Think Out Loud

The jellyfish-like Nanomia bijuga is found throughout the ocean, including off the coast of Oregon and Washington. It’s not much to look at, but the unusual way it moves could help humans design better underwater vehicles. Nanomia moves by jet propulsion — pumping water through its body to push itself forward. University of Oregon researchers found that the animal can control these jets based on its needs, either synching them up for speed or pumping each individually for more efficient swimming. Researchers concluded that the feature could help inform how humans can build more efficient underwater vehicles.

Kelly Sutherland is an associate professor of biology at the University of Oregon. She joins us to talk about jet propulsion and bio-inspired design.

Rising rents and an overall housing crisis continues to squeeze renters, causing some to lose their homes and preventing others from getting housing. For domestic violence survivors who are seeking to get their own housing, the situation is especially severe. The Center for Hope and Safety in Salem helps women to secure housing but it’s getting ever harder for them to do that. Rachel Alexander investigated this for Salem Reporter and she joins us to share the details.

In the late 1800s the Paiutes of Eastern Oregon were forced to march from their reservation near Malheur Lake to the Yakima Reservation nearly 350 miles away through the deep winter snow. It was a brutal trial for a nation that had already been through so much. The events that led up to that march have long been mischaracterized in historic accounts, according to a new book by David Wilson, “Northern Paiutes of the Malheur: High Desert Reckoning in Oregon Country.” Wilson joins us to discuss the history he uncovered, along with Nancy Egan, the descendant of a chief of the Paiute tribe.

In 2013, a sea star wasting disease decimated sea star populations along the west coast. The Sunflower Sea Star is one of the largest sea stars in the world and suffered a loss of over five billion individuals. Scientists have come together to create a ‘Recovery Roadmap’ to initiate and accelerate the recovery of this species. Steve Rumrill is the shellfish program leader with ODFW and an author of the roadmap. He joins us to share what sea star populations are looking like now and what should be done to aid them.

Over 16,000 renters have had evictions filed against them in Oregon since the beginning of the pandemic. And eviction filings surpassed pre-pandemic levels in August, September and October of this year. (The state’s emergency rental assistance and “safe harbor” protections ended in September.) That’s according to Evicted in Oregon, a new project led by Portland State University researchers who collect court data on Oregon evictions and publish them online.

Lisa Bates is a professor in PSU’s Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, and Colleen Carroll is a community research partnerships coordinator with the school. They join us to explain how publicly sharing eviction data could help inform better housing policies.

A 9-year-old from Cove, OR traveled over 700 miles to compete at the Vegas Tuffest Jr. World Championship. Hayden Johnson is a competitive barrel racing jockey. She began riding horses at the age of three. Hannah Johnson is Hayden’s mother and coach. They both join us to explain what barrel racing is and Hayden’s hopes for this competition.

RealPage, a Texas-based company behind a software called YieldStar, is facing a Department of Justice investigation. The company has been accused of facilitating landlord collusion through its software and driving up rental prices beyond market values.

In October, ProPublica, a nonprofit, investigative news outlet, reported on RealPage and its software. The investigation found that the company’s software does seem to push rents higher than market prices. In one Seattle neighborhood, the outlet found that 70% of apartments were managed by landlords that used the software. Heather Vogell is a reporter with ProPublica and has reported on RealPage. She joins us with details of the outlet’s findings.

Merritt Paulson, owner of the Portland Thorns and Timbers, announced Thursday that he will sell the women’s soccer team but maintain ownership of the men’s team. Fans have been calling for Paulson to sell both teams — even before a recent report outlining the Portland club’s role in systemic abuse and misconduct in the national women’s soccer league. Paulson said that he would donate $1 million to create a Player Safety Department in the NWSL. Although head coach Rhian Wilkinson was cleared of potential wrongdoing in the report, on Friday she announced her resignation after self-disclosing that she and another player had expressed feelings for each other. Ryan Clarke is the Timbers and Thorns correspondent for The Oregonian/Oregonlive and hosts the “Soccer Made in Portland” podcast. He joins us to discuss this week’s Thorns news, what’s at stake and what comes next.

The Oregon Nursing Education Academy, a new program by Oregon Health & Science University, aims to address both the national and regional shortage in nursing faculty. Susan Bakewell-Sachs is a professor and the Dean and Vice President for Nursing Affairs at the university. Joanne Noone is a professor in the OHSU School of Nursing. She also leads the new academy. They join us with more about the program and issues facing the industry.

Ninety-five percent of employers in Bend and Central Oregon say that the high cost of housing has had either a high or moderate impact on their ability to hire workers. That's according to a report released this month from the Bend Chamber of Commerce. The chamber hired consulting firm ECONorthwest to produce the report, which is based on surveys with over 200 regional employers working in construction, hospitality, healthcare and high tech. Two-thirds of the employers surveyed also said their revenues decreased as a result of hiring difficulties. Meanwhile, the median price of homes sold in Bend increased 75 percent from 2019 to the second quarter of 2022, while the pace of new construction has failed to keep up with demand. Bend Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Katy Brooks and City Councilor Megan Perkins join us to talk about the report and what’s being done to alleviate the affordable housing crisis in Bend.