Think Out Loud

"Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell about Fear" explores danger and culture through stories about wolves. Portland-based author Erica Berry weaves in her own experiences and encounters with "big, bad wolves." She also charts the journey of OR 7, a radio-collared Oregon wolf who wanders throughout the state and into California. We listen back to a conversation with Berry from April, 2023.

Thomas Dambo, a recycle art activist, is building giant trolls in Washington and Oregon. Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King includes six pieces in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland sculpture has an unveiling on Friday. Dambo uses recycled materials for his pieces and the trolls typically interact with their environment. He’s built pieces around the world and has recently finished Rita, a troll who lives in Colorado. He’s also traveling across the country building trolls and documenting his journey on social media. Dambo joins us with more on his art.      

The USDA’s National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis houses thousands of species of berries, tree fruits, nuts, hops and more. It’s one of a handful of national centers dedicated to preserving diversity in the country’s key crops. Unlike a seed bank, the repository also stores whole plants, pollen, buds and other cuttings. But much like a seed bank, it provides an important library of genetic traits that could help modern agriculture adapt to a warming world.

Nahla Bassil is a plant geneticist at the Corvallis repository, and Lauri Reinhold is a horticulturalist. Both also serve as curators of the collection. They join us with more details on the repository and how it could help ensure future food stability.

Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties are working together on a series of climate reports that document the health impacts of extreme weather in the Portland metro area. Findings from the most recent report show that more than 200 people have died from extreme weather events. In 2021 alone, more than 90 people died from the heat dome.

The report also discusses mental health and found that extreme weather events have compounded trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic and there’s a lack of mental health providers and services. Brendon Haggerty is a healthy homes and communities manager at the Multnomah County Health Department. He joins us with details of the report.   

Multnomah County leaders say drugs smuggled into the county's two jails are among the reasons that six people have died in custody in less than three months, the largest spike in at least 15 years. Overdoses are suspected in at least two of the deaths, and the medical examiner ruled that two others were due to suicide. Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell has implemented new security measures, including strip searches of people entering the facilities. Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell joins us to share more about the in-custody deaths and the steps she’s taking to put a stop to them.

From 2018 to 2021, fatal overdoses from synthetic opioids – mostly from fentanyl – jumped more than 500% in Multnomah County. County leaders say the increase in overdose deaths comes from a rapid change in the drug supply leaning towards fentanyl.  Anthony Jordan is the addictions services manager for the county’s health department. Teresa Everson is the interim health officer. They join us to share more on what overdoses look like in the county and what is being done to address it.

The Sherman County Medical Clinic in Moro is using a pilot tool kit to talk to patients about cognitive decline, which includes diseases like Alzheimer’s. Healthcare can be difficult to access in rural areas and patients needing care from a specialist face long wait times. The  American Academy of Physician Associates has collaborated with health care organizations across the country to test the tool kit. PAs, also known as physician assistants, are often on the frontlines of a patient’s health care and can have these conversations about brain disorders early on. We hear more about the pilot program from Erin Haines, a PA at the Sherman County Medical Clinic and Lisa Gables, the CEO of the academy. 

Pride events in small communities across the Pacific Northwest have been disrupted this summer by masked protesters touting extreme right-wing views. OPB’s Jonathan Levinson reports it’s a coordinated effort by a new coalition of groups espousing neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs. Levinson joins us with more details on the effort and the impact it’s having on LGBTQ+ communities. 

Caregivers in Oregon group homes are asking Governor Tina Kotek to fire their boss, the Oregon Department of Human Services manager who oversees direct support crisis specialists. The request comes after these workers continue to face long hours, little pay and severe understaffing. Currently, there is a vacancy rate of almost 15%. Christina Sydenstricker-Brown is a direct support crisis specialist and the president of the union representing these workers. She joins us to share what has changed since the Oregon Capitol Chronicle initially broke this story and why they are taking the dramatic step of calling for their boss to be fired. 

Geothermal energy is a renewable energy resource with enormous potential, but the number of plants has been limited by several factors. However, a breakthrough in geothermal technology that was announced recently in Nevada could change that. Industry officials say it could mean a huge increase in the percentage of electricity that’s generated from the heat beneath our feet. And some Western states are gearing up to make the transition more possible.
Seattle-based environmental reporter Alex Brown joins us to share more about his reporting for the non-profit news service Stateline.