Think Out Loud

In 2019, the band YACHT released an album called Chain Tripping. Every piece of the album was created by artificial intelligence: the music, the lyrics, the album art and the title.The band members, who come from Portland and Astoria, also made a documentary about the process of creating the album. It’s called The Computer Accent, and it’s playing this week at PAM CUT. Lead singer Claire Evans joins us to explain what AI can do for music, and what it can’t.

House Bill 4074 allocated $6 million to address the mental health of Oregon cannabis farm workers who faced poor working conditions at illegal farms. Racies de Bienestar, an Oregon-based nonprofit that focuses on the Latine community, will be receiving a part of that funding. Starting sometime this fall, the group will launch their program and provide more care to this community. Ruth Zúñiga is the executive director and co-founder of Raices de Bienestar. She joins us to share the barriers and stigmas this community faces when trying to access mental health care, and how she and her group are working to address them.

With the November election ballots starting to be mailed to voters this week, the state of Oregon is sending out the message that elections here continue to be free, fair and secure. The Secretary of State’s office is encouraging Oregon voters to “know their rights” and urging anyone who feels someone is trying to intimidate them at the ballot box or elsewhere to report it to her office. Donald Trump and his supporters are attempting to cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections with lies about election fraud, and specifically about the security of voting by mail.

Voters in some Oregon counties have complained about being questioned about their votes from people falsely representing themselves as government employees. And Oregon is not immune to the “monitoring” of voters at ballot boxes, which some voters say they find intimidating. Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan joins us to remind us about the safeguards baked into the state's vote-by-mail system, and walk us through the efforts to counter disinformation and intimidation.

In August, the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife division named Alexander Hayes, a deputy district attorney in Clackamas County, its “Prosecutor of the Year.” Hayes has been with the district attorney’s office for nearly four years, specializing in prosecuting cases involving illegal hunting and poaching. In one of his first cases with the county, he secured convictions against three individuals who had illegally baited and killed bears in eastern Clackamas County. In 2019, he worked with law enforcement investigators to stop a poaching operation involving sturgeon that was being illegally fished from the Willamette River and sold to local restaurants. Hayes joins us to talk about the challenges and rewards of prosecuting wildlife crimes.

Next month, Portlanders will vote on a ballot measure that affects the city's charter. Supporters say the proposal will make city government more representative. But the measure is complex, and opponents say it tries to change too much. Joining us to explain the key changes proposed in the measure is Chris Hughes, policy director and counsel at the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center. We’ll also hear from Sol Mora, campaign manager for Portland United for Change – which supports the charter measure – and Alisa Pyszka, a member of the Partnership for Common Sense Government, which opposes it.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently announced the names of 25 people who won an annual fellowship. The highly selective and prestigious award, which has also been described as a “genius grant,” comes with a no-strings-attached stipend of $800,000, which the foundation describes as "an investment in their potential.” The fellowships are given each year to a diverse array of artists, academics, activists and other pioneers in their fields. Yejin Choi is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow and a computer science professor at the University of Washington. She joins us to talk to us about her efforts to make artificial intelligence capable of common sense reasoning, ethical decision-making and recognizing intent behind human language.

This November, Oregon voters will decide the fate of four statewide ballot measures, including Measure 113. If passed, the measure would bar state lawmakers from holding office after their current term expires if they have 10 or more unexcused absences from legislative sessions in the House or Senate. The measure would restrict the ability of lawmakers to stage walkouts to delay or block the passage of bills they oppose since the state constitution requires two-thirds of a chamber’s lawmakers to be present to conduct business.

Joining us for a debate on Measure 113 are Oregon Representative Anna Scharf, a Republican lawmaker from House District 23 which covers parts of Benton, Polk, Marion and Yamhill Counties; and Hanna Love, a political consultant and strategist on the Yes on 113 campaign.

Measure 114 will be on the ballot for voters this November. If passed, it would require Oregonians to purchase a permit to own a firearm and attend a mandatory safety firearm training. The measure would also ban the sale or transfer of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Overall, Measure 114 would slow down the timeline for buying and obtaining a gun. Paul Donheffner is the legislative committee chairman for the Oregon Hunters Association. Anthony Broadman is the Bend mayor pro tem. They join us to make their case for why voters should or should not pass Measure 114.

Following trades, injuries and issues with team management, the Portland Trail Blazers have had an eventful season last year. To break down what happened, share how preseason went and give some insight on what’s in store for the Blazers this year, we hear from Mike Richman, host of the Locked on Blazers podcast.

Next month, Portlanders will be casting their ballots and decide who should be one of the city’s next commissioners. Jo Ann Hardesty is the Portland City Council Commissioner Position 3 incumbent. Rene Gonzalez is a lawyer and owner of Eastbank Artifex, a technology consulting company. They both join us to make their case and share why Portlanders should vote for them.