Podcasts about opb

The cities of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village are rethinking what fire service might look like in East Multnomah County. For decades, Gresham’s fire department has contracted with the other cities to provide service. But the cities have grown, and funds for firefighters have not kept up. Now, the cities are considering a new option: a fire district. Instead of Gresham having primary control of services, the municipalities would work together to offer fire support for the area. Holly Bartholomew is an OPB reporter covering Portland’s suburban communities as a Report for America Corps member. She joins us with more on how the cities plan to move forward.

Meet Irene Gilbert, a 76-year-old retired state employee, former gun store owner and avid elk hunter from La Grande, Oregon. She’s a citizen activist, who considers herself an environmentalist, and is on a mission to keep wind turbines and transmission towers from blighting the rural landscape.    She’s using regulations originally set up to address concerns about nuclear power plants in Oregon to oppose renewable energy projects. She has filed more challenges to energy projects than any other individual in the state. And some renewable energy advocates say the processes Gilbert uses could be one reason that Oregon is lagging behind almost every other state when it comes to green energy projects.    OPB investigative reporter and editor Tony Schick joins us to talk about the story he recently did for OPB and ProPublica featuring Gilbert and examining Oregon’s renewable energy challenges.    Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

Class is now back in session for students across Oregon. Schools are navigating a new statewide ban on cellphones in the classroom, as well as the growing use of artificial intelligence among both students and educators. Meanwhile, aggressive federal immigration enforcement tactics have raised fears in some communities that schools could become hotspots for arrests. Natalie Pate covers K-12 education for OPB. She joins us to talk about these issues and more.

Last Friday, Oregon lawmakers convened in Salem for a special legislative session called by Gov. Tina Kotek to pass a transportation funding bill. The special session will now likely not end until later this month to allow Democrats to muster the necessary votes to pass the bill in the Oregon Senate. On Monday, the House passed a bill that would raise gas taxes by 6 cents per gallon, hike vehicle registration and titling fees, raise costs for drivers of EVs, and temporarily double a payroll tax that funds public transit. The bill contains many elements of one introduced earlier this year by Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, who is currently recovering from surgery and is seen as a critical vote for the passage of the new transportation funding bill to avert mass layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation and cuts in the agency’s services. That earlier bill failed during the regularly scheduled legislative session which ended in June.   OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart joins us for the latest developments about the special legislative session and the political rifts that have emerged as it nears conclusion.  

OPB reporter Tony Schick joins the Exchange.

Five years ago, for some Oregon residents, the world burned down. A severe windstorm and dry conditions saw out-of-control fires explode around the state on September 7th and 8th in 2020. They raged through communities like Gates, Detroit and Otis in Northwest Oregon, and Talent and Phoenix in Southern Oregon. What became known as the Labor Day Fires burned more than four thousand homes and more than a million acres of land in Oregon, making 2020 the state’s most destructive wildfire season on record.   So, what do you do? When a catastrophe strikes? When your community turns to ash? When you lose things that made you who you are? OPB environmental reporters Cassandra Profita and April Ehrlich covered the 2020 fires in different parts of Oregon, Cassandra for OPB and April for our news partner, Jefferson Public Radio. They both join us this week to talk about fire recovery: what makes it so hard, how it changes us, the ways we help each other, and what recovery even means.

OPB's Politics Reporter Lauren Drake joins the Exchange.

On the morning of May 15, 2025, officers from multiple local, state and federal agencies raided the West Coast Game Park Safari and seized more than 300 animals. The park had a wide variety of animals, including lions and other big cats, capybaras, camels and a chimpanzee. They also had chickens, sheep, llamas and goats. People had been complaining about dangerous conditions at the park for years and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited them for violating the Animal Welfare Act numerous times. Law enforcement also found over 80 grams of meth, eight grams of cocaine, 44 guns, and $1.6 million.    Justin Higginbottom is a reporter for Jefferson Public Radio based in southern Oregon, and he joins us to share what he’s learned about the raid and what led up to it. His stories come to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.   For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, host Jenn Chávez and Oregon Field Guide. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

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.   

Hope for the Future: Gathering of the Eagles on Sept 6 with Lara Logan and Natalie Winters: https://www.thegatheringoftheeagles.com/ Make comment and testify against Kotek's big tax increase that will be heard on Monday, but voted on Friday: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025I1/Committees/JCTF/2025-08-25-15-00/Agenda Media hits Kotek on tax increase: https://oregoncatalyst.com/90192-kotek-fire-media.html Lies and damn lies: OPB story about only 12 million illegals in America: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/21/us-illegal-immigration-record-high/ Homan made quiet visit to Portland yesterday: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/08/trumps-border-czar-made-quiet-visit-to-portland.html Lib Fed judge shuts down Alligator Alcatraz: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/breaking-obama-judge-bars-trump-admin-bringing-new/ OR education worker wins in Fed court for common sense on tranny issue: https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2025/08/oregon-education-worker-wins-partial-victory-in-he-is-he-she-is-she-book-display-case.html SOS Rubio stops visas for foreign truck drivers: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/marco-rubio-slams-brakes-employment-visas-truck-drivers/ Trump hater and warmonger John Bolton's home raided by FBI for having classified docs and leaking: https://revolver.news/2025/08/wondering-why-boltons-house-was-just-raided-weve-got-the-scoop-and-a-spicy-twist/  

Much of Oregon relies on our forests to generate cash for roads, bridges, law enforcement and more. But for decades, that money has faded as the timber industry has struggled. Now those problems are coming to a head in a whole new way.. On the latest episode of OPB politics now, we explore how Oregon’s timber counties are bracing for losses after the passage of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and the complex history of logging, federal lands and politics mix. Find the show anywhere you get your podcast.

Reagan, Bryan and Dirk break down the news around the different topics in Oregon politics today. We discuss the floor debate that turned into a Rule 27 complaint against Representative Duane Yunker.https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/08/oregon-house-panel-dismisses-misconduct-charges-against-lawmaker-who-read-sexually-explicit-content-on-house-floor.htmlSpecial Session is coming hard and fast to add billions over 10 years to the ODOT budget… Read Dirk's article as well on OPB. Will there be a shake up in leadership in the Senate Democrat Caucus? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crosstabs.studio

It’s the summer. The days are longer, and the nights are hotter.    It’s the perfect time to talk about romance, specifically romance novels. They’ve become so popular in recent years, with over 39 million copies sold in 2023, according to The New York Times.     That doesn’t exclude the Pacific Northwest. Here, we’ve also seen a rise in romance books being checked out of libraries. In the Portland metro area alone, we have two bookstores dedicated to romance books.   On today’s episode, OPB’s Crystal Ligori and Sukhjot Sal warm our hearts by telling us how the genre got so popular and why they love it so much.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

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.  

“At Work With” is a series in which we talk to Pacific Northwesterners with cool jobs and ask them your questions about what it’s like to do what they do. In our latest episode, we bring you along as we go to work with a bike bus captain, a tattoo artist and a coastal lifeguard.   Let us know who you want to hear from next! You can also send us questions you have for our next “At Work With” interview. Email us at theevergreen@opb.org or visit our web page to submit questions.   For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.

Joining the Exchange to tell us more is Dirk Vanderhart, an OPB reporter covering the story.

The land where the Willamette and Columbia rivers meet has been home to dozens of different Native nations since time immemorial. For thousands of years, tribes such as the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Clackamas and many, many others created communities here. Since settlers first forcefully occupied this land in the mid-1800s, the city of Portland has failed to build trust with sovereign Tribal leaders and Indigenous residents.    In 2017, Portland created a Tribal Relations Program to bridge the relationship between Tribal governments and the city and to strengthen city government ties to its Native communities. It was a trailblazing program at the time, but in the years since it’s had three different managers and has been without a leader for months.   OPB reporter Alex Zielinski recently teamed up with Nika Bartoo-Smith, a reporter for Underscore Native News and ICT, to dig into the city of Portland’s relationship with tribal governments and Native communities. They join us to talk about what they’ve found.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, host Jenn Chávez and Oregon Field Guide. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

Public broadcasters large and small have been reacting to the unprecedented Congressional vote to pull already-approved funding for public media. In Oregon and Washington, public radio stations face an array of challenges, depending on their size and resources. Some radio stations play nationally-produced NPR content, but not all. Many are squarely focused on covering their local community news with locally produced programs. Tribal stations, rural stations, student-driven stations and classical music stations are among those  hardest hit. Joining us to tell us more are KMUN Station Manager Susan Peterson in Astoria; Northwest Public Broadcasting’s Director of Audience and Programming Sueann Ramella in Pullman, WA; KWSO's Sue Matters on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation; and KLCC reporter Zac Ziegler in Eugene. OPB is among the public media organizations affected by the rescission cuts.

The 1930s were a golden age of aviation, as famous pilots like Amelia Earhart made flights once thought impossible and inspired new curiosity about the skies. At the time, more and more women were learning to fly in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, some of the first Chinese American women ever to earn pilots licenses grew up in the same tight-knit Chinese community in Portland. On this week’s show, we learn about two of these barrier-breaking pilots: Hazel Ying Lee and Leah Hing. Their passion for flying cemented their roles in the history of a country which sought to exclude them. We’ll hear how they’re remembered today - by their loved ones, by Portlanders, by Americans - at a time when so much history is intentionally being forgotten.   Watch the OPB “Oregon Experience” video about Hazel Ying Lee, “Her Name Means ‘Hero.’”For episodes of The Evergreen, and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

Earlier this month the semiconductor chip maker Intel announced it would layoff nearly 2,400 workers in Washington County - amounting to about 10% of its overall workforce. Nonetheless, the company remains one of Oregon’s largest private employers, and the ripple effects of its contraction will be felt more broadly throughout the state economy. OPB business reporter Kyra Buckley has been following this story, and she joins us to bring us the latest.

Earlier this month the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it would need to lay off nearly 500 workers. This came after lawmakers failed to pass a transportation package to help boost the budget of the agency responsible for road maintenance around the state. Now, Gov. Tina Kotek has announced a special session will be held in late August with the hopes of finding the funds for the state’s transportation agency and has also shared she will delay impending layoffs. OPB politics reporter Dirk Vanderhart joins us to share more on what to expect from the upcoming special session.

Where do you go to find community when you’re older?    That’s a question OPB’s Winston Szeto wanted to answer, specifically for senior communities of color.    The Yat Sing Music Club was founded in 1942 by Chinese immigrants in Portland, Oregon. The club was started to raise funds for China’s defense against Japan during World War II.    Over 80 years later, Yat Sing preserves Cantonese opera through ongoing rehearsals and community outreach. The club is particularly important for the older generation. This is a space where they can be themselves and celebrate their culture.    There’s a similar experience at Ikoi no Kai, a senior meal program in Portland that opened in 1979. It offers a space for local Japanese Americans coming together over food and connection.    In Oregon, the need for social connection is more important than ever. The latest census data says the state ranks among the highest in the country for residents who report feeling lonely.    OPB’s Winston Szeto researched this topic by looking into these two groups — and why it's important to focus on those rarely covered in the media: seniors.    Check out OPB’s Oregon Experience documentary on the Yat Sing Music Club and story on Ikoi no Kai.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

If you’re drinking a beer anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, chances are it’s an IPA. Whether you’re grabbing something from the cooler at your local convenience store or choosing a pint at a pub, you’re sure to find a wide selection of this hoppy, crisp style of beer. The letters stand for India Pale Ale, but the IPAs widely available today actually have a strong connection to Oregon. Author and journalist Jeff Alworth brings us the story of how a specific variety of hops grown by breeders in Oregon changed America’s beer scene almost by accident. Also, watch the Superabundant video about Pacific Northwest hops! For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

*Content warning: distressing topics, death, child abuse, child sex abuse, psychological and physical violence, cultic abuse, torture, addiction, humiliation, systemic abuse, religious abuse.  Maia Szalavitz's website:  maiasz.com/ Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids here: maiasz.com/books/help-at-any-cost/  *Sources: Asheville Academy faces $45,000 in fines after state investigation into child safety violations, Spectrum Local News spectrumlocalnews.com/charlotte/supreme-court/news/2025/06/18/asheville-academy-violations  Asheville Academy Gives Up Its License Following Two Suicides in May, Asheville News asheville.com/news/2025/06/asheville-academy-gives-up-its-license-following-two-suicides-in-may/ Asheville Academy violated NC law, will face fines after child suicides report says, Yahoo News .yahoo.com/news/asheville-academy-violated-nc-law-184725552.html  BHAD BHABIE - Breaking Code Silence - Turn About Ranch abuse Dr. Phil | Danielle Bregoli youtube.com/watch?v=GteqbsYGv1I  Bhad Bhabie Says She Was Abused at Troubled-Teen Camp She Was Sent to by Dr. Phil: 'No Sympathy', People people.com/music/bhad-bhabie-says-she-was-abused-camp-she-was-sent-to-dr-phil  Breaking Code Silence Takes On the Troubled Teen Industry, Treatment Magazine treatmentmagazine.com/breaking-code-silence-takes-on-the-troubled-teen-industry/  A Death in the Desert, Los Angeles Times latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-15-tm-20285-story.html  Dr. Phil Has Responded To Bhad Bhabie's Allegations Of Abuse And Then She Replied With Another Video, BuzzFeed buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/dr-phil-responds-to-bhad-bhabie-allegations  Dr. Phil responds to 'Bhad Bhabie' claims of abuse at troubled teen camp, News Nation facebook.com/watch/?v=2501186526842381  Cults and the Law, ICSA articles3.icsahome.com/articles/cults-and-the-law The Cult that Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry, Mother Jones motherjones.com/politics/2007/08/cult-spawned-tough-love-teen-industry/ Ex-Counselor Convicted of Neglect, Desert News deseret.com/1996/11/7/19275546/ex-counselor-convicted-of-neglect/ Father Sues Challenger Over Daughter's Death, Desert News deseret.com/1991/7/24/18932325/father-sues-challenger-over-daughter-s-death/  Five Facts About the Troubled Teen Industry, American Bar Association  americanbar.org/groups/litigation/resources/newsletters/childrens-rights/five-facts-about-troubled-teen-industry/  Former North Star Counselor Sentences to a Year in Jail, Desert News deseret.com/1996/12/21/19284306/former-north-star-counselor-sentenced-to-a-year-in-jail/  Here's what Paris Hilton says about Utah in her new memoir, ‘Paris', The Salt Lake Tribune sltrib.com/news/2023/03/14/heres-what-paris-hilton-says-about/  House passes bill backed by Paris Hilton to reform youth treatment facilities, AP News apnews.com/article/paris-hilton-child-abuse-youth-facilities-congress-8729a53bbf17b25ae2726040ce3cc203  Jury Acquits Cartisano of All Charges, Desert News deseret.com/1992/5/28/18986401/jury-acquits-cartisano-of-all-charges-br/  Keeping 'Cult' Out of the Case, Cult Education Institute  culteducation.com/group/1274-straight-inc/19713-keeping-cult-out-of-the-case.html  KIDS Centers of America, Breaking Code Silence breakingcodesilence.org/kids-centers-of-america/ Lawsuit claims staff at former St. George youth center abused, impregnated teenage girls, KUTV kutv.com/news/local/lawsuit-claims-staff-at-former-st-george-youth-center-abused-impregnated-teenage-girls  Nine charged after teen's camp death, Tampa Bay Times tampabay.com/archive/1994/10/20/nine-charged-after-teen-s-camp-death/  One school with an alarming death rate has its alumni fighting for answers, The Independent the-independent.com/news/long_reads/new-york-hancock-school-overdose-death-suicide-education-america-a8531006.html   Paris Hilton's Powerful Speech in DC: Ending Abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry, Paris Hilton youtube.com/watch?v=HcHXWc7N2xc    Paris Hilton testifying today in Sacramento for bill aimed at ‘troubled teen industry', Los Angeles Times latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-04/paris-hilton-sacramento-california-bill-troubled-teen-industry-residential-treatment  The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping https://www.netflix.com/title/81579761 Rebecca Ehrlich vs. Kids of North Jersey, Inc., et al law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/appellate-division-published/2001/a4975-99-opn.html Residential treatment school closes in NC after deaths of 2 girls, AP News apnews.com/article/therapy-school-closes-north-carolina-asheville-academy-9854c3ca7cda11cc06f05d9fccef4112  Romney Cans Golden Goose Over Abuse, Radar Online radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/10/mitt-romney-robert-lichfield-php   Romney, Torture, and Teens, Reason Foundation reason.com/2007/06/27/romney-torture-and-teens  Senate report says US taxpayers help fund residential treatment facilities that put vulnerable kids at risk, OPB opb.org/article/2024/06/12/senate-report-us-taxpayers-fund-residential-treatment-facilities-that-put-vulnerable-kids-at-risk/  State investigation finds licensing violations at Asheville Academy amid student suicides, ABC 13 News wlos.com/news/local/asheville-academy-state-licensing-violations-student-suicides-north-carolina-department-health-human-services-mental-health-certification-section-report-letter-buncombe-county-weaverville  Survival program charged in death of Fla. teen-ager, Tampa Bay Times tampabay.com/archive/1990/08/15/survival-program-charged-in-death-of-fla-teen-ager The Synanon Case, IRS.gov https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicb90.pdf    Teen Torture Inc. Is the Latest Documentary to Explore Abuses at Youth Treatment Centers, Time time.com/6997172/teen-torture-max-abuse-documentary  This 1970s Cult Inspired Abusive Teen Rehabilitation Methods Still Used Today, Teen Vogue teenvogue.com/story/this-1970s-cult-inspired-abusive-teen-rehabilitation-methods-still-used-today   How the Brainwashing Label Threatened and Enabled the Troubled-Teen Industry, Journal of American Studies researchgate.net/publication/379883774_To_Use_This_Word_Would_Be_Absurd_How_the_Brainwashing_Label_Threatened_and_Enabled_the_Troubled-Teen_Industry  Troubled-teen industry oversight bill sails through Congress, NBC News yahoo.com/news/troubled-teen-industry-oversight-bill-222536418.html   The Troubled Teen Industry's Troubling Lack of Oversight, Penn Carey Law law.upenn.edu/live/news/15963-the-troubled-teen-industrys-troubling-lack-of  The Troubled Teen Industry Timeline unsilenced.org/troubled-teen-industry-timeline/ Virgil Miller Newton, Surviving Straight Inc. survivingstraightinc.com/MillerNewton/MillerNewtonTimeline.pdf  Unexpected Turn Of Events With Teen After Appearance On ‘Dr. Phil' youtube.com/watch?v=L_kiav0p5Iw  Utah Criminal Code le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter5/76-5-S206.html What You Need to Know About the Troubled Teen Industry, The Law Offices of Lisa Kane Brown lisakanebrown.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-troubled-teen-industry  WWASP, Unsilenced https://www.unsilenced.org/timeline/wwasp/  Why has the USA not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?, medRxiv medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.05.24312304v2.full  Wyden Investigation Exposes Systemic Taxpayer-Funded Child Abuse and Neglect in Youth Residential Treatment Facilities, United States Senate Committee on Finance  finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-investigation-exposes-systemic-taxpayer-funded-child-abuse-and-neglect-in-youth-residential-treatment-facilities  3 Plead Guilty to Negligence in Teen's Death, Desert News deseret.com/1996/9/28/19268520/3-plead-guilty-to-negligence-in-teen-s-death/  *SWW S24 Theme Song - U Think U by Glad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/  The S24 cover art is by the Amazing Sara Stewart

"Fair," as those who attend regularly call it, began in 1969 as a simple fundraiser for an alternative school. But over the last 56 years, it has turned into a veritable Oregon institution. Its mission is to create “experiences that nourish the spirit, explore living artfully and authentically on earth, and transform culture in magical, joyous and healthy ways.” In 2013, “Think Out Loud” went to the Oregon Country Fair and broadcast a show live from just outside the entrance gates to see how that mission was playing out. Oregon Art Beat has a new profile of the fair, which airs on OPB TV Thursday, July 10, and is now up on OPB’s YouTube channel. Our guests included fairgoers Lucy Kingsley, Geoff Silver, John Lyle and Suzi Prozanski, author of the book “Fruit of the Sixties: The Founding of the Oregon Country Fair,” as well as acoustic troubadour Brian Cutean. We also talked with Tripp Sommer, KLCC news director; Sheri Lundell, who helped plan the first fair in 1969, co-founder of the Portland Saturday Market and owner of Cafe 26; and Peter Yarrow (1938 - 2025), formerly of Peter, Paul and Mary, who performed at the 2013 fair. Production note: The 2013 live broadcast was hosted by Dave Miller, produced by Allison Frost, and engineered by Steven Kray and Jonathan Newsome. We had production help from interns Jessica Kittams, Alex Eidman, and Kathryn Boyd-Batstone.

This episode involves sexual abuse. Please keep that in mind in choosing when and where to listen. And if you or someone you know may be a victim of sexual abuse, confidential support, information and advice are available at the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 800-656-4673.   Description:  In November of 2024 protests erupted in the small Oregon city of St. Helens. Students and parents called for more accountability after two teachers were arrested for allegedly abusing students. A police investigation led to the arrests of choir teacher Eric Stearns and recently retired math teacher Mark Collins, who were charged with sexually abusing multiple students between 2015 and 2024. This is not the first time that a teacher at St. Helens High School has been accused of abusing students.    OPB reporter Joni Auden Land covered the upheaval in St Helens as it unfolded late last year. Around that same time, they got an email from someone who graduated from high school there in 1988. The email was from Jodie Westing, and she said that when she was a 17-year-old senior at St Helens High School, a 31-year-old teacher groomed and manipulated her into a sexual relationship with him. The teacher Westing says abused her was Gene Evans, who later became a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Education and the Department of Human Services. Westing’s email launched a months-long investigation by OPB. Joni joins us to tell the story and give us a window into their reporting process.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, host Jenn Chávez and Oregon Field Guide. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

The gavel came down on this year’s session of the Oregon legislature on Friday. Legislators failed to pass a controversial funding package for transportation and infrastructure. They also took up gun bills, civil commitment, wildfire funding and many other issues. OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart helps us understand it all.  

At the Oregon Country Fair, there are fairies and gnomes walking around in colorful costumes. A 40-person marching band also bursts out of nowhere and plays down a path.  “Feels like you stepped into a wonderland or something magical,” one fairgoer told OPB in 2024.  The fair grew out of a 1960s vision of a better world: a paradise for hippies. But the history of the fair is complex. It takes place on a native ancestral gathering site.  “I think there's a part of hippie culture that thinks that they can take any culture from any part of the world and make whatever they want of it,” said David Lewis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.   In this week’s episode, we sit down with OPB’s Oregon Art Beat producer Eric Slade and freelance producer Kunu Bearchum to talk about the Oregon Country Fair and how it houses hundreds of artists every year – and its history, from hippies to Native belonging.    Check out OPB’s hour-long documentary on the Oregon Country Fair.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

At the Oregon Country Fair, there are fairies and gnomes walking around in colorful costumes. A 40-person marching band also bursts out of nowhere and plays down a path.  “Feels like you stepped into a wonderland or something magical,” one fairgoer told OPB in 2024.  The fair grew out of a 1960s vision of a better world: a paradise for hippies. But the history of the fair is complex. It takes place on a native ancestral gathering site.  “I think there's a part of hippie culture that thinks that they can take any culture from any part of the world and make whatever they want of it,” said David Lewis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.   In this week’s episode, we sit down with OPB’s Oregon Art Beat producer Eric Slade and freelance producer Kunu Bearchum to talk about the Oregon Country Fair and how it houses hundreds of artists every year – and its history, from hippies to Native belonging.    Check out OPB’s hour-long documentary on the Oregon Country Fair.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

In 1988, Deborah Atrops was reported missing to police by her husband Robert. When she was found dead, police quickly honed in on her husband as the prime suspect, but without enough evidence to charge him, the case went cold. Until more than three decades later, when Washington County prosecutors declared they’d finally solved the case, and charged Robert Atrops with Deborah Atrops’ murder — thanks, in part, to DNA.Since its introduction, DNA has been considered the “gold standard” of evidence. And advances in DNA testing over the years have sometimes provided the opportunity for a second look at decades-old cases like this one. But DNA evidence isn’t always as simple as it seems on television. Sometimes what it tells us isn’t so clear.OPB legal affairs reporter Conrad Wilson and public safety and health editor Michelle Wiley have been closely following the Atrops case for months, and join us to explain.For more episodes of The Evergreen, and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps:HushTimber Wars Season 2: Salmon WarsPolitics NowThink Out LoudAnd many more! Check out our full show list here.

 In early June, a federal judge found the state in contempt of a court order that requires people with severe mental illness in custody to be quickly admitted to the the Oregon State Hospital.  Now, the state is appealing that decision and has asked the court to pause the contempt ruling. Amelia Templeton is OPB’s health reporter and has been following this story. She joins us to share more on what is happening at the state’s psychiatric hospital.

Oregon lawmakers recently unveiled a proposal to maintain the state’s roads and bridges. House Bill 2025 would raise the state’s gas tax by 15 cents, raise vehicle fees and add oversight to the Oregon Department of Transportation, according to OPB reporting. The bill could raise more than $2 billion annually by 2034, according to a revenue analysis. What does the proposal mean for cities and counties? Dan Dorran is a Umatilla County Commissioner. Jim McCauley is the legislative director for the League of Oregon Cities. They join us with more on the role that cities and counties play in Oregon’s transportation system and why funding is critical at the local level.

As the giant bill to address our state's transit infrastructure crises faces an uncertain future in Salem, it's important to remember how rural areas rely on our roads and bridges every day. Today, we're revisiting a conversation with OPB's Lillian Karabaic who earlier this year travelled all over Oregon using only public transportation, learning about the struggles rural communities are facing along the way.  This episode originally aired on Feb 6, 2025 Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here.  Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 16th episode: Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST PaintCare Portland State University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Rodger Kennedy was 17 years old, he dropped out of high school. He worked to survive on his own.   Over a decade later, right before Rodger turned 30, he decided to get his GED. He wanted to prove a point to his son Sam.  “I did it to show them that it's never too late to follow through and finish that goal,” Rodger said. In this week’s episode, we finish our three-part series on OPB’s “Class of 2025.” It’s a project we created back in 2012 when former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber declared the ambitious goal of one-hundred percent graduation by 2025.    That’s when OPB decided to document the stories of a kindergarten class on their journey all the way through high school: to capture what it’s like to grow up in the Oregon education system, and all the other life experiences that make us who we are along the way. Thirteen years after Kitzhaber’s State of the State address, one-hundred percent high school graduation is no longer the goal.    Today, we tell the stories of the unsung heroes we’ve met along the way: the parents and guardians of the class of 2025 students.    Education reporter Elizabeth Miller tells us the story of Rodger and his son Sam, plus all the other ways parents have impacted their kids in the project.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

In 2017, Portland created a Tribal Relations Program to bridge the relationship between Tribal governments and the city. It was a trailblazing program at the time, but in the years since, it's had three different managers and has been without a leader for seven months. OPB’s Alex Zielinski and Underscore’s Nika Bartoo-Smith join us to talk about the city’s troubled relationship with Tribal governments and its hopes for the future of the program.

“High school didn't really go the way I expected it,” said Leyna, who didn’t graduate with her high school class in early June.    Leyna’s dad died right before her freshman year. Since then, she’s struggled to complete her work, and she switched to online school her senior year. She was dealing with some health issues and helping her mom take care of her little sister.    School wasn’t her main priority.   In this week’s episode, we continue to tell the stories of OPB’s “Class of 2025.” It’s a project we created back in 2012 when former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber declared the ambitious goal of one-hundred percent graduation by 2025.    That’s when OPB decided to document the stories of a kindergarten class on their journey all the way through high school: to capture what it’s like to grow up in the Oregon education system, and all the other life experiences that make us who we are along the way. Thirteen years after Kitzhaber’s State of the State address, one-hundred percent high school graduation is no longer the goal.    Today, we tell the stories of two students who aren’t graduating. Education reporter Elizabeth Miller gives us insight into their lives.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

In 2012, then Oregon governor John Kitzhaber announced a lofty goal: by 2025, the state would achieve a 100% high school graduation rate. That hasn’t happened — the state’s graduation rate is around 82% — but the goal sparked the creation of a 12-year reporting project at OPB called  “Class of 2025.”   OPB journalists began talking to 27 students who were then in kindergarten at Earl Boyles elementary school in Southeast Portland, and have followed most of them through to 2025. Back in 2014, “Think Out Loud" spent an hour with the first graders, their teachers and parents after an early pizza lunch at Earl Boyles. We listen back to that show.  

On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Bryce Dole and Dirk VanderHart discussed the major things happening in Salem, as lawmakers race to a conclusion in the coming weeks. This episode was available live on OPB.org/livestream or on OPB's YouTube page. They discussed the transportation package, gun legislation, foster care bills, the budget, the overall tone of the session and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.  

Until last week, Kevin Heatley was the Crater Lake National Park superintendent. He’d worked in the private sector for much of his career, but for most of the last decade he’s been in leadership positions with the federal government, including with the Bureau of Land Management. He had only taken the Park Service job in January, a move he made in anticipation of possible BLM cuts. But last week, he chose to resign, saying he could no longer be party to President Trump’s dismantling of the federal government. He told OPB that while park services will be affected, it was the impact on the physical and mental health of employees that he felt he could longer be complicit in. Heatley joins us to tell us more about his time at the helm of Oregon’s only national park and his hopes for federal government employees in the Trump administration.

In 2012, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber announced a goal that by 2025, the state would achieve a 100% high school graduation rate. Although Oregon today graduates only about 4 out of 5 students, that aspiration sparked the creation of OPB’s “Class of 2025” project. Journalists at OPB began tracking 27 students starting in first grade at Earl Boyles Elementary School in Southeast Portland through their senior year. For the past 12 years, the production team has documented the students’ triumphs and setbacks, transitions to new schools and social dynamics, along with the family members, teachers and administrators who’ve been helping them reach this milestone. The first podcast episode featuring some of those students at David Douglas High navigating their senior year is now available and a TV documentary featuring other seniors will be released in November. Joining us to discuss “Class of 2025” are three students: Josh, Joel and Anais. OPB editor and “Class of 2025” executive producer Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller, an OPB education reporter and the reporter, producer and host of the “Class of 2025” documentary, also join us to reflect on the project and what it reveals about Oregon’s education system.

In 2012, former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber declared an ambitious goal in his State of the State Address.    “Next year’s class of kindergarten students is a benchmark,” he said. “They are the class of 2025. And 2025 is the year we’ve set to have 100 percent high school graduation in the state of Oregon.”   OPB decided to document the stories of a kindergarten class on their journey all the way through high school; to capture what it’s like to grow up in the Oregon education system, and all the other life experiences that make us who we are along the way.    Thirteen years after Kitzhaber’s State of the State address, that once tall order of a one-hundred percent high school graduation rate is no longer the goal.    “We’re not gonna meet it,” Kitzhaber said.    Now, it’s both the Class of 2025’s last year of high school and OPB’s last year of this long-term project.    In the next few weeks, we’ll hear three unique stories from the class of 2025 students we’ve been following.    In this episode, we present the story of two cousins: Anna and Austin. As little kids, they lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same elementary school. But now they go to different high schools, in two different zip codes.   How did Austin and Anna’s high schools affect their decisions about college? Education reporter Elizabeth Miller finds out.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush  Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

There’s a population of Northern red-legged frogs that make their home in Portland’s Forest Park. In late winter and early spring, they come down to the nearby Harborton wetland to breed. There’s only one problem: the frogs have to cross Highway 30 to get from Forest Park to the wetland and back. About ten years ago, a local resident saw the road covered with the bodies of frogs who had tried to cross during the night and gotten squished. They alerted some friends and neighbors and that’s how the Harborton Frog Shuttle, also lovingly known as the “frog taxi” came to be. Teams of dedicated volunteers are on-call from late winter to early spring and when the conditions are right for the frogs, they come out with their buckets and headlamps to help the amphibians cross the road safely.   OPB “Oregon Field Guide” producer Jule Gilfillan and OPB cinematographer/editor Brooke Herbert tagged along with the frog taxi volunteers. They join us to share a bit about the experience. And you can see their video here.    For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

On Wednesday, Portland’s 12 city councilors stayed late considering a number of amendments to the city’s budget - both large and small. OPB's Portland city politics reporter Alex Zielinski was there and tells us what it all means.

While the biggest school bond on the ballot seems to be passing in Tuesday’s special election, Oregonians appear to be split in their support of education-related bond measures that would fund school building construction, maintenance and other improvements. OPB editor Rob Manning joins us to give us a picture of how many of the education-related votes fared in this week’s election.

The Oregon Legislature is racing toward a conclusion in the coming weeks. On this week's episode of OPB Politics Now, we’re going to bring you a special episode from our OPB colleagues and friends at The Evergreen podcast. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what our lives are like down at the state Capitol in Salem. Usually, OPB Politics reporter Dirk Vanderhart is bringing you the news on this podcast. This week, you’re going to get a glimpse into how he finds it. Enjoy the show!

Oregon journalist and OPB’s “Hush” Podcast Host Leah Sottile has made a name for herself investigating extremism and fringe movements in the West. Her latest book, “Blazing Eye Sees All,” explores New Age religion, including the Love Has Won movement. Beyond that, the book is a history of spirituality in the U.S. and looks at the ways fascism and metaphysical circles are intertwined. Sottile joins us in front of a live audience at the Literary Art Bookstore in Portland to share more.

For over 20 years, Portland's premier summer bike festival, Pedalpalooza, has organized events for people to participate in a variety of bike-related activities all summer long. Today, we're talking with Lillian Karabaic, host of OPB's "Weekend Edition" and long-time Pedalpalooza ride organizer. She's filling us in on the festival's growth, the name change to Bike Summer, and giving us a little preview of how you can join in the fun during the upcoming season. Discussed in Today's Episode: Full Bike Summer Calendar Stationery Store Day Ride The Myspace Ride Breakfast on the Bridges    Get more from City Cast Portland when you become a City Cast Portland Neighbor. You'll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events, and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 19th episode: Oregon Health Authority PaintCare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you hear the words ‘craft’ or ‘artisan’ mentioned together with Portland, you might tend to think of beer or coffee. But it could also easily be artisan amplifiers and handcrafted cables. From custom-made guitars to individually soldered effects pedals, the city has a vibrant boutique audio manufacturing industry closely intertwined with the local music scene.   Portland writer Marc Young tells us about how Oregon became known as a place where people make a lot of very cool audio equipment. For more Evergreen episodes and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps: Hush Timber Wars Season 2: Salmon Wars Politics Now Think Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.

 On Monday, Oregon Health and Science University and Legacy Health announced they are mutually walking away from an effort to combine the two healthcare organizations. The merger was first announced last August, when OHSU agreed to acquire 8 hospitals, $3 billion in assets and promised a whopping $1 billion in upgrades to Legacy facilities. The merger garnered scrutiny from a citizen review committee and public comments have reflected opposition to the deal. Amelia Templeton is OPB’s Healthcare reporter and has been following this story. She joins with the latest.