Think Out Loud

If you’re a parent of a music-loving toddler or grade schooler in the Portland metro area, you may not have heard of Andy Furgeson. You may, however, have heard of Red Yarn, the musical persona that Furgeson has embodied for more than a decade with his signature red beard, acoustic guitar and family-friendly puppets in tow. By his estimation, he performs 200 to 300 shows a year, most of whic...

Wildfires, extreme heat events, and other environmental disasters can have an extreme impact on those who are already living close to the edge. For people in addiction or recovery, these kinds of events can disrupt whatever stability they may have found. We talk to Robin Buller, who wrote about the connection between climate change and addiction for High Country News.

The housing and homelessness crisis in Portland was a key reason city officials pledged in 2019 to crack down on unpermitted short term rentals on Airbnb. Four years later, an investigation into the city’s regulatory efforts finds a near complete breakdown. Those who should be enforcing regulations say they are understaffed, can’t get access to the data they need and don’t have a...

Black mothers experience higher maternal death rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S. In Multnomah County, the Healthy Birth Initiatives program provides those moms with case management, respite care, breastfeeding support and access to community health nurses and other resources to support healthy outcomes for babies and families. Desha Reed-Holden, a senior program specialist, s...

It’s been more than a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively ending the right to abortion, which had existed for nearly 50 years. The decision has led to a wave of laws to restrict abortion access in about half the states in the nation. Not only have patients had to cross state lines to end pregnancies which pose a risk to their health, some doctors have also fled s...

After several recent attacks on TriMet passengers, the transportation agency has invested millions in hiring private security officers. In addition, it will fund a prosecutor at the Multnomah County DA’s office to focus on TriMet crimes. The agency also recently announced the results of a study that found trace amounts of fentanyl on public transit surfaces in amounts that were not dangerous...

Students across Oregon will walk out of school on Friday as part of a youth strike for meaningful climate action. Among the demands they’re making are a formal declaration of a climate emergency from Gov. Tina Kotek, direct relief to unhoused Oregonians during climate disasters, and more legislative support for clean energy. Organizers in Portland, Bend, Salem and Florence set specific deman...

The nonprofit Partners in Care offers hospice and palliative care in Central Oregon. Its Transitions team recently received an award from Deschutes County for its work helping clients navigate resources for care. We learn more about the organization and how it aims to give Oregonians from all walks of life a chance to die with dignity. Joining us are Maureen Dooley, the marketing and communication...

On Wednesday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced he will not seek a third term as mayor in 2024, and instead focus on addressing the city’s “critical challenges” such as homelessness, public safety and economic recovery for the duration of his term. Last month, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler asked for nearly 100 Oregon state troopers to help tackle crime in the city. He made his su...

For nearly 40 years, sculptor M.J. Anderson has been making annual trips from her home on the Oregon coast to Carrara, Italy. She spends up to three months there, traveling along a winding road to quarries with towering walls of marble, the same kind of stone that was used to create Michelangelo’s sculpture of David and other timeless works of Renaissance art.   But Anderson isn’t...

Earlier this month, Gov. Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in Lincoln, Gilliam and Douglas Counties. In Lincoln County, low stream flows and dry conditions have greatly affected the coastal region. The declaration is uncommon there. We learn more about what it means from County Commissioner Kaety Jacobson.

When you go to a museum or visit a science center, it’s not uncommon to see graphs, charts and other visual data displays included in the exhibit. But blind and low-vision visitors don’t get that same experience. Researchers with the Accessible Oceans pilot project are exploring how to turn some of that data into sound so it’s more accessible to all visitors. The project’s...

You might be an avid crossword solver, but have you ever thought about what it takes to create them? Matt Jones has been making crossword puzzles since his late teens, with one of his first puzzles appearing in The New York Times when he was just 19. His weekly puzzle Jonesin’ has appeared in alt-weeklies across the country, including Willamette Week, since 2001.  Jones joins us to shar...

LGBTQ youth are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness than their peers, due to a lack of support. Oregon youth in foster care need more options for temporary homes with foster parents committed to creating an affirming and safe environment. We talk with Unicorn Solutions founder Elliott Hinkle, who was formerly in foster care themselves, and  current foster parent Mel Jory-Heyw...

Breena Bard’s new graphic novel “Wildfire” focuses on Julianna, an eighth grader who’s forced to flee her home in rural Oregon and resettle in Portland following a wildfire. Julianna soon joins the conservation club at her new school, though she insists the fires that destroyed her home were caused by local boys with errant fireworks rather than climate change. The story fo...

Jeanne Carver and her family have spent decades incorporating sustainable practices into their ranch.  Her brand, Shaniko Wool Company, is certified under the Responsible Wool Standard. The certification includes third-party audits of the ranch and covers sheep welfare and sustainable land management. More recently, Carver has studied how much carbon her ranch has stored in its soil. We check...

Oregon has one of the highest rates in the country for kindergarteners with vaccine exemptions. The state’s 7% rate is only lower than Utah’s (7.4%) and Idaho's (9.8%).  Ryan Hassan is a pediatrician in Happy Valley and also serves as the medical director for Boost Oregon, a parent group working to increase vaccinations overall through education. He says he’s seen coronaviru...

Oregon is one of the leading exporters of peppermint oil in the U.S. But a fungus called verticillium wilt, which affects the leading variety of peppermint, is spreading throughout the Willamette Valley. Reporter Berit Thorson recently wrote about the issue for Capital Press, and joins us to talk about what she learned.

The Hermiston Herald recently profiled Jessica Marcum, a community paramedic at Umatilla County Fire District #1, about her job helping patients in the region. Unlike paramedics who respond to emergencies, community paramedics work to keep patients out of emergency rooms by providing in-home health services, from medication management after a hospital stay to making referrals for mental health ser...

Last spring, the Hood River library system went on the road with a bookmobile that travels to rural communities throughout the county. The van offers books, DVD players, laptops and free wifi to patrons This summer, the bookmobile started offering other services as well, including hygiene kits, cold water on hot days, and meals to school-age kids. Yelitza Vargas-Boots, the bilingual outreach libra...

The Portland City Council this week unanimously passed a drug criminalization ordinance crafted by Public Safety Commissioner Rene Gonzalez and Mayor Ted Wheeler. The measure bans the public use of drugs, contingent on a change in state law to allow such measures. City commissioners also voted to direct lobbyists to push for that state law change. Addressing public safety and homelessness were chi...

Football has been the main focus of the PAC-12 realignment, in which all but Oregon State University and Washington State University have jumped ship for other conferences. But what about the bands, cheer squads and other student groups that support athletics? As reported in the Daily Barometer, members of OSU’s marching band are facing their fair share of distress and uncertainty over the P...

Forest thinning improves the health of older trees and enhances native biodiversity on federal lands in eastern Oregon. That’s according to a new study from Oregon State University, in partnership with local groups in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. We talk to James Johnston, the assistant professor in the College of Forestry at OSU who authored the study, about how selective thinning could m...

Jesse Johnson walked out of the Marion County Jail on Tuesday as a  free man, after 25 years behind bars in Oregon. In 2004, Johnson was convicted of murdering 28-year-old Harriet Thompson in a Salem apartment — a crime that he denied committing. A jury then sentenced him to death, and Johnson lived on death row at the Oregon State Penitentiary until 2021, when his case was overturned b...

While rescue shelters for dogs and cats can be found in many Oregon cities, there are fewer options for small pets like hamsters, hedgehogs, rats and chinchillas. The Little Critter Crew is working to change that. As reported in Eugene Weekly, the Eugene-based animal rescue has built a network of 32 foster homes across the state since it launched in 2020. Kayla Hernandez is the rescue’s co-f...