PODCAST

Think Out Loud

Oregon Public Broadcasting

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

news

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38:19

A rock opera about the Columbia Gorge watershed comes...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/10

When you think about the Columbia Gorge, a multimedia rock opera might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But that’s exactly the vehicle producer Sarah Fox chose to showcase the unique history, personal stories and ecology of the Gorge.“The Watershed Rock Opera” unfolds in five movements that symbolize the cycle of the watershed itself. The journey starts in the clouds, descends into the Cascades and moves through a pear orchard before it ends in a

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15:34

Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program exceeds...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/10

Multnomah County’s Preschool For All program has overshot its goals in each of its first three years, and this year is no exception. The county's coal was to support 3,000 slots, but it expects to have capacity for 3,800 3 and 4-year-olds in the 2025-2026 school year. Still, that number is far below demand, with nearly double the amount of applications filed every year than there are slots available. Backers hope capacity will be sufficient by 2030, when the county aims to

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12:57

From notes of affirmation to gift cards, Portland...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/09

From notes of affirmation to gift cards, Portland nonprofit Wildly Kind aims to spread acts of kindness to strangersLONG SYNOPSIS: Wildly Kind is on a mission to spread acts of kindness to strangers, not only in its home base of Portland but also across the nation and around the world. The Portland Tribune recently profiled the three-year-old nonprofit and the national media attention it received for a pop-up event it held in February, which involved setting up a phone booth

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16:40

Oregon sees rise in unclaimed, indigent remains

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/09

From 2021 to 2024, the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board, the state agency that oversees death care, saw a whopping 79% increase in repayment claims from funeral homes for indigent remains. Indigent remains are the bodies that go unclaimed, have no next of kin or lack financial means for the handling of the body that may have been left in the deceased's will. Oregon is one of a few states that have an established program to reimburse funeral homes for handling these cases. The

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23:12

'Juniper House' that once provided end-of-life care...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/09

An unassuming house in Southeast Portland’s Buckman neighborhood was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. Once known as “Juniper House,” the building served as one of the first end-of-life care homes for AIDS patients in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s. An OPB documentary at the time explored the lives of some of the patients in Juniper House and the neighboring Assisi House, which provided a range of care for patients with

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22:30

Oregon bill would create farmworker labor standards...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/08

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would give agricultural workers a seat at the table. House Bill 2548 would establish a board made up of voices representing farmworkers, farmers, government agencies and labor law to help establish working standards and conditions. Reyna Lopez, executive director of PCUN, which is supporting the bill and Jenny Dresler, spokesperson for the Oregon Farm Bureau, which is opposed to the bill, join us to share their perspectives.

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14:42

UO researcher reflects on how the pandemic changed...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/08

It’s been five years since the pandemic shut down cities and towns across the country and changed the daily lives and routines of many people. From virtual workplaces to outdoor dining, COVID-19 also changed how we use and see our cities. Nico Larco is a professor of architect and urban design and is the director of the Urbanism Next Center at the University of Oregon. He joins us to share what has and hasn’t changed in our cities since lockdowns began.

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15:32

Trump administration attempts to use 19th century...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/08

In its attempt to end birthright citizenship, the Trump administration has cited a 19th century lawsuit that denied U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. The president’s executive order has been blocked by multiple federal judges, and his use of Elk v. Wilkins to justify the order is generally deemed invalid by legal scholars. But the use of the lawsuit has raised concerns over immigration enforcement in some Indigenous communities, even though Native Americans were

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19:51

Portland author and illustrator Aron Nels Steinke...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/07

Award-winning Portland author and illustrator Aron Nels Steinke is perhaps best known for his “Mr. Wolf’s Class” series of graphic novels which revolve around a teacher – who happens to be a wolf – and his 4th grade class of anthropomorphized animal students. Steinke drew from his experience as a teacher at Portland’s Woodstock Elementary School for that series.Now, with his new book, he’s drawing from his personal experience as an

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11:29

Oregon Humanities faces steep federal funding cuts

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/07

Humanities councils across the country, including in Oregon, recently learned that the federal government is slashing their funding. A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities was meant to fund the councils through 2027, but it was rescinded on April 2 following reports that the Department of Government Efficiency was planning cuts at the NEH. The abrupt lack of funding will affect organizations like Oregon Humanities, which facilitates public conversations and

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21:05

Protesters in three different parts of Oregon on...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/07

This Saturday saw the biggest coordinated nationwide demonstration against the Trump administration to date. In Oregon, Indivisible helped organize protests, among others, as part of the 50501 movement. Many thousands of people turned out in Portland alone, with thousands more out all over the state including in Tigard, Medford, Enterprise other small towns in southern, central and Eastern Oregon. They protested the dismantling of federal government agencies, mass layoffs and

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17:28

Lawsuit alleges Washington County does not provide...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/04

Last year, the group Disability Rights Oregon brought suit against Washington County, alleging that when 911 is called for people in mental health crises, it’s often law enforcement officers who respond. The lawsuit claims these officers are more likely to exacerbate a crisis than resolve it. Last week, a federal judge ruled that the case can move forward. Dave Boyer, managing attorney for the Mental Health Rights Project at DRO, joins us to lay out their claims.

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13:36

What mass deportations could mean for Oregon public...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/04

Since the start of his second term, President Trump has taken sweeping actions targeting immigrants of all kinds in the U.S. From challenging birthright citizenship to lifting bans on immigration arrests in schools and churches, the administration’s plan to deport millions is creating fear among many families and could have significant effects on communities. While schools can not track a student’s documentation status thanks to a previous U.S. Supreme Court ruling

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10:52

In Washington, how has ‘Joel’s Law’ been working

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/04

Joel’s Law in Washington allows a guardian, conservator or loved one to petition a court to force treatment for people who suffer from serious mental illness. Some supporters of the law have called it a lifeline for family members desperately seeking care for a loved one, but others have concerns about stripping away a person's civil liberties. The law has been in place for about a decade.InvestigateWest, the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now recently co-published a deep dive

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12:41

Oregon aims to add PFAS to state’s list of regulated...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/04

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of synthetic chemicals that have been used since the 1940s to manufacture a wide range of products, from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam, clothes and electronics. PFAS have also been described as “forever chemicals” because they easily disperse and persist in the environment, where they’ve been found in drinking water, soil, air and even the food supply.This week, the Oregon Department

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28:13

Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters celebrate 10 years of...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/03

Ashleigh Flynn is a long time Portland musician who was primarily a solo artist for much of her career. But that all changed in 2015 when a friend introduced her to Nancy Luca, who had an all-female cover band. She and Luca hit it off and drew other women into a new all-female band: Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters, an homage to Rosie the Riveter, the WWII-era icon of female power and can-do spirit. The band is celebrating 10 years of making Americana music that embraces joy

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10:26

Bill would require OHA to provide services for...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/03

In 2013, Oregon implemented a plan to expand access to home and community-based services for Medicaid recipients with intellectual, developmental or psychiatric disabilities. The goal was to allow more Oregonians to receive care at home rather than in an institution. While programs were established for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, no supports have been created for individuals under age 21 who require inpatient-level psychiatric care. Senate Bill

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14:07

Oregon economist examines the future of ODOT

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/03

Portland economist Joe Cortright says ODOT’s projects have a history of costing much more than initial estimates. He points to proposals like the I-5 Rose Quarter project which has been in the works for nearly a decade and is estimated to cost around $1.9 billion. The estimate in 2017 was $450 million. A Statesman Journal investigation found that ODOT’s projects were over budget and the agency was unable to track some of its funds and how they were spent. Cortright,

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22:53

Oregon adoptees reflect on 50th anniversary of...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/02

Shortly before the fall of Saigon in 1975, roughly 3,000 children were flown out of Vietnam in an effort dubbed Operation Babylift. The children went on to be adopted by families in the U.S., Australia and other countries. An initiative of the Ford administration, the operation was billed as a humanitarian effort to rescue Vietnamese orphans – many of them fathered by American servicemen – from advancing communist forces. However, the program has also faced criticism

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31:04

Founder of Our Children’s Trust on what the end of...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/04/02

Attorney Julia Olson founded the nonprofit public interest law firm Our Children’s Trust in 2010 in Eugene. Five years later, she filed a lawsuit on behalf of Kelsey Juliana and 20 other youth activists in Oregon and elsewhere. Their contention was simple on its face: youth have a right to a stable climate, just as they have a right to clean water and clean air. It used the public trust doctrine in a novel way at the time. Since the suit was filed in 2015, Juliana v. U.S

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