OPB Morning News

The Oregon State University baseball team won the national title for the third time this week. Ken Goe of The Oregonian/OregonLive joins us from Omaha to talk about how they did it. We also talk with OPB producer John Rosman about his story on the mouth of the Columbia River. Making it safe for shipping traffic requires a lot heavy engineering. And OPB political reporters Jeff Mapes and Dirk VanderHart review the week in politics, including the insurmountable hurdles for backers of a gun control measure, and how recent news from the U.S. Supreme Court might play out in Oregon.

Thursday morning, federal agents began dismantling a makeshift encampment in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland. Protesters were able to shut the facility down for more than a week. OPB's Dirk VanderHart reports from the scene. We also visit with alfalfa farmers in Washington state, who get assistance from millions of tiny native helpers. Aaron Scott from Oregon Field Guide reports on the alkali bee's role in the cultivation of this important crop.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that state and local government workers who are represented by organized labor no longer have to pay dues if they don't want to belong to a union. OPB senior political reporter Jeff Mapes joins us to talk about how this will affect public employees in Oregon and Washington.

The largest psychiatric hospital in Washington state has been under scrutiny for two years, and the federal government said this week its reform efforts didn't go far enough. Austin Jenkins of the Northwest News Network joins us to explain the decision and what it means for patients at the hospital.

The shock waves from the biggest political story of the week were felt in Oregon. Protesters demonstrating against the Trump policy of separating migrant families at the border with Mexico were able to temporarily shut down the ICE facility in Portland. In our weekly conversation about regional politics, we also talk about the fate of two gun ballot measures and a proposal to ban taxes on groceries. OPB political reporters Jeff Mapes and Dirk VanderHart join us.

The federal prison in Sheridan, Ore., holds 123 immigrant detainees. Residents of the small town are feeling left in the dark about who is being held there, and what's happening to them. Ericka Cruz Guevarra reports.

Cattle ranching is hard, even without a drought. But this year, ranchers are having to truck water in to their herds and buy hay they normally would grow themselves. Anna King reports from Harney Country. Also, Eilis O'Neill of EarthFix visits a trail that has become wildly popular with Seattle hikers. Native Americans with treaty rights to hunt and gather there are getting squeezed out.

In the first part of a series, Anna King visits ranchers in Harney County, who are dealing with drought much earlier than usual.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has sued or joined lawsuits against the Trump administration 16 times. OPB legal affairs reporter Conrad Wilson joins us to discuss why Rosenblum is using the justice system to thwart the Trump agenda.

For about eight years, a small monastery has kept an obscure Buddhist tradition alive in the Gorge. Bradley Parks reports on the relationship that's blossomed between one Washington town and the Buddhist monks who call it home. In our weekly conversation about regional politics, OPB senior political reporter Jeff Mapes and news director Anna Griffin talk about how abortion, daycare oversight and trust in government might play into the governor's race.

The famed Oregon author strove to create characters that people of color and non-traditional gender roles could identify with. April Baer from OPB's State of Wonder has the story.

Oregon is known nationally for its strong support of abortion rights, but the abortion debate could be in the spotlight in the Oregon general election in November. Jeff Mapes reports.

With Oregon's school year wrapping up, many high schoolers are looking forward to sleeping in. Many researchers think high school should start later in the day to let teenagers sleep, but that's really hard to do. Rob Manning reports. We also take a look back on the week in regional politics. OPB political analyst Bill Lunch and senior political reporter Jeff Mapes join us to to talk about Sen. Jeff Merkley's visit to the border, Sec. of State Dennis Richardson's announcement about his brain cancer and a legal challenge to a proposed gun measure.

The federal government is working on a plan to reintroduce grizzly bears to Washington's North Cascades. Courtney Flatt of EarthFix visits a Montana community that has learned to live with the bears. We also talk with OPB reporter Dirk VanderHart about a stunning announcement from Oregon's Secretary of State. Dennis Richardson says doctors found a cancerous tumor in his brain.

The central Oregon high school has quickly improved its graduation rate in a short period of time. Rob Manning visits the school to see how they were able to pull that off.

The US. Supreme Court issued a narrow ruling Monday, favoring a Colorado bakery which refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.  That ruling could influence two similar Northwest cases. We’ll talk about both. First, you’ll hear reporter Anna King in Richland, Washington, followed by Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Conrad Wilson. And one of the Northwest’s largest dairies has faced some big troubles in its first year of operation. The rise and rapid fall of Lost Valley Farm has alarmed environmentalists and shocked neighboring farms and fellow dairy operators. EarthFix reporter Courtney Flatt follows up with the controversy.

Managers at the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest [in southwestern Oregon] are weighing how much of the area burned in Oregon’s largest fire last year should be salvage logged. But while harvesting partially burned trees will put cash in local pockets, experts differ on the benefits for the forest and for fire safety. Jefferson Public Radio’s Liam Moriarty reports.

Companies like REI and Patagonia rely on public lands, so they're increasingly moving into advocacy for those places. Amanda Peacher from the Mountain West News Bureau in Boise has the story.

The tools of institutional racism - restrictive covenants, redlining and laws banning people of color from owning property - have been dismantled in Oregon. But you can still see echoes of that history in current housing documents. Erica Morrison reports.

University leaders insist they had little choice but to close the 127-year-old private university near Lake Oswego. As Rob Manning reports, students are reacting with a mix of grief, anger and confusion.

You may have a disaster plan for your family, but does it include your pet? Many shelters won't take pets, so some Northwest communities have volunteers who will handle pet care in a disaster. Tom Banse reports from Cannon Beach. Also, KLCC's Jacob Lewin reports on the effort by the state of Oregon to lure foreign-born doctors to help alleviate the doctor shortage.

As expected, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown got the votes she needed to pass a tax break on certain small businesses. But she really had to work for them. OPB political reporters Jeff Mapes and Dirk VanderHart review the week in politics, including the special tax session, the latest revenue forecast, the big money the Washington gun measure is attracting and the likelihood of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee running for president.

Oregon's big urban university is changing. Several buildings are being modernized. In the second part of a series on Oregon's university system, Rob Manning explores why the upgrades are happening, and how they're being paid for. We also hear about the burgeoning market for Western Juniper, normally relegated to garden beds and fence posts. Jes Burns of EarthFix reports on the push to create juniper wood products for construction.

The Bend campus is expanding, with the help of millions in state-backed construction dollars. How can the school scale up without losing what works? Rob Manning reports in the first in a series about changes in the Oregon university system. Austin Jenkins also brings us a new problem at the beleaguered Western State Hospital near Tacoma. There's a long waitlist to get in, because there are so many other patients waiting to get out.

The Bend campus is expanding, with the help of millions in state-backed construction dollars. How can the school scale up without losing what works? Rob Manning reports in the first in a series about changes in the Oregon university system. Austin Jenkins also brings us a new problem at the beleaguered Western State Hospital near Tacoma. There's a long waitlist to get in, because there are so many other patients waiting to get out.

Energy developers want to plant commercial solar arrays in farm fields across the Pacific Northwest. Farmers like the steady income they generate, but others say prime farmland is no place for solar. Tom Banse reports. Also, EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita gets an energy score on her home, and it doesn't go well. She tells us how expensive it will be to boost her score.

A book about a transgender girl is on the reading list for OBOB next year. Two Oregon schools districts are pulling out of the competition over it. April Baer from OPB's State of Wonder has a look. Also, Conrad Wilson talks with Thurston High School alumni and former administrators on the 20th anniversary of the day Kip Kinkel killed two students there.

Oregon’s primary election this week featured no big surprises, but the outcomes give us plenty to look forward to in the general election. We’re also looking forward to a special session in Salem next week. It’s about tax policy, which means Gov. Brown will probably make enemies either way. OPB political reporters Jeff Mapes and Dirk Vanderhart join Morning Edition Host Tim Manickam to parse the week’s political news.

Oregon has some of the worst rates of skin cancer in the nation. To fight the disease, OHSU scientists are asking for help from anyone whose job involves looking at skin all day. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports. Ericka Cruz Guevarra also reports on the rising demand for ethnic grocery stories as Oregon becomes more diverse. Some families have to travel long distances to find food that tastes like home.

OPB senior political reporter Jeff Mapes sums up the Oregon primary, including the races for Oregon governor, Portland City Council and Washington County District Attorney. Also, Kristian Foden-Vencil introduces us to an Oregon couple who used a controversial genetic process to ensure their child doesn't carry a hereditary cancer gene.

The new podcast 'Bundyville' is a collaboration between OPB and Longreads. It uncovers how Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his family came to have such extreme views about land ownership in the West. We talk with the host, reporter Leah Sottile. Also, Amelia Templeton introduces us to an unusual candidate for political office. Philip Wolfe is the first deaf candidate for Portland City Council.

More women are running for elected office in Oregon than ever before. Many people of color are also joining races this year. The election of Donald Trump and the Me Too movement play a part, but so does a recruiting effort that goes back a decade. Lauren Dake reports.

Hurling is an ancient Irish sport. It's like a mashup of baseball and lacrosse, played full-contact on grass. Bradley Parks introduces us to the Columbia Red Branch, which won a hurling championship last year. Also, Geoff Norcross talks with OPB political analyst Bill Lunch and senior political reporter Jeff Mapes about the final weekend of voting in the Oregon primary, and the cool reception Oregon's senators are giving to a couple of President Trump's appointees.

The council postponed a vote on mandatory retrofits for old brick buildings that will crumble in a big earthquake. The same issue is sidetracked in Seattle because of funding. Tom Banse reports. We also visit Northwest tribes who are trying to return native foods to their lands with wildfire. Anna King reports.

A coalition of business owners, civic leaders and sports buffs has restarted the conversation about bringing Major League Baseball to Oregon. But there are lots of steps, and possibly many years, before it happens. Anna Griffin reports.

The jail in The Dalles used to honors detainers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for people entering the jail on local charges. No longer. Conrad Wilson explains the new policy. Also Jes Burns of EarthFix uncovers new research into the severity of wildfires. It upends typical thinking on why some fires burn at low intensity, while others rip through.