Think Out Loud

Think Out Loud

OPB's daily conversation covering news, politics, culture and the arts. Hosted By Dave Miller.

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Think Out Loud
REBROADCAST - Classicist Mary Beard explains what we know and don’t know about ruling the Roman Empire

Even though the Roman empire came to an end thousands of years ago, we still tell stories about the emperors who ruled during that time. From Caligula, who threatened to make his horse a senator, to Nero, who killed his own mother and set fire to the city to make room for his palace, classicist Mary Beard argues that the stories we tell about the Roman emperors might say more about us than they do about the emperors themselves. We spoke with Beard in October 2023 about her latest book, “Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World,” which attempts to break down what we can actually know about the lives of the emperors and how they ruled.

00:51:08
Jul 4, 2025 12:6 PM
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Think Out Loud
Portland nonprofit helps fulfill ‘musical last wishes’ for people at end of life

 Swan Songs Portland has a simple but powerful mission: to provide free, intimate concerts for people at the end of their lives and pay local musicians to perform them. The nonprofit fulfilled its first concert request last autumn when it hired a mariachi band to play for a person terminally ill with cancer, surrounded by her friends and family. It is the first affiliate of Swan Songs, which was founded in Austin, Texas 20 years ago.

 

Currently serving Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties, SSP has nearly 50 musicians – and growing –  it can call on short notice to perform an array of requested musical styles, from Beethoven to Bob Dylan-esque folk and rock. Jim Friscia is Swan Songs Portland’s board president and concert planner. Karyn Thurston is a musician and  board member of SSP who performs with her partner, Ben Grace, in the folk music duo Story & Tune. They join us, along with Terri Burton, who had requested a concert for her dying mother that Grace performed earlier this year.   

 

00:21:26
Jul 3, 2025 1:11 PM
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Think Out Loud
Why hundreds of millions in federal relief for 2020 Oregon fire victims remains unspent

Oregon got a huge federal grant after the devastating 2020 Labor Day fires left thousands of people without homes, as Nigel Jaquiss reported for the Oregon Journalism Project, but most of it still remains unspent. In Southern Oregon, Representative Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, has been talking with the Oregon Housing and Community Services, the state agency in charge of getting the money to people who need it. The director of OHCS, Andrea Bell, says all the money is now committed to various projects and is working with her agency to speed the process. Bell and Marsh  join us to tell us more about who has gotten this federal aid, who is still waiting and how they’re each thinking about the potential disaster threats from future fire seasons.

 

00:12:41
Jul 3, 2025 1:11 PM
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Think Out Loud
Oregon Democratic Rep. Maxine Dexter on Medicaid cuts in GOP tax and spending bill

After a marathon session on Wednesday night, Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are poised to pass a massive tax and spending bill which President Trump has said he wants to sign on July 4. On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed their version of the bill after a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance. The bill passed by the Senate is expected to add $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office, while making steep cuts to Medicaid benefits to help pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts. 

 

In Oregon, roughly 1 in 3 residents get their insurance through Medicaid. According to Oregon Health Authority’s Medicaid director Emma Sandoe, an estimated  100,000 to 200,000 Oregonians could lose their Medicaid benefits under the bill. On Wednesday, Gov. Tina Kotek and former Gov. John Kitzhaber, the architect of Oregon’s state Medicaid program, urged U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz of Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District to vote against the bill. Bentz is the sole Republican member of Oregon’s Congressional delegation and roughly 40% of the residents in his district are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan.


Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District is a pulmonary and critical care physician by training who testified against the bill on Capitol Hill and introduced amendments to it which were blocked by Republicans. She joins us to talk about the impacts of the Medicaid cuts for Oregonians and the new work and recertification requirements for Medicaid enrollees. “Think Out Loud” also made multiple attempts to request Rep. Bentz to participate in this conversation.

00:15:42
Jul 3, 2025 1:11 PM
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Think Out Loud
What the Mississippi River can learn from the Columbia and vice versa

 Last week, stakeholders from the Upper Mississippi River toured the Columbia and Snake River to see what is similar and different from the two water systems. Last year, stakeholders from the Pacific Northwest visited the Mississippi in this continued collaboration between the two rivers. Michelle Hennings is the executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. Gary Williams is the executive director of the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association. They both join us to share what the Columbia and Mississippi River can learn from each other. 

00:11:27
Jul 2, 2025 1:13 PM
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Think Out Loud
How cuts to federal research funding are impacting Oregon academics

Over the last few months, the Trump administration has directed federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation to cut funding for research with any connection to “diversity,” “equity” or “gender ideology.” The cuts have forced researchers across the country, including in Oregon, to stop their studies or scramble to locate alternative funding.

 

We’ll hear from three researchers whose federal grants were cancelled: Marguerita Lightfoot is a professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. Lauren Forrest is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. Tala Navab-Daneshmand is an associate professor of environmental engineering at Oregon State University. 

 

They join us to talk about the negative impact the cuts will have on efforts to address health disparities in the U.S.

 

00:21:14
Jul 2, 2025 1:12 PM
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Think Out Loud
What comes next for Portland-area’s homeless services tax, including possible reforms

 Last week, the Metro Council decided it would not ask voters to extend a regional homeless services tax on the November ballot. The Supportive Housing Services tax, which is set to expire in 2030, applies to residents in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties making more than $125,000 a year (or more than $200,000 for couples filing jointly). Businesses making more than $5 million annually are also subject to the tax which helps fund programs in the tri-county area to help people experiencing homelessness move into housing.  

 

But a poll the Metro Council recently commissioned suggests that voters in the region appear to be questioning its effectiveness to help combat a crisis that has only gotten worse since the tax went into effect four years ago. The poll found that 53% of respondents said they would vote “yes” to reauthorize the tax, while 43% said they would oppose it.

 

The Metro Council is now exploring how to reform the tax, starting with a recent vote to index income thresholds to inflation and remove quarterly payment requirements for most high earners. Joining us to discuss the future of the Supportive Housing Services tax is Metro Councilor Christine Lewis. 

 

00:16:54
Jul 2, 2025 1:12 PM
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Think Out Loud
Oregon Democratic Senator on transportation bill he helped kill

When Oregon lawmakers convened in January to kick off the 2025 legislative session, among their top legislative priorities was a transportation funding fix for the state’s aging bridges, highways and roads. But the Democratic supermajority failed to get a transportation package over the legislative finish line when the session adjourned on Friday night. 

 

Democrats waited until the last month to unveil HB 2025, which would have generated nearly $12 billion over the next decade through a mix of taxes and fees, including hikes in the state’s gas tax and a new tax on vehicle sales. Republicans balked at the proposal, including several who had been working with Democrats on transportation funding.  

 

Defections emerged among Democratic lawmakers as well, most notably from state Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment. Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, removed Meek from the committee on June 20 to boost the bill’s chance of passage. But on Friday, Democrats conceded they didn’t have the votes to pass it, and they had to abandon a last-ditch effort to raise the state’s gas tax by 3 cents to avert looming layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation. 

 

Sen. Meek joins us to share his thoughts on the legislature’s efforts to tackle Oregon’s transportation challenges.

 

00:13:18
Jul 1, 2025 1:14 PM
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Think Out Loud
What the future of the Blazers looks like after draft, start of free agency

The NBA draft started last week, and free agency just began. For the Blazers and their fans, some new faces will hit the court, and others will say goodbye. Yang Hansen, a 7-foot-1 center from China, is the Blazers’ newest rookie and was No. 16 in the overall draft. The Blazers also recently parted ways with center Deandre Ayton after a slew of “bad ways,” including tardiness, tantrums and skipping rehabilitation appointments, as first reported in The Athletic. Mike Richman is the host of the “Locked on Blazers” podcast. He joins us to share more on what to expect from Rip City’s beloved team after this player shake-up.

 

00:14:17
Jul 1, 2025 1:13 PM
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Think Out Loud
CAHOOTS navigates local cuts

CAHOOTS, the Lane County program that’s been a model for mobile crisis services around the country, has been facing challenges at the local and federal level. 

 

Services in Eugene came to an end earlier this year as the city managed a budget shortfall.  

Lane County offers crisis services that are funded through Medicaid, but CAHOOTS also specialized in homeless and community outreach. 


While CAHOOTS is no longer serving Eugene, its contract with Springfield has been renewed. It currently offers 12 hours of service, seven days a week to the city. Justin Madeira is the CAHOOTS program coordinator. He joins us with details about what’s next for the organization and what crisis response efforts look like in Oregon.

00:11:21
Jul 1, 2025 1:13 PM
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Think Out Loud
ODFW releases draft management plan for Southern Resident orcas

Last year, Oregon added the Southern Resident orca to the state’s endangered species list, giving it added protections nearly two decades after it was federally listed under the endangered species act in 2005. Now, a new draft management plan has been released by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to help whale numbers.


Currently there are 73 Southern Resident orcas traveling in three pods along the west coast. About 48 whales within two of those pods spend time here in Oregon. There are three main causes for declining whale numbers, including loss of prey, disturbance from vessels and environmental contaminants. The agency is currently taking public comment on the plan that hopes to address these issues. Howard Takata is the Southern Resident orca conservation coordinator with ODFW. He joins us to share more on the plan.

00:10:20
Jul 1, 2025 1:13 PM
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Think Out Loud
Housing advocates warn Oregon legislative cuts to housing and eviction prevention program will add to homeless population

In the last two weeks of the Oregon legislative session, which ended late Friday night,  housing advocates including the Community Alliance of Tenants, the Oregon Housing Alliance and the Urban League of Portland sounded the alarm and protested in Salem over funding cuts. They said the programs for emergency rent assistance and programs to prevent eviction must remain funded to prevent thousands of individuals and families with children from being evicted and becoming homeless. Lisa Bates is a professor of Black Studies at Portland State University and helps run a research program studying evictions across Oregon.

 

We talk with Bates about the lack of legislative funding for homelessness and housing programs and what’s needed in her view to address the ongoing homeless and housing crisis.

 

00:12:26
Jun 30, 2025 1:13 PM
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Think Out Loud
What climate policies did – and didn’t – pass the Oregon Legislature

The Oregon Legislature wrapped up the 2025 regular session on Sunday. Lawmakers passed bills that addressed utility rate hikes, large energy users like data centers and microgrids for local electricity generation, among other environmental issues. But some advocates think lawmakers didn't go far enough in advancing the state's carbon-cutting goals.

 

Nora Apter is the Oregon director for Climate Solutions, a regional nonprofit that advocates for climate policy. She joins us to talk about what lawmakers did – and didn’t  – pass in terms of climate legislation and how federal rollbacks of environmental protections could impact the state’s climate goals. 

 

00:14:25
Jun 30, 2025 1:12 PM
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Think Out Loud
Oregon legislature wraps up a busy session

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

00:22:41
Jun 30, 2025 1:12 PM
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Think Out Loud
Multnomah County reports measles case, here’s what you should know

On Tuesday, Oregon's first measles case of the year was reported in Multnomah County, joining a slew of other states who have had reported cases this year. The individual who tested positive is an adult who is believed to have acquired the disease while traveling abroad and was hospitalized in Portland. The highly contagious disease is transmitted through the air via coughs and sneezes, with symptoms including fever, cough and a rash appearing from seven to 21 days after exposure. Paul Ciselak is the medical director for communicable disease and immunizations at Oregon Health Authority. He joins us to share more.

00:10:54
Jun 27, 2025 1:16 PM
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Think Out Loud
Portland’s Pacific Standard and Palomar up for national Spirited Awards

Two Portland bars are among the top four finalists for this year’s Spirited Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in the cocktail world. Pacific Standard, located inside the KEX Hotel, is nominated for Best U.S. Hotel Bar. Palomar — a Cuban-inspired bar that recently moved from Hosford-Abernathy to Northwest Portland — is a finalist for Best U.S. Restaurant Bar. The awards, which will be announced in New Orleans on July 24, recognize excellence in bars and mixology around the globe. Pacific Standard’s Jeffrey Morgenthaler is also up for Best U.S. Bar Mentor. Morgenthaler joins us along with Palomar’s Ricky Gomez to talk about what the nominations mean, how their approach to running a bar has evolved, and how they’re navigating a cocktail in

00:16:46
Jun 27, 2025 1:15 PM
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Think Out Loud
Faith-based City Team Portland will double its shelter and recovery capacity with move to Old Town

Lance Orton is the executive director of CityTeam Portland, which offers shelter, housing and recovery services to its clients. If you hadn’t read about him or heard him tell his story, you’d never guess Orton was himself homeless and addicted to heroin just seven years ago. In addition to being the executive director of CityTeam, he also sits on the board of Central Eastside Together and the Old Town Community Association. He also serves as board chair of Shelter Portland, a public-private initiative by Mayor Keith Wilson to create strategic solutions for homelessness and addiction. 


Orton joins us to share more about his personal life transformation about how the faith-based nonprofit he now runs is hoping to expand its services in a new facility that will open soon in the Old Town neighborhood.

00:21:41
Jun 27, 2025 1:15 PM
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Think Out Loud
In Southern Oregon, concerns over privacy and police surveillance arise

Information for Public Use, a group that researches public records, found that the Medford Police Department has collaborated with regional and federal law enforcement agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

 

Medford and other law enforcement agencies in Southern Oregon have shared surveillance technology and tactics, according to a report by Jefferson Public Radio. 

 

In August last year, the ACLU of Oregon sued the City of Medford claiming that the police broke state law by monitoring the social media accounts of local organizers. That litigation is ongoing. 

 

When asked to comment about the latest findings from Information for Public Use, Medford Police Lieutenant Geoff Kirkpatrick responded that due to pending litigation, the department cannot comment on questions on this topic at this time. 

 

We learn more about what’s happening in Medford from Kelly Simon, the legal director of the ACLU of Oregon.

 

00:13:29
Jun 26, 2025 1:16 PM
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Think Out Loud
What regulations for ketamine clinics look like in Oregon, the US

Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been growing in use as an off-label prescription to treat depression. Individuals can access the drug through telehealth appointments and clinics in person. But new reporting from Undark shows that many of these providers face few regulations, and much is still unknown about the drug. Dawn Fallik is an associate professor at the University of Delaware and a freelance medicine and science reporter. She covered this story through a grant from the Pulitzer Center and the University of Delaware and joins us to share more on what ketamine clinics look like in Oregon and around the U.S.

00:17:11
Jun 26, 2025 1:15 PM
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Think Out Loud
Oregon high school program teaches students about the state’s 'blue economy'

A new high school program in Oregon teaches students the ins and outs of seafood butchery and the state’s "blue economy." The program was in the pilot stage last year at six schools but has grown to 15 and now has a new curriculum that focuses on seafood caught in the Pacific Northwest. A major goal of the program was to get local seafood in the hands of students, as a study commissioned by the Oregon Coast Visitors Association found that 90% of Oregon-caught seafood is exported. Maggie Michaels is the program coordinator for the program. James Byrne is a science teacher at Clatskanie Middle and High School. Cora Evenson is a sophomore at the same school and took the class last year. They all join us to share more about what students are learning in the program.V

00:19:23
Jun 26, 2025 1:15 PM
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Think Out Loud
REBROADCAST: Isaka Shamsud-Din

Portland artist and activist Isaka Shamsud-Din has captured the lives and histories of African Americans in paintings throughout his life. He draws on his experiences growing up in Portland for his work. His exhibit, “Rock of Ages,” is currently on display at the Portland Art Museum. We spoke to him in January 2020.

As reported earlier by Oregon ArtsWatch, Portland artist, educator and activist Isaka Shamsud-Din has died. The arts and education nonprofit Don’t Shoot Portland announced earlier this month that the artist had entered hospice care. Shamsud-din had been ill with cancer for some time.

We listen back to a conversation we first aired in January 2020 with Shamsud-Din when his exhibit, “Rock of Ages,” was on display at the Portland Art Museum.

 

00:27:53
Jun 25, 2025 1:13 PM
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Think Out Loud
How Vancouver aims to spur new housing construction amid slowdown

 If current trends continue, the city of Vancouver can expect to build roughly 700 new housing units this year. That’s far less than the city’s goal of building 2,000 new housing units annually and a sharp decline from the roughly 1,100 units it developed last year. The Columbian recently reported on the drop in new construction in Vancouver and the factors contributing to it, including tariffs on steel, aluminum and lumber which are driving up construction costs. 

 

Earlier this month, Vancouver’s Economic Prosperity and Housing Director Patrick Quinton outlined several steps the city council could approve to spur new construction. They include eliminating off-street parking requirements for new affordable housing and deferring the collection of fees from developers for market-rate housing. Quinton joins us to talk about these proposed changes amid a housing shortage in Vancouver and the region.

 

00:13:30
Jun 24, 2025 1:0 PM
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Think Out Loud
Rose City roller derby is well represented at World Cup

At least five members of Portland’s Rose City Rollers roller derby team will be headed to the Roller Derby World Cup in Austria next week. And a few more members of the local team will be competing on the world stage representing their countries of origin. Lex Zhang, who is known as Lexsanguination when she skates, will be competing with Chinese Nations Roller Derby. The players for this team come from all over the world but share a common Chinese ancestry. The Roller Derby World Cup also features teams such as Black Diaspora Roller Derby, Indigenous Rising Roller Derby, Team Desi and Jewish Roller Derby. Zhang joins us to talk about the upcoming competition and the joy of skating with Chinese Nations Roller Derby.

00:13:22
Jun 24, 2025 1:0 PM
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Think Out Loud
Immigration crackdown clouds outlook for sweet cherry harvest in Oregon

 It’s peak harvest time for sweet cherries in Oregon and Washington. Growers in the Pacific Northwest are anticipating a strong crop this year, with a higher yield than last year’s harvest. But what they weren’t anticipating was a workforce shortage that’s being driven by the fear of immigration enforcement raids. KUOW reported earlier on how this issue is threatening the livelihoods of cherry farmers in Washington. 

 

The immigration crackdown is also clouding the outlook for cherry growers in Oregon, according to Ian Chandler, chair of the Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission and the co-owner of CE Farm Management, a cherry orchard in The Dalles. Chandler said he’s not aware of any recent immigration enforcement raids on farms in the Columbia Gorge. But he says the fear of potential enforcement activity led to a 50% reduction in available workers for most cherry farmers in the region at the start of harvest two weeks ago.

 

Some migrant farm workers whose employers obtained H-2A visas for them have also been stuck at the border in Mexico and unable to help with the harvest in The Dalles, according to Tiffany Davis, business manager for K&K Land and Management. Chandler, Davis and Monica Zipprich, an orchard manager at K&K Land and Management, join us to talk about the toll federal immigration enforcement is taking on the Oregon sweet cherry industry.

 

00:21:44
Jun 24, 2025 1:0 PM
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