Think Out Loud

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer announced he will not seek reelection next year after serving nearly 30 years in Congress. In a statement released by his office, he pledged to continue “championing livable communities starting right here in Portland and being a resource and a partner for the next generation.” The Democratic lawmaker from Portland was first elected to Congress in 1996, the same year he founded the Congressional Bike Caucus which has grown to include 130 members. In 2017, he helped launch the Congressional Cannabis Caucus which successfully lobbied recently to end the prohibition on using federal funds for cannabis research. Rep. Blumenauer joins us to talk about his legislative priorities and his decision to retire amid the recent election of a new House speaker and the threat of a government shutdown next month. 

A new study by researchers at Washington State University found a “small but significant” effect from training to counter implicit bias in police officers. Implicit bias occurs without conscious awareness and can shape prejudicial attitudes and behaviors. The study recruited 50 police officers in Sacramento, California to participate in video simulations of encounters between police officers and different community members. Two of the study’s authors developed the interactive training program which is being sold to police departments nationwide. The researchers found that officers who completed the training had fewer complaints of discrimination by community members than officers without the training. Police bodycam footage also revealed improvements in trained officers’ behavior, especially in their interactions with people experiencing homelessness. Lois James is the lead author of the study, and assistant dean of research and an associate professor in the College of Nursing at Washington State University. She joins us to talk about the results. 

Bill Mansfield passed the Oregon State Bar and began his legal career in 1953. He turned 94 earlier this month, and while he describes himself as semi-retired, you’d be hard pressed to find a more active and engaged citizen. He’s an elected member of the Rogue Valley Transportation District board, and serves on the Medford Planning Commission. In 2018 he was recognized by the Center for NonProfit Legal Services with an award for his pro bono work defending civil rights, including free speech and assembly. Throughout his 70 years in the field, Mansfield has advised and represented people on a wide range of issues, from family law to civil rights to probate. He also teaches a class at Southern Oregon University called “Law and Things: How to Avoid Legal Problems.”  Manfield joins us to discuss the changes he’s seen in his long career.     

Cancer for Breakfast” is a podcast hosted by Stefanie LeJeunesse and Amy Dials. They navigate two different breast cancer experiences in their podcast. As hosts based in the Pacific Northwest, they discuss cancer with humor while also talking about advancements in research in an approachable way. We learn more from LeJeunesse and Dials about their podcast and experiences.

For over 40 years, Mount Pisgah Arboretum in Lane County has held a mushroom festival in the fall. While the last few years haven’t offered the best mushroom seasons, this fall is shaping up to be a beautiful time for foragers. Chris Melotti, president of the board of directors of the Cascade Mycological Society, shares his love of fungi with us.

ACLU of Oregon recently sent a public records request to the Canby School District, seeking information regarding their push this summer to consider restricting access to some book titles. The district initially pulled 36 books for consideration, but only banned one title in the end: “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. Kelly Simon, legal director of the ACLU, tells us what legal issues should be considered when schools consider banning books. And Mary Masingila, the mother of a student at Canby High School, joins us to talk about what this issue has looked like in her community.

Last week, Ashland and Newport’s Housing Production Strategy Plans were approved by the state. These plans come from a 2019 House bill requiring Oregon cities with populations over 10,000 to come up with eight-year plans to address housing. Linda Reid is the housing program specialist for the city of Ashland. Jan Kaplan is the mayor of Newport. They both join us to share what housing looks like right now in their cities and their plans for the future.

Even though the Roman empire came to an end thousands of years ago, we still tell stories about the emperors who ruled during that time. From Caligula, who threatened to make his horse a senator, to Nero, who killed his own mother and set fire to the city to make room for his palace, classicist Mary Beard argues that the stories we tell about the Roman emperors might say more about us than they do about the emperors themselves. Beard joins us to talk about her latest book, “Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World,” which attempts to break down what we can actually know about the lives of the emperors and how they ruled.

The Black Possibilities App is creating a “digital safe space for Black Oregonians to connect, organize, heal, & advocate together,” according to the organization Imagine Black, which created the app. Joy Alise Davis, the executive director of Imagine Black, joins us to talk about the need the app fills for Black Oregonians, and the new online connections and exchanges she hopes will emerge from using it.

The city of Salem is facing a massive budget shortfall. To help close it, the City Council recently approved a tax on anyone working in Salem who earns above the minimum wage. City officials claim the tax is needed to maintain and expand emergency services, including hiring more police officers, firefighters and sustaining homeless services. Oregon Business & Industry successfully petitioned to put the issue before Salem voters in a special election this November. Virginia Stapleton is president of the Salem City Council and co-founder of the Committee to Save Salem, which supports the ballot measure. Preston Mann is the political affairs director of Oregon Business & Industry which has raised more than $180,000 to defeat the measure. They join us to share opposing perspectives on the tax which has been extensively covered by the Salem Reporter, including an Oct. 11 town hall it moderated with Stapleton and Mann.