Willamette Week Podcast

WW editor Mark Zusman reflects on the paper's local and national impact, and discusses the bright future of the publication.

Oregon Arts icon and guest curator Intisar Abioto joins the pod to discuss Portland Art Museum's Black Artists of Oregon. 

Sophie Peel joins the pod to discuss how city hall is handling upcoming changes to the Portland city government. 

Portland Center Stage artistic director Marissa Wolf joins the pod for the Fall Arts issue. 

Arts and Culture Editor Andi Prewitt joins the pod to talk tomatoes

 Sophie Peel joins us this week to unpack the state of Oregon cannabis through the lens of the once prolific, now insolvent cannabis brand, Chalice.

Anthony Effinger explains commercial real estate "Death Lists" and what they mean for some of Portland's most iconic downtown buildings. 

This week's guest is Seaerra Miller, the writer and artist who illustrated this week's comic book cover story. 

Nigel Jaquiss discusses The Tardy Dozen, exposing 12 of the biggest tax debts in Oregon. 

Lucas Manfeild discusses the fentanyl crisis in downtown Portland

Featured as one of Portland's best sounds, guest Annette Benedetti chats about her podcast,  Locker Room Talk and Shots, a sex talk show that examines feminine sexuality with unfiltered candor. 

Guest Nigel Jaquiss explains why Portland is still making global headlines, and why being examined from the outside might be a good thing. 

Guest Tiffany Rodriguez discusses her family's decision to abandon their intolerant Texas town and migrate to progressive Portland

Guests Jessie Branch and Ryan Scott of Ghost Feet, one of WW's Best New Bands, discuss their influences, origin story, and why Portland is preferable to both LA and Olympia.

Nigel Jaquiss explains the WW's biennial ranking of Portland area lawmakers.

Sophie Peel drops in to update us on the still unfolding LaMota/Shemia Fagan scandal. 

Guest Anthony Effinger expounds on his contribution to this week's WW issue, an examination of the Rose Fest's last few beleaguered years. 

Guest Lucas Manfeild discusses his cover story, The Good Doctor, examining  veterinarian Steven Milner's terror campaign that allegedly led to Kenny Fandrich's death. 

Guest Rachel Saslow explains how school auctions use private money to fund public schools, furthering class division between affluent, working class, and low income neighborhoods

Nigel Jaquiss joins the pod to unpack the existence of the little known but shockingly powerful Oregon Racing Commission

WW Managing Editor Aaron Mesh turns the tables by interviewing host Brianna Wheeler about her contribution to this weeks cover package, an exploration of the historic Woodlawn neighborhood. 

Guest Sophie Peel explains how her series of bombshell stories about local dispensary giants LaMota led to Oregon Secretary of State, Shemia Fagan's, resignation

Audio clips from WW's endorsement interviews and unpacking the upcoming election with managing editor Aaron Mesh

First, guest Sophie Peel discusses new aspergillus testing rules for cannabis, then guest Amy Zimmerman (@Amymothercraft)  explains how to stock your own 420 calendar.

Guest host Anthony Effinger talks to Rachel Saslow about her cover story, an examination of sinking enrollment in Portland Public Schools.

Guest hosts Anthony Effinger and Lucas Manfield interview Portland Police Bureau Sergeant Susan Billard

Guest Sophie Peel unpacks her cover story, an investigation into the business dealings of popular dispensary chain La Mota.

Guest Anthony Effinger unpacks the problem at the Washington Center Building. Guest Beans Flores gives us a look behind the judges table at the WW's 6th Annual Pet Pageant.

Guest Emily Green breaks down her cover story, Generation OD, examining how Oregon's inaction left teens vulnerable to fentanyl's lethal spread.

With guest Jason Kafoury of Kafoury & McDougal Law Firm discussing a troubling trend in discriminatory retail policing.

Guest Lucas Manfield unpacks the crisis at the Oregon State Hospital and how it affects mental health on our streets.

With guests  David McCarthy,  author of The Portlanders, and Steve Tremaine Nelson, editor and publisher of NW Review

Guest Anthony Effinger breaks down the news team's coverage of property tax dodging Portland businesses.

Guest Ellen Wirship, founder of Project Red, explains how her  initiative will save lives, destigmatize addiction,  and build compassionate community.

Guest Anthony Effinger discuses his cover story examining the causes for Portland's population decline.

With guest Julia Corral

With guest Nigel Jaquiss.

With guest Lucas Manfield

With guest Aaron Mesh

With guest Larry Muzzy

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. 

On this episode of the Dive, Brianna welcomes WW contributor Jason Cohen to dish on some of Portland's newest foodie hot spots.News highlights include more guns on and off the streets, data on how measure 110 has or has not affected law enforcement and an illuminating profile of City Council candidate, Rene Gonzalez,