OPB Audio

The largest known source of lead emissions is leaded aviation fuel, most commonly used for small aircraft in small, regional airports. A new study from Oregon State University has found that this fuel leads to more lead pollution in surrounding urban areas and neighborhoods, which can affect human health through poor air quality and soil contamination. The study looked at air quality surrounding r...

Kimberly Lining remembers calling the information number on a flyer for a missing Indigenous woman and learning that the photo on the flyer didn’t even belong to the missing woman. The frustration born in that moment led Lining to launch the MMIW Search and Hope Alliance, a group of volunteers she mobilizes to help look for missing Indigenous women and girls. Lining partners with the Oregon State...

In Culver, a Central Oregon food desert, residents say they’re tired of the 40-minute round-trip drive to buy fresh produce, so the city is trying to attract a grocery store.

Oregon State University's master gardener program has been running for 50 years and provides advice for gardeners in all but nine counties in Oregon. It has evolved since its 1976 conception to include plant clinics, an internet helpline and counsel for gardening questions via phone by a master gardener who lives and gardens in your county. But what is the evolving role and importance of this kind...

After more than a decade, a new facility that aims to spur the development of wave energy technology opened last week off the Oregon Coast. AP first reported the opening of PacWave, which features two sites in the open ocean near Newport where companies can test devices they’re building to convert energy from waves into electricity. Oregon State University developed PacWave with $140 million in fu...

More than 2,500,000 acres have burned so far during Oregon’s record-breaking wildfire season. Earlier this summer, smoke from the wildfires led to air quality advisories being issued across most of the state, including in Southern Oregon. John D. Sutter, an independent climate journalist and assistant professor of environmental media at the University of Oregon, traveled to the region in July for...

As Oregon's school year begins, leaders look beyond instructional hours to other challenges like quality of instruction and high absenteeism rates.

Since 2015, almost every year a child in the faith-healing sect Followers of Christ in Idaho have died from a treatable condition. That’s according to new reporting from ProPublica. In Oregon, where Followers of Christ are also present, lawmakers have previously removed faith-healing protections that Idaho has. Authorities in the state say this has led to a reduction of these kinds of incidents as...

How do climate-driven events like wildfires affect tourism in communities like Bend? That’s one of the questions the Oregon State University Sustainable Tourism Lab is trying to answer. A recent analysis examined how wildfire smoke impacted visitor demand. It found that while one or two smoky days may not affect travel plans, people are more likely to reschedule or cancel their trips during prolon...

A recent study from Portland State University assessed the likelihood of environmental hazard risks, identifying many “multi-hazard hotspots” — areas that are at risk of overlapping climate hazards — along I-205. The study looked at four climate risks, including fire, urban heat, flooding and landslides. The researchers note that these hotspots for climate hazards are the same areas that have deal...

Cascadia Tech's Maritime program is kicking off its second year at the Port of Vancouver. High school juniors and seniors are learning skills that will land them industry jobs right after graduation. The program is part of a broader effort around the state to meet a growing demand for maritime workers as the industry braces for a serious shortage.

Cancer survivors say crewing a dragon boat together helps them deal with diagnoses.

The band Orquestra Pacífico Tropical has had at least 19 different members over the years, and at any given time there are at least 10 people playing on stage. David (Papi) Fimbres, who founded the band with Carlos Segovia, has been a drummer in a number of Northwest bands over the years and an essential part of Portland’s music scene. We talk to Fimbres and hear band members perform cumbia music...

The impact of the new changes on frequent riders range from minor inconveniences to changing commutes.

An inspection contractor found a chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill “not fit for continued service” 10 months before it failed in May, killing 11 in one of the deadliest U.S. workplace disasters in recent decades.

The band Orquestra Pacífico Tropical has had at least 19 different members over the years, and at any given time there are at least 10 people playing on stage. David (Papi) Fimbres, who founded the band with Carlos Segovia, has been a drummer in a number of Northwest bands over the years and an essential part of Portland’s music scene. We talk to Fimbres and hear band members perform cumbia music...

This weekend, Portlanders can enjoy food, music, dancing and more with ties to Jewish culture. The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is putting on its first Jewish cultural festival at Zidell Yards on Sunday. Marc Blattner is the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. He joins us to share more on what attendees can expect and why this event is important to have.

For nearly 50 years, the Clinton Street Theater in Portland, Ore. has hosted weekly screenings of the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show starring Tim Curry. After news of Curry's death, a impromptu memorial for the actor was held with more than a hundred attendees. Fans brought flowers, dressed in drag and shared stories of the impact Curry and his work has had on them.

Oregon State University will play its first game of the new college football season next Saturday. The Beavers will also be competing this year in an expanded Pac-12 Conference that features six other football teams joining OSU and Washington State University. Gonzaga is also now a member of Pac-12, competing in basketball and other sports. The Pac-12’s new roster brings some relief for the future...

Oregon white oak is one of just three oak species native to Oregon and the primary type of oak found in the Willamette Valley. Today, 90% of white oak habitat has been lost because of development and decades of fire suppression that altered the prairies where oaks once dominated. Most of the remaining white oak habitat is on private land, so private landowners can play a vital role in restoring wh...

The rapid development and spread of AI has affected so many areas of our lives, from how we work to how we learn to the products we’re advertised and content we’re fed on social media. But as AI grows more powerful and pervasive, questions remain about how much trust we can or should place in this technology. Kate Kaye is a Portland-based independent journalist who spent nearly a year researching...

Economists also say the state may be in for more revenue as lawmakers craft a budget next year.

When the parent advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens sent out a survey to local parents regarding their thoughts on the ways PPS utilizes educational technology and screens in classrooms, parents issued remarks that too many videos were used in classrooms, and video games and screens were being used as rewards. There were also concerns about the use of “learning apps,” and many parents called for...

Earlier this month, the Spokane Complex Fires ripped through neighborhoods in the city, damaging more than 800 structures and forcing evacuations of more than 65,000 residents. One person died from medical complications she suffered while evacuating from a nursing home. Despite the loss of homes and other structures, the injury impacts of the fires were less severe, thanks in part to the city’s se...

Residents in the Washington County city of North Plains have been sharply divided for years over whether and how much to expand its urban growth boundary. City leaders passed a plan in 2024 which was overturned in a popular vote and ushered in a new anti-growth majority on the council. In less than 2 years, the majority of those councilors have resigned, along with the mayor and two subsequent rep...