The Oregon Department of Transportation was part of a global hack last year that affected the data of about 3.5 million people with Oregon IDs or driver’s licenses. The information involved in the breach included dates of birth, physical addresses and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. 

Earlier this year, two Oregonians filed a lawsuit over the data breach. They say the state failed to protect the personal information of residents. 

How should government agencies be thinking about protecting sensitive data? What can the U.S. learn from other countries and their data practices? We dig into these issues with Rohan Grey, an assistant professor at Willamette University College of Law. 

Nearly 30 years ago, Metro purchased a 27-acre property located on the east side of the Willamette River near the St. John’s neighborhood in North Portland. Before it can become a nature park with trails and beach access, Willamette Cove first needs to be cleaned up to remove toxic metals, dioxins and other pollutants lingering in the soil and water after decades of  heavy industrial activity at the site. As planning for the cleanup gets underway, Metro recently asked residents for their opinions on what features and amenities they want included in the nature park. Joining us to talk about the outreach efforts ramping up and the vision for Willamette Cove is Cory Eldridge, a communications specialist at Metro and the community engagement lead on the project.

 There has been a significant increase in player ejections for boys soccer and football games this year, according to the Oregon School Activities Association. An ejection is when a coach calls out a player for having unsportsmanlike behavior that can range from threats to physical violence. This year, Oregon’s boys soccer teams have accumulated 198 ejections -- a nearly 45% increase from last year. Peter Weber is the executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association. Michael Nolan is the athletic director of Ida B. Wells High School. They both join us now to discuss what's driving these increases and what's being done to address them.

The small village of Taholah was built more than a century ago on the Quinault Indian reservation, where the ocean meets the Quinault River on the northern Washington coast. The village has been flooded more and more often over the years due to a changing climate. It’s far from the only community  to be affected by rising oceans and temperature changes, but it’s one of the first to actually move because of it. The tribal council made the decision in 2017 and has been working ever since to ensure the smoothest transition possible for the 800 people who live there. The first residents are expected to be moved into their new homes in the fall. Mark Trahant, editor-at-large at ICT, wrote a three-part story about this move. He joins us to share the details about Taholah and how its story reflects a larger story about climate change adaptation.

Indigenous author, botanist and professor Robin Wall Kimmerer is best known for her  book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” which was published in 2013 and is about the reciprocal relationships between humans and the land. Her first book, “Gathering Moss,” was published a decade earlier by Oregon State University Press. Kimmerer is in Corvallis to accept Oregon State University’s 2024 Stone Award for Literary Achievement. She will give a lecture on Friday, May 17th at 7pm.

You may not know it, but you’ve likely encountered a building designed by Pietro Belluschi before. The notable modernist architect designed over 30 public buildings in Portland and around Oregon, and numerous homes and churches. Belluschi was known as one of a group of architects creating a distinctive Northwest modernist style that matched his buildings to the landscape. Brian Libby, freelance architecture and design journalist, joins us to talk about Belluschi’s legacy which he recently wrote about in Oregon ArtsWatch.

Even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, being able to terminate a pregnancy was not a choice available to everyone who wanted it-- particularly for those with low-incomes living in rural areas with no healthcare providers in their community. And since the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson ruling that returned the regulation of abortion to states, many state legislatures severely restricted the procedure, including medication abortions, which comprise more than half of all abortions in the U.S.

In Oregon, the two branches of Planned Parenthood have seen an increase in the numbers of people from Idaho, Texas and many other states coming here for abortions. One of the ways that the reproductive health organizations ensure access is to hire abortion navigators to help those who need an abortion meet the challenges that may stand in the way, such as travel or costs. Nova Newman is one of four abortion patient navigators that work for Planned Parenthood statewide. She joins us to talk about how she approaches her job, the kinds of questions she gets from those seeking abortions and the ways she helps facilitate their access.

Hundreds of people gathered over the last two days at the Newport Municipal Airport to practice setting up what’s called an Evacuation Assembly Point. The new equipment comes from the state Office of Resilience and Emergency Management, and contains tents, cots, medical supplies and food to create a central place for people who need to be airlifted to safety after an emergency on the coast, and also a staging place to receive incoming supplies. We talk to Ed Flick, Director of OREM, and Lincoln County Emergency Manager Samantha Buckley about how these kinds of events help prepare for big disasters that may be in our future.

 Ben Kitching is a commercial photographer in Bend who specializes in adventure photography - think, for example, of an ad for kayaking equipment you might use or apparel you might wear while running rapids on the Rogue River. Last summer, Kitching embarked on a personal project that combines his skill in adventure photography with a documentary-like lens on a particular group of people he admires. The Oregon Outdoor Athlete Project has since grown to nearly 30 profiles of rock climbers, skiers, ultramarathoners and other athletes who live mostly in Central Oregon. They share first-person accounts of not only their introduction to the sport they love but also, at times, candid descriptions of how their pursuit of it helped overcome personal adversity or mental health struggles.  Kitching joins us to talk about his project, which was recently profiled by Central Oregon Daily News.

 Last week, Portland City Council unanimously approved new regulations for camping on public property. Effective immediately, the proposal allows people to camp on public property if there are no shelter beds available and also puts more restrictions on what is allowed while camping. This new ban limits the use of propane heaters, selling bicycle parts and blocking access to private property to name a few. 

The new ban replaces one that was introduced last year, but has been put on hold due to a judge’s order. Service providers say they are concerned about the impacts these new regulations might have. Lauren Armony is the systemic change program director for Sisters of the Road. Sandra Comstock is the executive director of Hygiene4All. They both join us to share their concerns.