Think Out Loud

The Trump administration is proposing changes to the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed changes would prohibit actions that only directly relate to hurting or killing an animal. Historically, the word “harm” has been defined broadly to include habitat loss, which is a leading cause of extinction for endangered species. Noah Greenwald is the endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity. He joins us to share more on the broader impacts this change could have in Oregon and across the U.S.

While the biggest school bond on the ballot seems to be passing in Tuesday’s special election, Oregonians appear to be split in their support of education-related bond measures that would fund school building construction, maintenance and other improvements. OPB editor Rob Manning joins us to give us a picture of how many of the education-related votes fared in this week’s election.

On Wednesday, Portland’s 12 city councilors stayed late considering a number of amendments to the city’s budget - both large and small. OPB's Portland city politics reporter Alex Zielinski was there and tells us what it all means.

Oregon journalist and OPB’s “Hush” Podcast Host Leah Sottile has made a name for herself investigating extremism and fringe movements in the West. Her latest book, “Blazing Eye Sees All,” explores New Age religion, including the Love Has Won movement. Beyond that, the book is a history of spirituality in the U.S. and looks at the ways fascism and metaphysical circles are intertwined. Sottile joins us in front of a live audience at the Literary Art Bookstore in Portland to share more.

Thistle & Nest, an affordable housing provider in Bend, says the city’s new tree code isn’t flexible enough and is raising the cost of building new housing in Central Oregon. At one of the affordable housing developments Thistle & Nest is currently building, the code will mean fewer homes get built, according to the organization, which is refusing to submit a tree preservation plan for the site. That challenge is currently being reviewed by a hearings officer and could be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. Amy Warren, board president and co-founder of Thistle & Nest, joins us to explain why the nonprofit has decided to challenge the tree code.   

The West Coast seafood industry is caught in the crosshairs of tariff uncertainty. International orders have been canceled, which impacts Oregon workers. Industry leaders and Oregon’s Democratic Congressional delegation have asked the US Department of Agriculture to step in. Lori Steele is the executive director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. She joins us with details of the challenges facing the industry.

David Hart isn’t necessarily one of the  people you’d expect to be critical of the $7.4 billion multi-state opioid settlement reached with drug company Purdue. For 25 years, he was the assistant attorney general at the Oregon Department of Justice until his retirement last month, and he headed the department’s opioid litigation and recovery/pharmaceutical fraud unit. One way or another, he’s represented the state in opioid litigation and negotiations since 2004. But since he’s now retired, he feels an obligation to speak out about a settlement that he says is far too lenient and favorable to the Sackler family and their company, Purdue. Hart describes their behavior in igniting and fueling the opioid crisis “the worst of the worst.” He spoke with our news partner The Lund Report about his concerns and wrote an op-ed in the Oregonian/Oregonlive. He joins us to detail his concerns and how he’s making his case to the attorneys general in Oregon and the other states involved.

As most beer enthusiasts know, hops play a vital role in the brewing process. The cone-shaped flowers impart distinct aromas that help distinguish, say, a pilsner from a pale ale. Oregon is one of only three states, along with Washington and Idaho, that commercially grows hops. Oregon and Washington are also the only two states that have their own USDA-supported breeding programs to develop new varieties of hops. But only Oregon can lay claim to the Strata hop, a variety that was bred at Oregon State University and released in 2018. Nearly all Strata hops today are being grown at just nine family farms in the Willamette Valley.

But this quintessentially Oregon hop is about to get a lot more exposure thanks to Oregon Homegrown, a statewide beer collaboration launching on May 23. For two weeks, more than 20 Oregon breweries will showcase the flavor versatility of Strata to create an array of beers, from a Vienna lager to a hazy IPA to a fruited ale. Jeff Alworth is a journalist, author of several books on beer and the executive director of Celebrate Oregon Beer, a nonprofit he created last year that’s organizing the event. Gayle Goschie is a third-generation hop farmer and the co-owner of Goschie Farms in Silverton. They join us to share more details about Oregon Homegrown and what makes Strata hops so special. 

Congress is considering cuts to Medicaid that would affect millions of Americans. Under a current proposal, nearly half of the Oregonians enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan would be required to prove they’re working or volunteering 80 hours a month to keep their coverage. In Oregon, some fear changes to Medicaid could hit healthcare in rural communities especially hard.

Evan Saulino is a family physician providing clinical care in the Columbia River Gorge. His commentary on possible cuts to Medicaid was recently featured in the Oregon Capital Chronicle. He joins us with details of his concerns and how federal changes to Medicaid would affect rural healthcare.

Oregon kindergarteners are opting out of vaccinations at increasingly higher rates over the last four years. And public health officials are growing increasingly concerned. Oregon is one of just 15 states that allow parents to opt out of childhood vaccinations for nonreligious, nonmedical reasons. The current opt-out rate of 9.7% is the highest recorded in state history. Health officials say the measles and pertussis outbreaks in the state are an indication more work is needed to boost vaccination rates more broadly.
We get more details from Stacy de Assis Matthews, the immunization coordinator at Oregon Health Authority, and Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for the Acute and Communicable Disease Prevention Section and the Oregon Immunization Program at OHA.