures have jeopardized ski resorts across the region this year. While some resorts have held on, most have been facing closures or abnormally short seasons. Skiers are cancelling trips, and seasonal workers have had to shift their plans for work during this abnormal winter. Mountain towns are facing major economic uncertainty – some offering major sales on gear, or pivoting to warm-weather recreation. Mt. Hood Meadows is the latest ski resort

en-us

14:20

Oregon Secretary of State plans to challenge Trump...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/02

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that instructs the U.S. Postal Service to only send mail-in ballots to people who have been deemed eligible by the administration. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read has vowed to challenge the order in court, along with other secretaries of state. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots that arrive late to be counted as long as they’re postmarked on or before

en-us

24:12

New film ‘The 100 Year Effect’ explores Oregon...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/01

Kent Thornburg is a Professor of Medicine Emeritus at Oregon Health and Science University. But he is far from retired. He’s actively promoting the research he and others have done into the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. Thornburg coined the phrase “the 100 year effect” to describe how “early life environment” before and during pregnancy can affect the lifetime risks of chronic diseases — and how those effects can actually be

en-us

16:43

Portland women’s health and wellness coach highlights...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/01

When Greta Jarvis was 16 years old and on her high school’s lacrosse team, her menstrual cycle completely stopped. When she went to an OBGYN to discuss the issue, doctors told her this symptom was completely normal for female athletes.Nearly ten years later, she learned that her period loss, or amenorrhea, was abnormal and actually dangerous. In fact, it’s the body’s response to too few calories, too much exercise, and extreme stress. It’s also

en-us

11:25

Multnomah County data says homelessness has gone up...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/04/01

According to Multnomah County, nearly 3,000 more people are living unsheltered in the county than there were when Wilson took office. The Mayor says that data doesn’t match what he’s seeing, and that disconnect doesn’t help when the city and the county share responsibility for the region’s homeless response. OPB’s Alex Zielinski joins us to talk about her latest story.

en-us

18:35

Grant High School constitution team to compete in...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/31

After taking home the title in the statewide civics championship earlier this year, the constitution team from Portland’s Grant High School will represent Oregon in the national "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution" finals kicking off in Maryland on April 17. The three-day competition features hundreds of students from around the nation demonstrating their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, government and Supreme Court decisions by arguing historical and

en-us

12:11

Oregon agricultural economist says rising productions...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/31

The rising cost of oil and and fertilizer due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is affecting farmers all over Oregon. On Monday we spoke with local farmers and a nonprofit representing small and mid-sized farmers. They said gas prices are already starting to affect them and although they have the fertilizer supplies they need for this year, they are very concerned about those prices rising the next time they buy.Tim Delbridge is an assistant professor of economics in Oregon State

en-us

21:48

How Pacific Northwest can handle growing energy...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/31

A recent study by the Energy + Environmental Economics, also known as E3, found that by 2030 the Northwest will have a roughly 9 gigawatt energy gap. The study also found that the region will need to rely on natural gas plants and may need to build more infrastructure to support it. But some think this is unnecessary. The think tank Sightline Institute has a new report arguing that the energy shortfall is misleading and says there are other ways to save power, such as asking

en-us

13:04

National fellowship connects students with work at...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/30

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of college students across the U.S. began a remote, nationwide project – called Farmlink – with the goal of distributing surplus food to food banks and those in need. The program grew to support a fellowship, which guides students through learning about reforming food systems, provides them with a full-time position at a farm, food bank, or distributor, and finally facilitates the students’ creation of a project that would

en-us

18:23

War in Iran is affecting Oregon farmers as oil and...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/30

The U.S. led war in Iran is not just driving oil prices up. It's doing the same for fertilizer. A third of the world's supply of fertiziler passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran still has largely blocked. Woodburn farmer Jon Iverson grows grass seed, wheat, grapes and tulips, among other crops. Molalla nursery owner Jim Gilbert grows fruiting plants, among others. They join us to share how these price hikes are affecting them. We also hear from Alice Morrison, the

en-us

21:04

How the wide adoption of Operation Inflation animal...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/30

Operation Inflation was conceived last fall when protests at Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement building routinely drew counter protesters and a large law enforcement presence. Jordy Lybeck and his wife Lacy wanted to impact the nature of news coverage as Pres. Trump threatened to send National Guard troops to Portland. As Trump’s baseless assertions that Portland was “war-ravaged,” a “burning-hellhole,” where the mayor and the

en-us

26:30

New biography explores life and LGBTQ+ activism of...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/27

Father Tom Oddo served as president of the University of Portland from 1982 until his death in a car crash in 1989. During his presidency, he helped UP transition to coed housing, oversaw construction of the Chiles Center and reversed the university’s declining enrollment.Before coming to Portland, Oddo was a key member of the gay rights movement in Boston, advocating for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the church. From 1973 to 1977, Oddo served as the first

en-us

13:03

Eugene Weekly continues to recover after embezzler...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/27

Just over two years ago, Eugene Weekly, the city’s longtime alternative-weekly newspaper, came to a shocking halt. EW’s editor announced that their beloved paper was flat broke — not because of mismanagement, but because their business manager had apparently been embezzling for years. The paper was missing $100,000, with an additional $200,000 in bills that hadn't been paid. Editor Camilla Mortenson said she had no choice but to lay off the entire staff,

en-us

13:09

InvestigateWest reporting on child welfare system...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/27

New reporting from InvestigateWest finds it’s difficult for parents in Washington to challenge flawed reports concerning guardians ad litem, the court-appointed guardians assigned to children in custody cases, who decide where their children will stay temporarily. If parents do challenge these professionals, they risk hurting their case to regain custody of their children. In Washington, with little oversight and inadequate state-mandated training for guardians, parents

en-us

25:15

Oregon’s land use and water laws suppress housing and...

Think Out Loud ·

2026/03/26

The Thornburgh Resort is a planned resort in Deschutes County that would provide 950 residential units, 380 overnight lodging units, two golf courses and a luxury hotel, among other offerings. But for more than two decades, the resort has faced continued challenges with the state’s regulatory laws, delaying its progress. A new report from the developer says the continued delays have cost the state and county hundreds of millions of dollars in potential public revenue

en-us

1,858 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