Think Out Loud

When the Holiday Farm Fire roared through the McKenzie River corridor five years ago, it destroyed at least 500 homes and most of the community of Blue River.  In the aftermath, many former home owners sold their property rather than rebuilding. Property values went up, and housing - especially affordable or mid-range housing - became very hard to find. In response, some community members founded the nonprofit McKenzie Community Land Trust. One of the only rural land trusts for housing in the country, the trust is nearing completion on six new homes for residents who make below 80% of area median income for Lane County. Tabitha Eck, executive director of the McKenzie Community Land Trust, joins us to explain the model.  

Erica Alexia Ledesma was born in Medford and grew up in nearby Talent and Phoenix. After graduating from the University of Oregon, she moved back to Southern Oregon and, as she put it, “immediately got to community organizing.” She was among the community members who gathered for a strategy and solutions brainstorming meeting a month after the 2020 Almeda Fire destroyed thousands of homes, displacing many who had lived in historically low-income, Latinx and Indigenous neighborhoods. People were frustrated with the lack of responses from landlords and government officials. One elder stood up and asked, “Why don’t we just buy our neighborhoods back?” Ledesma says she co-founded Coalición Fortaleza out of that question. It was a long process involving many more community meetings and a partnership with real estate developer CASA of Oregon. But five years later, Jackson county’s first resident-owned mobile home park is thriving. Formerly called Talent Mobile Estates, the residents have decided to rename it Talent Community Cooperative. With larger individual spaces and improved shared facilities, the park is nearing its 84 unit capacity. We talk with Ledesma about the new park and the other community empowerment work the nonprofit is engaged in.  

Five years ago, the Labor Day Fires killed 11 people and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, becoming the deadliest and destructive wildfire season in the state’s history. Since then, the city of Phoenix has focused on rebuilding, including housing, rebuilding Blue Heron Park and building a new food truck lot known as the Phoodery. Eric Swanson is the city manager of Phoenix. He joins us to share more on what rebuilding has looked like.

The Flat Fire, which is burning two miles northeast of Sisters in Central Oregon, has grown to more than 23,000 acres and is 13% contained, as of Friday morning. The fire broke out last week, grew rapidly and prompted Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation orders in Deschutes and Jefferson counties. On Thursday, Level 3 orders were downgraded to Level 2 in both counties. According to an update posted Thursday morning, five homes have been destroyed by the fire, the cause of which is still under investigation.     Jim Cornelius, editor-in-chief of The Nugget Newspaper in Sisters, says that while the community is no stranger to wildfires, efforts have expanded in recent years to make it more fire-wise and resilient to wildfires. The city is considering updates to its development code for new construction and in the spring, a local nonprofit, Citizens4Community, organized community forums to educate residents about fire insurance and wildfire preparedness, from assembling a go bag to requesting a free wildfire home assessment.    Cornelius joins us for an update about the Flat Fire, its impact on Sisters and how the catastrophic Labor Day Fires of 2020 shaped the community’s fire-readiness.  

President Donald Trump declared an indefinite pause on new refugee admissions to the U.S. on his first day in office in January. Shortly after, he froze federal funding for resettlement agencies that provide services to refugees in the U.S. The decisions are part of a broader crackdown on immigration that’s led to arrests and deportations across the country.  The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, or IRCO, provides education, health, employment and other support services to refugee and immigrant communities in Oregon. Executive Director Lee Po Cha joins us to talk about what it’s like to do that work in the current political climate.

Scrabble is more than just a family pastime for Portland resident Nigel Peltier. For him, it’s been a decades-long pursuit. Peltier first entered the tournament scene as a teenager, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the top-rated players in North America.  This summer, he won his first North American Scrabble Players Association National Championship, dominating the final match with six “bingos,” or seven-letter words played in a single turn. He joins us to share what it takes to compete at the highest level and why the game still excites him after all these years.  

According to the violent crime survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, there were 17 homicides in Portland in the first half of 2025 compared to 35 for the same period last year. That 51% decline is the largest drop in homicides among the 68 city and county police agencies represented in the survey. Aggravated assaults, rapes and robberies have also declined in Portland and nationwide, according to the survey.    Gun violence, however, continues to be a problem, with three firearm-related homicides recorded in Portland just last month. Ceasefire is one of the initiatives the city is pursuing to break the cycle of gun violence. Launched in 2023, it’s based on a national model that identifies individuals at high risk for gun violence and provides them with supportive services and intensive case management within their communities. Ceasefire director Sierra Ellis and Lt. Israel Hill, who supervises the Portland Police Bureau’s Focused Intervention Team and Enhanced Community Safety Team, join us to talk about Ceasefire and other strategies the city is pursuing to curb violent crimes.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of over-the-counter birth control pills two years ago. The decision has dramatically increased access to contraception, according to a new study from Oregon Health & Science University.    Researchers found that more than a quarter of participants who were using the over-the-counter pill had switched from using no birth control at all. They also found that members of the over-the-counter group were more likely to be uninsured and live in rural areas than participants who used prescription birth control.   Maria Rodriguez is the director of both the Center for Reproductive Health Equity and the Center for Women’s Health at OHSU. She joins us with more on the importance of removing barriers to reproductive health care.  

Over the past few decades, Portland has built one of the most extensive green stormwater infrastructure systems in the country. Instead of relying only on pipes and drains, it has created thousands of rain gardens and green streets to help keep sewage out of the Willamette River. Much of that work has not only involved city engineers but also local community members — from volunteers who ‘adopt’ and maintain storm drains to nonprofits that rip out pavement and replace it with trees and plants. A new study in the journal Sustainability looks back at the first 30 years of Portland’s green stormwater infrastructure, but questions remain about whether the city is keeping up with climate change and rapid growth. Our guests are study co-author Adrienne Aiona, a civil engineer at the city's Bureau of Environmental Services and Ted Labbe, finance and partnerships manager of the nonprofit Depave. They join us to talk about the city’s work and the role of local stewardship in keeping Portland’s green stormwater system alive and well.

The availability of child care for children ages 3 to 5 in Oregon is steadily increasing, according to a new report from Oregon State University. In 2018, three-quarters of the state’s counties were considered preschool child care deserts, but as of last year, that number dropped to just nine. However, all but two counties are still considered child care deserts for children ages 0 to 2.   Megan Pratt is an associate professor of practice at OSU and the report’s lead author. Alyssa Chatterjee is the director of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care. They both join us with more details on what the state’s child care landscape looks like today.  

Eight years ago, the military in Myanmar launched a weekslong campaign of genocide against the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim ethnic minority. Investigators from the United Nations documented the scale of the “extreme violence” they found: the killing of thousands of civilians; mass rapes of “hundreds, possibly thousands” of women and girls; nearly 400 villages burned to the ground. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh where they live in squalid conditions in the world’s largest refugee camp.     Nurul Haque was born and raised in that refugee camp. About a decade ago, he started the Bangladesh Rohingya Student Union, an organization that helps expand educational and leadership opportunities for youth in the camp and advocates to stop child labor and human trafficking by criminal gangs. After being kidnapped, beaten and threatened with death by armed gang members, Haque successfully applied for refugee status in the U.S. for himself, his wife and young son. In December 2023, he and his family arrived in Portland, which he chose for resettlement because a relative lived there.     Haque joins us to share what his life is like today and his continued advocacy for Rohingya communities here and abroad.  

Nearly five years ago, a combination of dry conditions and heavy winds starting on Labor Day quickly accelerated the spread of multiple wildfires that had broken out in Oregon’s Western Cascades. Eleven people died in the Labor Day fires, which burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, from Clackamas county to the California border.    As the fifth anniversary of the deadliest fires in the state’s history approaches, we hear from two survivors who lived in southern Oregon at the time. We first spoke with retiree Sue McMillan less than two weeks after she evacuated her home in Phoenix with her pets ad a few belongings to flee the Almeda fire, which broke out near Ashland on Sep. 8, 2020. The fire burned her home and her possessions and prompted McMillan to leave Oregon in March 2021.  Today, she lives in Santa Rosa in northern California to be close to her family, although she says she misses Oregon.    Misty Rose Muñoz was returning from an appointment in Ashland when the Almeda fire broke out. As the highway swelled with motorists, Muñoz was unable to return to her home in a mobile home park near Phoenix. She still managed to alert her neighbors and her daughter to evacuate. Even though Muñoz’s home didn’t burn down, the flames, smoke and ash caused irreparable damage and left it uninhabitable. After leaving the Rogue Valley in Sep. 2023, Muñoz moved to Portland where she eventually found work as a school bus driver. After years of housing instability, in March, she bought a home in Ashland through a grant she received from a federally funded, state administered program that helps wildfire victims repair or replace their homes.     McMillan and Muñoz join us to share their memories about surviving the Almeda fire, what they lost and their years-long journeys of recovery.  

Nearly five years ago, a combination of dry conditions and heavy winds starting on Labor Day quickly accelerated the spread of multiple wildfires that had broken out in Oregon’s Western Cascades. Eleven people died in the Labor Day fires, which burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes, from Clackamas county to the California border.   As the fifth anniversary of the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history approaches, we hear from survivors about their evacuations and efforts to rebuild their lives. They include Debra Bowman and Russ Boyd, residents of Detroit, a city southeast of Salem in eastern Marion County that is still struggling to rebuild after the fires.    Bowman is a retiree who evacuated the Beachie Creek and Lionshead fires in the early morning hours of Sep. 8, 2020, with her husband and pet dog. Boyd also fled then, driving out of town with his wife and other relatives. Today, he is the co-owner of a mini-mart and bar in Detroit, while his wife and mother-in-law own a hamburger food cart on the same lot. Bowman and Boyd join us to share their memories about the evacuation, returning to Detroit and how they’re doing today.  

After hours of public briefings, discussions and a public listening session, Multnomah County Commissioners decided last week to pause a controversial move to change Preschool for All’s funding stream. Commissioners were meant to vote this week on an ordinance that would have adjusted the program’s income tax threshold based on inflation, something the governor asked them to do. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson joins us to discuss the current state of the county’s ambitious plan to achieve universal preschool, and gives us an update on drug treatment and deflection a year after the state ended its drug decriminalization experiment.

As a part of President Trump's takeover of policing in the nation's capital, he has pledged to remove homeless people and encampments from the city. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said homeless people who don’t leave the city will face punishment in the form of fines and jail time. Cities across the country are struggling  with how to regulate homeless camping, including in the Pacific Northwest. We take this moment to listen back to several conversations we had with people living on the streets of Portland and Vancouver about how they think homelessness should be regulated.    Back in 2022, then Portland mayor Ted Wheeler pledged to create several huge sanctioned homeless camps at the edges of the city and threatened to send people who wouldn’t go to those camps to jail. OPB’s “Think Out Loud” spent a day on the streets of Portland asking people how they felt about the plan.   Earlier this winter, OPB’s “Think Out Loud” spent a morning with staff and volunteers of the Council for Homeless as they participated in the Point-in-Time count in Vancouver, Washington.  The Point-in-Time count is a federally required snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in a given area.   

On June 30, 2021, former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown held a Reopening Oregon Celebration at Providence Park in Portland. Years later, Oregon schools and businesses are fully open, many workplaces have returned to in-office work and people regularly gather together inside. Patrick Allen is the former director of the Oregon Health Authority. He ran the agency during the height of the pandemic and joins us with details of what he learned working through a once-in-a-century crisis. 

The number of cannabis-related reports to poison control centers across the U.S. has risen greatly since 2009, according to new reporting from the New York Times. They also found a rise in cases where cannabis poisoning led to breathing problems and even life-threatening effects, especially among teens and adults. Rob Hendrickson is the medical director of the Oregon Poison Center at OHSU. He joins us to share what he’s seen in the emergency room in recent years.

Earlier this week, President Trump said he’s working on an executive order to end mail-in ballots and voting machines across the country. The administration cites corruption as the leading cause for action despite there being no evidence of widespread voter fraud from voting by mail. Oregon’s Secretary of State Tobias Read joins us to share his response and efforts to protect Oregon’s vote-by-mail system for elections.

Wildfire crews do important work managing wildfires, but that work is often done without masks. A recent New York Times investigation found many wildfire fighters are getting cancer, cardiovascular diseases and have died because of the toxic smoke they inhaled while on the job. Researchers at the U.S. The Forest Service have recommended wildfire crews be required to wear masks for decades, but the agency has refused. Hannah Dreier is an investigative reporter for the times and joins us to share the details on why the agency won’t allow wildfire crews to wear masks and what she heard from people first hand. 

Oregon recently launched a recycling program that aims to hold businesses accountable for the packaging waste they create. The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (RMA) charges producers of paper, packaging and food serviceware for the products they distribute in Oregon. The goal is to fund recycling services in small communities through the fees that businesses pay into the program.   The RMA was the first law of its kind to pass in 2021 and was followed by similar legislation in California, Colorado and a handful of other states. It’s currently facing a lawsuit from a trade group that claims the law is illegal and unfairly impacts its members.   Nicole Portley is a program plan lead for the RMA at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. She joins us with more details on how the new program is working.  

Phil and Penny Knight have pledged $2 billion to Oregon Health & Science University for cancer research. The Knight Cancer Institute will become self-governed within OHSU and will have its own board of directors. In December, renowned cancer researcher Brian Druker announced his resignation as the institute’s CEO but said last week he will return as the inaugural president of the organization. He joins us with details about what this means for cancer care in Oregon.

 CareOregon, the largest Medicaid provider in the state, will soon stop covering mental health and substance use treatment from out-of-network providers. Coverage will end on Oct. 1 for Medicaid members and on Jan. 1 for members of Medicare Advantage. The decision will disrupt care for an estimated 15,000 patients, or about 15% of the organization’s members who use behavioral health services. The organization says the changes will bring it back into alignment with industry best practices after making provisions to expand access to mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Amit Shah is the chief medical officer at CareOregon. He joins us with more details about the decision.  

The tsunami warning that hit the Oregon coast earlier this month triggered more than just alarms — it revealed deeper cracks in the state’s emergency response system. For two state representatives who are helping lead efforts to modernize how Oregon prepares for natural disasters, the incident underscored the gaps in Oregon’s disaster readiness, from outdated emergency notification systems to underfunded infrastructure and training.  Rep. Paul Evans (D-Monmouth) has a $300 million proposal to modernize Oregon’s disaster preparedness, aiming to improve communication systems, strengthen infrastructure, and expand local readiness efforts over the next decade. He and Rep. David Gomberg (D-Lincoln, West Benton, Lane) join us to discuss where Oregon has made progress, where significant vulnerabilities remain, and how new investments could help the state better prepare for the next major crisis — whether it’s a tsunami, wildfire, or another emergency all together.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s office is investigating the Umpqua Public Transportation District in Douglas County over its response to the May election. The district’s CEO is refusing to accept the results of one of the races for a board seat and refusing to pay for the district’s share of running the election. The first meeting of the new board ended abruptly after an argument between board members and the CEO.   Nigel Jaquiss has been covering this issue for the Oregon Journalism Project. He joins us with more details.  

From small fishing boats littered across state ports to a massive 384-foot ship rusting in the Columbia River, Oregon’s waterways continue to be dotted with abandoned and derelict vessels. Now, a first-of-its-kind partnership between the BoatUS Foundation and NOAA is bringing fresh funding to tackle the problem. The effort aims to remove more than 300 abandoned and derelict vessels from local waters across six states — with Oregon set to clear dozens of its highest-risk boats over the next two years.   Josh Mulhollem, who manages the state’s Waterways Stewardship Program, joins us to discuss how the funding will be utilized and how this effort could make a difference for Oregon’s coastal and river communities.  

For decades, scientists have been trying to develop a male contraceptive similar to the birth control pill that can be taken orally and is reversible, with minimal side effects. An oral male contraceptive could also be a more effective alternative to using a condom or undergoing surgery for a vasectomy, while helping to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies which account for nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide.    Wei Yan is a professor and director of the Center for Reproductive Biology and the School of Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University who has spent two decades in the quest to develop a male contraceptive pill. His current investigation involves a compound derived from an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine that is showing encouraging lab results. In a commentary he recently wrote for an academic journal, he argues that the development of a new male contraceptive needs to be reframed as a “women’s health priority” that would allow reproductive responsibility to be more equitably shared.    Yan joins us to share his perspective, the status of his own research efforts and the funding landscape to advance this work.   

Around one in 10 youth enrolled in Medicaid spent days stuck in the emergency room after being admitted for a mental health crisis. That’s according to a new study from Oregon Health and Science University. John McConnell is a professor in emergency medicine and the director of the center for health systems at OHSU. Rebecca Marshall is a professor in child and adult psychiatry with OHSU. She is also a practicing psychiatrist at Doernbecher Children's Hospital and Doernbecher emergency department. They both join us to share more on the study and what it means for the kids waiting to be admitted.

The biggest impact of the $15 billion in federal cuts faced by the state of Oregon will fall on food assistance and medicaid. But these cuts will also affect the State Library of Oregon, who could lose 25% of its budget. The state library is responsible for providing accessible reading materials for people with disabilities and helping provide guidance and support for local, academic and public school libraries. Wendy Cornelisen is the state librarian. She joins us to share more on what federal cuts to the department would mean for Oregonians.

“Them,” written by Palestinian playwright Samah Sabawi, focuses on a young couple in a war zone as they debate whether to stay or leave. It captures the wrenching choices people are forced to make in wartime, as well as the humorous, joyful and mundane moments of everyday life that persist despite the violence. A production of the play will run through Aug. 23 at Portland Center Stage’s Ellyn Bye Studio.   Malek Najjar, professor of theater arts at the University of Oregon, received special permission from Sabawi to stage “Them” in Eugene and Portland. He joins us with more details about the play and its relevance today.  

A new study by researchers at the University of Washington shows support for an integrated model of health care that could be especially effective in improving access to care for people experiencing homelessness and their pets. One Health Clinic opened in 2018 in Seattle as part of UW’s  Center for One Health Research. The center, which was created in collaboration with Washington State University, explores the connections between the health of humans and animals within their shared environments.    The One Health Clinic aims to remove barriers to medical and veterinary care for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and their pets by providing that care and other services under one roof. The study found that from 2019 to 2022, 80% of all clients who visited the clinic for their pets’ veterinary care also received care for themselves, and nearly half of the clients established care for themselves for the first time in at least two years.    Natalie Rejto is the lead author of the study, a patient navigator at One Health Clinic and a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for One Health Research. Vickie Ramirez is a co-author of the study and program manager at COHR. They join us to share their findings and thoughts on expanding the clinic’s model to improve health outcomes for both people and their pets.   

Under the Death in Custody Reporting Act, states who receive certain federal funds are required to report any death of someone who is detained, under arrest, in custody or incarcerated to the attorney general. The data is available to the public, but new reporting from The Marshall Project shows that this data is plagued with inaccuracies. Anna Flagg is a data reporter and helped cover this story. She joins us to share more on what is wrong with the data and some of the inaccuracies the publication found.

Oregon just launched a new program that aims to hold businesses accountable for the packaging waste they create. The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act charges businesses that produce or distribute paper, packaging and food serviceware based on the weight and sustainability of their materials.   The act applies to companies that generate $5 million or more in revenue. The goal is to fund recycling services in small communities through the fees that businesses pay into the program. But the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors says the act is illegal and unfairly impacts its members.  Karen Harned is the organization’s director of litigation and legal policy. She joins us with more details about the NAW’s lawsuit against the state.

A new study from Portland State University completes a three-year project looking at the impacts of several drug policy shifts - including Measure 110 - which decriminalized drug possession in Oregon. Among other things, this final study concluded that decriminalization had little to do with rising crime and overdose deaths. Instead, the study found that the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread emergence of fentanyl were the primary drivers behind a surge in drug-related deaths. Brian Renauer, a professor in the Criminology & Criminal Justice Department at PSU, joins us to explain.

The Pacific Northwest is known for its towering trees. Douglas-firs rank as the second highest tree species in the world and can reach heights of over 300 feet, about as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Whether chasing a bird or escaping predators like coyotes, some terrified cats get stuck high up in trees. In Oregon and Washington, arborists aid cats crying for help. The nonprofit Canopy Cat Rescue helps cats throughout Washington. The Oregon Humane Society offers a list of arborists who can safely remove cats from trees. Rick Bunch frequently helps felines in Portland and beyond. Bunch, and Tom Otto, the co-founder of Canopy Cat Rescue, join us with details.

Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher joined the University of Oregon as a baseball player. Liz Brenner, four-sport athlete, excelled at volleyball, basketball, softball and track at the University of Oregon. And Kendre Harrison recently played at Peach Jam, a prestigious high school basketball tournament. He plans to play basketball and football at the University of Oregon. We learn more about elite athletes and the power they hold at the college level from Lindsay Schnell, a senior writer covering colleges for The Athletic. 

xcess noise has been linked to a number of health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. But noise pollution hasn’t been well studied in the U.S., due in part to a lack of federal oversight. The Environmental Protection Agency established its Office of Noise Control and Abatement in the 1970s, but the office has remained unfunded since the early 1980s.    A new study from Oregon State University aims to better understand noise pollution in Portland. Researchers found that many of the city’s neighborhoods have noise levels that are likely unhealthy.   Matt Bozigar is an environmental epidemiologist and an assistant professor in OSU’s college of health. He joins us with more details.   

Oregon stands to lose more than $15 billion in federal funding for health care, food assistance and other purposes in coming years, under the sweeping spending bill congressional Republicans passed earlier this year. That’s the preliminary conclusion by Gov. Tina Kotek’s office, which in recent weeks asked state agencies to crunch the numbers for what the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act might mean for their ability to provide services. OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart joins us to explain.

The Oregon Youth Authority is under heightened scrutiny following a wave of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and a culture of neglect in the state’s youth correctional facilities. The agency, which has faced criticism for mishandling abuse complaints, now has a new appointed leader — Michael Tessean — who takes over from interim director Jana McLellan. That's after Gov. Tina Kotek fired longtime director Joe O’Leary earlier this year over a backlog of unaddressed abuse reports.   OPB politics reporter Lauren Dake joins us to discuss the recent lawsuits, the agency’s troubled history and what new leadership could mean for the future of juvenile justice in Oregon.  

 The third annual PNW Survival Games kick off this Friday at a campground in Molalla. Fifty people, organized into teams of two, will compete in a series of weekend-long challenges designed to test their outdoor survival skills, from building a fire and shelter to purifying water and building a raft from saplings and other foraged materials.    Participants who register for the $495 event are first taught the basics of those skills by survival instructors, some of whom have competed in reality TV shows such as “Naked and Afraid” and “Alone.” Each team then launches into a timed challenge to test their application of that skill, but with a twist – like trying to build a fire while shivering and cold after a plunge into the river. First, second and third-place teams win cash prizes and outdoor gear from sponsors.    PNW Survival Games’ co-founders Tony Peniche and Phil Robinson have aspirations to take their concept beyond its Oregon roots onto a much bigger stage by transforming it into a reality TV show picked up by Netflix or Amazon. They join us to share their vision and a preview of this weekend’s competition, along with Tom Ratts, a Vancouver resident who was part of a team that won first place in 2023 and who now volunteers at the games.  

A recent paper published in JAMA shows that Idaho has lost approximately 35 percent of doctors specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, leaving many counties without any maternal or reproductive health care providers at all.  That comes after the state passed one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Amber Nelson, executive director of the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare, says 85% of these practicing specialists work in just seven of the state’s urban counties.   Dr. Amelia Huntsberger was a practicing OBGYN in Idaho for many years before the ban. But after the ban, the emotional strain of navigating patient care amid the possibility of prosecution, led to the painful decision to uproot her family and move out of state. Huntsberger now practices in Eugene, but she says her family still deals with the grief that transition brought. We talk with her and Nelson about the larger trends and what they mean in the lives of women seeking reproductive and material care.  

The Portland-based nonprofit Smashing Barriers works with organizations including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Friendly House to offer free tennis clinics and organizes charity tournaments. Jiya Mehta and Rohan Shah, the co-founders, started the nonprofit while in high school. They aim to bring the organization to each state in the U.S. In addition to Oregon, the nonprofit already has chapters in Arizona, California and Texas. Shah and Mehta join us with more on how tennis has shaped their lives and their plans for growing Smashing Barriers.

The Sunset Empire Transportation District has provided public transportation in Clatsop County for more than 30 years. In 2023, the district had to temporarily stop service and lay off workers after it ran out of money due to financial mismanagement. The district has since gone through several leadership changes — the most recent executive director, Craig Johnston, stepped down late last year for personal reasons.David Carr recently took over as executive director of the district. He joins us to share his vision for public transit in Clatsop County amid state and federal funding challenges.