Podcasts about portlanders

We're talking about a new downtown park honoring a local icon, the deep dive a city reporter made into our City Councilors' travel expenses, and a program that's empowering Portlanders to start their own small businesses. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are Willamette Week City Hall reporter Sophie Peel and Madam Cooper Hays, owner of Madam Cooper's Parlor. Discussed in today's episode: Remembering Portland's 92-Year-Old Iconic Drag Queen [City Cast Portland] Portland's first gay rights march [OPB] PDX Pop-Up Shops: a proven pipeline for small business growth and downtown economic vitality See Where Portland Elected Officials Traveled in 2025, and How Much They Spent [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 June 22nd episode: Portland Bureau of Transportation SAIF Grand Central Bakery

Portland was well represented at this year’s James Beard Awards. Cocktail bar Scotch Lodge took home the award for Outstanding Bar, while Japanese restaurant Nodoguro’s Ryan Roadhouse won Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific.    Writer Erica Berry also won a Media Award for her personal essay published in Orion Magazine. In it, she explores the balance between risk and reward in both mushroom foraging and her personal relationships.    Berry joins us to share more about her work.  

 More than a decade ago, Willie Levenson had his heart set on swimming in the Willamette River. In his own words, he got carried away. He is the founder, executive director and ringleader of the Human Access Project, an advocacy group that dedicated its efforts to change Portlanders’ relationship with the Willamette. Over the years they have pushed for city beaches and swimming docks, held annual community events and more. And after being with the organization since its inception in 2010, Levenson is stepping down and retiring. He joins us to share more on his initial vision for the Human Access Project and its future as he steps away.

  In just a few weeks, our nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of its independence. As we approach this historic milestone, “Think Out Loud” hears from guests whose life experiences and personal histories illuminate different aspects of what it means to be an American.   For the second installment of this series, we’ll hear from Ebony Frison, a Portlander, artist, and U.S. Air Force Veteran. After her time in the military, her art has largely included archiving photographic work by Newton Carroll. Carroll was a Black American military photographer whose work depicted  military members from segregated U.S. Army units during World War II.   What she found in those nearly 90-year-old images, was faces and expressions and experiences of those service members that mirrored her own time in the military. Her ongoing series, “Black Valor,” uses archival photos and documents to log her family’s connection to the U.S. Military and chronicles stories and images of Black life that are missing from official historical narratives.  

During the pandemic, Lara Blair found herself with a lot of time on her hands. With her Camas photography studio sitting idle, Blair reminisced about her childhood and two things that brought her joy as a 10-year-old: donuts and dollhouses. Thanks to how-to videos she saw on YouTube, she soon began making sculptures of donuts from clay, adorned with sprinkles and surreal, whimsical elements such as tiny people with ropes climbing up their frosted, candy-colored sides.    Today, Blair works full time as a small-scale artist creating intricate dioramas, shadow boxes, commissioned pieces and other tiny, sculpted works she sells online or at Gallery 408 in Camas. The Columbian recently profiled Blair and a miniature version of the art gallery she designed and helped create with the gallery’s co-owners featuring tiny, painted canvases and sculptures Blair and other local artists, including Portland painter Bianca Youngers, contributed.     The mini gallery was inspired by a conversation Blair had with Rachael Harms Mahlandt, a Portlander who co-created the PDX Sidewalk Joy Map that has since expanded worldwide. Harms Mahlandt was one of the featured guests on Blair’s new podcast, “Tiny Worlds, Big Stories.” Blair and Youngers talk with us about making small-scale art that can spark delight and childlike wonder for its creators and audiences alike.   

 In late May, Portland City Councilors voted 7-5 to increase the city’s arts tax to $50. The tax, which previously was a $35 fee on individuals making more than $1,000 a year goes toward funding art programs for public schools and nonprofits. The proposal also now exempts individuals making less than $20,000 a year, meaning roughly 214,000 Portlanders are now exempt from paying.   City Council President Jamie Dunphy introduced the proposal and voted in favor of it. Councilor Steve Novick voted against it. We’ll hear from both councilors to get their thoughts on the tax and the new proposal.  

Seattle ranks among the most expensive World Cup cities for Airbnbs according to a new study. The San Francisco Chronicle has a remarkably stupid column about gay panic at the World Cup. Will Spencer Pratt advance in tonight’s LA mayor primary? // Guest: State Rep. and GOP Chair Jim Walsh responds to Governor Bob Ferguson ducking his challenge to debtate. // Just 3% of Portlanders call their downtown beautiful in brutal new survey.

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

Noah Ernst is running for Metro Council. Noah is a lawyer, a former small business owner, a former taxi driver for Radio Cab, and currently serves as both a superintendent and in-house counsel for Radio Cab. Listen to or watch former Metro Council President Lynn Peterson's interview about what Metro does and about Metro's Supportive Housing Services Tax. Lynn appears on this episode with Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West (currently running for re-election) on NW FreshNoah Ernst's interview about his Metro Council race on NW FreshNoah Ernst interviews during his previous race for Portland City Council Rational in PortlandNW FreshLearn about what Metro Council does from Terri Preeg-Riggsby, who has a Masters of Public Administration and has served on the Metro Policy Advisory Committee for nine years. Terri is also the Executive Director of the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils and a former candidate for Metro Council. Max Steele's Substack Recalibrate PortlandLearn about Gov. Kotek's unsheltered homelessness legislation CityTeam Portland Rational in Portland Episode with Lance Orton Allegations regarding the former CEO of Home Forward, which is the state of Oregon's largest public housing authorityRational in Portland episodes with former Portland City Council candidate, Terrence Hayes: Terrence's story about his 13 years in prison and growing up with drug-addicted parents in the projects and with a sister still suffering from active drug addiction“Truth Always Makes People Nervous” 40% of Portlanders are considering moving Oregonian editorial: Vote “no” on Measure 120Chris Christensen for Metro President 

Today we're talking about new polling showing more than 40% of people in Portland are considering moving — as well as some new details on PPS's plans to retrofit its schools to withstand an earthquake. Plus, we'll dig into our mailbag. Joining executive producer John Notarianni are Willamette Week reporter Brianna Wheeler and our very own senior producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discussed in today's episode: We Visited the Foster Road Strip Club That Allegedly Lured Lori Chavez-DeRemer [Willamette Week] 40%-plus of Portland residents are considering moving. Here's why [Oregonian] Just How Safe Does the District Expect Schools to Be in an Earthquake? Now We Know. {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 May 14th episode: PBOT TaskRabbit D'Amore Law Gard Communications

Dr. Barbara Kahl, CD-1 candidate interview: https://www.drkahlforcongress.com/#platform CNN says Dems barely leading in generic Congressional ballot, despite Trump: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/cnns-harry-enten-serves-big-time-reality-check-for-democrats-even-amid-trumps-falling-poll-numbers/ Angela Plowhead, OR SD-10 candidate interview: https://angela4oregon.com/ The hidden issue for conservative candidates: 40% of Portland residents considering moving because of taxes: https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2026/05/40-plus-of-portland-residents-are-considering-moving-heres-why.html Did Kotek call Dudley last fall to ask him not to run? https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/12/oregon-governor-kotek-dudley-drazan-politics/ As expected, inflation pops up but still way less than Biden's 9%: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/13/ppi-inflation-report-april-2026-.html  

Portlanders, would your city be better if the bars stayed open later? This summer, Philadelphia is anticipating a record-breaking number of tourists coming to town for World Cup games and semiquincentennial events, so the city is allowing its bars to stay open until 4 a.m. during most of June and July. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri about the city's nightlife, and the pros and cons of this extended hours experiment. Plus, how to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary without feeling like you're serving a Trump narrative. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  We're also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Today we're continuing our series where we talk with Portlanders about the good, bad, and ugly of where they live, with a visit to North Portland's Kenton neighborhood. Kenton resident Dave Blanchard (and NPR “Wild Card” podcast supervising editor) thinks is like taking a time machine to the Portland of 20 years ago. This episode originally aired on November 25, 2024 Discussed in today's episode: North Portland Tool Library Portland International Raceway Columbia Slough Trail Posies Cafe Speck's Records Mock Crest Tavern Kenton Club Kenton Station Fino Bistro & Pizza Tiny Bubble Room 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 5th episode: League of Women's Voters D'Amore Law

 Adam Nattress has been playing poker since he was 19 years old, but it wasn’t until he got sober that he was able to really support his family and dedicate himself to the game. Nattress recently won nearly $140,000 dollars in South Lake Tahoe at the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. The $1,700 buy-in tournament drew over 400 players from around the U.S. We talk to Nattress about why he loves poker, addiction and what the tournament circuit is like.  

We're talking about the interesting way the city responded to a Portlander asking for help with a homeless encampment outside his home, some new details on the budget cuts the mayor is proposing, and some outdoor bar patios to check out now that we've hit peak patio weather. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are food and drink reporter Alex Frane and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed in today's episode: He asked for help with chronic camps outside his home. Portland cracked down on his hedge instead [Oregonian] Mayor Wilson's Economic Development Budget Is a Balancing Act of Cuts and Cash Infusion [Portland Mercury] Budget listening sessions [Portland.gov] 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 4th episode: League of Women's Voters D'Amore Law

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.

Today we're talking about why our city council is fighting over whether Portlanders should pay for a Moda Center renovation, and some major changes coming to our city's transit lines. Plus, we'll offer a few of our top picks from Beaverton's growing food scene. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are food and drink reporter Alex Frane and our very own senior producer Guilia Fiaoni. Discussed in today's episode: Portland City Council members are divided over Moda Center funding, secret negotiations [KGW8] TriMet officials vote on major changes to Portland-area bus routes, shortening of MAX Green Line [Oregonian] Beaverton Restaurants and Food Carts Worth the Slog Down 26 [Portland Monthly] 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. If you enjoyed this interview with Hannah Vassar, the senior manager of engineering at TaskRabbit, learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 27th episode: League of Women's Voters Visit Central Oregon

Could public financing get more Portlanders involved in local elections? For the last decade, the City of Seattle has issued $100 in vouchers to every voter to donate to the candidate of their choice in municipal elections. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Seattle podcast host Jane C. Hu about how these Democracy Vouchers work, how many people are participating, and what the impact on local elections has been. Plus, is the “Seattle Freeze” a real thing? Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  We're also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Som Subedi’s daughter, a fifth-grader, was concerned about attending her soccer practice for fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials raiding the public practices and games. She was worried her father would be targeted by ICE officers. Subedi assured her daughter that he is, in fact, a U.S. citizen, by showing her his Real I.D. card and passport.   Subedi is originally from Bhutan, and after spending nearly twenty years in a refugee camp in Nepal, he moved to Portland in 2008 and eventually obtained citizenship. Upon seeing his identification, his daughter was still convinced that because of her father’s appearance and accent, she wouldn’t be able to see him after her soccer practice was over.   This inspired Subedi to organize the recent Refugee and Immigrant Girls’ World Cup Soccer Tournament, inviting the young athletes to compete in a safe environment, as fear and anticipation of federal immigration enforcement activity has burdened youth sports across the U.S.   Subedi joins us to share more about the tournament, and his efforts to remove cultural, linguistic and financial barriers for immigrant and refugee youth and create a safe and welcoming environment for them.  

Portlander Sean Wolfe has been making electronic music off and on under the moniker Salvo Beta for more than three decades. During the pandemic, he started experiencing hearing loss in his right ear and other symptoms such as balance problems and tinnitus, or a ringing sensation in the ear. Wolfe was diagnosed with a kind of rare, noncancerous tumor that left untreated can lead to permanent hearing loss, facial paralysis and worse.     So in October 2024, Wolfe got surgery to not only remove the tumor, but also get a cochlear implant, an electronic device affixed behind the ear that directly stimulates the auditory nerve. Although the surgery was a success, he had months of rehabilitation and adjusting to a new sonic environment. That includes difficulty hearing certain kinds of sounds and experiencing shifts in sound frequencies.   Wolfe says his cochlear implant has opened new creative doors musically. He contributed two new songs to an album of remixes that will be released later this month by Chicago indie rock band Still Machine. Wolfe wants to compose music specifically for people who are hard of hearing, and he’s finishing work on an album of new, original material. He joins us to share his journey as a musician with a cochlear implant.   

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.   

Doug Lowell spent nearly 40 years in the world of advertising, from co-owning an ad agency to teaching the subject at Portland State University. But it was only in retirement that he was able to achieve his dream job of opening his own bookstore. As a third-generation Portlander, the business also allows him to play a part in the revitalization of Portland’s downtown, which he recalls once being the envy of other cities.    Lowell began welcoming customers to the store, Kid Hermes the Trickster, about a month ago. Oregon ArtsWatch recently profiled Lowell and his new venture. The 830-square-foot space in downtown Portland is packed with roughly 1,700 books that come mostly from Lowell’s personal library. In addition to literary classics from Jane Austen and Franz Kafka, visitors might find rare first editions and signed copies of titles spanning photography, science fiction or even a 16-volume collection of the Oxford English Dictionary. There’s also a gallery inside the store where Lowell hosts art exhibitions featuring local and international artists.    Lowell joins us to share his vision and hopes for Kid Hermes the Trickster.  

“Think Out Loud” wanted to hear how people are navigating the dating scene right now. So we gathered a panel of “experts” to help us break it down.     Sarah Ruby Armstrong is the creator of Dating Profile Tune-Ups, Playdates and Kissing Booth Social Club. Taylor Kravitz is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the CEO of Empowered Fulfillment Therapy, and an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark College. Margaret Bagan is a marketing specialist in Portland and served as our resident dating single.    They bravely joined us in front of a live audience at Portland’s Revolution Hall to talk about the highs and lows of modern dating.  

Portlanders are concerned about police accountability, especially with the increased presence of federal troops in many cities. DC Council in Washington recently passed emergency legislation requiring local police to release body-worn camera footage of incidents involving federal forces they patrol with, and to collect the names of federal officers who make arrests. It's a big shift in local policy, partially motivated by the fact that local cops have damaged their reputation by patrolling with feds. City Cast Chicago podcast host Jacoby Cochran talks with City Cast DC podcast co-host and executive editor Mike Schaffer about the political stakes involved, the effectiveness of body cameras, and how Washingtonians are dealing with the heavy federal law enforcement presence. Plus, Mike and Jacoby weigh in on public transit etiquette in their cities when it comes to people playing music out loud. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email us now! We're also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Everyone's talking about AI these days, including Portlanders. And now, more data centers are popping up across the country, thanks in part to the AI revolution. But some cities are stemming the tide, including Madison, Wisconsin, who recently passed a one-year moratorium on new data center construction. City Cast CEO David Plotz feels strongly that this was the wrong choice! He's sitting down with City Cast Madison podcast host Bianca Martin to weigh the pros and cons of data centers, and debate the economic, ethical, and ecological considerations at the heart of this debate. Plus, David and Bianca share must-know tips for making it in Madison and DC.  We also mentioned this City Cast Madison episode. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  We're also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

All eyes have been on the Twin Cities lately, including Portlanders'. Operation Metro Surge is reportedly ending in Minnesota, with the withdrawal of immigration agents expected over the next week. Over the last two months, though, residents of the Twin Cities have organized a range of local collective action efforts including protests, mutual aid, and monitoring ICE — and they've done it quickly. In this inaugural episode of “Your City Could Be Better,” City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Twin Cities podcast host Sean McPherson about how his community self-organized, why these networks have been so successful, and what other cities can take away from Minnesotans' response to Operation Metro Surge. Plus, we have a D.C. vs. Twin Cities face-off on local cultural norms. We also mentioned this episode of City Cast Twin Cities. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! We're also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Today we're talking about a drug market that moved into a local affordable housing complex, as well as yet another surplus of unspent funds found in the city Housing Bureau's budget. Plus, a local psychiatrist's connection to the Epstein files, the Lake Oswego marquee that upset Amazon, and so much more. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week's Friday news roundup are Willamette Week reporter and author, Brianna Wheeler, and our very own senior producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discussed in Today's Episode: A Drug Market Moves Into a Home Forward Apartment Building [Willamette Week] Portland Housing Bureau Finds at Least Another $15 Million in Unspent Funds [Portland Mercury]  Lake Oswego Theater Loses Rights To Screen ‘Melania' After Marquee Jokes [Lake Oswego Review] Portland Lawmaker Pushes Tear Gas Ban After ICE Protest Crackdown [Oregonian]   Prominent Portland Psychiatrist Corresponded With Jeffrey Epstein, Emails Show [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 February 6th episode: Oregon Ballet Neo Home Loans Pivot Portland

According to recent data, fewer than half of Multnomah County residents were born in Oregon — meaning most Portlanders aren't actually from here. But adjusting to life in our wonderful city can be challenging, and it's hard to know how to start building a community. Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking with two recent transplants and friends of the show, Danielle Mangone and Chris Cary. They have tips for how to quickly find your groove — and all the ways you can make Portland really feel like home. 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 January 26th episode: Beaumont Jewelry The Ascent by Christopher Walker Flatbike SkillCharter

Today, we're looking into all the latest updates surrounding the border patrol shooting of two people in East Portland, and we're also hearing from you, our listeners, about the incident. Joining host Claudia Meza on this midweek news roundup is our very own senior producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discussed in Today's Episode: Man Shot by Border Patrol in Portland Released From Hospital, Charged With Assaulting Federal Officer [OPB] Border Patrol Agent Fired 2 Shots When Driver Rammed Unoccupied Federal Rental Car, FBI Says [Oregonian] Southwest Portland Shooting Linked to Suspects Shot by Border Patrol Last Week [KGW]    City Cast Portland is looking for an Audience Development Manager. Go to citycast.fm/jobs for more information and to apply. 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 January 14th episode: West Lombard D'Amore Law OMSI Cascadia Getaways SkillCharter

At TriMet's December board meeting, director Tyler Frisbee lectured attendees on how 82nd Avenue business owners and motorists should embrace TriMet's takeover of auto lanes for exclusive busways.TriMet refers to these as Business Access Transit or BAT lanes—which is Orwell's doublespeak for the opposite effect—reducing business access for people in cars. Portland Bureau of Transportation's alleged “improvement” of 82nd only turns a street made for cars into an avenue for the minority of pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders.82nd is another flagship for how PBOT intends to “improve” more streets -- by taking away auto lanes to be re-striped as “bus-only” lanes. Traffic modeling shows, of course, this will greatly distress peak-hour travel times by 50 percent and divert motorists to I-205.TriMet's 72 bus line will be the only beneficiary of this change. A bus that runs every 12 minutes during peak hours, means BAT lanes will be unused most of the time while motorists eye an empty lane, confined to Los Angeles style gridlock.TriMet and PBOT are moving towards a likely February decision on the BAT lanes -- and many business owners have threatened legal action for loss of access to their shops.Director Frisbee, meanwhile, took 10 minutes to make unsubstantiated assertions, to which Cascade's President, John Charles, has written a response you can read at cascadepolicy.org. Like an evangelist, Tyler Frisbee pleas for Portlanders to repent from their car-centric ways and embrace the narrow vision of PBOT's Transportation System Plan -- whose tenets are known as “Vision Zero:” Stop designing roads around people in cars to make driving more painful, and convert major roads into avenues for walking, bicycling, and public transit.At the February meeting, the TriMet Board should withdraw this idea and end its war on the majority of people in cars.

It’s estimated that more than 80,000 Oregonians are living with disabilities related to a brain injury. That includes Portlander Cheryl Green, who sustained a brain injury in 2010. Since then, Green has showcased the experiences of brain injury survivors through a number of projects, including a podcast, documentary film, short videos and her work as a self-described “access artist.” She’s also advocated for their needs as a member of the Oregon Brain Injury Council.   We’ll talk with Green about her disability justice work and how art can play a role in that movement.

East Portland's Russell neighborhood is quiet, safe, and totally under-the-radar. Today, we're continuing our neighborhood guide series where we talk with Portlanders about the good, bad, and ugly of where they live with Russell neighborhood resident Danielle Mangone, a member of the Portland Creator Community who's on Instagram as pnwplanned. Discussed in Today's Episode: Jet Black Coffee  Food Fight! Grocery John Luby Park Glendoveer Golf Course and Nature Trail Chepe's Pupuseria 99 Ranch The Alley Level Brewery McGillacuddy's 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 https://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.

Mark Rothko is known for his colorful abstract paintings of stacked rectangles with billowy borders and layered textures. His art has been auctioned for up to $186 million, but he once turned down a commission at a fancy restaurant because he felt his work wouldn’t be appreciated by the wealthy patrons there. He was raised in Portland and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1921. His first ever solo exhibition was at the Portland Art Museum, which is opening its Rothko Pavilion on November 20th. OPB Oregon Art Beat producer Eric Slade made a documentary about Rothko, and he joins us to explore what makes his work so special. 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, Liv Rainey-Smith became the first Oregonian to win a World Fantasy Award for “Best Artist.” Rainey-Smith now joins a pantheon of World Fantasy Award-winning writers and visual artists that includes Stephen King, Edward Gorey and fellow Oregonian Ursula K. LeGuin.   Oregon ArtsWatch recently profiled Rainey-Smith, whose achievement is all the more notable for the thousand-year-old artistic craft the Portlander specializes in. Rainey-Smith uses blocks of wood that she carves by hand, coats in ink, covers with paper and then rolls through an etching press to make prints featuring mythological creatures or otherworldly scenes laden with skulls, ravens and other macabre symbolism.  Six of her original woodcut prints and descriptions she wrote for them are included in “The Dagon Collection,” an anthology published last year that was nominated for a 2025 World Fantasy Award and inspired by a short story from pioneering horror and fantasy writer H.P. Lovecraft. Rainey-Smith talks to us about her award-winning art and the childhood health struggles she overcame that inform and inspire her work.

A few recent moves in national politics are affecting everyday Portlanders this week. From a federal judge permanently banning the deployment of National Guard troops in our city to reopening the government without a healthcare deal, and some movement toward finally releasing the Epstein files, a lot is happening. So today on City Cast Portland, Sen. Ron Wyden joins us to talk through these headlines and what he's seeing on the ground right now.  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 November 12th episode: ⁠Veganizer⁠ ⁠The Watermark⁠ ⁠Visit Walla Walla⁠ ⁠Portland G&E⁠ ⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Last Friday morning, Oregonians were able to begin accessing their full monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the federal food aid program which serves more than 42 million Americans. But many of those households face new uncertainty after the Supreme Court granted on Friday night the Trump administration’s emergency appeal of the ruling. In a statement, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said the state had acted lawfully in sending out the SNAP payments and vowed to fight the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s demand that states “undo any steps” they took to issue  the full November SNAP benefits. Food pantries across Oregon, including at William Temple House in Portland, have mobilized in recent weeks to help people like Elaine, one of the more than 750,000 Oregonians who are SNAP recipients. To protect her privacy, OPB is identifying Elaine only by her first name. She says SNAP has been a lifeline to her for nearly 20 years while being unable to work fulltime because of a disability and experiencing periods of homelessness. Elaine joins us to discuss the restoration of her SNAP benefits after nearly a week without them, and the uncertainty about the program’s future. 

It's no secret our city is full of book lovers of all kinds. From graphic novels to dense texts on niche interests, there's a reason we're home to the biggest independent bookstore in the country. But that's not all; we also have our own Portland Book Festival, featuring over a hundred authors and thousands of attendees who take over downtown every year. Today on City Cast Portland, Literary Arts senior artistic director Amanda Bullock is here to give us a sneak preview of the upcoming festival and reveal the one book Portlanders should be reading right now.  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 November 5th episode: Portland PGE Portland Art Museum Allport PBOT DUER - Mention code CCPDX for 15% off

A federal judge once again blocked the Trump Administration from sending the National Guard to Portland over the weekend — but if Trump is successful in the courts, Portlanders can look to the great city of Chicago for a preview of what may be in store. Since ICE began operations in September, there have been violent raids on apartment buildings and near-constant activity from aggressive federal agents rounding up immigrants who are being kept in facilities reportedly full of cockroaches and with horrifying examples of overcrowding. And, in some cases, US citizens are getting detained, too. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has faced the brunt of Trump's attacks on the city, while also reckoning with Chicago's crime rate and affordability crises that many big cities also face. We sat down with the Mayor to talk about what it's been like to face down the President while trying to manage the nation's third-largest city.And in headlines, President Trump's tariffs are at the Supreme Court this week, a rundown of the high-profile Election Day races, and 20 Democratic-led states sue the Trump administration over a rule that could block certain public servants from getting their student loans forgiven.Show Notes:Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In February, the Trump administration announced cuts to more than 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall assistance around the world. In July, the agency’s remaining programs were brought under the control of the State Department. Thousands of USAID staff and contractors working in the US and around the world have been fired or laid off, including Portlander Leah Petit. A global health professional for nearly 20 years, Petit was a senior program advisor at USAID’s Office of HIV/AIDS when she lost her job in late January. Her projects focused on strengthening local health systems in Africa and Asia to sustain long-term HIV prevention, monitoring and treatment efforts.    In August, Petit embarked on a new career when she launched “Global Development Interrupted,” a podcast she hosts and produces featuring former USAID workers who help dispel misconceptions about the agency’s work overseas and how it has benefited Americans here. Established nearly 65 years ago, USAID has delivered lifesaving humanitarian assistance and medicines, mobilized to halt the spread of deadly diseases like Ebola, expanded access to clean drinking water and sanitation, along with countless other relief and development programs. Petit joins us to share more details about her podcast and what’s at stake when the US reverses its leadership on international aid, including the millions of lives that are expected to be lost with the dismantling of USAID.  

Some Portlanders will be seeing a single issue on their ballot, a 75% increase in the current levy that funds parks. Under this new increase, the average homeowner would pay an extra $133 a year in taxes. The levy would help fund swim lessons, summer camps, sports programs and allows the Parks Bureau to provide free or reduced cost programs to low-income residents. However, the levy would not be used for much needed maintenance and the city still lacks a stable funding plan for parks, which a recent city audit found.    Jason Williams is the executive director and founder of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon and opposes the levy. Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney supports the increase. We’ll hear from both sides as they make their case on how Portlanders should vote.  

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/ToddJoin the Angel Guild today and know you are not just watching, you're helping make bold, faith driven stories like Disciples in the Moonlight possible. That's Angel.com/Todd.Bizable https://GoBizable.comUntie your business exposure from your personal exposure with BiZABLE.  Schedule your FREE consultation at GoBizAble.com today. Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/toddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeIf the Mockingbird Media wanted to be distrusted and loathed by more than half of society, how would they behave differently? Let's look at this idea through their narrative on immigration.Episode Links:I can't believe this is real but it is. CBS Sacramento did a segment last night on the growing threat to Sikh truck drivers. - "The roadway risk for Sikh truck drivers is growing." Even the ending is comedy. They can't read English street signs and that could be a problem. You think CBS? BTW, half of west coast truck drivers are Sikh? When did that happen?BREAKING: A senior official in the FL AG's office tells me initial results of their investigation into Harjinder Singh, the Indian illegal alien truck driver charged w/ killing 3 people in a crash in FL in August, reveal Singh failed his CDL test 10 times in a 2-month window between 3/10/2023 and 5/5/2023 in the state of Washington.BOMBSHELL: A federal audit of CDL's issued in California just EXPOSED a huge corruption scandal over TENS OF THOUSANDS of illegal aliens being given a CDL. There were MULITPLE instances of ILLEGAL ALIENS who also had a REAL ID, which is OUTRAGEOUS.JUST IN: Dash-cam footage shows a semi-truck plowing into multiple vehicles on the 10 Freeway in California. The 21-year-old driver was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs. At least three people were k*lled and two others were hospitalizedBREAKING: An Illegal Alien from Venezuela being harbored by @GovPritzker was just arrested for committing 4 home invasion rapes, has been arrested 5 times since June while on pretrial release under JB Pritzker's cashless bail system and then shielded from ICE deportation.Portland Mayor Keith Wilson in a bizarre speech saying he ran for mayor to make sure no one gets left behind, including street junkies and illegal immigrants.  “If you are an undocumented immigrant, we need you. If you are in Portland, you're a Portlander.”Well, here it is: Conspiracy theory no more: Not only did @DOGE confirm it — the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has re-confirmed: Illegal aliens were issued Social Security numbers by the Biden–Harris terrorist administration.      •      270,425 in 2021      •      590,193 in 2022      •      964,163 in 2023      •      2,095,247 in 2024 — on their way out the doorWith a whopping 1.4 million illegals on Medicaid. You have been Robbed. Deceived, Blackmailed. Extorted.

The Alcan 5000 Rally isn’t the kind of car race you might think of. It runs from Kirkland, Washington over 5,000 miles up to the Arctic Circle over 11 days. It’s what’s known as a time-speed-distance rally, where following the course, maintaining the right speed and arriving at checkpoints on time is what matters the most. Portlanders Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal placed first in their class and second overall this year. The couple, who are both automotive journalists, have been obsessed with TSD rallies for years. They join us to talk about their win

For a lot of Portlanders, fall means two things: rain and mushrooms. But mushroom foraging isn't just about tromping through the woods and getting lucky; there's a whole culture, etiquette, and even a kind of intuition behind it. Today we're talking with Norther Emily, founder of Wild Solitude Guiding and a seasoned mushroom forager. We'll get into the art of mushroom hunting, a few that you can easily identify, and which ones you should absolutely not mess with.  Discussed in today's episode: Oregon Mycological Society Chanterelle Mushrooms Lobster Mushrooms Hedgehog Mushrooms 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 October 14th episode: Portland Art Museum Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST DUER - Mention code CCPDX for 15% off MUBI - Try it for free for 30 days Pivot Property Management pFriem Family Brewers

Victor Davis Hanson- Reactionary, Neo-Confederate Portland.  Everywhere Islam gains power, Civilization collapses. 5 X Clips. Everywhere Islam gains power, Civilization collapses Victor Davis Hanson- Reactionary, Neo-Confederate Portland Post Islam Invasion  @IslamInvasion “Peace when weak, conquest when strong.” The pattern is clear, patience until power, then submission by force. Fourteen hundred years prove it, Sharia does not knock, it takes.   Post Bob @Shariakill Everywhere Islam gain power, Civilization collapse   Reactionary, Neo-Confederate Portland 16 Comments / October 6, 2025 Victor Davis Hanson American Greatness In blue cities across America—Portland, Oregon, especially—often violent protesters now seek to surround ICE facilities to stop federal officers from fulfilling their assigned and legal duties of arresting illegal aliens. Some 10 million or more illegal aliens were allowed to enter the U.S. during the Biden years—illegally and thus without criminal or health checks. Neither Antifa nor liberal urban America objected to such a flagrant disregard for the law. But both are now as intent on obstructing the legal enforcement of the law as they were earlier in favor of its illegal non-enforcement. Much less did they care about the consequences of sending millions of foreign nationals into cities and counties where they swamped social services, spiked crime, and flooded emergency rooms and schools. ICE has repeatedly presented data that show in its first rounds of deportations, it is concentrating on removing either criminal illegal aliens or those who have already been processed with deportation orders, somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of all current apprehensions. No matter. Left-wing protesters are swarming ICE headquarters in Portland to violently oppose all deportations, even those of known criminals and those who have already exhausted efforts to remain here illegally. Why? The Democratic Party apparat knows that the public wants both secure borders and deportations of illegal aliens. Indeed, in part, it lost an election by its open-borders advocacy. But Democrat officials feel that if street thugs like Antifa can surround and besiege ICE facilities in Portland, Oregon, then deportations will stop. Then, a de facto amnesty will follow for millions who entered the U.S. illegally—and will soon become Democratic constituents. As a result, they do not fully enforce the law when thugs attack federal law enforcement. Antifa and its spin-off groups favor the night, when they try to block all entries and exits of ICE vehicles and personnel, and can commit their violence with greater anonymity. The masked rioters assault anyone in their way. They count on exemption from punishment for committing violence against federal officers through the goodwill or indifference of kindred local and state officials who hate the Trump administration more than they respect the law. An Orwellian scenario follows in which federal officers are attacked by Antifa, which in turn counts on the non-intervention of local police. Summed up: the city of Portland's armed officers are in a de facto proxy war with their federal counterparts—in our version of something out of 1860, on the eve of a real civil war. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek feel their constituents want open borders and thus should have the right in their own city and state to do as they please—and federal law be damned. But by doing so, both the Democrat Party officialdom and the street armies of Antifa are on the proverbial wrong side of history. America for almost 200 years has already decided, in formal law and court rulings, that no local or state entity can disrupt the enforcement of federal laws or usurp Washington's powers. To do so with impunity would unravel the American nation in short order. We know that from our own violent history. Andrew Jackson, in 1832, like Trump, threatened to send troops to stop South Carolina's nullification of federal tariff laws. America fought a Civil War over Confederate states' efforts to ignore federal law and confiscate or occupy federal property within their state jurisdictions. As late as 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace thought he could nullify federal law by using his state guard to deny black students' enrollment in the University of Alabama—until the Kennedy administration federalized all state troopers and sent in additional federal troops. So what we are witnessing in Portland—and elsewhere—is a neo-Confederate attempt to supersede federal law and, in reactionary fashion, invoke states' and cities' rights. Oregon and Portland believe that they are more moral than the federal government and thus have a natural right to side with street mobs by both not enforcing their own laws against Antifa violence and ignoring the innate civil rights of ICE personnel. The latter are denied freedom of movement, association, and the ability to fulfill their job duties by what has turned out to be a near city-sanctioned siege of their facilities. The Democrats are fine with all this. They think the violence against ICE will be portrayed daily as general chaos by their allied media. Thus, the proverbial people who keep clear of the siege and its detritus will simply want all the bother to go away—and supposedly blame those enforcing, not breaking, the law. In sum, the Democratic Party is the official face of the left. Antifa provides the street shock troops, and the media serves as its propaganda arm. So, the left-wing logic is to allow the violence and siege to continue in a “safe space” for Antifa. A strapped ICE will supposedly eventually shut down operations and move on. And any violence that occurs can be chalked up to Trump's federal government “baiting” Portlanders. The reigning moralistic assumption is that ceding territory to terrorists, not enforcing local and state laws, and nullifying federal statutes are all small prices to pay for the larger projection of chaos and violence that can be blamed on Trump. Such thinking entails utter indifference to any Portlanders who live near the siege and are nightly subjected to constant disruptions, harassment, and occasional violence. Do these law-abiding residents have fewer civil rights than the lawbreaking armies of the night? In contrast, the use of federal troops to stop the siege of ICE facilities will remind the violent protesters of the left that their neo-Confederate tactics will not work, but instead subject them to arrest and federal indictments. Bringing in federal forces to uphold the law will also protect the rights of ICE personnel and neighborhood residents to live in peace and security and have their constitutional protections secured. Not all American citizens are Portlanders, but all Portland citizens are Americans. In other words, both Antifa and the appeasing Oregon officials are our new neo-Confederate secessionists. They feel that their states are now autonomous entities that are still entitled to federal money but not obligated to follow federal laws. Portland also reminds us of the recent utter incoherence of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. On the one hand, she pleads for federal dollars to restore her city's burned-out neighborhoods due to her own incompetence and neglect, while on the other hand actively obstructs the federal government from enforcing immigration laws in her own city. For a party that has been quick to shout “insurrection,” it is ironic that Democrats and their useful, though violent, Antifa insurrectionists are in rebellion against the federal government and its agents. It is hard to know which is worse—the Antifa thug who nightly tries to injure a federal officer, or the sanctimonious neo-Confederate official who empowers him to keep trying?

Northeast Portland's Rose City Park might be the perfect neighborhood for you if you love snacking and being besties with your neighbors. Today we're continuing our neighborhood guides — where we talk with Portlanders about the good, bad, and ugly of where they live — with longtime Rose City Park neighborhood resident (and City Cast's chief marketing officer) Gillian Kennedy. Discussed in today's episode: Case Study Coffee Bakeshop Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai Owl & Bee Clay Company Puddletown Games & Puzzles Clyde's Prime Rib Little Griddle Baerlic at the Barley Pod Peter's Bar & Grill Mad Hanna Cutie Pie Pizzeria Javi's Black Water Records Rose City Park Rose City Bluff Restoration 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 https://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. If you enjoyed the interview with Kristine Walz - the Regional Director from Window Nation, learn more here. Learn more about the other sponsors of this September 30th episode: pFriem Family Brewers Sticky Wicket Pub Cascadia Getaways Window Nation - Get an extra 10% off the original offer until end of September DUER - Mention code CCPDX for 15% off

This week we're taking a break from recent news to hear from Olivia Katbi, co-chair of Portland DSA, and Mitch Green, Councilor on the Portland City Council, to talk about their organizing in the City of Roses: their strategies and tactics, their successes and failures, and the issues facing many Portlanders in the early 21st century Portland DSA: https://portlanddsa.org/ Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty