Think Out Loud

 Portland is well-known for its craft coffee, beer and cocktails. But it’s also home to a number of craft chocolate makers. The city’s first Craft Chocolate Festival will take place Oct. 3-5 at the Olympic Mills Building in the Central Eastside neighborhood. Attendees can sample sweets from makers across the city, while makers can attend informational sessions on how to grow their businesses. 

George Domurot is the founder and CEO of Ranger Chocolate Co. Andrea Marks is the owner of Bees and Beans. They join us to talk about the festival and the evolution of Portland’s craft chocolate scene.

The Portland Art Museum already has one of the most significant collections of modern Japanese prints in North America. On September 27, it burnished those credentials with the opening of the first solo U.S. exhibition of the late artist Yoshida Chizuko (1924-2017).

Born in 1924, Chizuko forged a place for herself in Japan’s male-dominated postwar art world. And though she married into the well-known Yoshida artist family –– which produced three generations of influential woodblock print artists –– critics say her work has been often overshadowed. The new exhibition brings together more than 100 of Chizuko’s woodblock prints and paintings, many of which have never before been displayed publicly.

Portland Art Museum's Asian art curator Jeannie Kenmotsu joins us to discuss the avant-garde artist who pushed the boundaries of both painting and printmaking, her place in the Yoshida family legacy and why her work still feels modern today.

 Last month, Oregon became the first state in the nation to be verified for its accessibility for travelers with disabilities by the travel website Wheel the World. The company worked with Travel Oregon to assess hundreds of hotels, restaurants, tourism providers and state parks in seven regions across the state for their accessibility. That includes features like step-free entrances at museums or specialized wheelchairs available to venture onto a beach on the Oregon Coast. 

But the state’s efforts to promote its accessibility doesn’t mean that barriers don’t still exist for travelers with physical or neurocognitive disabilities. Small hotel owners and tourism operators may also lack awareness about best practices to engage with these travelers or struggle with how to become more accessible online and in person. 

To address these gaps, researchers at Southern Oregon University recently received a grant from Travel Oregon to develop and roll out training workshops at 12 locations across the state for travel industry professionals and other stakeholders. The training includes guidance on best practices and role-playing exercises where participants can experience, for example, what it’s like to navigate a carpeted hotel lobby in a wheelchair or to receive information during an emergency as a person who is hard of hearing. 

The goal of these trainings and the education they provide is to create a statewide network of “Accessible Tourism Ambassadors,” according to Pavlina McGrady, an associate professor in the school of business at Southern Oregon University. McGrady and Rebecca Williams, an assistant professor in the school of business at SOU, join us for more details. Ulysses McCready, a junior at SOU who is blind, also shares his perspective about inclusive tourism and the assistance he provided McGrady and Williams on their project. 

 In 2007, the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries released a report looking at the seismic safety of more than 3,000 schools and other public buildings. A new analysis from The Oregonian/OregonLive found that of the 138 schools in the Portland area that were considered  at “high” or “very high” risk of collapsing, 110 of those continue to have students. And of those 110, 55 of them still have not had any major renovations. At the same time, some researchers are beginning to rethink whether the current "drop, cover and hold on" safety plan is the best option for students. Lizzy Acker is a reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She joins us to share more on the seismic preparedness of Portland's students and schools.

Nationwide polling suggests that about half of Americans oppose the deployment of National guard troops to American cities. But the poll also suggests a significant number - 38% - do support deployment. Dan Mason is a National Committeeman for the Oregon Republican Party and former member of the Oregon Ethics Commission. He says while those are national poll numbers, he suspects they reflect Oregon, including its nearly 730,000 registered Republicans. Mason says he thinks Portland officials may be downplaying the city’s problems keeping the peace and protecting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland. He sees a potentially positive role for National Guard troops in the city. He joins us to tell us more about his views and what he’s hearing from his fellow Republicans in Oregon and across the country.

In June, President Trump deployed thousands of National Guard members and hundreds of active duty Marines to Los Angeles to respond to largely peaceful protests over the administration’s immigration sweeps. A judge recently ruled that the use of federal troops in LA was illegal since they performed law enforcement duties the military are constitutionally prohibited from doing.

Now, Trump has mobilized 200 National Guard troops to Portland, saying they’re necessary to protect federal officials and property. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has sued to block the deployment.

Rebecca Ellis covers Los Angeles county government as a staff writer for the LA Times. She previously covered Portland city government for OPB. She joins us to talk about how Angelenos responded to the deployment in their city and what could be in store for Portland.

Deep divisions remain between Democrats and Republicans to overcome the funding impasse. Among the concessions Democrats are demanding from Republicans are an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year, and rolling back cuts to Medicaid under the GOP tax and spending bill signed by President Trump in July. Republican Congressional leaders and President Trump have sought to blame the shutdown on Democrats. Polls conducted before the shutdown by the New York Times and NPR showed roughly a third of respondents would blame both parties for the shutdown, though more respondents put the blame on Republicans than Democrats.   

Democratic Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley joins us from the nation’s capital to talk about the shutdown and the deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard members in Portland expected in the coming days.

President Trump’s authorization of the deployment of Oregon National Guard troops to Portland brought swift opposition from civic and business leaders across the state. AG Dan Rayfield has filed a lawsuit and an emergency motion aimed at stopping the deployment. 

Lewis & Clark Law professor Tung Yin, author of “National Security Lies,” joins us to share the legal issues involved in President Trump’s deployment of National Guard Troops under Title 10, section 12406 of the U.S. Code, and how the legal challenges are likely to play out.v

President Trump has ordered 200 Oregon National Guard members into Portland, citing protests outside immigration facilities. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has filed both a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order to block the deployment. The State of Oregon and the City of Portland will appear in federal court at 10 a.m. on Friday for a hearing on their motion for a temporary restraining order. Rayfield joins us with details of the legal challenge.

Progressive city councilor Mitch Green, who represents Portland’s District 4 and is himself a veteran, called on local members of the military to protest the deployment of National Guard troops to the city. He joins us with more on the deployment.

Several hundred people gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland on Sunday to protest the Trump administration’s decision to send 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to the city. Although the protest was mostly peaceful, more than a dozen counterprotesters verbally clashed with protesters and several protesters were hit with pepper balls as ICE agents attempted to escort cars into the building. 

On Monday, Portland police announced the arrest of two individuals on assault charges outside the ICE building. “We will not accept or tolerate people coming down to the south waterfront for the purpose of engaging in violence,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said at a press conference on Monday morning. He also praised the role of dialogue officers to reduce tensions during protests, which he cited as an example of the bureau’s reforms to how it manages crowds since the 2020 racial justice protests.

Chief Day talks with us to share the agency’s approach to handling protests outside the ICE facility, planning for a possible uptick in protest activity once the Oregon National Guard has been deployed to the city and how Portland police will communicate with a federalized National Guard.

The Beaverton Sobriety Opportunity for Beginning Recovery treatment court is open to Beaverton or Washington County residents who have at least one prior Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants conviction and who agree to the program’s strict requirements. About 200 people have graduated from B-SOBR since its launch in 2011. 

Participants must agree to wear an ankle monitor and submit to biweekly testing to ensure their sobriety during the first few months. They must also attend regular meetings with their case manager and the presiding judge to monitor their progress for the 20 months or so it typically takes to complete the program. Beaverton police officers also make monthly visits to participants’ homes, which can help reframe negative interactions they may have had previously with law enforcement, and engage family members or others in the home to support the participant’s recovery. 

The All Rise Treatment Court Institute selected the B-SOBR program in January 2025 as one of 10 treatment courts to serve as a national model for new treatment courts for the next two years. 

We rebroadcast an interview which first aired in March 2025 about the B-SOBR program featuring B-SOBR case manager David Finke, police liaison Officer Michel Wilson and Mauricio Molina, a recent graduate of the program.

On Sunday, the Trump administration sent a memo to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek authorizing the deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard members in Portland immediately for 60 days. The memo says the troops will be deployed to protect federal property and personnel in Portland, which President Trump has called a “war-ravaged city.” Portland and state officials responded by filing a lawsuit and, on Monday, a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration’s federalization of the Oregon National Guard. 

Gov. Kotek, AG Rayfield and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson held a news conference on Sunday to announce the lawsuit and counter President Trump’s characterization of Portland. “To bring this narrative to Portland, to say that we are anything but a city on the rise, is counter what truth is,” Wilson said. Gov. Kotek said she had spoken with President Trump and told him that there was no public safety threat that required military intervention in Portland. 

Several hundred people gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland on Sunday afternoon and evening to protest the deployment of federal troops in the city. More than a dozen counterprotesters verbally clashed with protesters, several of whom were hit with pepper balls as ICE agents attempted to escort cars into the building. On Monday morning, Portland Police announced the arrest of two people on assault charges during the protest on Sunday evening. 

OPB reporters Conrad Wilson and Troy Brynelson join us to discuss the latest developments.

The Oregonian/OregonLive sports writer Bill Oram has extensively profiled Hollins’ amazing journey of rehabilitation, including his decision to return to Ashland to play college basketball at Southern Oregon University, where he graduated last June and served as a team captain. More recently, Oram wrote about Hollins’ return to Snake River to play basketball and inspire adults in custody with workshops he developed through his new nonprofit, The Side Door Foundation. Hollins joins us, along with Michael Reese, director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, to share their perspectives on rehabilitation and the obstacles to it inside and outside of prison.

The Hanford nuclear reservation in Southeastern Washington was the epicenter of plutonium enrichment during the WW II and through the cold war. For more than 20 years, an effort to safely dispose and store 56 million gallons of radioactive waste stored at the site has been in the works. The vitrification plant would turn some of that waste into glass logs. The opening of that waste processing facility -- which has now cost $30 billion  - was thrown into doubt earlier this month, but the Department of Energy is now allowing the project to move forward and the first glass logs are expected to roll out as soon as next week, ahead of the October 15 deadline. We get the latest from Anna King, correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting and the Northwest News Network, who’s been covering Hanford for the last 20 years

After someone survives a disaster like a wildfire or hurricane, they often face daunting decisions while trying to rebuild. A growing number of scammers are targeting people seeking contractors, especially as events like flooding, hurricanes and wildfires happen more often.  Naveena Sadasivam is a senior staff writer for Grist. She’s covered disaster scams for the outlet and joins us with details of her reporting and how to avoid a scam.

Learn more about how to report fraud after a disaster in Oregon here.

White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that grows on hibernating bats, causing them to wake up in the winter. The bats then burn up their fat stores while searching for food and die as a result. The disease was first detected in the northeastern U.S. in 2006 and has since spread to 40 U.S. states.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced that the fungus that causes the disease has been detected in bat excrement, or guano, from a bat roost at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park in Clatsop County. While no bats in the state have been observed with symptoms of white-nose syndrome yet, it’s the first documented case of the fungus in Oregon.

Emily Armstrong Buck is a wildlife health lab biologist at ODFW and the agency’s white-nose syndrome surveillance coordinator. She joins us to talk about the spread of the disease and what it could mean for Oregon bat populations.

Orientation and mobility specialists help people who are blind or low-vision learn to safely navigate their environments. Portland State University is one of a handful of schools nationwide that train these specialists, and the only school in the Northwest. Research suggests that demand for orientation and mobility specialists will increase as more adults experience age-related vision impairments such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Amy Parker is an associate professor at PSU and coordinator of the university’s Orientation & Mobility Program. Patricia Kepler is the accessibility analyst for the Portland Police Bureau. They join us to talk about the growing need for orientation and mobility services.

As recently reported in The Columbian, a housing hotline provided by Council for the Homeless in Clark County gets on average 130 to 180 calls a day. A small team with lived experiences that include homelessness and housing insecurity answer callers’ requests for help seven days a week. They share resources such as shelters with available space for the night or the  locations of warming or cooling centers activated during extreme weather events. Some callers may also be facing eviction or homelessness for the first time or are trying to escape situations of domestic violence. 

According to supervisor Guy Hardy, the demand for the hotline’s services remains high amid the recent decline in federal housing assistance. President Trump’s budget request for the fiscal year starting on Oct. 1 slashes the Housing and Urban Development agency’s budget  by more than 40%. In addition to cuts to rental assistance, it seeks to replace money allocated for housing vouchers with state block grants and impose two-year limits for people in public housing. 

Hardy and Sunny Wonder, chief operating officer at Council for the Homeless, join us to talk about the housing hotline and what its calls reveal about the housing and homelessness crisis in Clark County and the region. 

Portland City Councilor Mitch Green is introducing a proposal that would make it easier for sidewalk food vendors to operate in the city. The ordinance would remove city requirements that prevent vendors from operating outside similar businesses, such as restaurants, and without getting consent from adjacent property owners to operate on the sidewalk.

Green says easing the regulations could give small businesses a boost, but restaurant advocates say sidewalk vendors could hurt businesses that are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. OPB’s Portland city government reporter Alex Zielinski joins us to talk about the proposed ordinance and more.

In January, the county commissioners unanimously voted to have the measure brought to the courtroom, requesting the circuit court to examine the constitutionality of the measure. Earlier this month, County Clerk Lisa Feik shared that the court ruled in favor of the commissioners, ending term limits. Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes joins us to share why he and his fellow commissioners voted to bring this measure to the courts. We’ll also hear from Jim Mollerstrom, the former organizer for Union County Citizens for Good Government, to share why he was pushing for this initially and his thoughts on the change.