Think Out Loud

Two years ago, several neighbors in Ashland quickly mobilized a response to the Almeda Fire by organizing the preparation and delivery of thousands of daily meals to displaced residents in the Rogue Valley. That community-led effort has since evolved into Rogue Food Unites, an Ashland-based nonprofit with a full-time staff and a contract from the Oregon Office of Resilience and Emergency Management to feed current and future wildfire victims in five counties in Southern and Central Oregon. In September, Rogue Food Unites launched a new program that offers produce, meat and eggs purchased from local growers and made available for free at weekly farmers markets held in Medford, Talent and Phoenix. Amber Ferguson, the co-founder and executive director of Rogue Food Unites, joins us to talk about using food to provide comfort and a sense of kinship while planning for the next disaster in the Rogue Valley and beyond.

When most people think of the conservation movement, they might think of environmentalists working to preserve endangered species like the spotted owl, orca, or sage grouse. The latest issue of High Country News is dedicated to a more comprehensive idea of conservation. The editor of this issue, Michelle Nijhuis, argues that conservation needs to consider more than just a single animal: the movement needs to look at entire ecosystems, and the people who are part of them. We talk to Nijhuis, and one of the writers featured in the new issue, Jaclyn Moyer.

The Portland City Council has voted to ban street camping and create mass campsites where people living on the streets can go for shelter and services. The plan has drawn passionate responses in support and opposition since it was proposed. Hundreds of people have testified before the city council itself, and advocates organized a special town hall where those critical of the plan voiced their fears and concerns. We'll talk with Mayor Ted Wheeler about the plan he and Commissioner Dan Ryan crafted and what happens next.

A new series streaming on Apple TV+ hopes to help kids “discover a world of feelings.” The show is based on books and characters from Vancouver-based children’s brand "Slumberkins." The show follows the adventures of Bigfoot, Unicorn, Sloth, Yak and Fox as they navigate their emotions.
Halle Stanford is the President of Television for The Jim Henson Company and an executive producer of the series. Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen are the co-founders and co-CEOs of the brand based in the Pacific Northwest and are co-executive producers of the show. We learn more from them about “Slumberkins” and the concept of social emotional learning.

More than 150 sea lions have been found sick or dead along Oregon’s coast due to a bacterial outbreak of Leptospirosis this summer. The disease is spread through the mammals' urine and can be spread to other species such as dogs. Jim Rice is the stranding program manager for Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute. He joins us to share what the outbreak has looked like so far and how it compares to previous years.

Meta was recently ordered to pay nearly $25 million in fines for violating Washington’s campaign finance disclosure rules. The company has been charged the maximum fine for violating the state’s Fair Campaign Practices Act, which was passed in 1972. Then, the company received an additional fine of $10.5 million to cover attorney fees for the state of Washington. Bob Ferguson, the state’s attorney general, filed the lawsuit against the company. He joins us with details about the penalty.

Nationally, internet service providers sometimes offer lower-income, less white neighborhoods slower internet service for the same price as faster connections in neighborhoods that are whiter and wealthier. That’s according to a report by The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom focused on technology company accountability. The reporting found that across the country – including in Portland and Seattle – a provider might offer speeds at or above 200 megabits-per-second in one neighborhood, while offering service below 25 megabits-per-second in others for the same price. We learn more about the findings from Aaron Sankin, an investigative reporter with The Markup.

A new report from the Rural Engagement and Vitality Center looked at the economies of Eastern Oregon counties and how decisions made by the U.S. Forest Service would affect them. Out of all the areas east of the Cascades, Grant County would face the biggest impacts because of its reliance on the agency. Peter Maille is a professor of economics at Eastern Oregon University and one of the authors of the report. Jim Hamsher is the Grant County Commissioner. They both join us to share the role the federal agency plays in Eastern Oregon communities.

Oregon joined a number of states last summer in allowing college athletes to be compensated by companies for their name, image and likeness (NIL). Now, high school athletes can do the same — the Oregon School Activities Association released new guidance last month detailing how students can approach and benefit from NIL deals.

OSAA executive director Peter Weber joins us to talk about what went into that decision. We’ll also hear from University of Oregon sports business instructor Craig Leon about trends in the collegiate NIL landscape over the last year.

A shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners has left a gap in care on Oregon’s North Coast. Survivors who want to report their assaults often have to travel hours to Portland to be examined by a certified nurse in a chaotic emergency room. But a recent federal grant will soon change that.

Rebeckah Orton is the executive director of the Astoria Birth Center, and Terri Steenburgen is the executive director of The Harbor, which provides support services for sexual assault survivors. They join us to talk about how their organizations are partnering to train midwives to be certified sexual assault nurse examiners.