Podcasts about earthfix

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

The slow-moving effort to clean up the Superfund site is at a critical point. Responsible companies are clashing over who cleans up what, and who pays for it. Cassandra Profita of EarthFix looked into one of these conflicts.

Children of farm workers are especially susceptible to asthma. Now researchers are working on a new approach to solving the problem. EarthFix reporter Eilis O'Neill headed to the Yakima Valley in Washington state to find out more.

As part of our series on the opioid crisis in Oregon, reporter Amelia Templeton explores the connection between opioid addiction and the rise in Hepatitis C infections. And Eilis O'Neill from EarthFix visits a farm in Washington state to investigate the concept of 'salmon-friendly' eggs.

The stretch of Interstate 5 through Tacoma is one of the Pacific Northwest's biggest traffic nightmares. KUOW's Anna Boiko-Weyrauch explores why it's been so bad, for so long. We also hear about a Washington case that will go before the U.S. Supreme Court. It's a long-running dispute between the state and 21 tribes about hurdles for spawning salmon. As Eilís O'Neill of Earthfix reports, the outcome could have repercussions across the West and Midwest. And OPB political analyst Bill Lunch and senior political reporter Jeff Mapes dig into the week in regional politics, including an ambitious plan to fix Portland's infrastructure, the legal challenge to a proposed question on the next census form and an ethics settlement for former Gov. John Kitzhaber.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is gearing up for its biggest-ever spill of water over dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers. To make sure they do it right, engineers are testing out dams that are 80 times smaller than the existing dams. EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita visited the facility in Mississippi where the mini dams are being built.

Many customers lost a lot money when the Legend Solar company failed, and they didn't even get their solar panels. In this second part of our investigative series, we hear about the companies and organizations that stepped up to complete Legend Solar's unfinished jobs. Tony Schick of EarthFix reports.

The company was a rising star in the burgeoning solar panel industry, advertising big savings and quality service. Legend Solar didn't deliver, however, and dozens of customers - including several in Oregon - paid for panels they never got. Tony Schick from EarthFix has part one of an investigative series.

The Washington Legislature adjourned its 60-day session late Thursday night. Austin Jenkins runs down what did and did not get done. Also, Jes Burns of EarthFix visits the area of southern Oregon that seems destined for another crippling drought this summer. And our political guys Bill Lunch and Jeff Mapes review the week's political developments, including the Department of Justice lawsuit against California over immigration, the many people who will run in the Oregon primary and a Multnomah County campaign funding measure that failed a constitutional test.

Over the last few decades an invasive crab native to Europe has been making its way to the West Coast in the U.S. The menacing European green crab has been found in Washington’s Puget Sound. The species has earned a reputation as one of the worst global invaders, making its way to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and both coasts of North America. The three inch long species has already wreaked havoc on the ecosystem, devastating the soft shell crab industry on the East Coast. Once they become abundant, as they have in coastal Maine, they become nearly impossible to get rid of. Our environmental reporting partner EarthFix brings us to Washington where University of Washington researchers are trying to find out if there are more of these destructive invaders lurking in the Northwest inland sea. SciTech Now airs weekly on public television stations nationwide (check local listings). For more for more stories like this visit scitechnow.org Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/scitechnow Follow us on Twitter: @SciTechNow Join the conversation with #SciTechNow

First introduced in 12th century Europe, the guitar is now a ubiquitous musical instrument. Guitars are made from the rarest forms of wood and it has become increasingly difficult to source that wood from the tropics. Our environmental reporting partner EarthFix brings us to the damp forests of the Pacific Northwest, home to the fast-growing big leaf maple tree, which may offer a solution for sourcing wood for ethical and sustainable instruments. SciTech Now airs weekly on public television stations nationwide (check local listings). For more for more stories like this visit scitechnow.org Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/scitechnow Follow us on Twitter: @SciTechNow Join the conversation with #SciTechNow

This week on "OPB Politics Now," we'll discuss the policies both Oregon and Washington are considering to tackle climate change at the state level. OPB political reporter Lauren Dake talks with Cassandra Profita, an EarthFix reporter for OPB; Austin Jenkins, Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network; and Jeff Mapes, OPB's senior political reporter.

This week on "OPB Politics Now," we’ll discuss the policies both Oregon and Washington are considering to tackle climate change at the state level. OPB political reporter Lauren Dake talks with Cassandra Profita, an EarthFix reporter for OPB; Austin Jenkins, Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network; and Jeff Mapes, OPB’s senior political reporter.

The oceans off Oregon and Washington are ground zero for acidification. That's bad news for all kinds of sea life, but especially shellfish. Researchers are experimenting with underwater kelp and seagrass farms to help. Jes Burns of EarthFix reports.

The Yakama Nation is asking Washington Governor Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency for the Rattlesnake Ridge landslide. That’s the steep slope outside of Yakima that is moving slowly and clings above a small community, a railroad corridor, Interstate 82 and the Yakima River. As Anna King explains, the tribes have a lot to lose if it goes down. And as the Pacific Northwest booms, it’s using a lot of concrete to build buildings, roads, and other infrastructure -- and making all that concrete is a big part of our carbon footprint. Reporting for EarthFix, Eilis O’Neill set out to see what concrete production would look like in a low-carbon world.

For a century, most birds in the United States have been protected under a federal law called the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It targets poaching and other causes bird deaths, like oil spills and wind turbines.   But now, to benefit the energy industry, the Trump Administration has made a major change to how the law is enforced. As our EarthFix reporters Jes Burns and Courtney Flatt found, it potentially leaves hundreds of bird species vulnerable, at a time when their numbers are already declining across the country. And OPB Senior Political Reporter Jeff Mapes and OPB Political Analyst Bill Lunch join Morning Edition Host Tim Manickam to discuss this week’s political developments.

82nd Avenue in Portland is a marker for a uniquely diverse part of the city that defies Portland’s reputation as one of the whitest cities in America. Reporter Ericka Cruz Guevarra met with an Asian-American artist whose depiction of that diversity was met with back lash. And Northwest wildlife managers have lethally removed a 175 California sea lions from the Columbia River. They were killed for eating too many salmon at Bonneville Dam, where fish ladders create a kind of sea lion buffet. But some of the sea lions caught at that buffet were saved from death row. They were sent to zoos and aquariums instead. EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita visited a sea lion named Biff who now lives in Chicago's Shedd Aquarium.

Across the Pacific Northwest, the sea is already at the doorstep of homes, businesses, infrastructure, and habitat — and the problem’s only going to get worse as the sea continues to rise. In the winter, extra high tides give us a glimpse of what might be at risk. Reporting for EarthFix, Eilis O’Neill reports from Port Townsend and Olympia on this year’s king tides.And mushers and sled dogs share a unique bond — one with thousands of years of history we’re only beginning to understand. the Cascade Sled Dog Club has given Northwest pet owners a chance to deepen their connection to their dogs for nearly 60 years. Bradley Parks reports on what that relationship looks like today.

Greg Walden is the only Republican member of Congress from Oregon, but he is arguably the state's most powerful figure in Washington D.C.. OPB senior political reporter Jeff Mapes checks in with Walden after a tumultuous first year of the Trump presidency. Also, Jes Burns of EarthFix visits the burned areas of the Douglas Complex Fire. Researchers there are finding severe wildfire may be just the thing that allows native bees to thrive.

The Central Oregon population is booming, and that puts a strain on water supplies in the high desert. In Part 1 of a two-part series, Amanda Peacher lays out why flows in the Upper Deschutes are unreliable. Also, Jes Burns with EarthFix looks at proposed state rules protecting farmworkers from pesticide spraying. Advocates say they're not strong enough.

This August, one hundred sixty thousand Atlantic salmon escaped from a fish farm in Puget Sound. That event has some people calling for an end to farming non-native fish in the Sound. They say it’s better to raise Atlantic salmon in tanks, on land. In the second part of a two-part series for EarthFix, Eilis O’Neill visited a company on the north end of Vancouver Island that’s doing just that: farming salmon in tanks. And the week in Northwest politics featured a critical audit of the Oregon Health Authority by the Secretary of State, and a critical decision by a Washington energy Council about a proposed oil terminal in Vancouver. A judge heard arguments on a lawsuit challenging the use of a Correctional Facility in Wasco County to house detainees for a federal agency. And Congress continues work on the details of a tax overhaul bill with implications for Oregon and Washington. OPB’s Political Analyst, Bill Lunch, and Jeff Mapes, OPB’s Senior Political Reporter, join Morning Edition host Tim Manickam to discuss the week in politics.

This August, one hundred sixty thousand Atlantic salmon escaped from a fish farm in Puget Sound. That event has renewed calls for regulating fish farms more intensely--or for taking the farms out of the Sound entirely. In the first part of a series for EarthFix, Eilis [eye-LEASH] O’Neill visits a fish farm in Puget Sound to learn more about how Washington oversees these aquaculture operations -- and how that might change in the future. And everyone knows that low-income students and children of color have lower graduation rates. But here’s a complicating factor: when students from those groups miss school, it’s more likely to set them back. That’s according to a new analysis of OPB’s Class Of 2025 - a group of students from East Portland we’ve been tracking for five years. Rob Manning reports from Earl Boyles Elementary School.

A growing number of wolves in the Northwest means more chances for dead sheep and cattle. In response, state governments in Oregon and Washington now spend tens of thousands of dollars to kill wolves. But some scientists and advocates say the states are misinterpreting and disregarding scientific research. They say their approach toward killing wolves could harm wildlife, and is unlikely to reduce livestock losses. EarthFix reporter Tony Schick has this story.

OPB has been reporting on a federal boarding school for Native youth in Salem. Chemawa Indian School has drawn criticism for its treatment of both students and teachers, in stories from OPB’s Rob Manning and EarthFix reporter Tony Schick. Today Rob focuses on the veil of secrecy that surrounds the federal school. And Autumn rains have washed away the smoke of the summer wildfires. But Jeff Mapes reports that Congress remains embroiled in a high-stakes environmental debate over how to reduce the growing threat of catastrophic blazes in Western forests and rangelands.

China is the biggest buyer of recyclables from the Pacific Northwest, but China says it doesn't want our paper or plastic anymore. In this story from our EarthFix team, we find out what recyclers here are now facing. Cassandra Profita and Jes Burns report.

Questionable diplomas. Spurious expulsions. Students falling through gaps in health, safety and academic services. Those are some of the problems at Chemawa Indian School uncovered in stories by OPB’s Rob Manning and Earthfix reporter Tony Schick. In this installment, Tony looks at a big reason these problems have persisted for years: Staff feel threatened or retaliated against when they push for changes.

It could soon be more expensive to visit some of the most popular national parks, including Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. The park service's maintenance backlog is more than $11 billion. Some worry the plan won't work. Eilis O'Neill of EarthFix reports.

Chemawa Indian School serves about 350 Native high schoolers from all over the country, at its secluded campus in Salem. It started as a place to indoctrinate indigenous youth into American society. But over the years, Chemawa has tried to re-position itself as a college prep school . OPB reporters Rob Manning and Tony Schick of EarthFix have been looking into a range of problems at Chemawa. Today, Rob looks at academics.

Cheap solar panels have led to a boom in the solar power industry. Proposed tariffs could help Oregon solar panel manufacturers, but some worry the panels would be too expensive. Cassandra Profita of EarthFix reports. We also visit with a scientist who researches the American pika in the Columbia Gorge. She has been locked out of her research areas by the Eagle Creek Fire. OPB's Ericka Cruz Guevarra reports.

The wildfire in Southwest Oregon - the biggest in the state this summer - burned into a quarantine zone where trees were suffering from a devastating plant disease. In the end, the fire could save some trees from certain death. Jes Burns of EarthFix reports. Also, Aaron Scott introduces us to Chris Marshall, who curates the Arthropod Collection at Oregon State University. He may have discovered a new species of rain beetle, just over the Columbia in Washington state.

Oregon lawmakers unveiled an $8.2 billion transportation package, which will widen highways and shore up bridges. The money will come from a combination of gas and sales taxes, and maybe even tolls. We'll dig into the details of the proposal. We'll also hear why the state Land Board changed its mind and voted not to sell the Elliott State Forest. Plus we find out what flavor is in the running to become the official state pie. Host Geoff Norcross talks with OPB senior political reporter Jeff Mapes, Oregonian reporter Anna Marum, and EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita.

Oregon lawmakers unveiled an $8.2 billion transportation package, which will widen highways and shore up bridges. The money will come from a combination of gas and sales taxes, and maybe even tolls. We’ll dig into the details of the proposal. We’ll also hear why the state Land Board changed its mind and voted not to sell the Elliott State Forest. Plus we find out what flavor is in the running to become the official state pie. Host Geoff Norcross talks with OPB senior political reporter Jeff Mapes, Oregonian reporter Anna Marum, and EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita.

Oregon's leaders are picking fights with the Trump administration on a number of issues. The administration is pushing back, threatening to withhold grants from states that don't get in line. Host Geoff Norcross talks with OPB's senior political reporter Jeff Mapes and EarthFix reporter Jes Burns about Oregon's differences with the federal government on immigration, environmental regulations, and marijuana legalization.

Oregon’s leaders are picking fights with the Trump administration on a number of issues. The administration is pushing back, threatening to withhold grants from states that don’t get in line. Host Geoff Norcross talks with OPB’s senior political reporter Jeff Mapes and EarthFix reporter Jes Burns about Oregon's differences with the federal government on immigration, environmental regulations, and marijuana legalization.

Volkswagen Settlement Could Help Phase Out Old Diesel Trucks by EarthFix

More and more people are using publicly owned lands for recreation. Public agencies are struggling to keep up with the demand for rangers, trail maintenance – even the need to restock toilet paper in outhouses. The problem could get worse under President Trump’s hiring freeze. Reporting for EarthFix, Eilís (eye-LEASH) O’Neill headed to [Western Washington’s] Middle Fork Valley to find out more…

Hunters, fishermen and environmental activists. It’s not often these group are mentioned in the same breath. But recently they’re finding themselves standing shoulder to shoulder over the issue of public lands. Sportsmen and women consider hunting and fishing in these wild places to be their right. And they’re nervous that calls to sell off or transfer public lands are gaining traction. Now, they’re crossing political lines to protect what they love. Jes Burns of EarthFix reports.

As you motor down the highway, you could be driving over dozens of underground passages -- called culverts. Those are metal pipes or concrete boxes that carry streams beneath the roadbed. In the Northwest, thousands of these culverts are poorly designed and maintained -- blocking the way for endangered salmon. That’s why Native American tribes have sued Washington State. Reporting for EarthFix, Eilis (eye-LEASH) O’Neill headed out to look at some culverts…

Grizzly bears have been stirring up debate for decades in North-Central Washington communities. Most people love them or hate them -- they argue the bears are a necessary part of the ecosystem or a threat to their way of life. The public is getting a new chance to share their opinions at open houses throughout Washington. EarthFix reporter Courtney Flatt has more about the controversy

California condors once filled the skies from Baja to British Columbia. The giant scavenging bird had a wingspan of 10 feet. But with European settlement, the population crashed. Condors were victims of poisoning that targeted large predators like wolves. Now, the greatest known killer of these highly endangered birds is a different kind of poisoning – it comes from ingesting lead bullet fragments in dead animals. For our EarthFix series about birds and lead hunting ammunition, Jes Burns reports that an effort to reintroduce the condor in the Pacific Northwest would place them right in harm’s way.

For decades, environmental laws have protected North America’s trumpeter swan from sport hunting, but every year swans in the Pacific Northwest fall victim to one of hunting’s toxic legacies. For now, a small group of scientists and volunteers may be their only chance of survival. Reporting for our EarthFix team, Ken Christensen has the final story in our series on the effects of lead ammunition on wildlife. .

Occasionally a big idea comes along that promises revolutionize the world – think about things like self-driving cars. For biologists – especially those who work with fish – the big idea involves something called “environmental DNA.” The technology could revolutionize how we protect native animals and ensure invasive species don’t take hold. Jes Burns of EarthFix reports.

Tens of thousands of birders all over North and Central America are participating right now in the Christmas Bird Count. This annual survey in the last weeks of December and first week of January documents what birds are where and how many of them there are. The count’s been running for over one hundred years. It’s given scientists loads of data about how birds’ ranges and populations are changing. Reporting for EarthFix, Eilís [(eye-LEASH)] O’Neill headed out with some birders north of Everett, Washington…

Salmon need cool, shady streams to thrive. Oregon was once at the forefront in protecting these waters, but these days, the state lags far behind Washington and California. Now, Oregon is updating how its rivers and streams are protected. Jes Burns of EarthFix partnered with Liam Moriarty of Jefferson Public Radio to find out if these new rules will cool down Oregon’s streams enough to help its salmon make a comeback.

Can The Cannabis Industry Deliver An Organic, Environmentally Sensitive High? by EarthFix

At Lyle Falls, Tribal Fishermen Carry On Longstanding Tradition by EarthFix

Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is known as one of the quietest, most remote places in the United States. But that is changing. The Navy is ramping up troops and training in the Northwest - and the Olympic Peninsula is the epicenter of those activities. Ashley Ahearn brings us the next installment in our EarthFix series on the military’s relationship with the environment

If you were to guess who is responsible for looking out for wildlife, you probably wouldn’t think of the army. Well, it turns out, more than 400 threatened or endangered species live on U.S. military land -- almost four times more than in our national parks. So how do we protect animals in dangerous places? EarthFix reporter Katie Campbell has the next story in our series on the relationship between the military and the environment.

Battle Ready Part 3: Cleaning Up After Breaking Navy Ships by EarthFix

After the Great Depression, the Northwest’s faltering timber industry got its second wind. The comeback started with World War II. The war effort created a huge demand for lumber. It also spurred advancements in technology, setting the region up for one of the largest timber harvests in U-S history. As part of our EarthFix series exploring at the impact of the military on the environment of the Northwest, Jes Burns looks at the connections between World War II and the development of the most iconic symbol of modern logging - the chainsaw.

This month [December 7th] will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s what drew the United States into World War II. During that war, President Roosevelt called on America to be the “Arsenal of Democracy.” In Seattle, people did their part by building B-17 bombers. Thousands of these ‘Flying Fortresses’ blackened the skies over Europe. And thousands of young men risked their lives in these planes.. The B17 changed history - but it also changed Seattle. EarthFix reporter Ashley Ahearn has the story -- It’s the first in our series on the military’s environmental legacy in the Pacific Northwest.

The Northwest timber industry has changed dramatically over the past few decades. In the wake of environmental regulations and lawsuits, logging has declined on federal lands. Automation has reduced the number of jobs in the mills and forests. And the economy and trade deals haven't always been favorable. But Donald Trump’s election win has communities in the Northwest Timber Belt cheering, and hoping better times are ahead. Jes Burns of EarthFix takes us to Oregon’s Douglas County, where Trump won with 64-percent of the vote.

We’re laughing on the outside and crying on the inside this week.The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Brings Copyright Law Into the 21st Century - 00:59The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announced this week it will no longer charge copyright fees except for commercial uses (did you know artists can sue you for posting a photo of their work online?). Producer Aaron Scott explains why this is a big deal and speaks with Rauschenberg's son, who just so happens to be Portlander Christopher Rauschenberg, a photographer and co-founder of Blue Sky Gallery.Bullseye Glass Update - 5:05The air emissions story that began at two Portland art-glass makers has boiled over into state government and soon into the court room. Oregon’s top environmental administrator and an air quality regulator stepped down this week. Earthfix's Tony Schick stopped by to give us an update.The Electric Poetry of Robin Coste Lewis - 11:05Robin Coste Lewis won the National Book Award last year for her debut poetry collection, Voyage of the Sable Venus. The structure of the book's titular poem was guided by one simple rule: it is made up entirely of the titles, catalog entries and exhibit descriptions of artistic depictions of black female figures. Coste Lewis spoke with Think Out Loud's Dave Miller and read several poems. M. Ward Sings to His Baby (and opbmusic) - 22:44The latest release from M. Ward, More Rain, might sound like a Portland soundtrack, but it belies its name with sunny sounds of doo-wop and golden era AM radio sensibilities. The artist came by the OPB studios to play a few songs with a power backing band (REM's Scott McCoy, Mike Coykendall, and Alialujah Choir's Adam Selzer and Alia Farah), who he insists he did not find on Craigslist. The Book of Unknown Americans at Milagro Theater - 29:55The Multnomah County Library's Everybody Reads this year focuses on Cristina Henríquez's lauded novel, The Book of Unknown Americans. Henríquez will be in town on Tuesday (we'll have excerpts for you next week), but in preparation, Milagro Theatre brought in a group of actors to read her work. We share one of our favorites.Sandra Cisneros at Wordstock - 34:48One of Henríquez's influences was Sandra Cisneros' 1984 novel, The House on Mango Street. The story revolves around a girl trying to escape her poor Chicago neighborhood and is one of the few novels from a Latina perspective to be embraced by the literary establishment. We interviewed Cisneros at Wordstock last November shortly after the release of her latest work, A House of My Own: Stories From My Life.Farewell, Sweet Comedy: Amy Miller and Sean Jordan - 41:15Stand-up veterans Sean Jordan and Amy Miller are leaving for Los Angeles this month but not before one final farewell at Aladdin Theater on Mar. 13. The comedians talk with April Baer about what they love about Portland and why they have to leave.Visit our website for videos and full interviews: http://www.opb.org/radio/article/m-ward-robin-coste-lewis-robert-rauschenberg-sandra-cisneros-amy-miller-sean-jordan

The arts news is coming in size XL this week.Glass HousesIn Southeast Portland, residents continue to reel from news that they've been exposed to unhealthy levels of heavy metals in the air. As we reported last week, environmental regulators admitted they didn't know how much cadmium and arsenic were coming out of the Bullseye Glass facility. That is, until experimental testing using moss revealed this pollution hot spot. A lot of people have been asking how environmental rules allowed these pollutants to go undetected for years. EarthFix reporter Cassandra Profita looked into this, and into how the glass businesses are responding.Is Law Enforcement: A Laughing Matter? 5:42Hillsboro's Police Department is trying something new to improve the quality of its training.: officers are working with improv performers from Portland's Curious Comedy Theater. The Curious team usually goes for laughs, but there's nothing even remotely funny about the scenes they were acting out at the police training facility in Hillsboro recently.Portland Candidates on the Arts - 12:42We've got a new page up charting where the mayoral and city council candidates stand on arts and culture issues — and it’s pretty revealing. This week, we introduce you to several more of the people seeking elected office in Portland: Fred Stewart, Chloe Eudaly, and Sean Davis.Filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky: Blindness in Nepal and the Slender Man - 20:56Irene Taylor Brodsky has made a number of award-winning documentaries ranging from "Hear and Now," which followed her deaf parents as they heard for the first time with cochlear implants, to "Saving Pelican 895," which tracked the rescue of a single pelican from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Now, Brodsky has two films coming out in quick succession. The first, ‘Open Your Eyes,’ is about a blind Nepali couple who see for the first time after unexpected cataract treatment. It screens on Sunday at the Portland International Film Festival. The second, "Beware the Slender Man," takes an unblinking look at the recent case where two 12-year-old girls tried to murder their friend to impress a mysterious internet figure known as the Slender Man.Samantha Wall Wins the Contemporary NW Art Awards - 32:07Last week, the Portland Art Museum announced the top honor of the 2016 Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, the Arlene Schnitzer prize. The winner is a young artist who’s quickly rising to the top of the Portland art scene: Samantha Wall. The award comes with a cool $10,000 check and an exhibition at the art museum this fall. OPB’s Kelsey Wallace had a story on Oregon Art Beat last year about Wall’s unique background and artistic practice.Oregon Ballet Theatre: Choreographers James Canfield and Nicolo Fonte - 37:42James Canfield founded Oregon Ballet Theater in 1989. One of the first ballets he choreographed for the nascent company was "Romeo and Juliet," to the famous score by Sergei Prokofiev. Canfield returned this season to remount the ballet for the first time in more than 15 years, running Feb. 27–Mar. 5. At the same time he was working with the dancers, choreographer Nicolo Fonte was starting rehearsals for "Beautiful Decay," which opens in April. It’s a meditation on life and aging that pairs OBT dancers with older Portland dancers. We sit down with both choreographers to discuss their shared attractions to the darker themes in life.Classical-Fused Hip-Hop with Black Violin - 47:01The Florida-based duo Black Violin consists of two classically-trained musicians who are pushing the boundaries on what can be done with the instruments. NPR’s Lindsay Totty caught up with the duo to discuss their latest release, "Stereotypes," and to find out how they’re defying them. The duo plays the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Feb. 24.

We are all feeling positively giddy because of everyone sending their nickles and dimes during pledge week. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.Portland's Brittle Glass HouseOne of the world’s top makers of art glass is reeling after revelations that its plant in Southeast Portland has been emitting vastly more cadmium and arsenic than previously known. Bullseye Glass suspended production of some products this week, and a second Portland-based glass-maker, Uroboros, followed suit. Earthfix's Cassandra Profita fills us in, and we talk with some of the artists who use Bullseye.Master of the Stone Mosaic - 11:50Jeffrey Bale is a designer and stone artist whose mosaics will keep you gazing at the ground for hours. His dizzying and intricate spirals and organic patterns have attracted high-end clientele and rave reviews from the New York Times and reams of landscape design publications. Bale lives in Portland and is the subject of an Oregon Art Beat profile this week.How Do You Make a Grammy-Nominated Remix? 15:55Portlander Andre Allen Anjos, who works under the name RAC, is up for a Grammy for Best Remixed Recording for his work on "Say My Name" by Odesza. He has become the go-to guy for remixing indie bands, from The Shins to Foster the People, as well as mega artists like U2, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, and he hopscotches the globe performing his own music and DJ massive parties. But what exactly does it take to make a Grammy-winning remix? Anjos takes us into the studio to show us how he takes songs apart and puts them back together again.Pussy Riot Ruffles Portland's Feathers - 25:40The Russian art-punk outfit Pussy Riot have become international activists after staging demonstrations against Russia's totalitarian government under President Vladimir Putin. This week, they visited Portland for a talk moderated by Storm Large and OPB's John Sepulvado. Sepulvado tells us how it went.The Eugene Symphony Turns 50 with Three World Premieres - 33:05The Eugene Symphony has a reputation for programming challenging works, but the symphony is pushing itself to a new level for its 50th anniversary with three new commissions by world class composers, including the University of Oregon's composition department chair, Robert Kyr.Diana Nyad & Cheryl Strayed - 39:54A few minutes with two of the fiercest ladies you’ll ever meet: Diana Nyad and Cheryl Strayed. They shared a stage at Wordstock last November. Nyad had just released her memoir, "Find A Way," about swimming from Cuba to Florida. She was the first person to do it without a shark cage, and she pulled this off at the ripe and wonderful age of 64. And Strayed, of course, is the local author who became a household name with the release of her book "Wild," about her solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Bringing these two together on stage produced combustion of the highest order, not to mention some harmonies on a Neil Young classic.

Cuttinblastin by EarthFix