Federal health officials recently announced that COVID-19 booster shots will be available to adults in the U.S. in September. Corey Casper is the CEO of the Infectious Disease Research Institute and a professor of medicine and global health at the University of Washington. He joins us to tell us more about the science behind booster shots.

With the Taliban's retaking of Afghanistan as the U.S. completes its withdrawal of forces, Afghans are desperate to get out of the country. Federally funded Oregon nonprofits like Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSN) are preparing to help meet the needs of refugees who arrive from Afghanistan in the coming weeks or months. Salah Ansary came to the U.S. in 1978 when he was in his mid-20s, after the coup in Afghanistan and the Soviet Union invasion of the country. His mother and siblings came a few years later. Ansary has been working with immigrants and refugees from his home country for almost as long as he's been in Portland, and he says their stories have become his. He joins us to tell us more about his life and work and how LCSN is working to help those fleeing Afghanistan.

Pandemic restrictions are in effect across Oregon, and many residents of long-term care facilities continue to be impacted by the dangers of COVID-19. The latest numbers from the Oregon Health Authority show a slight increase in vaccinationsover the last few months, but the goal for staff vaccinations is still not met. The report provides the most recent, available data since many facilities have residents and staff that fluctuate frequently. OHA aims to monitor the vaccination rate over time, says Rebecca Pierce, manager of the Healthcare Associated Infections Program at OHA. We hear from Pierce on how to interpret these vaccination numbers. We also hear from Fred Steele, Oregon’s long-term care ombudsman on how long-term care facilities can better serve their residents during times of crisis.

Many people think of Hood River as a place for windsurfing. But soccer may actually be the sport the community cares about the most. A new documentary, “Hood River,” follows the 2018 Hood River Valley High School boys soccer team as they attempt to win the state championship and forge a bond across cultural divides. We’ll hear from the director of the documentary Jono Field and Jaime Rivera, the coach of the soccer team.

Extra dry conditions and longer fire seasons have some local governments considering firework bans. Melanie Kebler is a city councilor for Bend. Heather Buch is a commissioner for Lane County. They join us with details.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Oregon prisons have felt the impact with reports from inmates saying conditions are “unbearable.” Among the complaints, one inmate died unrelated to COVID-19 and those in custody have also said there has been a lack of concern for inmates' mental and physical health. Lisa Hay is a public defender who is asking a judge to inspect Sheridan, Oregon’s only federal prison, get updates on vaccination rates of it’s staff and examine the length of time inmates are confined to their cells. Hay joins us to share details on the health conditions these inmates are in and what lockdown has been like while in prison.

In our coverage of recently elected conservative school board members advocating for changes across the state, there’s one name that kept popping up: Reagan Knopp. He is the political director for Oregon Right To Life and the founder of a political strategy firm called Knopp and Company. In these dual roles, Knopp has supported dozens of conservatives running for their local school boards. He says he sees school boards as a “proving ground” for the kind of experience necessary to run for higher office and he’s hoping to deepen the Republican bench in Oregon politics. We talk with Reagan Knopp about his political strategy.

No part of the state is dealing with a bigger COVID-19 surge right now than Southwest Oregon. Dr. Jason Kuhl, Chief Medical Officer at Providence Medford Medical Center, and Dr. Jason Gray, Chief Medical Officer at CHI Mercy Health in Roseburg, update us on what their hospitals are facing.

Earlier this week, 30 patients filled Oregon Health & Science University's COVID ICU, and all of them were unvaccinated. OPB’s Amelia Templeton toured the ICU yesterday, and tells us what she saw and heard.

The city of Vancouver is moving forward with its plan to create a series of sanctioned camps for people experiencing homelessness. The camps would be supported, meaning that they would include sanitation and possibly other facilities like showers, kitchens and common spaces. They would also include someone to help connect campers to other social services. Jamie Spinelli, the city’s Homeless Response Coordinator, joins us.