KGW’s Straight Talk

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was on the Senate floor when members of a violent pro-Trump mob broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Wyden talked about the incident and called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office on this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk with Laural Porter.

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon is Laural Porter's guest on this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk. Merkley discusses how Congress is working on potentially passing a COVID-19 relief bill that many Americans are desperate for. He also reacts to the 2020 election and looks ahead to 2021. This episode was taped on Dec. 17, 2020.

On this week's episode, Laural Porter takes a look at the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon. She's joined by the CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS), Becky Hultberg, and the chief executive of Providence Portland Medical Center, Krista Farnham. They discuss the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, the concern for another post-holiday case spike and more.

In this week's episode of Straight Talk with Laural Porter, she talks with Street Roots executive director Kaia Sand and staff members Raven Drake and Gary Barker about how the nonprofit, which supports the homeless, has been getting by during the pandemic and how people can support them during the holiday season. Laural also talks with Andrew Hoan, the CEO of the Portland Business Alliance, and Kristin Van Buskirk, owner of the small business Woonwinkel, about the impact 2020 has had businesses. 

The first Black member and first Muslim member of the Washington County Commission and Mayors-elect of West Linn and Beaverton went through Emerge Oregon training.

Emerge Oregon counts among its successful graduates, Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, and Secretary of State-elect Shemia Fagan, as well as Beaverton Mayor-elect Lacey Beaty, and West Linn Mayor-Elect Jules Walters. The organization supported over 70 women up for election in the 2020 May primary and November general elections.

FULL STORY: https://www.kgw.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/straight-talk/emerge-oregon-historic-wins-women-election/283-7792f870-881a-445e-ad77-d13210090d1b

On this week's episode of Straight Talk, Laural Porter is joined by Portland Commissioner-elect Mingus Mapps, who talks about his victory and what he hopes city council can achieve moving forward. Laural is also joined by Travis Stovall and Eddy Morales, who are battling in a tight race to be Gresham's next mayor as the votes continue to be counted.

Longtime Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio is facing Republican challenger Alek Skarlatos in a race that has received national attention.

Southwest Washington's 3rd Congressional District holds the unique distinction of being the only district touching the Pacific Ocean that is held by a Republican. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler has served the district since 2010 and is hoping to win a sixth term as she faces one of her toughest political challenges yet. For the second time, Democrat Carolyn Long is hoping to convince voters it's time for a change. Long is a political science professor at Washington State University-Vancouver. The race is a rematch from 2018 when Long came within about five percentage points of Herrera Beutler. In previous elections, the congresswoman had beaten her opponents by double-digits.

 In a Portland mayoral debate hosted by KGW and the Oregonian, incumbent Ted Wheeler tried to make his case to voters to let him lead the city for four more years, while challenger Sarah Iannarone pushed for progressive policies and a fresh start in local government.

Both candidates appeared from remote locations to ensure the debate was as safe as possible. Wheeler was at the offices of the local firefighters union, while Iannarone appeared from the office of a supporter in Southeast Portland. We taped the debate in advance to minimize the risk of any technical difficulties that would distract from the messages from the candidates.

The debate was moderated by KGW's Laural Porter and The Oregonian's Everton Bailey, and the candidates discussed everything from nightly protests, climate change, to homelessness, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery.

For Portlanders, one of the most important issues on the ballot is the runoff election for city council between incumbent Chloe Eudaly and challenger Mingus Mapps. We talk with both candidates about how they can help tackle Portland's biggest issues.