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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15:18

Oregon county health officials say need is dire for...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/24

Many of Oregon's county health officials are asking for a little extra consideration from lawmakers this year as they decide where to allocate funding. Two counties, Wallowa and Curry, have no public health staff and rely solely on the Oregon Health Authority to meet their needs. With the fifth anniversary of the initial COVID-19 lockdown this week, perhaps nothing is a bigger reminder of the need for a stable funding source for public health infrastructure. Sarah Lochner, the

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52:09

Portland novelist Karen Russell’s new book imagines...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/21

If you could eliminate a memory from your mind completely, would you do it? And what would that kind of erasure mean at a societal level? These are some of the questions at the heart of Portland writer Karen Russell’s latest novel, “The Antidote.” The book opens on Black Sunday, the dust storm in April 1935 that swept thousands of tons of topsoil into the air over the Midwest. One of the central characters, a "prairie witch" known as The Antidote, can remove

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21:47

Students with Evergreen Public Schools help shape...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/20

A new resolution centered around protections for undocumented students passed unanimously by the Evergreen Public Schools board last week. As first reported on by the Columbian, the vote was initially planned for early February, but with testimony from more than 20 students, parents and community members, the vote was postponed. Students within the district provided input and helped shape the new resolution that eventually passed. Caiden Mizrahi-Boyarsky is a senior at Union

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15:31

Washington State University-led study reveals 20-year...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/20

A new study led by researchers at Washington State University showed that butterfly populations in the U.S. shrank by more than 20% from 2000 to 2020. More than 100 butterfly species declined by more than 50% during this period, including nearly two dozen that plummeted by more than 90%.The findings are based on more than 12 million observations of hundreds of butterfly species recorded by citizen scientist volunteers and biologists during surveys conducted in the Pacific

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15:47

How Oregon’s tree canopies are tied to federal funds

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/20

In 2023, Oregon was awarded more than $58 million in federal grants from the Inflation Reduction Act to plant and maintain trees. The availability of much of those funds remains uncertain.Earlier this month, the Oregon Department of Forestry, city agencies and nonprofits told Inside Climate News that at least $40 million dollars in grant reimbursements to boost urban tree canopies in Oregon remain unpaid. Last week, several U.S. farmers and nonprofits sued the Trump

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14:28

PNW organization emphasizes lacrosse’s Indigenous roots

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/19

Indigenous tribes in what is now the northeastern U.S. and Canada have played lacrosse for millennia. Similar stick-and-ball games were played by tribes across the Southeast and Great Lakes region. But according to NCAA data, less than 1% of college lacrosse players are American Indian or Alaskan Native, and more than 80% are white. Pacific Northwest Native Lacrosse is trying to change that. As reported in Willamette Week, the organization recruits Indigenous lacrosse players

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21:15

Bill would make liability waivers more enforceable in...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/19

Liability waivers have been a hot topic in Oregon since a 2014 court ruling made them difficult for places like ski resorts and climbing gyms to enforce. Recreational business owners say their insurance rates have soared as a result, but trial lawyers say the waivers discourage operators from keeping their facilities safe. House Bill 3140 would allow recreational businesses to require customers to sign a release for claims of “ordinary negligence,” making it harder

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16:40

Judge rules public access must be granted for Oswego...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/19

Todd Prager was a planning commissioner for the city of Lake Oswego in 2011 when he discovered that the body of water that defined their community was in fact not a private lake, but rather a navigable public waterway. He says no one seemed to want to act on this information. The city went in the opposite direction, passing an ordinance in 2012 that barred the public from “trespassing” to the water from the three lakeside public parks. That’s when he decided to

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52:50

A conversation with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/18

Sinceour last conversationwith Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, President Trump has enactedtariffsandmasslayoffsthat could significantly impact Oregon’s federal workforce and economy. The Oregon Legislature has also begun its biennial session, taking up issues aroundeducation,transportationandhousing. Kotek joins us in the studio to talk about all of that and more.

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20:27

Archaeological finds suggest human habitation in...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/17

Oregon archaeologists have found evidence of human occupation in the state that dates back more than 18,000 years. University of Oregon students and faculty working at the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter in Harney County found stone tools and fragments of camel and bison teeth beneath a 15,000-year-old layer of volcanic ash. Radiocarbon dating of the tooth enamel revealed that the fragments were 18,250 years old. Due to their position in the ash, the tools are thought to be even older

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11:19

How Oregon teams are expected to perform in March...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/17

Three of Oregon’s college basketball teams are set to compete in this year’s NCAA Tournaments, including the Oregon State women’s team. After losing some of their best players to the transfer portal during the collapse of the Pac-12 conference, the Beavers came back to win their first conference championship since 2016. They’re now the 14th seed in the women’s bracket and will take on third-ranked North Carolina on Saturday. The University of

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21:57

Oregon US Senator Jeff Merkley responds to mass...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/17

Last week, two federal judges ordered thousands of federal workers who were on probationary status when they were fired to be rehired at 18 federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education. The rulings came a day after the Department of Education announced massive staff cuts, part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce. Democratic Oregon US Senator Jeff Merkley joins us to discuss the mass firings

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16:38

OSU facility aids in return of tribal cultural items...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/14

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, requires museums, universities and other institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American ancestral remains and cultural items to their original tribes. Though the law passed nearly 35 years ago, many institutions have failed to fulfill its requirements. Oregon State University recently opened a new facility designed to advance its NAGPRA obligations. The two buildings house a records

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16:07

Huckleberries are an important cultural food, but...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/14

From jams and ice cream to syrups and lotions, huckleberries are a fruit that can be found in all sorts of Pacific Northwest commodities. But these berries are incredibly difficult to grow, preferring high elevations and acidic soil, making them hard to cultivate. The U.S. Forest Service issues permits to commercially pick these berries, selling more than 900 permits last season. For tribes in the Pacific Northwest, these berries are a culturally important food that they say has

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19:57

Former Oregon Gov. Kitzhaber says state could be...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/14

Before John Kitzhaber became Oregon governor for the first time, he practiced emergency medicine as an ER doctor. He brought that knowledge of the health care system to bear in the late 80s and early 90s, with the enacting of the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid program. In 2012, he oversaw the expansion of the program and the creation of Coordinated Care Organizations. Today, about 1.4 million Oregonians get their health care from OHP. Kitzhaber says

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12:35

Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Green Hornets team...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/13

The rainy gloom of winter will soon give way to the sunshine and flowers of spring. That means hiking trails are sure to get busier in the Columbia Gorge, Willamette Falls and other popular destinations near Portland. But even experienced hikers can lose their way or get stranded as a mild, sunny day turns to a cold, damp night outdoors. That’s where the Green Hornets can help keep a bad situation from getting much worse. They’re a search and rescue team within the

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13:25

In Jackson County, farmworker and immigrant rights...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/13

About 120,000 immigrants lacking permanent legal status live in Oregon, according to a 2022 estimate from the Pew Research Center. The state has sanctuary laws in place, meaning that state and local resources are not used for federal immigration enforcement. Law enforcement officials in places including Marion, Polk and Jackson counties have told local media outlets they will continue to follow state laws on immigration enforcement. Still, immigrant communities face uncertainty

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26:40

Beaverton sobriety treatment court gets national...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/13

The Beaverton Sobriety Opportunity for Beginning Recovery treatment court is open to Beaverton or Washington County residents who have at least one prior Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants conviction and who agree to the program’s strict requirements. About 200 people have graduated from B-SOBR since its launch in 2011. Participants must agree to wear an ankle monitor and submit to biweekly testing to ensure their sobriety during the first few months. They must

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16:23

Along Oregon’s coast, nonprofit aims to boost...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/12

Oregon has invested millions in workforce development across the state. But a program aimed at helping workers and businesses along the coast will be ending soon. Northwest Oregon Works serves Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln and Tillamook counties. The nonprofit has supported the state’s maritime industry and has funded projects for organizations including Newport Fishermen’s Wives, Oregon State University and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association. OoNee Sea

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11:52

Thorns and Timbers soccer season begins

Think Out Loud ·

2025/03/12

Soccer season has started in Oregon, but Timbers and Thorns fans might have to dig a little deeper to cheer their teams this year. Both teams face a lot of player injuries and offseason departures of some star players. Anne Peterson, sports writer for the Associated Press, joins us to preview what’s ahead for Portland soccer fans.

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