The Jefferson Exchange

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JPR's live interactive program devoted to current events and newsmakers from around the region and beyond.

Geoffrey Riley, John Baxter, Angela Decker, Robert Goodwin


    • Jun 22, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • daily NEW EPISODES
    • 18m AVG DURATION
    • 1,461 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Jefferson Exchange

    Ashland author examines the unseen impact of military service on families

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2026 30:18


    Author Molly Best Tinsley discusses how growing up in a military family inspired her novel about the lasting emotional impact of military service.

    The underground schools that shaped Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 30:48


    Elaine Weiss joins the Exchange to talk about her book, "Spell Freedom."

    ‘The Curse of Hester Gardens' explores trauma and gun violence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 30:09


    Author Tamika Thompson discusses The Curse of Hester Gardens, a Gothic horror novel exploring poverty, generational trauma and gun violence.

    What Portland's ranked choice voting system could mean for Southern Oregon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 15:35


    A free Ashland screening explores proportional ranked choice voting, its use in Portland and Northern Ireland, and how it could reshape representation.

    How Southern Oregon volunteers raise life-changing service dogs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2026 29:40


    Canine Angels provides service dogs at no cost to children and young adults. The nonprofit is now seeking more volunteer puppy raisers.

    Southern Oregon's best free concerts and arts events this summer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 29:43


    Looking for things to do this June? JPR's Dave Jackson and Vanessa Finney recommend free concerts, public art, festivals and live music across Southern Oregon and Northern California.

    Why higher-income housing remains scarce in Arcata

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 15:35


    Officials say limited land, high construction costs and a lack of incentives have slowed higher-income housing development in Arcata.

    Why higher-income housing remains scarce in Arcata

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 15:35


    Officials say limited land, high construction costs and a lack of incentives have slowed higher-income housing development in Arcata.

    Ashland author's unlikely path to publishing began after retirement

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 30:06


    After retiring from a 45-year career in education, Ashland author Barry Vitkov returned to writing and has published six books, with a seventh on the way.

    Beyond timber: Mayor Fred Fry's vision for a research and tourism haven in Powers, Oregon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2026 14:56


    Mayor Fred Fry of the City of Powers, Oregon shares his dream of Powers being the home of an environmental research facility and outdoor recreation tourist destination.

    World Cup fever builds across the Pacific Northwest

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2026 14:19


    The Pacific Northwest is gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with soccer tips for new fans, public art in Tacoma and free tickets for Seattle youth.

    SOU Student Film Festival showcases emerging filmmakers in Ashland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2026 15:01


    The SOU Student Film Festival features 14 short films from Southern Oregon University filmmakers, highlighting student talent, industry connections and award-winning work.

    Medford opens Oregon's largest municipal pickleball complex

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2026 15:00


    Medford has opened a new 19-court pickleball complex at Howard Memorial Sports Park. City officials say the $2 million facility is the largest municipal pickleball complex in Oregon.

    Activist Robin Greenfield takes on yearlong foraging challenge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2026 15:16


    Activist and forager Robin Greenfield is eight months into a challenge to forage 100% of his food and medicine while promoting sustainability, civil disobedience and community food systems.

    Pride Month books and summer reading recommendations from Oregon experts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2026 29:34


    Looking for your next summer read? Southern Oregon librarians and booksellers recommend books for Pride Month and summer, from queer history and historical fiction to romance, satire and nonfiction.

    California condor flies into Southern Oregon for first time in more than a century

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 15:06


    A young California condor's nearly 400-mile flight into Southern Oregon marks the species' first recorded visit to the region in more than a century.

    How Oregon cut pesticide-related bee deaths

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 14:49


    Oregon has not recorded a confirmed pesticide-related bee kill since 2020. Oregon State University researchers discuss the education, research and conservation efforts helping protect pollinators.

    Oakland, Oregon, moved itself to survive. Its residents are still preserving it

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 15:11


    Oakland, Oregon, once moved its downtown 1.5 miles to meet the railroad. Today, the small town works to preserve its historic character while facing modern challenges.

    How fines from Eureka's red-light district helped pay city bills

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 15:06


    A proposed monument in Eureka would recognize sex workers whose fines helped fund city services in the early 1900s.

    Pacific Northwest news: How smokejumpers, tribes and students are caring for Northwest ecosystems

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 14:52


    Learn how smokejumpers train for wildfire season, how tribes restored habitat in the Siuslaw estuary and how students are studying marine ecosystems at Oregon's PacWave test site.

    Medford physicians explain the long road immigrant doctors face in the U.S.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 28:57


    Medford doctors Som Ghosh and Mujahid Rizvi discuss immigration hurdles, visas and what it takes for foreign-born physicians to practice in the U.S.

    ScienceWorks is offering shark dissections, gem mining and more this summer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 15:08


    ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland is offering eight weeks of STEAM summer camps featuring shark dissections, gem mining, art projects and hands-on learning.

    How one family is working to make Klamath Falls more inclusive

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 14:45


    Major Connections, a nonprofit founded by a Klamath Falls family, is creating an inclusive play center and community hub for people with disabilities and their families.

    Klamath Wetlands Week highlights one of the West's largest wetland ecosystems

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 14:55


    Klamath Wetlands Week connects visitors with the wildlife, birds and restoration projects that make the Klamath Basin one of the West's most important wetland ecosystems.

    Inside the only art museum on the Oregon coast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 14:58


    Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay celebrates the 90th anniversary of its historic Art Deco building while showcasing maritime art in its annual "Surge" exhibition.

    How Wildlife Images cares for Oregon's injured and orphaned animals

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 15:02


    Wildlife Images in Grants Pass cares for about 1,000 injured and orphaned animals each year while educating visitors about wildlife conservation.

    Step inside a Coos Bay museum where visitors can climb aboard historic trains

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 14:57


    Explore the Oregon Coast Historical Railway in Coos Bay, where century-old locomotives and hands-on exhibits preserve the South Coast's history.

    Summer brings new challenges, from trail running to climbing Mount Shasta

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 29:45


    Local runners and climbers share advice on training, safety and preparation as the trail-running and mountaineering season begins in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

    Why Dunsmuir, California, claims to have the best water on earth

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 14:59


    Juliana Luchessi works overtime as both mayor of Dunsmuir, California, and assistant city manager of Yreka, a neighboring town 45 miles north.

    Northwest news: Snowy plovers, queer wrestling and a mammoth dig

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 14:45


    This week's news roundup features Oregon's recovering snowy plovers, Portland's queer wrestling community and a mammoth excavation in Washington.

    After 28 seasons at OSF, Scott Kaiser completed Shakespeare's canon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 29:56


    After 28 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Scott Kaiser reflects on performing, directing and teaching every play in Shakespeare's canon.

    Why a Southern Oregon vineyard had to add a disclaimer to its orange wine

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 14:38


    A Rogue Valley vineyard discusses its new orange wines, the federal labeling challenge that required a special disclaimer and the connection between wine and lavender farming.

    Monarch butterflies face mounting threats from habitat loss, advocates say

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 14:29


    Monarch butterfly populations have declined dramatically in recent decades. Environmental advocates are pushing for federal protections as concerns grow about habitat loss and pollinator decline.

    First Pelican Bay student to earn Cal Poly Humboldt degree heads to graduate school

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 29:51


    Arthur Monarque became the first incarcerated student at Pelican Bay State Prison to earn a bachelor's degree through Cal Poly Humboldt. Now he's headed to Wake Forest University on a full scholarship.

    River otters in Arcata Marsh are hunting ducks, not just fish

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 15:00


    A new Cal Poly Humboldt study found river otters at the Arcata Marsh hunt ducks and other waterbirds during winter, revealing surprising predator behavior in the North Coast wetland.

    The race to save the history of Weed's Black community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 30:11


    Residents of Lincoln Heights in Northern California are working to preserve one of the state's oldest Black neighborhoods after the Mill Fire destroyed much of the area.

    What World War I, the 1918 flu and Babe Ruth reveal about America

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 30:29


    Historians Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith discuss how World War I, the 1918 flu pandemic and social upheaval transformed America.

    Mayor Kathy Sell on keeping Eagle Point's small-town feel amid growth

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 14:26


    Kathy Sell, mayor of Eagle Point, Oregon offers insight into what is attracting so many people to her town, including notable celebrities.

    Northwest stories: Unified sports, fishing costs, drones and Beatles songs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 15:32


    From inclusive sports in Klamath County to rising fishing costs, Oregon drone growth and a Beatles sing-along, here are stories from the Northwest.

    North Bend Library races to digitize 80 years of local history

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 15:02


    A North Bend project aims to digitize more than 80 years of local newspapers before fragile paper copies and microfilm deteriorate.

    Primary results put affordability at center of Oregon governor's race

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 14:53


    Oregon primary election results, including the overwhelming defeat of a gas tax measure, suggest affordability will be a central issue in the governor's race.

    Feeding neighbors and building community in Talent, one bag of food at a time

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 15:13


    The Talent Food Project uses a neighborhood donation system to help address food insecurity in Jackson County and support local families.

    How the Albina Vision Trust is reclaiming a Portland community's future

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 30:16


    Leaders from the Albina Vision Trust join one of the co-founders of the Ashland community group, All Together Now, to discuss the process of collectively envisioning the future of local communities.

    Southern Oregon arts picks: Music, films and live performances

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 29:51


    Looking for something to do this month? Here are Southern Oregon arts picks, from concerts and documentaries to outdoor performances and new music.

    Cave Junction wants to be more than a stop on the way to the Oregon Caves

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2026 14:47


    Cave Junction leaders are investing in tourism, parks and development while working to preserve the Southern Oregon town's small-town character.

    Oregon news roundup: Lakeview finances, Eugene housing and Oregon apple history

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 14:35


    This week's regional roundup includes a Southern Oregon town facing financial strain, Eugene residents working to buy their mobile home park, and efforts to preserve historic apple trees.

    How public transit connects rural communities in Southern Oregon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 30:15


    A roundtable conversation focuses on the benefits and challenges of rural public transportation.

    How wildfire restoration could help one of the Northwest's most iconic species

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 14:54


    New research from Oregon State University suggests forest restoration in Southern Oregon and Northern California could improve wildfire resilience while supporting northern spotted owl habitat.

    How fun community events are helping Klamath County kids cope with childhood trauma

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 14:53


    Klamath Basin Behavioral Health is expanding free community events in Klamath County to help children build resilience and reduce the long-term impacts of childhood trauma.

    A rare blue whale skeleton is coming to OSU's marine science center

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 15:12


    A rare blue whale skeleton found near Gold Beach in 2015 will soon go on display at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center after a decade-long preservation effort.

    Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye discusses reelection bid

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 15:18


    Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye discussed local control, county fees, infrastructure projects and health care priorities ahead of the June 2 election.

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