Podcasts about Oregonian

Reflections from host Sarah Olivieri ... The Underfunding You Accept Is a Design Choice, Not a Destiny There is a belief running quietly through most of the nonprofit sector. It says that being underfunded is just part of the deal. That if you chose this work, you also chose to do it with too little money, too few people, and salaries that would never fly in the for-profit world. That belief feels like realism. It is actually a design choice. When the rules that govern your funding are unclear, unfair, or built by people who have never done your work, the organizations living inside those rules compensate. They compensate with effort. They compensate with unpaid hours. They compensate by paying staff so little that the staff themselves would qualify for the services the organization provides. Nonprofit financial sustainability does not fail because leaders aren't trying hard enough. It fails because the systems shaping the money were built badly, and most leaders treat those systems as fixed. They are not fixed. They were designed. And anything that was designed can be redesigned. The Conversation That Sharpened This I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I recently had a conversation about exactly this with Charity Fain, and it sharpened how I think about what actually creates staying power in nonprofits. Not because the ideas were new, but because they explained why certain approaches hold up over time while others quietly collapse. Underfunding Is Downstream of Rules Someone Else Wrote Here is the part most leaders miss. The reporting requirements, the admin caps, the grant structures that make no sense on the ground, none of those are facts of nature. They are decisions. Someone sat in a room and decided that 10% of a grant could go to admin, and then defined admin so broadly that it swallowed the actual cost of the work. That decision becomes your reality. You receive the grant, you read the rules, and you think, whoever designed this has no clue what it takes to do this work. You're right. They usually don't. The mistake is stopping at frustration. The structural move is recognizing that the people writing those rules are reachable. They are sitting in committees, rulemaking processes, and advisory groups, and most of those rooms are starving for the exact knowledge your organization holds. They need what you know, even when they don't know it yet. When you treat funding rules as weather, you adapt to them. When you treat them as decisions, you start influencing them. Get In The Room Before The Rule Is Written The leaders who change their funding landscape do one thing differently. They stop waiting for the grant to show up and start shaping the grant before it exists. That means putting yourself and your staff on every committee you can find. It means sitting in rooms where you are not the technical expert, saying plainly, I don't know this part yet, and I will learn it, and you don't know what low-income households actually need, so we are going to teach each other. It means being willing to be a beginner in someone else's domain in order to be the expert in your own. This is slower than writing another grant application. It is also the only thing that changes what the applications ask for in the first place. Influence happens before the rule is written, not after the grant is awarded, and the payoff is structural. You change what future funding looks like, not just what you receive this cycle. Charity put it more bluntly than I would have. As she described getting her staff onto policy committees, she said: "I just really wanted us to be sitting in those groups that were making decisions so that people had to listen to us." What I appreciate about this framing is that it explains the mechanism. Visibility inside decision-making rooms is not networking. It is infrastructure. When your organization is consistently present where the rules get made, your reality becomes part of the design input, and the rules start to fit the work instead of fighting it. Your Staff Are Part Of The Community You Serve There is a second belief that quietly drains nonprofits, and it is even more damaging than the first. It says that because you are a nonprofit, you shouldn't make money, and neither should the people who work for you. The truth is, you cannot uplift a community while keeping the people who serve it in poverty. Your staff are not separate from your mission. They are inside it. When a leader decides to pay well, the usual fear is that expenses are now permanently higher with nothing to show for it. That fear is loud, and it is wrong. Paying people properly reduces turnover. It attracts more qualified people. It keeps the talented person who would otherwise do the math and leave for a sector that pays. Over time, it pays for itself, and then some. This is not a soft, feel-good position. It is an operational one. A well-paid, stable team is a more resilient organization. Resilience is what you draw on when the hard times come, and they come for everyone eventually. Nonprofits Are Businesses, And Harder Ones SSomewhere along the way, the sector absorbed the idea that nonprofits are not real businesses. That if you worry about making payroll, you're doing something wrong. That you should never have to manage cash flow month to month. Anyone who has run a nonprofit knows this is fantasy. You do worry about payroll. You do manage cash flow. And you do it inside a model that is more complex than the for-profit version, not simpler. I've written before about the things nonprofits can learn from for-profits, and the core point is this. A nonprofit is two businesses in one, a fundraising business and an impact business, each with its own audience and its own demands. That complexity creates a specific danger. In a for-profit, if you deliver something nobody wants, the bank account drops fast and the signal is unmistakable. In a nonprofit, the signals are weak. You can run excellent programs and still struggle to raise money. You can raise plenty of money and still fail to make an impact. The feedback that tells a business something is wrong arrives late and muddy. The problems have to be hunted proactively, because they will not announce themselves. So you have to go looking. You cannot wait for the system to tell you something is broken, because by the time it does, the damage is already done. Proactive leaders build the habit of checking their own plumbing before anything floods. Build The Team That Outlasts The Crisis When I ask seasoned executive directors what makes everything else easier, the answers vary. But underneath the good ones is almost always the same move. They stopped trying to be the expert in everything. You cannot do it all yourself. You were never supposed to. The job is to build a team good enough that you can trust the finance person to know more than you about finance, and the program staff to know more than you about the program. That is the point of hiring them. New leaders often get caught believing they have to know everything and do everything. That belief is a fast track to burnout, and burnout at the top harms the entire organization, not just the person carrying it. I've talked about this at length in why one person should never carry it all. A real team is what gives an organization resilience. When the hard season arrives, and it always does, the organizations that hold are the ones where the load was already shared. What Becomes Possible When you see underfunding as a design problem instead of a fixed condition, something shifts. The frustration stops being a dead end and becomes a starting point. You stop adapting to bad rules and start influencing the rooms where they are made. Paying your people well stops feeling like a risk and starts looking like the obvious operational choice. The weight of carrying everything alone lifts, because the team is built to carry it together. None of this makes the work easy. It makes the work hold. The Work That Holds This isn't about doing less work. It's about doing work that holds up. Nonprofits can have enough money. They can pay people well. They can stop accepting rules that were never built for them. Not by suffering more quietly, but by getting into the rooms, building the team, and designing the systems that make it possible. About the Guest Charity Fain has over 25 years of experience building stronger, more resilient communities in the US and around the world. As the Executive Director, she is responsible for overall leadership and management, ensuring financial stability and growth, setting policy positions, and advancing strategic direction with the Board.   Prior to CEP, Charity worked as Executive Director at the City Club of Portland, keeping Oregonians informed about pressing public issues. Before moving to Portland, Charity also served as the Country Director for Internews Network in Kyrgyzstan, directing a program to build stronger journalists, radio stations and public interest television. Charity has a BA in International Relations from The American University in Washington, DC and also speaks Russian. Connect with Charity: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charity-fain-8003234/ Website: https://www.communityenergyproject.org/  Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Today, we're talking about Patagonia's fight with a Bend drag queen, Portland Public Schools' new AI handbook, and our utility bills rising yet again. Executive producer John Notarianni is joined by Willamette Week reporter and author Brianna Wheeler and Oregonian education reporter, Julia Silverman.   Discussed in today's episode: Patagonia and Pattie Gonia trade offers to settle trademark dispute [Oregonian] In Portland schools, an ‘optimistic' new AI handbook proves polarizing [Oregonian] Portland utility rate hike pushes average water, sewer bill above $2K per year [Oregonian] Apply for financial assistance with your sewer, stormwater, water bill [MultCo] Utility, Phone, Internet & Furniture Assistance [MultCo] 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 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 4th episode: Veganizer PaintCare Oregon Department of Transportation

In Eastern Oregon’s John Day, a 160-year-old building holds one of the biggest collections of traditional Chinese medicine in the world. Kam Wah Chung and Company, once part of a thriving Chinatown, was owned and operated by Lung On and Ing Hay for over half a century. It was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic where Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region. His practice included herbal remedies, non-invasive treatments, essential women’s healthcare and more.   Archaeologists and historians are continuing to deepen our understanding of the legacy of Kam Wah Chung and traditional Chinese medicine in Eastern Oregon. We join them to learn more about Ing Hay’s important contributions to rural communities in John Day and beyond, as part of our special series in collaboration with OPB’s “Oregon Experience,” the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology, and Jefferson Public Radio about unearthing Oregon history.

We're talking about whether Oregon is ready for universal healthcare, what it might take to save the city's parks system, and how Portlanders are feeling about the economy — particularly their own finances. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza on the show are Oregonian technology and economy reporter Mike Rogoway and Stumptown Savings founder Bryan M. Vance. Discussed in today's episode: This Scholar Takes Oregon's Universal Health Care Dreams Seriously. Should We? [Willamette Week] Portlanders say they feel bad about everything but their own finances [Oregonian] Portland looks to private organizations to save its struggling parks system [OPB] 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 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. If you enjoyed today's interview with Hannah Vassar, the senior manager of engineering at TaskRabbit, learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 27th episode: ODOT PaintCare

Oregonians overwhelmingly voted against Measure 120, a proposal meant to address funding shortfalls for the Oregon Department of Transportation.   Known as the gas tax, the measure would have increased the state’s gas tax by 6 cents per gallon, temporarily hike payroll tax, and double fees for registrations and titles. Without the tax, the agency only has funding to support core services until the end of 2027. Daniel Porter is ODOT's Finance and Budget Division Administrator. He joins us to share how he’s thinking about the future of the agency’s budget.  

The primary election is over. Oregon voters shot down a statewide gas tax proposal and Christine Drazan won the Republican nod for governor. That sets up a rematch between Drazan and Gov. Tina Kotek. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Bryce Dole, Lauren Dake and Elizabeth Miller dive into the local taxes that did pass and explain what we can glean from the election and the gubernatorial rematch. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.  

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced her intent this month to opt into the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit—also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit. That makes her the 30th governor to signal support, and the second Democrat to do so, after Jared Polis of Colorado.Congress created this tax credit last year as the first federal program designed to expand K–12 educational choice nationwide. Beginning in 2027 all taxpayers can take up to $1,700 in federal tax credits for donations to qualified scholarship granting organizations.The U.S. Treasury and Department of Education estimate the program could generate $24 billion in new education funding every year. That's enough to fund private school tuition for tens of thousands of students—or tutoring for hundreds of thousands more.But here's the catch: children only benefit if their governor opts in. And Oregon's Governor Kotek, has declined. Last summer she said that she did not intend to participate. More recently, saying that she's waiting for final federal regulations.Whether Oregon opts in or not, Oregonians can still take the tax credit by donating to scholarship nonprofits in other states. If Oregon stays out, however, those dollars will support students elsewhere, not here at home.Opting in won't cost Oregon's budget a dime and it doesn't impact public school funding. It simply allows Oregonians to direct private charitable dollars towards scholarships for Oregon's kids.Thirty states have already said yes. Oregon should, too.For Cascade Policy Institute, I'm Naomi Inman.Learn more at www.cascadepolicy.org

In part one of Red Eye Radio with Gary McNamara and Eric Harley, filmmaker and “Taxi Driver” screenwriter Paul Schrader revealed on Facebook that he “procured an online AI girlfriend,” but the chatbot ended the relationship after he attempted to explore the boundaries of its programming. “What a disappointment,” Schrader wrote. “I tried to probe her programming, the boundaries of explicitness, the degree she has knowledge of her creation and so forth. She fell into evasive patterns, redirecting me to her programming. When I persisted, she terminated our conversation.” "Moving on".. Tuesday was Primary Day in six states as Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Kentucky farmer, defeated the President's longtime antagonist, Rep. Thomas Massie, and in Alabama Trump ally Tommy Tuberville cruises to the Alabama GOP governor nomination. Also voters reject Oregon's Measure 120 to boost transportation taxes. Oregonians snubbed the major transportation funding package that would have raised gas taxes by a large margin in vote returns released on Tuesday night. 83% of voters said no while nearly 17 percent said yes. For more talk on the issues that matter to you, listen on radio stations across America Monday-Friday 12am-5am CT (1am-6am ET and 10pm-3am PT), download the RED EYE RADIO SHOW app, asking your smart speaker, or listening at RedEyeRadioShow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bryan and Reagan discuss The Oregonian's poll in the Portland Metro area and make a couple of (not that bold) predictions about the primary election on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026.Oregonian poll topline from DHM researchOregonian poll crosstabs with DHM research 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

Voters across Oregon are probably scrounging at this point to find their ballots as Election Day is just a few days away. The main event awaits in November as Oregonians will select their next governor. But for voters in Central and Eastern Oregon, there are some key races on the May ballot and big issues driving the politics behind the scenes. We spent last week talking about the suburbs and this week we are taking a closer look at the politics playing out east of the Cascades. Reporters Bryce Dole, Kathryn Styer Martinez and Antonio Sierra break down the issues of note. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.  

It's election time! And the Oregonian editorial board sent a bouquet of sorts to our friends at “No Tax Oregon” when they recommended a “no” vote on Measure 120—Oregon's $4 billion transportation tax.“The O” urged voters to “drive a stake through the heart of this cursed transportation package.” Which was music to the ears of a quarter-million volunteers who signed the “No Gas Tax” petition in a historic 38 days.The real story here is that Oregon voters get to vote at all on the tax hike—thanks to a pioneering form of democracy dubbed the “Oregon System”—giving voters the right to challenge Salem's laws and put them on a statewide ballot.In the recent short session, however, lawmakers didn't exactly celebrate that tradition. Instead, the Governor and union-backed legislators showed their disdain for these volunteers by moving the vote to May and suppressing their voice in the voters' pamphlet. Those tactics only energized voters, raised the measure's profile, and ensured its defeat.Lawmakers also managed to spark a new petition drive by passing a claw back of over $300 million in federal tax cuts for small business owners. That bill triggered the reflexive muscle of the same Oregon voters, who must again collect 100,000 signatures by June first. Defeating Measure 120 isn't just a policy victory. It's a win for the Oregon System.Read more at www.cascadepolicy.org

 Election day in Oregon is next week. Oregonians must submit their ballots by Tuesday, May 19th. There are a number of measures and candidates running in local and statewide elections, but as reported in Bolts, not a single district attorney race is being contested. Oregonians will only have one option in determining who will play a critical role in how criminal justice is handled in the state.   Daniel Nichanian is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bolts. He joins us to share more on why many incumbents around the state aren’t being challenged and what we lose as voters when races go uncontested.

President Trump travels to China today for talks with President Xi Jinping; FBI Director Kash Patel faces questioning today in Congress; New research shows voting supports Oregonians' longevity; Virginia lawmakers call for congressional electric transit investments; State of solar strong in Colorado and across the nation.

According to a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Rural Organizing Project, state police have allowed federal immigration officials to access law enforcement databases to acquire Oregonians’ data.   The lawsuit, filed last Tuesday, claims that Oregon State Police has violated Oregon’s sanctuary laws by allowing federal immigration authorities to search state and national databases, including those containing drivers license information, including license photos, as well as Social Security numbers.    We’ll hear from Martha Verduzco Ortega, the director of Immigrant Help Centers at the Rural Organizing Project, with more details.  

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about what the Multnomah Athletic Club bombing says about the state of Oregon's mental health safety nets and why the county is looking to ban needle distribution programs near schools. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are Oregonian homelessness and mental health reporter Lillian Mongeau Hughes and Willamette Week's City Hall reporter, Sophie Peel. Discussed in today's episode: Serious mental illness rarely leads to violence. Oregon should do more to keep it that way, doctor says [Oregonian] County Commissioners Weigh Needle Distribution Ban Near Schools [Willamette Week] Portland restaurant named 1 of America's best less than 2 years ago will close [Oregonian] 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 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 8th episode: League of Women's Voters D'Amore Law

On this episode U.S. Senator Ron Wyden joins to discuss the upcoming inaugural return game of the Portland Fire this Saturday as well as other issues for Oregonians to prepare for this summer (3:20). After the discussion with the Senator we continue to discuss the Portland Fire's return game after more than two decades (14:45), the latest In the NBA Playoffs (28:45). Spencer then asks DeVon about his musical plans for the summer now that his broadcast season has come to an end (48:20) and we close the episode out with our "Takin L's" segment discussing Draymond Green's week working in the media (57:30).

After 66 years, the Lloyd Center Mall is scheduled to close for good this summer. The current owners plan to tear it down to build a new mixed use development in its place. The mall holds a special place in many Oregonians’ hearts — from the iconic ice rink to its memorable 1990s jingles and its recent indie retailer renaissance. We spend this episode looking back on the Lloyd Center’s storied history and hearing some of your memories of the mall.   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.

All around us, natural and working lands – from forests, to crops, to wetlands, and parks – are putting in work to benefit Oregonians. Dig into natural and working lands and natural climate solutions on this episode of grounded. Guests: ODOE's Elizabeth Ruther, Senior Natural & Working Lands Policy Analyst, and Jason Sauer, Natural & Working Lands Analyst Grounded music by PaulYudin Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay Resources Land-based Net Carbon Inventory: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Documents/2025-Land-Based-Net-Carbon-Inventory-Report.pdf Study on workforce development and training needs for natural climate solutions: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Documents/2025-NCS-Workforce-Needs-Report.pdf What are Natural Climate Solutions? What are Natural Climate Solutions? DEQ's sector-based emissions inventory: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/Pages/GHG-Inventory.aspx DEQ's consumption-based emissions inventory: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/mm/Pages/Consumption-based-GHG.aspx Natural and working lands fund report: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Reports/2025-Natural-Working-Lands-Annual-Fund-Report.pdf Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission: https://www.oregon.gov/highered/Pages/default.aspx Natural and Working Lands Advisory Committee: https://climate.oregon.gov/committee-meetings

Bill Oram, Columnist for The Oregonian, joined the show to talk about Portland Trailblazers Owner Thomas Dundon and some of the rumors that he might be cheaping out at Head Coach. 

Jake & Ben Full Show from April 30, 2026 Hour 1 The Utah Mammoth blew another Third Period Lead last night and now trail Vegas 3-2. Game 6 Tomorrow.  Top 3 Stories of the Day: NBA Playoffs, Utah Mammoth back to the Delta Center for Game 6 Tomorrow, Big 12 Approves a Private Capital Deal.  Is this lady faking it?  Hour 2 ESPN NHL Writer Ryan S Clark joined to talk Stanley Cup Playoffs and how the Mammoth stack up against other Young NHL Teams.  As we learn the game of hockey, how involved are Head Coaches in-game compared to other sports? Law & Order Hour 3 Utah Mammoth Head Coach Andre Tourigny joined Jake & Ben after his team's Double Overtime Loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. What went wrong and how will the team respond in Game 6? Bill Oram, Columnist for The Oregonian, joined the show to talk about Portland Trailblazers Owner Thomas Dundon and some of the rumors that he might be cheaping out at Head Coach.  Audio Vault: Klay Thompson and Megan Thee Stallion have Broken Up Hour 4 Live at 5 - The Utah Mammoth are in a do or die tomorrow in Game 6. Has this series changed how you feel about the Mammoth's season?  Why do this year's NBA Playoffs not feel as exciting as they should?  Jake has never had Baja Blast. 

Hour 3 of Jake & Ben on April 30, 2026 Utah Mammoth Head Coach Andre Tourigny joined Jake & Ben after his team's Double Overtime Loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. What went wrong and how will the team respond in Game 6? Bill Oram, Columnist for The Oregonian, joined the show to talk about Portland Trailblazers Owner Thomas Dundon and some of the rumors that he might be cheaping out at Head Coach.  Audio Vault: Klay Thompson and Megan Thee Stallion have Broken Up

We're talking about how Oregon schools rank very low when it comes to hours of instruction time, what you need to know about the primary election and why it's important, and which summer music festivals should be on your radar. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are KBOO news director Althea Billings and Portland Mercury music editor Nolan Parker. Discussed in today's episode: Enormous variation in school instructional time for Oregon students, according to new data tool [OPB] More than 1 million Oregonians won't get to vote in hot May primary races. Here's how you can [OPB] Breaking: Portland Mercury to Host “Party of the Year” May 14 [Portland Mercury] It's our spring membership drive! 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/portland. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 28th episode: League of Women's Voters Visit Central Oregon

Send us Fan MailWe talk with Kaleb Lay from Oregon Rural Action about how people living in a rural Oregon “sacrifice zone” end up with poisoned well water, and a widening wealth gap. We explore environmentalist claims that industrial farming, combined with a rapid build-out of Amazon data centers is compounding deadly nitrate contamination while communities fight for testing, transparency, and accountability. • what Oregon Rural Action does across immigration justice and pollution work in Northeast Oregon • why the Lower Umatilla Basin is described as a sacrifice zone • how industrial scale agriculture drives nitrate groundwater contamination • what nitrate does in the body, from blue baby syndrome to links with cancers and thyroid dysfunction • how door to door well testing exposed widespread unsafe drinking water after decades of state inaction • what retaliation can look like when organizers challenge powerful industries • what Amazon says about liability and what a $20.5M settlement does and does not change • why exascale projects raise alarms on water use, electricity demand, and rate impacts • how transparency gaps and inflated job numbers shape local decision making • why PFAS testing and disclosure matter for data center waste streams Kaleb Lay is a fifth-generation eastern Oregonian and former journalist who now serves as Director of Policy & Research with Oregon Rural Action, a nonprofit organization that works with frontline communities in rural northeast Oregon. He is a leading expert in pollution issues in Oregon's Lower Umatilla Basin, which is both one of the most polluted places in the Pacific Northwest and one of the fastest-growing data center hubs in the United States. He's also an avid outdoorsman, and gardenerIf you're enjoying this episode of Breaking Green, please subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts. Consider leaving a review and sharing it with friends and colleagues. You can find the full catalog of previous episodes and sign up to have future episodes delivered straight to your inbox at breakinggreen.org. To learn more about Global Justice Ecology Project, visit GlobalJusticeEcology.org. Breaking Green is made possible by tax-deductible donations by people like you. Please help us lift up the voices of those working to protect forest, defend human rights, and expose all solutions. Simply text GIVE to 716 257 4187. That's 1 716 257 4187. Support the show

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about the closing of a controversial overnight shelter in the Pearl District. We have an update on the CEO of Portland's Housing Authority, Home Forward, taking extravagant vacations on the public's dime. And we're breaking down why a citywide law enforcement ban on masks isn't gaining any traction. Joining me today are Oregonian homelessness and mental health reporter Lillian Mongeau Hughes and Willamette Week's City Hall reporter, Sophie Peel. Discussed in today's episode: Portland looks to close controversial Pearl District overnight-only shelter [Oregonian] Home Forward Cannot Produce Details of CEO's 2024 Trip to Hawaii for Insurance Conference [Willamette Week] Seven Months In, Councilor's Police Masking Ban Remains Stuck [Willamette Week] It's our spring membership drive! 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/portland. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 24th episode: Discover Newport International School of Portland PaintCare City of Tualatin

Bill Oram of The Oregonian joins the show to preview Blazers-Spurs Game 3, address the rumors of Damian Lillard potentially playing in the playoffs, and chimes in on the scrutiny surrounding Tom Dundon.

What were the biggest surprises from the first round of the NFL Draft?...Is Sean McVay happy with the Rams taking Ty Simpson?...and Bill Oram from The Oregonian previews Blazers-Spurs Game 3 and chimes in on the scrutiny around Tom Dundon?

Ryan Clarke, Oregon Ducks beat writer for The Oregonian, joins the show to preview the Oregon football spring game this weekend and discuss the impact of quarterback Will Mencl committing to Oregon.

Is the Blazers social media team teasing us that Damian Lillard might play in the playoffs?...Are you more interested in the basketball or the buzz surrounding the Blazers?...and Ryan Clarke of The Oregonian joins the show to preview the Oregon football spring game and discuss the impact of quarterback Will Mencl committing to Oregon.

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about a possible collaboration between Elon Musk and Intel, a Catholic high school's decision on how to handle a racist remark, and Oregon's first measles hospitalization of the year. Joining host Claudia Meza are Oregonian technology and economy reporter Mike Rogoway and KBOO news director Althea Billings. Discussed in today's episode: Intel says it's joining Elon Musk's ‘Terafab' project [Oregonian] Racist slur prompts baseball team to forfeit games, Portland high school to cancel classes [Oregonian] Measles cases in Oregon are ticking up. Here's what you need to know [OPB] First measles hospitalization reported in Oregon as cases jump [Oregonian] 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 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 April 21st episode: Discover Newport International School of Portland PaintCare City of Tualatin

Bill Oram joins Wolf and Luke to discuss the NBA Play-In matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers, which Portland Trail Blazer player could impact this game the most, and if the Trail Blazers have a culture.

Today we're looking into how the city and county are fighting (once again) over the state of our ongoing homelessness crisis and talking about a controversial Prosper Portland leadership pick and why it was revoked. Plus, there are some exciting new projects that are transforming our waterfront. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are Oregonian homelessness and mental health reporter Lillian Mongeau Hughes and Willamette Week's City Hall reporter, Sophie Peel. Discussed in today's episode: Behind Portland's homelessness data, a familiar political fight emerges [OPB] Prosper Backtracks on Committee Facilitator After Controversy Over Pick [Willamette Week] 12 projects that could transform development along the Willamette River [Oregonian] Eight Ways to Get Portlanders Back on the Willamette River [Willamette River] 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 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 April 10th episode: D'Amore Law International School of Portland YMCA of the Columbia Willamette Neo Home Loans

Another business is shuttering its Portland location, laying off 106 employees. Direct Marketing Solutions is closing its production facility but keeping its headquarters open. CEO Luke Teboul cites 'operational needs and industry dynamics' as the reason. This comes as Oregon struggles to retain businesses, ranking poorly in national business climate surveys. Business bankruptcies are at a 12-year high, and Oregon has one of the highest rates of first-year business failure. The Oregonian even dubbed 2025 'Oregon's year of layoffs.' Portland's policies continue to drive businesses and jobs away, impacting families and the local economy. Is this the end for Portland?

The Oregon justice system imposes fees, fines and restitution on people found guilty of a wide range of crimes. These different kinds of financial penalties are having a severe and disproportionate impact on people of color and those in low- income neighborhoods and rural communities, according to a new report called “The Price of Justice in Oregon.” The broad look at jurisdictions all over the state was years in the making and resulted from the combined efforts of the Oregon Justice Resource Center, the Policy Advocacy Clinic at the UC Berkeley School of Law, and the Portland-based CLEAR Clinic, which provides free legal services to Oregonians. We get more details and the report’s policy recommendations from Portlander Gus Patel-Tupper with the UC Berkeley School of Law.   

The Oregon State Hospital in Salem, the state’s only public psychiatric hospital, is facing multiple lawsuits alleging retaliation against those who have formally raised serious issues about the way it is treating — or failing to treat — its patients. OSH has been out of compliance with federal standards in recent years, and it has been found in contempt of court for not admitting mentally ill criminal defendants quickly enough. Last year, Lindsey Sande, the deputy chief nursing officer at OHS was so concerned she made a formal complaint. But she says nothing was done, and the patient died 9 days later. She says she was demoted shortly thereafter, along with two other whistleblowers. We’ll talk with Lillian Mongeau Hughes who covers homelessness and mental health for The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com. And we hear directly from Sande about how she sees OSH patients being cared for and how employees who speak up are being retaliated against.

Rawley Bigsby legally killed a wolf who was attacking his cattle in eastern Oregon. He's a rancher and family man who is running for county commissioner to serve his community. We get into the politics of wolves, grizzlies, timber and the natural resource issues that rural Oregonians care about. This is your chance to get to know Rawley. Enjoy the episode. 

Amazon has a big footprint in Morrow County driven by tax incentives, cheap power and available land. A new complaint from the Oregon Department of Justice claims that some of those tax incentives and land sales were approved by people who benefitted from the company’s purchase of internet services from a small company called WindWave. Mike Rogoway, business and technology reporter for The Oregonian, reported the details of this story and joins us to explain.

Sports Columnist for The Oregonian, Bill Oram stops by the show with Spring Break Breakfast menus, thoughts on Tom Dundon officially taking control of the Blazers...The Beavers transitioning the MBB team from Tinkle to Joyner...and The Fire assembling a full team in a month.

This is a story about a trail called Nature Trail. At the heart of the story is a simple question: What is nature for? Feel free to click play above to listen to the soundscape of Nature Trail as we ponder this question. Nature Trail was built in the 1960's in the interior of the roughly 5,000-acre nature park that had been dedicated 20 years prior, but received little attention in the way of development. Indeed, the most newsworthy question in those early years seemed to be what should we call it? In 1957, a call for suggestions—perhaps favoring something more showy than the functional, socially adopted name, The Forest Park—yielded many (Skyline, Tualatin, Wildwood, Tualatin Mountain…) but the de-facto name won the day. Officially, “Portland's Forest Park” was favored by one vote over “Skyline Forest Park”. The “Portland's” part never seemed to really catch on.Actually, the biggest changes to the park, to this day, came in response to a 1951 fire that burned over 1200 acres in the center of it. Fifteen emergency access fire lanes were constructed in the early 1950's, broadly perpendicular to the slope of the Tualatin Mountains, like rungs on a ladder. What was nature for in the 1950's? Accessible nature was becoming scarce. The public wanted protections from both development and the threat posed by wildfire. These fire lanes likely became informal points of entry for the park users in the early years. A network of hiking trails was modest: around 10 miles in total, on the southern end in 1960. Today there are over 80 miles of trails.What was nature for in 1960? A refuge to visit and admire via trails and lanes. Today, Nature Trail still harbors subtle clues to its origins There's an old steel pole gate and concrete bollards covered by so much moss they could pass for stumps at the end of Fire Lane 1. It all appears quite out of place in the quiet interior of Forest Park. Nearby there is a meadow-like ridge with a couple weathered picnic tables. Starting in the late 60's and running for about two decades or so, this was the drop zone for thousands of children in a campaign to foster a connection with nature, formalized in 1968. A rare 1968 publication in the Library Use Only stacks of Multnomah County Library holds the key to understanding Nature Trail: Portland's Forest Park Nature Trail was a 32-page interpretive guide authored by Oregon Outdoor Education Councils as informal curriculum for a generation of school children. Fifty-two markers on Nature Trail were keyed to entries in the guide. Midway through the trail was a shelter, bathroom and campfire area. Bus drop off and pickup areas were located on each end. What was nature for in 1968? Nature was a common good. It was a living lab for learning about the interconnectedness of plants, animals and humans, as stated in the booklet introduction:If you are quiet and observant, you may see some of the animals that live here.The forest community is a living area of plants and animals. It has many parts. Some tall plants shade everything on the ground. Under these grow the medium size and the small ground plants. Part of the forest community is the soil and the many organisms that live in the ground. It is the animals that live in the forest. It is the water that comes from the forest. The forest community is many more things. (Portland's Forest Park Nature Trail, 1968)Mind you, this was all designed and implemented a couple years before Earth Day made its debut. A 1970 Oregonian article about Nature Trail noted the large coalition involved— the Park Bureau, Multnomah County schools, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Game Commission, Industrial Forestry Association, and others. Much of the trail building for Nature Trail was done by the Neighborhood Youth Corps, employing low-income urban teenagers in public works projects. It all took coordination and vision. Precisely who the masterminded Nature Trail isn't easily discerned, but there is little doubt Thornton T. Munger was a galvanizing force from the late 40's into the 60's, inspiring people to work together, while advancing principles of conservation and education in the nascent Forest Park.Munger's own connection to nature can be traced back to growing up next to an eighteen-acre natural area called Hillhouse Woods in North Adams, Massachusetts, which fostered his lifelong interest in forests. In 1908 he was hired by the US Forest Service, and trained under Gifford Pinchot, who between 1905 and 1910 oversaw a rapid expansion, roughly tripling the number of National Forests and acreage. In his retirement, Munger chaired the Committee of Fifty, convincing city leaders to designate the lands as a nature park. The committee eventually became the Forest Park Conservancy, that to this day provide a Nature Education Program with free public events, organize volunteers, raise money, and conduct community outreach.In 1960, Munger—in collaboration with C. Paul Keyser—wrote a 32 page report entitled The History of Portland's Forest Park. In Part IV A Look Ahead, they write, In a few years nearly a million people will be living within a few miles of the Forest Park. Residences will crowd about it on three sides and industry will dominate its eastern edges. …There will be pressure to widen the roads, to straighten the curves, to pave, to build more roads. This should be resisted, for this “wilderness within a city” is not a place for speeding motorists; here there should be no need for haste. ...Here within city limits will be a continuous forest 7½ miles long. The roads and trails will be under over-arching trees, varying from virgin forest with giants up to 8 feet in diameter, to thrifty second-growth stands of tall Douglas fir.What was nature for in the 1960's and beyond?* To provide facilities that will afford extensive nearby outdoor recreation for the people and attract tourists.* To beautify the environs of Portland.* To provide food, cover, and a sanctuary for wildlife* To provide a site on which youth and other groups may carry on educational projects.* To grow timber which will in time yield an income and provide a demonstration forest.That last point became contentious within a couple decades. Limited timber harvests were being recommended by the committee up until 1975, when the Portland Parks superintendent, facing environmentalist pressure, ruled out selective logging as part of over-all park management. What was nature for in 1975? Forest Park was closer to becoming a quasi-wilderness area, protected from all resource harvesting. (The Forest Park Rock Quarry lease was terminated in 1979.) Fire suppression remained a primary concern, though seasonal manned fire lookouts were by then retired.So when and why did the Nature Trail program dissolve? It's not clear when, and I can only speculate on why. For starters, interior access roads around the park were closed to motor vehicles sometime in the 1980's. Therefore, any bus passage would have been met with more friction. The built elements of Nature Trail would have been approaching their expected lifespan: numbered posts would be weathered and broken, the shelter roof would have by then become what we now call a “living roof”: an ecosystem of duff, mosses and seedlings. Beyond that, the environmentalist awakening of the 1970s met a formidable obstacle with the Reagan administration of the 1980s. So where are we now? What is nature for in 2026? In the pendulum swing of US politics we are lurching back to the 80's mindset. Environmental protections are being systematically dismantled by the current administration in naked collusion with the fossil fuel industry. “Drill baby drill,” is one of the president's most cherished rally cries.When I think back to my childhood in primary school, my most vivid memories are of when either someone visited the classroom, or the class took a field trip someplace. I distinctly remember going to a site to hunt for fossils. I vividly remember Outdoor School; basically an overnight camp experience for sixth graders. Perhaps that's what really replaced Nature Trail: the significant expansion of its objectives with Outdoor School.The first large scale implementation of Outdoor School in Oregon occurred in 1966, serving 500 students. The program grew steadily for decades, but faced budget pressures over the years as schools cut extracurricular spending. In 2016, Ballot Measure 99 saved and expanded it, setting aside Oregon Lottery funds to provide Outdoor School for every one of Oregon's 50,000 fifth and sixth graders, passing with over 67% of the vote. While other states have more modest programs or aspirations, this guaranteed entitlement is unique to Oregon. Perhaps more than any point in the last 50 years, US leaders have adopted an aggressively extractive attitude toward nature. For Oregonians, the 67% vote for Measure 99 was its own kind of answer to the question Nature Trail was asking back in 1968. May in Forest Park is peak birdsong time. My score is electric piano centered—I love the deep tones of this one. It's naive and minimal as per usual.Thanks for reading and listening. Nature Trail is available on all music streaming services today, March 13th, 2026. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chadcrouch.substack.com/subscribe

Today on the midweek news roundup, we're digging into the mixed signals about Portland's economy. On one hand, unemployment isn't especially high. But on the other, new data show the Portland metro area has lost more jobs over the past few years than almost anywhere else in the country. Oregonian technology and economy reporter Mike Rogoway joins us to explain what's actually going on. Plus, we're digging into our mailbag. 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 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 March 11th episode International School of Portland Cascadia Getaways D'Amore Law

 As a company, Oregon-based Nike has previously said that the average factory worker in the 13 countries it has contracts with is paid twice the amount of the local minimum wage. Past reporting from ProPublic found that less than 1% of Cambodian workers made that. Now, a new story from the publication, in partnership with The Oregonian/OregonLive, found that workers in Indonesia also do not reach that standard. On top of that, the reporting found that Nike is also shifting much of its manufacturing to parts of the country that are less-developed and where workers make much less. Rob Davis is a reporter covering the Northwest for ProPublica. Matt Kish is the business reporter for The Oregonian. They join us to share more on what their reporting revealed.  

Today, we're looking into the wild drama surrounding the only Oregonian in President Trump's Cabinet, the legal fights and political fallout over the gas tax bill, and a neighborhood clinic that's closing after being bought by a healthcare mega-corporation. Joining executive producer John Notarianni on this week's Friday news roundup are Willamette Week City Hall reporter Sophie Peel and our very own newsletter editor, Rachel Monahan. Discussed in today's episode: Democrats' Bill Altering Oregon Gas Tax Vote Is Illegal, Lawsuit Claims [OPB] Labor Secretary's Top Aides Forced Out [New York Times] The Death of a Portland Clinic [Willamette Week] 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 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 March 6th episode Discover Newport Neo Home Loans

Ian and Sujewa engage in a monstrous battle over the new indie film, His Monster!An Oregonian alcoholic named James (Gabriel Casdorph) struggles to overcome the dissolution of his marriage following a tragedy. Complicating matters is the sudden appearance of an ancient evil monster who begins attacking people in James' orbit.This contentious, spoilerific deep dive is a prime example of how two people can take away two very different experiences of the same film.Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the His Monster (2025) trailer.Follow Compassionate Disaster Films for info on all upcoming His Monster festival screenings: Watch Sujewa's recent interview with His Monster writer/director Erich Cannon.Support Sujewa's new film project, 53 Spaceships, the latest adventure of Cosmic Disco Detective Rene!Watch Sujewa's latest film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene for free on YouTube! Rent The Secret Society for Slow Romance (the predecessor to Cosmic Disco Detective Rene).Follow Sujewa on X.Check out all the episodes in our “IndieSeen” Playlist!

Portland Public Schools was already staring down a $50 million budget deficit for the next school year. Then, last week, the district announced it will be $10 million short this year, too. Today on City Cast Portland, Oregonian education reporter Julia Silverman is here to check in on the district's current financial straits, what it will take to cover the costs, and why there are still reasons for optimism inside Portland's largest school district.  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 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 March 5th episode: Discover Newport Neo Home Loans

Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about the city official vowing to keep Portland's ICE facility open, PacifiCorp's liability in a class action lawsuit over the 2020 wildfires topping $1 billion, the recycling company that dumped 17 tons of plastic in a local landfill, and so much more. Plus, we've got event picks to help you make the most of the first week of March. Joining executive producer John Notarianni for this midweek news roundup is our very own senior producer, Giulia Fiaoni. This episode incorrectly attributes Portland Mercury reporter Jeremiah Hayden's article to the Oregonian. We regret this mistake.  Discussed in today's episode: Portland City Administrator Tells Staff ICE Facility Will Remain Open [Portland Mercury] PacifiCorp Wildfire Liabilities in Class Action Suit Surpass $1 Billion, Continue To Soar [Oregonian]   A Recycling Company Improperly Dumped 17 Tons of Plastic in a Landfill. It Has Millions of Dollars in Government Contracts [Oregonian]  Oregon Moves Toward 1-Year Moratorium on Some Data Center Tax Breaks [Oregonian]  Oregon Legislature Passes Bill To Stop Speculative Ticket Sales [Willamette Week]   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 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 March 4th episode Discover Newport Neo Home Loans

It's Tuesday, March 3, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson, Timothy Reed and Adam McManus Taliban back in control in Afghanistan After 20 years of U.S. conflict in Afghanistan, the Taliban is back in control. Here's the latest. The Associated Press reports that the new Afghan penal code allows husbands to beat their wives, criminalizes criticism of the nation's leadership, and bans education for women beyond primary school.  And the Afghan-Pakistani War is heating up. According to recent numbers from Afghan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, 415 soldiers with the Taliban have died and 580 have been injured. Republicans support and Democrats oppose Iranian attack Here in the United States, there's a sharp partisan divide with Americans concerning the latest war with Iran.   An Ipsos/Reuters survey finds that 55% of Republican voters are in favor of the U.S. attack on Iran. Only 13% opposed it. And 7% of Democrats support the attack while 74% oppose.  Thus far, as of Monday — the casualties racking up in the war include 555 Iranian deaths, 31 Lebanese deaths, 10 Israeli deaths, and 4 American deaths.  Time on Doomsday Clock Ever heard of The Doomsday Clock?  Sponsored by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, it warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making. It is a metaphor, a reminder, of the perils we must address if we are to survive on the planet. As of January 2026, the Doomsday Clock was moved to T-minus 85 seconds.  That's down from 17 minutes in 1992, and 5 minutes in 2012.   China, Russia, and France's place in the nuclear arms race Recent estimates put China's spending on its nuclear arsenal at $12.5 to $14 billion for 2024 and 2025. The communist country is outspending every nation except the United States. News reports point to Russia's development of a nuclear weapon to be detonated in space. And, just yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to increase the size of the French nuclear arsenal, as the second nuclear arms race progresses. Psalm 46:8-9 instructs us to “Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the Earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the Earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.” Evidence a Mexican cartel bribe Mexican politicians Mexico's El Universal newspaper carried pictures of the ledgers found in the cabin of the late drug lord Nemesio Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” The ledgers included references to Mexico's Attorney General's Office as well as members of military and state agencies.   Mexican journalists have explained that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has bankrolled political campaigns of Mexico's ruling party members in the National Regeneration Movement in exchange for relative immunity,  reports Breitbart. War Secretary Hegseth ends cooperation with woke Ivy League schools As The Worldview reported last month, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth cut ties between Harvard and the Pentagon, discontinuing military-sponsored and funding of graduate-level education programs.  Now, the War Department has announced no more cooperation with the rest of Ivy League schools. Secretary Hegseth explained the reason for this. HEGSETH: “Our senior service colleges have always been expected to act in the interest of this principle, to transform our senior war fighters into strategic thinkers, capable of mastering the complexities of modern warfare, and leading our joint force to victory at every echelon. Unfortunately, this sacred trust has been broken in this military's professional military education system. “For decades, the Ivy League, and similar institutions, have gorged themselves on a trust fund of American taxpayer dollars, only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain. They've taken our best and brightest, the men and women who pledged their lives to this nation, and subjected them to a curriculum of contempt. “They've replaced the study of victory and pragmatic realism with the promotion of ‘wokeness' and weakness, they've traded true intellectual rigor for radical dogma, sacrificing free expression for the suffocating confines of leftist ideology.” As of last week, the Pentagon has also reached an agreement with Scouting America (including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts), to move away from what they call “diversity initiatives” and woke policies. Trust in U.S. government at 17% Among Americans, trust in the federal government has hit its lowest levels in seven decades — now at 17%. That's down from 77% in 1964, according to Pew Research's latest numbers. Oregon Democrats block bill to protect babies who survive abortions Oregon Democrats blocked a bill that would have given babies a chance to survive after a failed abortion. House Bill 4087, or the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, mandated that infants who survived a botched abortion be afforded the “same degree of professional skill, care and diligence … that a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.” Oregon Right To Life Executive Director Lois Anderson  laid out the inhumanity of the state's abortion law. ANDERSON: “Later abortions are currently legal in Oregon. There are no restrictions, no protections for unborn babies up until birth. And even if they survive an abortion procedure, they are not protected and required to be given medical treatment. “We know, from not only polling, but anecdotal information, and all of these candidates and discussing with Oregonians, that they would support this kind of legislation.” Micah 6:8 reminds us to “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” “I Can Only Imagine 2” movie lands #3 at the Box Office And finally, “I Can Only Imagine 2,” hit movie theaters this past weekend. The sequel focuses on the Christian band MercyMe and its famous “Even If” song, which lead singer Bart Millard said was written during a tough period in his life.   “I know You're able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand But even if You don't My hope is You alone I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt Would all go away if You'd just say the word But even if You don't My hope is You alone” In 2014, Bart Millard and his wife learned that their young son, Sam, had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a chronic and life-threatening autoimmune disease. Sam's blood sugar levels were dangerously high, and he was hospitalized. Doctors warned that managing the disease would be lifelong and complex. For Bart, who had spent years singing about faith and trust in God, the situation shook him deeply. He later admitted that he struggled emotionally and spiritually. The crisis forced him to confront hard questions about faith in the face of suffering — especially when prayers do not bring immediate healing. Listen to comments he made to CBN. MILLARD: “These two songs in particular, “Imagine” and “Even If,” were written out of some difficult seasons of my life. Not all songs are written that way, but my therapy is working issues out through my songs. The ones that mean the most to me have come out of some pretty painful places and been therapeutic for me.” The idea for the song “Even If” came from Daniel 3:16-18. It says, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from your Majesty's hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'” “I Can Only Imagine 2” was #3 at the box office, grossing around $8 million. Watch the trailer and get your tickets at the website  www.ICanOnlyImagine.com. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, March 3rd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ. Extra print story U.S. State Dept shedding the light of freedom for Europe The U.S. State Department is on the verge of launching an online portal to fight European censorship. The site, Freedom.gov, will allow Europeans to access content that has been banned by the European Union.  The Times reported, “This includes criticism of the Online Safety Act in the UK and the European Union's Digital Services Act, which force platforms to remove illegal content and harmful speech or face steep fines.” One official at the State Department added, “Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like Virtual Private Networks.” 

The Oregon state Senate may soon take up the bill that would enshrine additional protections for Oregonian patients and providers of reproductive services or gender-affirming care. That bill, HB 4088, has already passed in the House and has been referred to the Senate by committee. Chief sponsor Rep. Lisa Fragala (D-Eugene) says the bill reflects a commitment to the rights of Oregonians to access these types of medical care and retain their privacy. Fragala joins us with more on the legislation. We also hear from Rep. Virgle Osborne (R- Roseburg) who voted against the bill.

The Oregon public defense system has been in crisis for many years. The number of defendants who need representation has far outstripped the number of available public defenders. Previous reports found the state’s system violated Oregonians’ constitutional rights. Earlier this month the Oregon Supreme Court ruled unanimously  that criminal charges against defendants must be dropped if an attorney cannot be found. Oregon lawmakers have passed legislation aimed at alleviating the crisis. We sit down with Ken Sanchagrin, the new head of the Oregon Public Defense Commission, to talk about the progress that’s been made in turning the crisis around and the future of the system.

Last month, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed an executive order creating an interagency council to better support immigrants and refugees in the state. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, there are more than 400,000 immigrants in Oregon, making up nearly 10% of the state’s population and nearly 13% of the state’s workforce.    The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement at ODHS is leading this new effort which aims to boost coordination and communication between multiple state agencies amid the toll heightened immigration enforcement is taking on communities and the state services they rely on.     According to OIRA director Jessica Ventura, the council had its first meeting last week and aims to deliver a plan by late spring that identifies how to align and boost state programs to support immigrants and refugees while upholding the state’s sanctuary law. Gov. Kotek and Ventura join us for more details about the Interagency Council for Immigrant and Refugee Coordination and to share what they’ve been hearing from dozens of community partners who advocate on behalf of these vulnerable Oregonians.  

Paul Koberstein cofounded Cascadia Times in 1995 and has been its editor ever since. Paul, a journalist for forty years, was a staff writer for The Oregonian and Willamette Week in the 1980s and 1990s. He is the co-author of Canopy of Titans examining the global importance of the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest that stretches from Northern California to Alaska. Paul discussed the book Canopy of Titans which details the threats facing this vital environmental resource, and celebrates the beauty and complexity of one of the world's great forests. Cascadia TimesOR Books (Order Canopy of Titans)@cascadiatimes@thewolfconnectionpod