Willamette Week Podcast

With guest Nigel Jaquiss

This week, Brianna welcomes back Sophie Peel to unpack her cover story, "Ghosted" a deep dive into the Miami startup that's struggling to deliver on promises of disrupting fast food, parking lots, and food carts.

News this week includes the sixth Portland school shooting in a year,  what patients can expect from the regulating of psilocybin mushrooms, and Southern Oregon racists attack performing arts, and Black residents, in Ashland. 

On this week's episode, host Brianna Wheeler is talking art with WW assistant arts and culture editor, Bennett Campbell Ferguson and trailblazing playwright Mikki Gillette.

News highlights include the mystifying saga of Mushroom House, the case against involuntary committing the mentally ill houseless, and a very Portland print show. 

For our 100th episode we welcome back Lucas Manfield, whose extraordinary cover story details the rise and fall of the Portland crime ring that shipped catalytic converters across the country, making millions off of stolen Portland cars. 

News highlights include a win for Portland activists wounded by PPD during 2020's George Floyd Protests, three business districts pop off to the city over security and cleanup services, and two of Oregon's favorite holistic cannabis brands join forces in a merger that could provide a roadmap for craft cannabis brands looking to expand.

On this episode of the dive, host Brianna Wheeler flirts with misandry while unpacking guest Anthony Effinger's cover piece, "Will Merritt Paulson Prune The Thorns?" a deep dive into the abuse scandal that's stunned a city full of hardcore soccer fans.

News highlights include Oregon inaugurating the largest Vietnamese caucus in America, scrutinizing how both Lyft and Uber's driver deactivation processes may be discriminatory, and a celebration of local craft, commerce, and creativity just in time for secular spending season. 

On this episode of the Dive, host Brianna Wheeler discusses next steps for charter reform with Sophie Peel before welcoming Nigel Jaquiss to unpack his cover piece, "Captain Kotek," a profile on our incoming Governor, Tina Kotek.

News highlights include a re-examination of rioting laws, possibly outlawing of foie gras, and a game-changing publisher's letter from WW's Mark Zusman.  

For this week's chose your own adventure style cover story (spectacularly illustrated by McKenzie Young-Roy) Doug Kenck Crispin and his co-author JB Fisher explored the macabre Oregon treasure lore of the Portland Treasure Chart.  Crispin and host Brianna Wheeler will unpack the hunt and hopefully dissuade anyone from gravedigging.

News highlights include, election results, thieves targeting school busses, and the gay bar block on SE Morrison bring joy to our host.

Learn more about the Portland Treasure Chart:
http://orhistory.com/kickassoregonhistory

On this week's episode of the Dive, Brianna chats with Natalie O Neill about her cover story examining the deadly uptick in campfires gone rogue.  

News highlights include Pickleball at Laurelhurst, Amine at the Schnitz and more mental health issues on the street than the state can support.

It's time for WW's annual Skidmore Prize awards, saluting exemplary work by folks under 36 working in non-profit.  On this week's Dive, we're welcoming one of this year's five awardees, Qiddist Ashé  to discuss Black futures in agriculture with her nonprofit, Black Oregon Land Trust. We'll also welcome back Sophie Peel to help us unpack Mayor Wheeler's controversial plan to eradicate homelessness. 

News highlights include downtown real estate dropping to $0.10 per square foot, well according to one judge anyway, plus a new unarmed security force for Tri-Met and host Brianna's official Potlander recommendations for both varsity stoner and weed novice parents. 

It's WW's official Endorsement Issue! Let's get uncomfortable! Brianna Wheeler and WW news editor Aaron Mesh chat about the process of endorsing candidates from an all white news room, potential charter catastrophes, and why some endorsements are more challenging, divisive and/or controversial than others. 

News highlights include more downtown closures and less downtown workers, nostalgia over a tuna monologue, and Ron Wyden's weird Fred Meyer chicken flex.