OPB Audio

More often than not located in a dark basement, walls hidden behind a massive collage of musical ephemera dating back a few decades, young adults sorting records and CDs: It’s the local college radio station! In 1948, when the FCC was making an attempt to promote new FM radio, they created the Class D radio license, which allowed stations to operate with less expensive equipment and making the cam...

The Clark County Youth Commission allows young people to offer their input to the county council about the issues youth are facing and how to address them. While their work typically focuses on mental health, the commission has also explored violence prevention, youth homelessness, community resilience and other topics. As reported in The Columbian, commission members created two murals to represe...

Immigrants’ rights advocates are reporting a rise in the number of arrests by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in the Portland metro area in the last week. Immigration arrests peaked in November of 2025 with “Operation Black Rose.” They decreased dramatically earlier this year but numbers surged again in the summer. The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition told OPB that there was a “sharp uptic...

Tensions over La Grande gas tax tap into debate shaping tight Oregon governor race

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and state Senator Christine Drazan met for their second gubernatorial debate in Medford this week. The two candidates discussed taxes, the increasing cost of living and healthcare among other topics. OPB politics reporter Dirk Vanderhart watched the debate and joined host Crystal Ligori to break down the details.

With both education and arts funding facing cuts across the country, it’s not an easy time to be a school music teacher. Research shows that music educators have been leaving the field in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are still young professionals who are entering the classroom in Oregon. Charles Torok is a music instructor at Antonia Crater Elementary in Newberg,...

Early next year, Portland residents may begin seeing and hearing fleets of drones carrying Amazon packages bound for delivery in as fast as half an hour. The tech giant says it plans to expand its Prime Air delivery service to nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year. A company press release from August shows the service is being offered in 10 metro areas in the U.S., including Phoenix,...

The voter-passed Portland Clean Energy Fund, or PCEF has been awarding grants for about five years. The tax on large retailers who do business in the city has raised far more money than expected. Now Eugene voters will decide whether to pass their own clean energy fund, called ECEF. It’s modeled after PCEF, but does have differences. We’re joined by representatives from both sides of the campaign:...

For some queer and transgender students, navigating college means overcoming financial aid rules designed around family support they don’t have.

Multiple reports of rape mar the University of Oregon's fall term

When you think of professional wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment, also known as WWE, may come to mind. But the Pacific Northwest is home to its own indie scene of wrestling. As Katherine Cusumano writes in The Believer, the blood, sweat and tears that go into wrestling take a toll on the body and mind, but the spirit and drive keep many in-ring. Including Derek Drexl and Amira Lukens, both...

Portland’s got a reputation for food — the New York Times has called the city “the dining capital of the Pacific Northwest.” And last year, a Eugene establishment made it into the publication’s top 100 restaurants of 2025. Zoe Baillargeon is a freelance food writer based in Portland, and Taylor Gobel is the Food Correspondent at Lookout Eugene-Springfield. They join us to break down some of the re...

Polling from OPB shows that the Oregon gubernatorial race is neck-and-neck in the rematch between Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan and the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Tina Kotek. That’s with roughly a week to go before Oregon voters start receiving their ballots. OPB politics reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart join us to talk about the key issues in the race and where things stand now.

Researchers at Washington State University were interested in seeing whether cannabis use decreased stress, based on both subjective reports and objective measurements of bodily changes associated with stress. That includes, for example, an increase in heart rate during stress. The scientists recruited 120 regular users of cannabis to vape a low or moderate dose of cannabis in the lab. They also i...

Hundreds of students, parents, staff ask Portland to pause school closures

The Leatherman tool came from a simple idea: What if a Boy Scout knife had pliers? This simple idea started a company with now more than 540 employees and a dedicated fan base. In a new book from the tool’s inventor, Tim Leatherman, “The Leatherman” shares the story of the tool's creation, the ups and downs of inventing and practical advice for anyone with their own big idea. Leatherman joins us t...

Toody Cole has been a pillar in many beloved Pacific Northwest bands, including Dead Moon and the Rats and Pierced Arrows. After Pierced Arrows disbanded in 2015, Toody Cole and her husband Fred Cole performed together until his death in 2017. Six years later, the 77-year-old would return as Toody Cole and her Band. They just got back from a Summer tour in Europe and will be returning for a Winter...

Oregon’s grape harvest is in full swing, but wine sales have been dropping

Researchers at Washington State University were interested in seeing whether cannabis use decreased stress, based on both subjective reports and objective measurements of bodily changes associated with stress. That includes, for example, an increase in heart rate during stress. The scientists recruited 120 regular users of cannabis to vape a low or moderate dose of cannabis in the lab. They also i...

The Oregon chapter of the international nonprofit “Dress for Success” was among the very first of the 130 member networks. It started by offering professional suits and clothes to women who couldn't otherwise afford them. But since 1998, it’s evolved to offering a range of career services. And now it’s opening its most ambitious program yet: WorkWell, a co-working space in NE Portland that include...

Portland voters in two of the city’s four districts will soon be casting ballots to elect or re-elect their city councilors. It’s the second election using ranked choice voting. With half of the Portland city council seats up for grabs, what should voters expect? We hear from OPB politics reporters Bryce Dole and Alex Zielinski as they discuss the upcoming Portland election on the latest episode o...

A Washington paper mill disaster killed 11 people. It also broke community trust in a ‘lifeblood’ industry

From Wonder Woman and Lois Lane to Cathy and Veronica Lodge, there have been no shortage of women represented in comics. In the new book, “Women in Comics,” authors Nhora Lucia Serrano and Portland State University’s Susan E. Kirtley explore the history of not only the women on the page, but the authors behind them. Using archetypes commonly found in comic books, Kirtley and Serrano look at some o...

Portland’s Alano Club is dedicated to helping people recover from alcoholism, addiction and mental health disorders. It serves 10,000 people a month with meetings, classes, workshops and other activities and programs. Founded in 1947, it’s the oldest and largest Recovery Community Organization in the country. Several years ago, a participant in its programs decided to start bringing naloxone from...

Portland traffic officials are offering group bike rides from North and Northeast Portland to downtown during the weekslong closure of Interstate 5 southbound.