Think Out Loud

Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue is perhaps best known for her novel “Room,” told from the perspective of a 5-year-old boy held captive with his mother. Most of Donoghue’s work, however, is rooted in historical fiction. She frequently writes about characters and perspectives that are often erased from history. Her latest novel, “The Paris Express,” tells the story of a fateful disaster on a French train in 1895. Donoghue spoke to OPB’s Crystal Ligori in front of an audience at the 2025 Portland Book Festival.

The Owyhee Canyonlands area encompasses millions of acres along the Owyhee River on the borders of Oregon, Idaho and Nevada. The land is rugged and remote and beautiful, and efforts to to protect it in some way have dragged out for years. There were pushes for the last two Democratic presidents to designate the area a national monument and most recently, a bill to protect over 1 million acres of the land as wilderness failed in Congress at the end of last year. We traveled to the area and talked to people about the land and the efforts to protect it. 

We stopped in Jordan Valley and talked to Mindy Kershner, a lifelong Jordan Valley resident, rancher, and owner of the Ranch Hand Hardware & Mercantile. Then we travelled down to Birch Creek Historic Ranch on the edge of the river to talk to Tim Davis, executive director of Friends of the Owyhee. We spoke to rancher Elias Eiguren on his family’s land in Arock. And then we talked to Reginald Sope, an elder of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes who lives near the head of the canyon in Nevada. 

Ponderosa pine trees dominate parts of Eastern Oregon and Washington and have long been an icon of the American West, but in the past decade more than two hundred million ponderosa have died. Particularly in the Southwest, scientists estimate that by mid-century less than 5% of the ponderosa trees may remain. Portland author Gary Ferguson explores the history and the future of the ponderosa forests of the Southwest in his newest book, “The Twilight Forest.”

As 2025 comes to a close, the staff of OPB's "Think Out Loud" look back on some of their favorite conversations from the past year. Producers Sage Van Wing, Gemma DiCarlo, Rolie Hernandez, Sheraz Sadiq, Riley Martinez and Malya Fass join host Dave Miller in conversation.

A new audit from the Secretary of State found that the implementation of Measure 110, the drug discrimination ballot initiative, faced a number of challenges with unclear results. The audit notes that despite the roughly $800 million dedicated to programs aimed at helping in-recovery and substance-use treatment, the outcomes — including the number of people served — are unclear. Beyond that, the audit also says frequent revisions “undermined confidence in the program.” Secretary of State Tobias Read joins us to share more on the audit and M110.

In 2023, Oregon lawmakers passed HB 3198, which created the Early Literacy Success Initiative, an effort to address the state’s dismal reading test scores. The bill aimed to more fully adopt a phonics-based teaching approach — often referred to as "the science of reading" — in schools across the state. Education experts broadly agree this approach is the best way to teach kids to read. But the question became: How will the state hold school systems accountable for implementing it? Earlier this year, Oregon passed another bill aimed at just that, but some experts worry it’s toothless.

Christine Pitts is the president and CEO of Open School and an Oregon-based policy expert. She joins us to unpack the many reasons Oregon's ability to implement the "science of reading" has been stalled. Steve Cook, the superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools and president elect of the Oregon Association of School Executives, also joins us for a closer look at how districts are tackling Oregon’s literacy problem.

Last Monday, hundreds of students in Beaverton, Forest Grove and Hillsboro walked out of classes to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in their communities in Washington County.

The Beaverton School District has made available resources to assist immigrant and refugee students and their families, including reminders of its online school option and partnerships with nonprofits like the Latino Network that provide “Know Your Rights” workshops at the district’s schools. Shelly Reggiani, associate superintendent for teaching and learning at Beaverton School District, joins us to share more details about the district’s response to concerns from students, parents and staff about immigration enforcement.

 It’s that time of year when many of us are getting ready to celebrate the holidays, whether that’s finalizing travel plans, preparing to host visitors or buying last minute gifts. But the holidays can also stir up stress, from parents struggling to maintain some semblance of routine for kids out of school to intergenerational conflicts over expectations about traditions to uphold. And for some immigrant families, a season that’s supposed to be filled with joy and socializing may instead be another reminder of the fear, anxiety and isolation they’re currently experiencing.

Two licensed psychologists from the University of Oregon join us to share tips for managing stress during the holiday season and what they’re hearing from community members in Eugene and Springfield who receive free or low-cost counseling at UO’s HEDCO Clinic. Anne Marie Mauricio is an associate research professor at the Prevention Science Institute and faculty in counseling psychology and human services at the UO College of Education. Cindy Huang is an associate professor in counseling psychology and human services at the UO College of Education.  

The Coffin Butte Landfill, located about 10 miles north of Corvallis, takes in trash from around two dozen Oregon counties and accepts more than a million tons of waste every year. But its shelf life is expiring, and Republic Services, the company that owns and operates the landfill, is trying to expand it.

Now, it’s one step closer. Last month, Republic won Benton County’s approval for a permit that greenlights the expansion, so long as Republic complies with certain criteria to mitigate the dump’s environmental impact.

Opponents are trying to stall the expansion at the Land Use Board of Appeals before any shovels hit the ground, but it’s unclear whether the expansion will happen safely, or at all. Mason Leavitt is a geographic information systems analyst and programs manager at Beyond Toxics. He joins us to revisit the expansion’s continuing saga, what we know about the site’s environmental impact and what alternatives there might be.

This fall, the U.S. Department of the Interior cancelled nearly 80 grants to organizations that focus on habitat restoration, species conservation and other ecological work. According to a social media post from the Department of Government Efficiency, the cuts were made because the organizations supported diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

More than a third of the grants cancelled were awarded to the Institute for Applied Ecology, based in Corvallis. The nonprofit received 30 termination notices on Sept. 23, totaling more than $3.5 million. The Lomakatsi Restoration Project, based in Ashland, also lost $2.4 million across eight grants.

Tom Kaye is the founder and chief scientist at the Institute for Applied Ecology. He joins us to talk about how the funding cuts will hinder conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest.