Think Out Loud

By Oregon Public Broadcasting

Society & Culture Arts

What's Think Out Loud about?

OPB's daily conversation covering news, politics, culture and the arts. Hosted By Dave Miller.

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Think Out Loud episodes:

04.24.2024
What tiny worms found in decades-old cans of salmon reveal about marine ecosystems
In the spring of 2021, Natalie Mastick, a graduate student in the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, dissected filets from nearly 200 cans of salmon, some of which were more than 40 years old. The cans...
04.24.2024
Examining drones used by the Portland Police Bureau
Portland Police Bureau spent nearly $68,000 on drones and equipment between April and September of 2023. Some of the drones used by the bureau feature cameras that can closely zoom in on people or cars and are made by a...
04.24.2024
Electoral changes could be coming to Eugene with ‘STAR Voting’ on the ballot
In May, Eugene residents will see a proposal that could change how voting is done in the city. STAR Voting is a system that allows voters to score all candidates on a scale from zero to five. The top two...
04.23.2024
Local infrastructure projects tied to housing development survive Gov. Kotek’s veto threat
Earlier this month, Gov. Tina Kotek threatened to veto $14 million in state funding for seven local infrastructure projects across Oregon unless they could clearly show they would result in new housing development. Last week, she announced that no line-item...
04.23.2024
UO failed to timely alert students of campus drugings
Records show that since the beginning of this year, there were 9 druggings of University of Oregon students, and the university failed to alert students about what was happening, violating their own protocols. These incidents were potentially linked to fraternity...
04.23.2024
Rural hospitals ‘in crisis mode,’ with situation worsening, says new report
“Unrelenting pressure” on the nation’s rural healthcare safety net means more hospital closures and many operating on the brink. That’s according to a new report by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. The center says hospitals have been in crisis mode...
04.22.2024
Gun sales drop in Washington as new rules take effect
Gun sales in Washington have dropped significantly this year as new gun safety laws have taken effect. The drop follows a spike in sales last year that happened when buyers scrambled to purchase guns as lawmakers debated legislation. David Gutman...
04.22.2024
Supreme Court hears Grants Pass v Johnson case that could have huge implications for homelessness policy nationally
On Monday, April 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on a case out of Oregon that could have national implications on homelessness policy. The question at the heart of Grants Pass v Johnson is whether cities can regulate...
04.19.2024
An inside look at accordions and what it takes to repair them
We revisit a conversation we first aired in April 2023 which was the first installment of our series on people’s professions. We’ll learn what it takes to do different kinds of jobs and how these professions change us. David Beer is...
04.19.2024
Oregon 4th Congressional District Republican primary conversation: candidate Amy Ryan Courser
Two Republican candidates are hoping to win their party’s nomination to upset the Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Val Hoyle in ORegon’s 4th District. Amy Ryan Courser is a consultant and former Keizer city council member. One her campaign website she says...
04.19.2024
Historic Timberline Lodge closed after Thursday night fire
Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood is closed until further notice following a fire Thursday night. The surrounding Timberline ski area is also closed Friday. Clackamas Fire officials have reported that everyone evacuated from the building safely. We get more details...
04.19.2024
Poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil on ‘World of Wonders’
The award winning poet, writer and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s genius lies in making connections between the astonishments of the natural world and the particular wonders of her own - and all of our - lives. Nezhukumatathil is the author of...
04.18.2024
Poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil on ‘World of Wonders’
The award winning poet, writer and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s genius lies in making connections between the astonishments of the natural world and the particular wonders of her own - and all of our - lives. Nezhukumatathil is the author of...
04.17.2024
Scientists may have found a new population of orcas off Southern Oregon coast
Scientists at the University of British Columbia may have identified a new population of orcas, also known as killer whales, feeding in the deep waters between Astoria and Southern California, according to a recently published study. The researchers reviewed photos,...
04.17.2024
Candidates for Eugene’s open mayoral seat address crime, environmental protection, homelessness and housing
Oregon’s second largest city has an open seat for mayor. Incumbent Eugene mayor Lucy Vinis announced last year she would not be seeking a third term of office, and she promptly endorsed architect and housing expert Kaarin Knudsen, the first...
04.17.2024
Multnomah County proposes new sobering center
At this point, many of us have probably encountered someone in the midst of a drug, alcohol or mental health-related crisis in a public place. And you may have wondered: What can I do for that person? Where could that...
04.16.2024
Oregon’s women’s football team starts its season
If your weekends aren’t complete without watching a tight spiral arc, you can catch the Oregon Ravens as they are starting their season in the Women’s National Football Conference. We talk to two players about the joys of playing one...
04.16.2024
Willamette winter steelhead returns at 20-year high
In 2017, fewer than 1,000 winter steelhead returned to the Upper Willamette Basin. That number has exploded to more than 7,600 so far this year. The returns are the highest since 2004. Zach Urness is the outdoors editor for the...
04.16.2024
Social services hub planned for downtown Salem building
Plans are underway to turn the former Statesman Journal building in downtown Salem into a one-stop shop for community services, including youth programming, health services and religious charities. As recently covered by the Salem Reporter, the project is moving forward...
04.15.2024
Indigenous tiny home village planned at former Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst
Plans are underway to turn part of the former Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst into a tiny home village for Indigenous families experiencing homelessness. As reported in Underscore, the project – known as Barbie’s Village – will also include family and...
04.15.2024
Why some Oregon universities won’t require the ACT or SAT
Four years ago at the dawn of the pandemic, many universities across the country scaled back on their admissions process, many no longer requiring SAT or ACT scores with an application. Now, U.S. universities are bringing standardized testing back. Institutions...
04.15.2024
A city-owned garage in Portland is in desperate need of repair
When one of the city’s vehicles are in need of repair, they may find themselves at Kerby Garage, a two-story city-owned facility in North Portland. But while the facility is responsible for servicing more than 2,000 city vehicles such as...
04.12.2024
Washington County offers a window into what deflection could mean for law enforcement and treatment providers
Last week, Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law HB 4002 which effectively ends Oregon’s experiment with drug decriminalization under Measure 110. As of Sept. 1, the possession of hard drugs like fentanyl and meth will be a misdemeanor punishable by...
04.12.2024
Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle shares vision for city's future, navigating challenges
In her State of the City address last month, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle touted the city’s rapid growth and development since she was first elected to the city council more than a decade ago. But with that growth comes challenges...
04.11.2024
Summer camp on the Sandy River receives National Historic District designation
Camp Namanu, a camp that has been a summertime idyll for Oregonians since 1924, was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The historic district includes lodges, cabins, and community buildings which were designed to complement and blend...
04.11.2024
How Oregon is mapping wildfire hazards
The state is taking another crack at a wildfire hazard map that outlines areas where fire resources should be prioritized. The first attempt was withdrawn in 2022 after public outcry. As the latest map is drafted, the state continues to...
04.11.2024
USPS cost-cutting measures affect rural communities
One of the many parts of a 10-year-plan to make the U.S. Postal Service financially sustainable involves reductions to rural postal service. U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was appointed by then-President Trump in 2020. The cutback to rural service are...
04.10.2024
Event in Pendleton honors the Triple Nickles, the nation’s first all-Black paratrooper battalion
An event in Pendleton this weekend will honor the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, also known as the Triple Nickles. Formed during WWII, the unit was the first all-Black paratrooper battalion in the U.S. military. The Nickles were stationed in Pendleton...
04.10.2024
Hillsboro butcher shop gets federal funding to expand meat processing
The Meating Place is a butcher shop and cafe located in Hillsboro. It recently received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand its meat processing capabilities. In 2022, the shop received a grant from the Oregon...
04.10.2024
The City of Eugene faces uncertain funding for homelessness programs
The City of Eugene helps run several types of homeless shelters and services along with Lane County and other partners. The city has cobbled together funds to keep them running until June 2025. After that, the city will have to...
04.09.2024
Tiny Crane high school in Eastern Oregon keeps winning state basketball championships
LONG SYNOPSIS: Last month, the girls and boys basketball teams at Crane Union High School in Eastern Oregon won state championship titles at the Oregon School Activities Association 1A tournament in Baker City. The smallest schools in the state compete...
04.09.2024
How the pandemic affected math learning
Data released by the Oregon Department of Education in the fall showed that student proficiency rates for mathematics dropped to about 30%. At the same time, investments championed by Gov. Tina Kotek will bring $100 million to schools to address...
04.08.2024
As exotic farms are on decline nationwide, Oregon ranchers are hopeful for the future
Recent data from the Agricultural Census shows that while conventional farm animals like cows and chickens are doing fine, exotic animals are on the decline. As reported by the Washington Post, from 2002 to 2022 the number of Ostriches in...
04.08.2024
Oregon 3rd Congressional District primary debate: Maxine Dexter, Susheela Jayapal and Eddy Morales
After serving nearly 30 years in Congress, Democratic U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer announced last fall that he wouldn’t run for reelection. That leaves an open field for Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District primary this May. We’ll hear from the three most...
04.05.2024
Court rules that church in Brookings Oregon can continue feeding homeless
A federal district court judge ruled last week that St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Brookings can continue to serve free meals without restriction to people living on the streets. The church sued the city in 2022 over an ordinance that...
04.05.2024
Washington farm labor declines, while guest worker numbers rise
Recently released agricultural census data showed the number of farmworkers in Washington has dropped dramatically over the last five years. At the same time, the number employed through the H-2A guest worker program has nearly doubled. We learn more from...
04.05.2024
Multnomah County Commissioner District 2 debate: Sam Adams, Jessie Burke & Shannon Singleton
The primaries are just around the corner, and Multnomah County residents will see a few names on the ballot for the District 2 county commissioner seat. We'll hear from the top three contenders: Sam Adams is a former mayor of...
04.04.2024
Author Gabrielle Zevin discusses ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’
Gabrielle Zevin is a lifelong devotee of video games, which is obvious to readers of her newest book, the bestseller “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.” The book tells the story of two video game designers who find professional creative and...
04.03.2024
Art exhibit in Sandy centers experiences of grief
Grief isn’t the kind of theme or subject matter that an art exhibit would normally be organized around to draw visitors to marvel at expressions of on canvas or clay. In fact, its experience can be socially isolating, often only...
04.03.2024
Portland Israeli shares her family’s experience
Rikki Nouri came to the U.S. from Israel eight years ago for school. She has since married and settled in the Pacific Northwest. Nouri shares what she hears from friends and family in Israel, and what it’s like living so...
04.03.2024
Southwest Washington county jail to close following lawsuit, inmate safety concerns
Last Friday, Klickitat County commissioners voted 2-1 during a special session to close the county jail following disturbing incidents that have called into question conditions in the facility and the treatment of inmates detained there. In January, the family of...
04.02.2024
‘Too Much Effing Perspective’ podcast asks guests to recount their ‘Spinal Tap’ moments
The iconic 1980s mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” follows a fictional British band as their first North American tour slowly – and hilariously – falls apart. The movie serves as inspiration for the “Too Much Effing Perspective” podcast, hosted by...
04.02.2024
Portland Palestinian shares his family’s experience
Mohammad Usrof came to the U.S. from his hometown in Gaza 12 years ago for school. He has since married and settled in the Pacific Northwest. Usrof shares what he hears from friends and family in Gaza and Egypt, and...
04.02.2024
Oregon task force receives $2.7M to investigate reports of online child exploitation
The task force that investigates online child exploitation in Oregon has long been understaffed, leading to a serious backlog of tips to follow up on. But as reported in Willamette Week, state lawmakers recently approved an extra $2.7 million for...
04.01.2024
University of Oregon study reveals shortcomings in public health messaging around wildfire smoke exposure
Public health agencies are playing an increasingly important role in alerting residents to the risks of wildfire smoke as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the West. But that messaging can lack important information about the...
04.01.2024
Oregon state parks ramp up recruitment effort in anticipation of peak summer visits
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is actively trying to hire 250 seasonal park ranger and ranger assistants in anticipation of another busy summer this year. The recruitment drive started in February, two months earlier than last year, and has...
04.01.2024
How culverts create problems for migratory fish in Oregon and Washington
Culverts are all around us and you may not even know it. Culverts are pipes and tunnels, often under roadways and railroads, that allow water to pass through them. While water easily passes through them, the same can’t be said...
03.29.2024
OSU partners with Native American tribes to explore making products and materials with hemp
Earlier this month, Oregon State University received $10 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with a coalition of Native American tribes to explore opportunities to manufacture products and materials made from hemp. Some of those industrial applications...
03.29.2024
Yurok Tribe will be first in the country to co-manage a national park
Last week, the Yurok Tribe signed a historic agreement with the National Park Service, California State Parks and Save the Redwoods League to transfer a 125-acre property back to tribal ownership. The site, known as ‘O Rew, is roughly in...
03.29.2024
Portland VA opens lab to treat veterans with psychedelics
Last week the VA Portland Health Care System opened the Social Neuroscience & Psychotherapy Lab, known as the SNaP Lab, focused on psychedelic therapy and clinical trials. Dr. Christopher Stauffer, a psychiatrist, clinical researcher and director of social neuroscience and...

What's Think Out Loud about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Think Out Loud episodes:

What tiny worms found in decades-old cans of salmon reveal about marine ecosystems

Examining drones used by the Portland Police Bureau

Electoral changes could be coming to Eugene with ‘STAR Voting’ on the ballot

Local infrastructure projects tied to housing development survive Gov. Kotek’s veto threat

UO failed to timely alert students of campus drugings

Rural hospitals ‘in crisis mode,’ with situation worsening, says new report

Gun sales drop in Washington as new rules take effect

Supreme Court hears Grants Pass v Johnson case that could have huge implications for homelessness policy nationally

An inside look at accordions and what it takes to repair them

Oregon 4th Congressional District Republican primary conversation: candidate Amy Ryan Courser

Historic Timberline Lodge closed after Thursday night fire

Poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil on ‘World of Wonders’

Poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil on ‘World of Wonders’

Scientists may have found a new population of orcas off Southern Oregon coast

Candidates for Eugene’s open mayoral seat address crime, environmental protection, homelessness and housing

Multnomah County proposes new sobering center

Oregon’s women’s football team starts its season

Willamette winter steelhead returns at 20-year high

Social services hub planned for downtown Salem building

Indigenous tiny home village planned at former Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst

Why some Oregon universities won’t require the ACT or SAT

A city-owned garage in Portland is in desperate need of repair

Washington County offers a window into what deflection could mean for law enforcement and treatment providers

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle shares vision for city's future, navigating challenges

Summer camp on the Sandy River receives National Historic District designation

How Oregon is mapping wildfire hazards

USPS cost-cutting measures affect rural communities

Event in Pendleton honors the Triple Nickles, the nation’s first all-Black paratrooper battalion

Hillsboro butcher shop gets federal funding to expand meat processing

The City of Eugene faces uncertain funding for homelessness programs

Tiny Crane high school in Eastern Oregon keeps winning state basketball championships

How the pandemic affected math learning

As exotic farms are on decline nationwide, Oregon ranchers are hopeful for the future

Oregon 3rd Congressional District primary debate: Maxine Dexter, Susheela Jayapal and Eddy Morales

Court rules that church in Brookings Oregon can continue feeding homeless

Washington farm labor declines, while guest worker numbers rise

Multnomah County Commissioner District 2 debate: Sam Adams, Jessie Burke & Shannon Singleton

Author Gabrielle Zevin discusses ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’

Art exhibit in Sandy centers experiences of grief

Portland Israeli shares her family’s experience

Southwest Washington county jail to close following lawsuit, inmate safety concerns

‘Too Much Effing Perspective’ podcast asks guests to recount their ‘Spinal Tap’ moments

Portland Palestinian shares his family’s experience

Oregon task force receives $2.7M to investigate reports of online child exploitation

University of Oregon study reveals shortcomings in public health messaging around wildfire smoke exposure

Oregon state parks ramp up recruitment effort in anticipation of peak summer visits

How culverts create problems for migratory fish in Oregon and Washington

OSU partners with Native American tribes to explore making products and materials with hemp

Yurok Tribe will be first in the country to co-manage a national park

Portland VA opens lab to treat veterans with psychedelics