Think Out Loud

An OPB-produced documentary about Mark Rothko’s life and work aired on national TV this weekend. Producer Eric Slade joins us to talk about Rothko’s family and childhood in Portland, his evolution as an artist, and his success in later life.

Disability rights advocate Mohamed Elbadry is the fastest paralympic runner in Egypt. In the past three years, he has won gold medals in 100 and 200-meter dashes. Elbadry is in Portland for a U.S. State Department fellowship. We hear from him about that and his training to reach the world Paralympic games.

We get opinions and analysis on some of the biggest regional news stories of the week from Barbara Dudley, Ryan Haas and Dan Lavey.

A new collection of short stories highlights the life and culture of Pacific Northwest Native Americans. “The Beadworkers,” by Nez Perce author Beth Piatote, is a stylistically diverse collection of stories spanning genres from poetry to plays.

In national and local races, more women of color are running for elected office and winning. We sat down with four local leaders: Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, TriMet board member Kathy Wai and Color PAC executive director Ana del Rocio. We discuss their unique leadership styles, the challenges of being a non-white woman in office and the impact women of color have on politics in Oregon.

A Tangent man was arrested in September for carrying an AR-15 rifle into a city hall building. Prior to his arrest, Skylar McCollaum prompted a lockdown at a local elementary school when he was seen nearby carrying the rifle, a handgun and a knife. The incident has caused community members like Albany Democrat-Herald reporter Caitlyn May to ask what tools officials have to stop a could-be shooter — and whether they go far enough. We hear from May and Liam Elder-Connors, a Vermont Public Radio reporter who produced a podcast series about a man who was arrested before he carried out a detailed plan he'd laid out to shoot up his high school.

Oregon doctor Bruce Clearly is suing OHSU for using his donated sperm to father at least 17 children. He claims OHSU violated their agreement to use his sperm for no more than five children. Clearly’s biological children found him using family DNA database websites, which experts say have had unforeseen impact on the world of gamete donation. We will hear from Portland lawyer Tabitha Koh whose practice includes assisted reproductive technology, adoption and surrogacy.

For the first time this weekend, hikers on the Wildwood trail in Portland’s Forest Park will no longer have to risk life and limb dashing across busy Burnside Street. Instead they’ll be able to stroll across a new steel bridge designed by local artist Ed Carpenter. Carpenter says he wanted the bridge to be safe, inexpensive, and yet delicate.

At least 12 people have died since 2004 after they breathed in the spores of an exotic fungus that lives in Oregon’s Willamette Valley forest. New research suggests the tropical fungus traveled to the Pacific Northwest about 100 years ago on ships carrying cargo through the Atlantic ocean. We hear from a researcher about the discovery.

The rate at which Oregonians in their 20s and 30s are starting their own household is continuing to drop. That’s according to a new state economic analysis. If those people weren’t living at home or with roommates, the housing crisis would be even worse. We talk with state economist Josh Lehner about how this national trend is playing out in Oregon.

A bill that would allow banks and financial institutions to serve the marinuana industry passed the U.S. House last month. But in the meantime, the $10 billion industry is forced to cobble together a variety of unstable systems in order to do business. OPB’s senior political reporter Jeff Mapes has been looking into it.

“The Inside Show” is a new variety show produced on video inside the Columbia River Correctional Institution, a minimum security prison in Portland. The inmates performed, hosted, wrote, ran the camera and more. We talk to host Mark Arnold, who was released from prison last month, and the independent artist who directed and co-produced the show, Salty Xi Jie Ng.

Jackson and Umatilla counties will be giving their citizens who live overseas the opportunity to vote in special elections this November with smartphones. The Oregon counties are only the 4th and 5th juristictions in the U.S. to do this, partnering with Tusk Philanthropy. We talk with the Jackson County elections clerk Christine Walker, and the elections director who oversaw West Virginia’s smartphone voting program in 2018, Deak Kersey.

Oregon has 40 glaciers in the Cascades and Wallowa Mountains that are crucial to the health of rivers, local ecosystems and snowpack levels. But two scientists are concerned that the glaciers aren't being closely monitored. They say the lack of information means Oregonians can’t protect the glaciers and prepare for the effects of melting

Portland artist Sabina Haque began exploring the history of Portland east of 82nd Avenue for an art project two years ago. Since then, she’s interviewed various residents about their history in East Portland and their hopes for its future. She joins us to talk about her project and what she hopes to do next.

The Western States Center, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and other tribal groups have compiled resources to help Native American communities better support LBGTQ youth and, as they put it, reclaim indigenous ideas of love and gender. We talk with two of the creators of the toolkit.

Karie Fugett grew up poor in Alabama. Now she lives in Oregon, has a Masters degree, and is a successful writer. She says she owes her success in life to the untimely death of her military husband. And she’s angry about it. Her recent essay was published in the Washington Post.

We get analysis and opinion about some of the big stories of the week on the news roundtable, from Julie Parrish, Kimberly A.C. Wilson and Aaron Mesh.

The graphic novel series “Stumptown” is a detective story about a private investigator in Portland. Now, it’s been turned into a television show on ABC. We sit down with author Greg Rucka to talk about the series, the detective genre and adapting comics for television.

This weekend, hundreds of people will come to Tualatin to row boats carved out of giant pumpkins. Charity Marshall has come in second in the West Coast Pumpkin Regatta several times. This year, she’s hoping to win. Marshall also once held the world record for the longest distance a pumpkin had been rowed.