Think Out Loud

In Europe, dogs have been used for centuries for their keen sense of smell to locate prized black and white truffles which can fetch hundreds or thousands of dollars a pound depending on their variety. In Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, using dogs to sniff out truffles is relatively new and growing in popularity. There are even training classes and an annual truffle dog contest held at the Oregon Truffle festival. 

Oregon has four varieties of gourmet edible truffles, but there are hundreds of species of these mysterious fungi growing on the roots of conifer and oak trees across the state. So what if you could use a dog’s nose to home in on the odor signatures of all sorts of truffles, not just the commercially valuable ones, for a better scientific understanding of truffle biodiversity? That’s the goal of Heather Dawson, a doctoral student in the biology department at University of Oregon. She trained her golden retriever, Rye, to detect dozens of different kinds of truffles in the Willamette Valley alone. Dawson joined us in March 2025 to share her work and the attention it’s attracting among other scientists and forest foragers.

In 2024, two civic organizations began partnering on a yearly survey to gauge how residents in Portland felt about some important elements that contribute to quality of life in a city. North Star Civic Foundation and the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center asked more than 1,200 Portland adults how effective they feel local government is, whether they feel represented and what services they think should be prioritized.  North Star Civic Foundation Research Director Marina Kaminksy joins us to share results from the latest survey and how they compare to the last two years.

On Saturday, the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale will celebrate its centennial anniversary with free admission and activities honoring the museum’s unique history and identity. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia Gorge, visitors can explore the museum’s many collections that include Indigenous baskets and beadwork, sculptures by Auguste Rodin and hundreds of chess sets from around the world. The museum’s sprawling grounds boast a full-scale replica of Stonehenge and sculptures made by Pacific Northwest artists. 

The day's festivities also include Romanian folk dancing and music as a tribute to Queen Marie of Romania’s visit to the site 100 years ago to dedicate the museum co-founded by her friend and entrepreneur,  Sam Hill. Three current exhibits showcase the museum’s cultural ties to Romania, including new displays of Romanian pottery and embroidered textiles. 

Amy Behrens is the executive director and CEO of the Maryhill Museum of Art. Michael Oros is the master of ceremonies for Saturday’s events, president of the Romanian American Society and a member of the museum’s board of trustees. They join us to preview Saturday’s program and the special exhibits celebrating the museum’s history. 

MusicOregon recently embarked on a statewide listening tour to hear from musicians, venue owners and others in the industry. The nonprofit held sessions online and in Hood River, Tillamook, Salem, Eugene, Jacksonville, Bend and Pendleton to get a sense of how the music industry is faring across the state. Music professionals can also share their thoughts with the organization through an online survey.

Tim Wilson is the board president of MusicOregon. He joins us to share what they learned about Oregon’s music landscape.

The Center for Biological Diversity found that the agency lost 36% of its staff between 2024 and 2026. CBD obtained USFWS staff rosters in response to a Freedom of Information Act records request the advocacy organization had filed. As first reported by the Oregon Capital Chronicle, the data shows a loss of 40% USFWS staff in Oregon alone, including wildlife biologists, wildland firefighters and equipment operators. 

Noah Greenwald is the endangered species co-director at the CBD. He says that the loss of experienced USFWS employees with specialized expertise of vulnerable plants and animals jeopardizes the agency’s ability to carry out its obligations under the Endangered Species Act. That includes listing species as endangered or threatened, like the monarch butterfly and Chinook salmon. Earlier this month, CBD and two other organizations sued the USFWS to spur ESA protections for northwestern and southwestern pond turtles.  

Greenwald joins us to share more details about the agency’s reduced workforce and its impact in Oregon. 

During the 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon, Sierra Lindsey Kos saw first hand the effects of climate change. As she was rushing to take her sick newborn to a hospital in Portland, she had to traverse through burning fires, a red sky and ash all around her, filling her with fear. As reported in the New York Times, she would then help found and lead Extreme Weather Survivors, a support group and advocacy network that has grown to more than 2,500 people.

Amy Dishion is one of those members. Before moving to Salem, Oregon, she lost her husband to extreme heat in Arizona. Dishion and Kos join us to share their stories and the work the group does for survivors across the country. 

A new training program has been helping first responders in some of Oregon’s rural communities answer those questions. The training was conducted by the Oregon Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, which aims to increase access to age-friendly care in underserved areas.

Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora participated in the training. He joins us, along with Laura Byerly, program director for the Oregon Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

PassinArt began in 1982 and is the oldest continuously operating Black theatre in Oregon. Based in Portland, its mission is to “entertain, educate, and inspire artists and audiences while addressing critical issues facing our community.” The name is a nod to its vision of passing on art, history and culture from one generation to another. The company doesn’t just mount full scale theatrical productions, it also holds free monthly readings, festivals of new works, and other events. 

And this weekend, PassinArt is inviting the whole Portland community to its Open House & Block Party. Artistic Director Jerry Foster says they want to introduce people to the new headquarters at the Albina Arts Center on NE  Killingsworth, along with all the different kinds of work PassinArt offers. We talk with Foster to learn about the kinds of plays the company stages, the new work it supports, and the community events it hosts.

And now, after just 18 months on the job, Doherty was awarded the Building Inspector of the Year award from the Oregon Building Officials Association. The Hermiston Herald previously reported news of the award which comes amid a construction boom in the city and rising demand for inspection services. Last year, Hermiston generated more than $200 million in building permit fees and 130 new homes were built.  

Doherty shares what it’s like to be, as she says, a building inspector “living my best life in Eastern Oregon.” 

The Sonic Silents film festival opens Thursday at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland. The film composer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Orton recruited over 20 musicians to compose new, original scores for a curated selection of silent films at the inaugural festival that he created. Orton and his fellow musicians will peform the new compositions live in front of audiences inside the 100-year-old theater. 

Among the highlights is Buster Keaton’s “The General,” which was filmed in Cottage Grove in 1926. For the film’s and the theater’s centennial anniversary, Orton will premiere an updated score he wrote for the 90th anniversary of “The General.” 

Todd Sickafoose, a Eugene-based Tony and Grammy Award-winning producer, composer and bassist will join Orton on stage for the weekend performances. Sickafoose has also contributed an original score for “Daisy Doodad’s Dial,” a 1914 comedy short showing at the festival. 

Orton and Sickafoose join us for a preview of Sonic Silents. 

Crime Stoppers of Oregon is shutting down at the end of this month after more than four decades of operation. Since its launch in 1983, the organization says it has received tens of thousands of anonymous tips from the public that have helped law enforcement solve hundreds of crimes, ranging from bank robberies to cold case homicides.  

Chairman Henry Groepper is a retired Portland police officer who has been with Crime Stoppers of Oregon since its start. He served as its first coordinator and narrated public service announcements that aired on radio stations across the state offering cash rewards as high as $2500 for information about unsolved felonies. 

But Groepper says in recent years, there has been a decline in the number of cash rewards the board has given out, including none so far this year. He says another factor in the board’s decision to end Crime Stoppers of Oregon was a data breach in March of a third-party company’s platform that Crime Stoppers programs, law enforcement and schools use to access confidential tips. 

Groepper joins us to share more details about the decision to end Crime Stoppers of Oregon and his decades of service to it.

Last Tuesday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek appeared at an anti-data center rally in Salem where she announced she now supports a moratorium on new data centers. As OPB reported, the announcement shows Kotek has abandoned the cautious approach she had previously taken on an issue that’s gaining momentum with voters and raising the stakes in her bid for reelection in less than two months. 

Within hours of Kotek’s announcement, gubernatorial opponent state Sen. Christine Drazan told KATU that she too supports an immediate pause on data centers and that they should provide benefits for communities that host them, among other requirements for approval. That’s a shift from just a few weeks ago when Drazan told OPB that she doesn’t support ending existing tax breaks for the roughly 120 data centers in the state. 

Think Out Loud features OPB political reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake explaining all this in the latest episode of the OPB Politics Now podcast.

Callan’s globe-trekking journey also opens a new professional chapter in his life as travel writer. The Bend Bulletin is publishing bimonthly dispatches written by Callan under a column he’s calling “Our Oregonian Abroad.” Callan joins us to talk about the first stop he wrote about and other places he’s excited to visit and share his experiences of.

There are over 130 data centers across Oregon. In the eastern part of the state, there are more than 50, many of which are owned and operated by Amazon Web Services. The tech-giant has brought millions to cities such as Hermiston, allowing for renovations to its city hall and library. But the data centers have also drawn criticism from local advocates for their water and energy use and environmental impacts. Roger Wehner is the vice president of economic development for Amazon. He joins us to share his company's perspective on data center investments in Oregon.

For adults of a certain age, the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001 were a defining event, just as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were for earlier generations. The geopolitical world was forever altered, along with how many Americans thought about the country’s place in the world, and even how they thought about their own identity as citizens. Longtime journalist and University of Oregon professor Peter Laufer documents all of this in his new book, "We Are All Americans." It’s a series of interview excerpts, photos and reflections from the people he talked with on three separate cross-country road trips: one just days after 9/11, another in 2011, and the last in 2021. We talk with Laufer about what he learned, and we take your calls to hear your memories and reflections about this day in history, 25 years later.

Recent reporting from Investigate West shows that a disproportionate number of children in Oregon’s rural counties are more likely to enter the foster care system compared to those in urban areas. The reporting notes that wider barriers to health and social services in rural counties is often pointed out by providers and experts as a likely cause for this disparity.

Danielle Dawson is a collaborative investigative reporter and Report for America corps member at InvestigateWest. She joins us with more details.

As the school year for Oregon universities begins, some international students may not be able to start classes with their peers. As first reported in the Oregon Capital Chronicle, travel bans, changes to the length of stay for student visas and increased immigration enforcement have led to a 20% decline in international students choosing to study in the U.S. Even more so, students from foreign countries who do choose to attend university in the states are seeing delays in the student visa process that could mean they will not be able to start classes in the fall.

Eowyn Brown is the associate vice provost for global engagement at Portland State University. Dennis Galvan is the dean and vice provost for global engagement at the University of Oregon. They both join us to share what they are hearing from students about the visa application process and what the overall decline in international students means for Oregon schools.

 If you live in the Portland-metro area, you might’ve heard about the plan to improve and expand I-5 through the Rose Quarter. On Friday night, that stretch of freeway through the Rose Quarter will be closed as the project begins in earnest for about 5 weeks. Rose Gerber is the Public Outreach and Media Manager for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project with the Oregon Department of Transportation. We get details from her about the scope of the project, how it is likely to affect traffic patterns in the coming weeks, and what ODOT and Portland transportation managers are doing to try to mitigate delays and encourage drivers to choose other routes and ways to travel during these major closures.

In the event of a tsunami triggered by a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, residents of coastal communities in Oregon have less than 20 minutes from the time ground shaking starts to evacuate from Tsunami Hazard Zones. That’s according to a new report, published last week, by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management. According to the report, for many residents and visitors in the area, that wouldn’t be enough time to reach high ground.

The report releases guidance for implementing Vertical Evacuation Structures on the Oregon Coast — buildings that are made to withstand tsunami waves. Officials say the state has only one structure, and would need at least 15 to adequately fit the area for a disaster of that scale.  

Bridget Good is the Mitigation Program Analyst at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, and she joins us to discuss the report and the guidelines.

OPB’s sister station KMHD has organized a month of events and programming this September celebrating the centennial birthday of of legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. The community events include a concert performance next Wednesday of Coltrane’s seminal album “Blue Train” at the Aladdin Theater in Portland. 

Hailey Niswanger, who grew up in West Linn and performs as the jazz-expansive saxophonist and flutist MAE.SUN, will lead the sextet of musicians. They include Charlie Brown III on piano and Garrett Baxter on upright bass.  

MAE.SUN, Baxter and Brown III join us for a preview of next week’s concert. We’ll also talk with MAE.SUN about the influence Coltrane’s spiritual, boundary-breaking music has had on her, and her return to Portland after her home in Altadena near LA burned in January 2025. 

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission distributes funding and sets policies for Oregon’s community colleges and public universities. As OPB reported, HECC’s  Board approved last month a $4.7 billion budget request for the 2027-2029 biennium. Gov. Tina Kotek will consider the proposal as part of the overall state budget recommendations given to the state Legislature when it reconvenes next year. 

Oregon public colleges and universities are facing multiple financial headwinds that have grown worse in recent years. That includes stagnant state funding for higher education that has left Oregon near the bottom compared to other states.  

HECC board members have warned that greater investment in higher education is necessary amid rising administration and labor costs, canceled federal grants, inflation and other challenges. Year-over-year tuition increases amid declining student enrollment adds to the uncertainty facing Oregon’s public universities. 

Greg Hamann is the chair of HECC. He joins us for a discussion of the state of higher education funding for Oregon’s public colleges and universities.