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

15:52

Portland Trail Blazers’ hot streak delights fans,...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/07

The Portland Trail Blazers have now won 9 of their last 10 games, including Monday’s thrilling overtime against the Phoenix Suns. Their streak has now extended to six games with last night’s win against the Sacramento Kings. It’s a dramatic turnaround to a season that began with a slew of losses, and while the Blazers still have more losses than wins, expectations are rising about how they’ll end the season in late April. Sean Highkin is the founder of

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17:58

'Black, Black History Month' pop-up museum showcases...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/07

The “Black, Black History Month pop-up museum in Portland’s Old Town district has three floors of exhibits featuring history, photography, paintings, film and music. And the Horizon Enterprise Building that serves as the temporary museum is itself a kind of exhibit, as its new owners want to turn it into a community space to serve and support BIPOC artists and organizations. Tory Campbell is the interim director of culture at the 1803 Fund, which is supporting the

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10:31

West Coast electricity providers could be split over...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/07

Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp, BPA and other electricity providers throughout the West are weighing two new "day-ahead" energy market proposals. It’s important because the choice could cost electricity consumers billions over the next decade. Pete Danko wrote about this for the Portland Business Journal and joins us to explain.

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10:24

Portland Ombudsman says complaint-based rules...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/06

Enforcement of Portland’s property maintenance rules are complaint-based. That means the city doesn’t even come to investigate unless a neighbor or anyone who passes by a property reports something. In about a third of cases, Ombudsman Jennifer Croft says, no violation is found. In other cases, fines can be imposed and homeowners can be burdened with ballooning penalties if they can’t or won’t fix the problem. Those most affected by this system are

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10:04

Providence comes to deal with nurses and doctors to...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/06

The largest healthcare strike in Oregon history appears to be at an end. The unions representing most of the 5,000 Providence doctors and nurses who worked at eight different hospitals and six clinics around the state have now reached contract agreement. Union leaders say if members vote to approve the deal Thursday and Friday, they will end the strike and return to work immediately. We get the latest from OPB healthcare reporter Amelia Templeton.

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23:52

OHSU faces big challenges, from proposed merger to...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/06

Oregon Health & Science University has been facing a series of mounting challenges in recent months, including its proposed merger with Legacy Health, which is being reviewed by the Oregon Health Authority. If approved, OHSU would control five of the six hospitals in Multnomah County, according to a report issued by OHA last November.OHSU has also had to contend with the departure of prominent executives such as the interim head of its health unit last month, and Dr. Brian

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31:40

Outreach workers talk with people living on the...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/05

The Point-in-Time count is a federally required snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in a given area. Last week, the Council for the Homeless in Vancouver, WA went out on a cold Thursday morning to start the count. It was conducted by outreach staff, volunteers and other social service providers. OPB’s “Think Out Loud” joined surveyors Daniel Rivera, Gemma Somol and Brian Starbuck as they conducted their work. We were also joined by

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11:16

Demand surges for Central Oregon housing voucher...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/05

Earlier this month, individuals and families had just five days to apply for a housing rental assistance program funded by the federal government that serves Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties. Eligibility is based on income limits and other requirements, with vouchers awarded through a lottery system to only about 1 out of every 4 applicants. Demand for the vouchers grew by more than a third since 2023, but obstacles still remain for those lucky enough to obtain

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11:34

How Portland’s middle housing initiative is faring

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/05

The city of Portland changed its zoning rules in 2020 with the goal of producing duplexes, cottage clusters and other multi-unit housing in areas traditionally zoned for single-family homes. The idea was to provide more options at more affordable price points for the city’s growing population. A new report shows the initiative is largely working. It says more middle housing units are now being built than single-family homes, and those units are selling for $250,000 to

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15:13

Oregon wildland firefighter rides from Astoria to...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/04

When Oregon wildland firefighter Kevin Conley heard about the wildfires in Los Angeles, he wanted to do something to help. Conley is currently riding his bike from Astoria to Northern California to raise money for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, which provides financial and mental health resources to those fighting the fires. We’ll talk with Conley about his ride and the importance of mental health services for firefighters.

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37:22

Oregon writer Lidia Yuknavitch explores trauma and...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/04

The difficult things we experience in our lives help create who we are. But how do the stories we tell ourselves - and others - about that trauma affect us? Lidia Yuknavitch, the celebrated Oregon writer of fiction, essays and memoirs, has written a new book about how reframing our stories can release us from what she calls “the tyranny of our mistakes, our traumas, and our confusions.” Yuknavitch joins us in the studio to talk about her latest book, “Reading

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31:28

Oregon band BendreTheGiant releases new EP

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/03

The MusicOregon Echo Fund provides funding to musicians to support career development, allowing artists to fund non-performance projects like recording in a studio or filming a music video.BendretheGiant, a Portland-based ensemble, has been working on recording music with help from the fund. The group’s new EP, "Wading In The Deep End" will be released on March 7. BendreTheGiant is also headed on tour with stops in Oregon, California and Washington. The group will play in

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23:17

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on ending unsheltered...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/02/03

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson campaigned on ending unsheltered homelessness in the city. He recently released a detailed “blueprint” for achieving that goal, adding thousands of shelter beds in the coming year. The city is also facing a $100 million budget shortfall. Wilson joins us to share his thoughts on the budget crunch, the details of the expanded shelter capacity, and how he's thinking about the rights and wellbeing of city residents in light of recent executive

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26:54

Vancouver nonprofit plans to open new transitional...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/31

Lester Griffin launched The Foundation nearly two years ago in response to his own experiences with the criminal justice system and the support he wished he had as a youth growing up in Vancouver. The nonprofit provides resources for at-risk teens and young adults such as job development skills, mentorship and community service opportunities. It also helps adults recently released from incarceration by providing them free boxes of food, hygiene supplies and access to a team of

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26:10

Oregon residents face home insurance challenges

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/31

Insurers across the country are leaving high-risk areas that are affected by disasters like wildfires. Some Oregonians are experiencing insurance rate increases and are struggling with a shifting insurance market. In Deschutes County, homeowners in fire-prone areas are facing higher insurance premiums, according to The Source Weekly.And residents in Southern Oregon are seeing similar issues. Earlier this month, Democratic Senator Jeff Golden of Ashland held a town hall in

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51:45

REBROADCAST: Author Amy Tan finds drama in her backyard

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/30

Amy Tan might be best known for her fiction, including "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God’s Wife," but her latest book takes its drama from her backyard bird feeder. In 2019, Tan began drawing birds she saw in nature, particularly the ones who visited her tree-filled backyard in Northern California. The result is a book of reflections, observations, detailed drawings and cartoon sketches called "The Backyard Bird Chronicles." Tan talks to us in front of an audience

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21:51

Oregon labor bureau faces massive backlog of wage claims

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/29

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries is facing a massive backlog of wage theft complaints. According to its annual report, the agency saw a 208% increase in wage claims from 2020 to 2024. In response, the agency implemented an income threshold for investigations, meaning investigators are not following up on any claims from workers who make more than $25.34 an hour.BOLI officials say the agency’s staffing hasn’t kept up with the growth of Oregon’s

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17:04

Oregon residents are getting older. How can the state...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/29

By 2040 about 78 million Americans will be 65 or older, according to the Administration on Aging. In Oregon, lower birth rates combined with longer life expectancies means that Oregon’s population is rapidly growing older. The shift in population affects sectors like healthcare and affordable housing. AGE+ is a nonprofit that advocates for older Oregonians. It’s pushing for a statewide task force to plan for Oregon’s changing demographics -- a shift that many

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14:53

Advocates push to expand Oregon program that pays...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/29

Oregon launched a program last summer to pay parents who care for their children with severe disabilities or medical needs. Advocates pushed for the Children’s Extraordinary Needs waiver after a similar COVID-era program ended in 2023. But parents say the state program is underfunded and falling short of its promise. It can only serve a tenth of the families that qualify, and only pays caregivers for up to 20 hours of work per week. SB 538, or Tensy’s Law, aims to

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26:51

OHSU Alzheimer's researcher on best practices for...

Think Out Loud ·

2025/01/28

A new study made national headlines, estimating that in the next three decades, around 42% of adults over the age of 55 will develop dementia. Allison Lindauer is an associate professor of neurology at the Oregon Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at OHSU. She joins us to share what we know about dementia and what people can do to prevent it.

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