Speaking Freely

The voters spoke, in Oregon's special municipal election this week. Because of their votes, school districts across the state have new leaders. We go over results in some key races, with Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal. We also talk about major money from the federal government coming in the battle against COVID-19, the Metro Supportive Housing Services Measure targeting the homeless crisis, her proposed state to protect child human trafficking victims from being charged with prostitution, and her work on fighting diesel pollution. And, how she has made history, after voters chose her as the first Indian American to hold an elected office in Oregon.

A Portland area congressman is throwing his support behind making civics education a requirement in Oregon's schools. 3rd District Congressman Earl Blumenauer says Oregon is one of just 11 states that does not require civics education. He supports The Civics Education Act, which passed in the state senate but still needs support from the State house and the Governor's signature to become law. This episode features Blumenauer, State Representative for House District 50 in East Portland, and Reynolds School Board Director, Ricky Ruiz, Classroom Law Project Executive Director Erin Esparza, Sisters High School social studies teacher Gail Greaney, a student at Parkrose High School in Portland, Josedavid Muñoz-Ronquillo, and the response from Oregon Education Association Government Relations' Jared Mason Gere

It's almost election day. For Multnomah County voters, that is. They're choosing the people who will lead the school board coming out of the pandemic, and resources for saving Oregon's history. The recommended date for people to get their ballots in the mailbox is this coming Tuesday, May 11th, so the ballots can make it back in time for election day, May 18th. So this week I'm talking to Multnomah County Commission Chair Deborah Kafoury... about COVID-19 vaccinations for vulnerable people, how to use millions of dollars in pandemic relief money, how to get the Burnside Bridge ready for a devastating earthquake, how to prepare the community for the next wildfire season, and what happens when the eviction moratoriums end this summer, increasing the risk of more people becoming homeless. We also talked about what she's most proud and happy about that's happening in the county even during the pandemic. Like, voters approving a new library for the East county area, preschool for all, and supportive housing, plus: the diversity on the county commission, and the plan to get kids vaccinated and back to school this fall.

Portland metro area counties are once again in the extreme risk category for COVID-19, as infections and hospitalizations soar. This week, we talk to Congressman Kurt Schrader, who represents Oregon's district 5 in the U.S. House of Representatives, about his message to constituents about the rising infections rates, his thoughts on what does and doesn't work for pandemic relief, the upcoming wildfire season, and whether he and his staff feel safe at the nation's capitol after the January 6th riots.

On local government: we show you how Multnomah County Commissioners chose a new state representative Andrea Valderrama, after Diego Hernandez's resignation amid sexual harassment claims at the state capitol. Also, a new study shows a dramatic increase in wrong way traffic accidents; why it's happening and how to prevent it. And a real estate expert from outside of the Portland area, explains why he thinks housing prices will increase in the coming years.

It's a massive effort to try to jump start the recovery from the pandemic. But how will the American Rescue Plan affect us? It has hundreds of millions of dollars heading to Oregon, for child care, Head Start, meal services for seniors, vaccination programs, and job retraining. The plan, comes from the President and Congress, so we're checking in with Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.

This month local schools are welcoming students back for many in person classes, and preparing for a September they hope will be essentially back to normal. But what can, and should this new normal look like? I talked to Ted Dintersmith, an education expert who has researched school systems in Portland, Salem and across the country, about what the pandemic's taught US, for education moving forward.

Also: when it comes to the environment of the Pacific Northwest, we certainly have seen extremes... though we're in the middle of a drought, the fierce winter ice storm of February, is still having a huge impact on our land. One example of that is the damage in the trees, of Oregon's hazelnut farms. I talked to Brenda Kirsch Frketich, a hazelnut farmer, and the owner of Kirsch Family Farms in St. Paul, Oregon. She also tells us about the health benefits of eating hazelnuts. First though: this week our community joined others throughout the nation and the world, reacting to the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, for the murder of George Floyd. There were numerous planned demonstrations, and some incidents of violence, sparking many conversations about racism, government, police, and protests.

We focus on the COVID-19 Vaccines this week. On Monday, Oregon opens COVID-19 vaccinations to everyone ages 16 and older. Washington already did that this past week. As for those younger than 16: it's likely they're next in line. Dr. Alonzo Plough says in the coming months, parents should watch for announcements from state and federal governments about getting their kids vaccinated. In this episode, I talked to the University of Washington Public Health Professor and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Chief Science officer, who also spent a decade as Seattle's Public Health Director. First though: what many see as a setback in the COVID 19 fight. The FDA recommended a pause on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. I spoke to Oregon State University Pharmacy professor Gaurev Sahay, who helped develop the technology now used to deliver the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

This week we are focusing on the unique, and some endangered, wildlife species in the Pacific Northwest, and we also get an update on the COVID-19 Pandemic from the Tri County Region's Lead Health Officer