Speaking Freely

A triple threat of RSV, COVID and flu are putting a huge stress on our health care workers and hospitals. Here's an example. PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center normally averages between 280 and 310 patients. It's virtually full, caring for about 380, and its emergency department with 42 beds is holding 120 to 130 patients. This week, we heard from Clark County Health director, Dr. Alan Melnick, sounding an alarm to the community.

And we're continuing to dissect the impact of the midterm elections. Before finding out what Oregon voters actually said through their choices, it helps to look at what was going on nationally according to Dr. Dan Xi, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Reed College.

Portland was a huge focus of just about every political ad, and voters largely expressed that they weren't happy with the direction of the community and the state, which might have meant more of an opportunity for the party out of power. However DHM Research Vice President John Horvick has been looking at what the numbers and the final vote tallies really show.

This episode is about giving: both giving thanks, and giving help. It focuses on one group that helps wildlife survive, and another, that's helping families get through inflation's bite on families' food budgets.

First, it's a Portland tradition coming up on December 10th and 11th. The Portland Audubon is holding its 42nd annual Wild Arts Festival, at Viking Pavilion on the Portland State University Campus. I talked to the Portland Audubon's Executive Director, Stuart Wells, and its Assistant Director of Development Matthew Hassbeck.

Next: a record number of families asked for help this year from the Sunshine Division's food pantries, a sign of how the pandemic plus inflation are making it tougher, especially for those with children. I talked with Kyle Camberg, the Executive Director of Sunshine Division, which has been providing emergency food relief to families for almost a century.

And families are also trying to find ways to counter inflation's impact on their holiday season. I checked in with consumer advocate Trey Bodge for ideas on how to stretch your dollars and save some money.

Here we go. Already Thanksgiving Week! So how about having a healthier holiday season, with less illness, fewer injuries. O, is Legacy go Health Urgent Care's Medical Director. In this interview he explains, how to care for cooking burns, prevent food poisoning, and avoid COVID, flu, RSV and colds in the coming weeks of gatherings.

And this week more election results rolled in. Oregon's about to have quite a few firsts as a result: its first out female lesbian governor, as well as its first two Latina members of Congress. I asked several experts for their reactions to the midterm results: Professor Susan Shaw, who studies gender and sexuality for Oregon State University, Political Sociologist Catherine "Katie" Bolzendahl, the director of Oregon State University's School of Public Policy, and Dr. Christopher McKnight Nichols, a History Professor with The Ohio State University. He is the author and editor of several books about American politics and history.

Tina Kotek wins Oregon's hotly contested governor's race. I talked to her about her plans and what she hopes to achieve her first several months in office, on homelessness and mental health.

She announces her victory and holds her first press conference as Governor-elect.

Then we have commentary from several O.S.U. experts about this election, and why it was one for the history books.

Midterm Election Tuesday: is almost here.

With hundreds of thousands of Oregonians already mailing in their ballots, how they vote in this election is NOT just about Oregon, according to David Bernell. He's an expert on election issues, and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Oregon State University. He also studies energy policy, and talks about another issue that's top of mind for voters in surveys: energy prices.

In some parts of the country, early and mail in voting are breaking records. but not in Oregon, at least so far, the ballot return rate has been slower than the last midterm election in 2018, so I asked OSU Political Science Professor Chris Stout why that might be happening. He also answered questions about the impact of advertising and how much messaging, is too much.

Oregon also stands out in the significant role of women, with three women running for Governor and several strong contenders for congressional seats. Susan Shaw is a Professor in OSU's Women, Gender and Sexuality studies program, taking a close look right now on gender related election issues.

Next, taking a look at this election's trends and why there are so many differences in how elections are conducted from state to state, I talked to Dr. Chris Nichols, who served as a History Professor at OSU for ten years, before recently joining The Ohio State University. He is also a scholar and author/editor of several books about American politics and history.

With ballots in households and in hands: Oregon's voters are making decisions about who they'll choose to lead their state and community, and who will represent them in Congress, in the next several years.

What are the major voter motivators? That's what we're looking at in this episode. Starting: with the hotly contested Governor's race. This week I did a special report on the three candidates running for Oregon Governor. Each one, has her Oregon origin story, and lengthy public service record. I asked Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and Independent Betsy Johnson, for their thoughts on how to solve a major voter motivator: homelessness and the housing crisis.

We also saw hundreds of people testify this past week on Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's new strategy to tackle homelessness. We hear from Wheeler, City Commissioner Joann Hardesty, as well as city staff and members of the community as they speak about this plan, which includes ideas like a ban on street camping and designated areas where people experiencing houselessness can stay, along with support services like drug treatment and job placement, as well as a big push for more affordable housing. it's a plan that would require a lot of cooperation from county and state governments as well. Some expressed support, others objected. Kaia Sand, did both. She's the executive director of Street Roots, a newspaper in Portland focusing on houselessness and poverty.

Portland city council scheduled more testimony and votes on the new homelessness plan, for the coming week. Meantime, candidates are stressing it in their messaging, and voters are voting.

For more insight about that, I talked to Dr. Chris Nichols, a historian, and scholar at The Ohio State University, who has written and edited several books about American history, policy and politics.

Another issue voters are citing as a motivator in this election is abortion and reproductive health care, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Roe V. Wade. This week Kotek held a press conference with abortion rights supporters about that. Independent candidate Betsy Johnson says she is firmly pro choice on the issue: and I talked to republican candidate Christine Drazan, who explains her pro life position. Dr. Chris Nichols with The Ohio State University also comments about the role of abortion as an incentive to vote in this election.

Finally: we close this episode with some encouraging news for small businesses and non profits, still working to recover what they lost due to the pandemic. Bookkeeper and accountant Laura Ricksecker tells members of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce that their businesses are eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of pandemic tax credits, intended to help the economy recover.

I'm calling this episode the final election push. Ballots are mailed out and in voters' hands, as candidates make their final pitches leading up to November's 8th's election day. The candidates for Oregon Governor, Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and Independent Betsy Johnson, held their final debate.

Oregon's shortage of public defenders emerged as a major issue. That shortage means people charged with crimes, are being set free. Drazan places the blame for that on democrats, specifically Kotek. Johnson says the current public defender system needs reform but she wouldn't tear it all up and start from scratch. Kotek accused her opponents of not recalling the state's research on what would solve the problems.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden joined President Biden as he campaigned for Kotek in Oregon. I talked to the senator about this campaign and election season.

For more background on the importance of elections, like the one we have coming on November 8th, I also talked to a historian who's authored a new book, "Civil War by Other Means." History and Public Affairs Professor Jeremi Suri, with the University of Texas at Austin.

My discussion with the independent, unaffiliated candidate for Oregon Governor about her public service career including serving as a representative and senator in the Oregon state legislature, her ideas for tackling homelessness, crime, domestic violence, and what she thinks about campaign finance reform. She also responds to critics who say she's a spoiler in the race for Oregon Governor.

My talk with Kotek about the state's major issues and her plans on homelessness, climate change, wildfires, education, crime, drugs, and much more.

My talk with Drazan about the state's major issues and her plans on homelessness, climate, education, crime, drug addiction, and more.