Think Out Loud

Orcas, also known as killer whales, are among the most well-studied marine mammals, captivating the public and scientists alike with their intelligence, strong social bonds and complex behaviors. Scientists recently documented critically endangered Southern Resident orcas in the Salish Sea using kelp as a grooming tool . They have also been observed wearing carcasses of salmon on their heads , eit...

Earlier this month, Mount Rainier experienced its most powerful seismic swarm ever recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 1,000 earthquakes have been detected at the mountain since July 8 — far above the volcano’s usual activity level — and the swarm is still continuing.    However, despite the levels of seismic activity, the USGS’s Cascades Volcano Obs...

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has recently leased out more than 5,000 acres of public land for geothermal energy in Malheur County. Leasing of the land is the first step in developing geothermal resources - specifically, the production of electricity from heat within the earth. But how common is geothermal energy in the U.S. and what potential is there for its widespread use  in Oregon?...

Multnomah County won’t renew its contract with Rockwood Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit based in Gresham, according to reporting by Willamette Week. The county stated it had stopped funding the homeless service provider after the organization double-counted costs and charged for rooms that were closed for repairs, according to Willamette Week. Rockwood CDC disputed the allegat...

Lakeridge High School senior Elaina Stuppler is no stranger to the spotlight. She performs in the Portland Youth Philharmonic, playing trombone - but she also plays tuba, piano and composes music as well. She’s regularly featured on All Classical Radio as a reporter and Artist in Residence. But the last few months have been a veritable cavalcade of honors and opportunities. Stuppler won the...

The federal government recently ended its specialized suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. Previously, callers could press 3 when they called the national suicide and crisis lifeline to be connected with counselors who were specifically traines to help queer youth. Now, all calls will be directed to the general 988 hotline.    Lines for Life operates several crisis hotlines in Or...

From students using artificial intelligence for schoolwork, to others seeking chatbots for companionship , our relationship with technology continues to change. But are the ways we use AI healthy, and what long-term effects could they have on us socially? Naomi Aguiar is the associate director of research at OSU’s Ecampus and an expert on children and adult relationships with imaginary frien...

In the late 2000s, unexplained mass die-offs of oysters at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery in Tillamook, Oregon helped scientists uncover a major threat to coastal ecosystems: ocean acidification .    Today, Oregon’s coast remains one of the areas most affected by this phenomenon. Each summer, deep ocean waters rich in carbon dioxide and low in oxygen rise to the surface — a...

Rodger Deevers knows he’s a lucky man. He’s a financial advisor in Eugene with all his basic needs met — and then some. But two years ago, after he and his wife took a vacation to the island of Curaçao off the Venezuelan coast, he wanted to bring some of the sense of community and vibrant public art back to the Eugene-Springfield area — and contribute to area nonprof...

Unlike some other counties in Oregon and across the country, Multnomah County has remained committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts. However, a recent audit found that the county has some work to do on its DEI initiatives.  Across the county Asian employees are less likely to be supervisors, Black or African American employees are less likely to pass the trial service period and a...

Isha Marla is a 14-year-old with a love for science who recently finished her last year at Tumwater Middle School in the Beaverton School District. She is also just one of 10 students in the nation, and the only one from Oregon, who made it to the finalist round of a national science competition sponsored by Discovery Education and 3M, which manufactures a vast array of products, from Post-It Note...

Everyone Village, a transitional shelter program in Eugene, is partnering with PeaceHealth to open 10 tiny homes where unhoused patients can safely recover from surgery. As reported by KLCC , the project will also include a medical clinic to provide primary care to all residents of the village. Patients in the recuperation cottages will have full access to Everyone Village’s suite of wraparo...

Public broadcasters large and small have been reacting to the unprecedented Congressional vote to pull already-approved funding for public media . In Oregon and Washington, public radio stations face an array of challenges, depending on their size and resources. Some radio stations play nationally-produced NPR content, but not all. Many are squarely focused on covering their local community news w...

Renaissance fairs have long been a place for workers and visitors alike to find community amid the trappings of a fictional medieval town. “Merchants” bring their wares to hawk, while various “guilds” provide the entertainment, from jousting to smithing to demonstrating medieval textile arts.   But some longtime guild workers at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Fai...

Last October, Patrick Leonard opened Postcard Bookshop , fusing his love for literature with his love for travel. Located in Portland’s Central Eastside neighborhood, the store’s shelves are organized according to countries or regions, from Africa to Oceania and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to travel guides, phrase books and cookbooks showcasing world cuisines, novels on display...

Many states in the U.S. have legalized cannabis either medically or recreationally, but without legalization at the federal level regulation is left to states, including testing for contaminants and THC levels. New reporting from Undark, an online science magazine, found that in some states, including Oregon, independent labs were inflating THC level numbers and providing fraudulent results. Teres...

Oregon lawmakers recently passed a bill requiring climate change education to be integrated into classrooms across the state. The legislation directs the state board of education to integrate climate science — including causes, impacts, and strategies for adaptation — in core subjects like science, history, health, and civics. The goal is to equip students with accurate information and...

Earlier this month the semiconductor chip maker Intel announced it would layoff nearly 2,400 workers in Washington County - amounting to about 10% of its overall workforce. Nonetheless, the company remains one of Oregon’s largest private employers, and the ripple effects of its contraction will be felt more broadly throughout the state economy. OPB business reporter Kyra Buckley has been fol...

Clatsop County is exploring a pilot program that would convert vacation homes that are often left vacant into long-term rentals for people who work in the county. As reported in the Daily Astorian, the program would offer cash incentives for property owners to lease out their homes for a year or more. The county has applied for a grant to fund the two-year pilot, but has yet to receive those dolla...

Gov. Tina Kotek has aimed for a goal of 36,000 homes being built a year. As part of her housing development plans, Kotek’s office announced the launch of the Housing Accountability and Production Office, a joint office between the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Building Codes Division. The agency will provide technical assistance and enforce state housing production...

Earlier this month the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it would need to lay off nearly 500 workers. This came after lawmakers failed to pass a transportation package to help boost the budget of the agency responsible for road maintenance around the state. Now, Gov. Tina Kotek has announced a special session will be held in late August with the hopes of finding the funds for the state...

The Roadless Rule is a U.S. Forest Service regulation that protects inventoried roadless areas from certain timber activities and construction within the national forest system, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rule has been in effect since 2001, but U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced recently the Trump administration plans to rescind the rule. We learn m...

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are more than 10 million wood-burning stoves in homes across the U.S., or roughly one for every 35 people. The smoke from those stoves can emit harmful particle pollution, which has been linked to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease and a host of other health issues. Researchers at Oregon State University recently tested residential woo...

Last week, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency due to “the imminent and ongoing threat of wildfire.” The emergency declaration will last until the end of the year. It directs the Office of Emergency Management to coordinate personnel, equipment and resources in collaboration with the State Fire Marshal and Oregon Department of Forestry to respond to the wildfires that...

The union that represents reporters at Central Oregon’s 122-year-old newspaper is negotiating its first contract with the corporation that bought the outlet last fall. Carpenter Media Group has already laid off nonunion workers at the Bulletin, like the paper’s copy editor, but the Central Oregon NewsGuild says that a contract - and the worker protections it would include - must be in...