Think Out Loud

Portland is considering a change to city code that would remove most references to neighborhood associations. Those groups fear this would diminish their voices. But the Office of Community and Civic Life says the change would simply give voice to all Portlanders. We hear from Suk Rhee, director of the Office of Community and Civic Life and Katy Wolf, who is on the board of the Boise Neighborhood Association.

Portland teen Avi Gupta started his own nonprofit before graduating high school.He's also the winner of the 2019 Jeopardy Teen Tournament. We'll talk with Gupta about his accomplishments and his hopes for the future.

After Oregon lawmakers passed a gross receipts tax this spring, the industry group Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce said it would try to refer the issue to voters. Now, the group says that lawmakers’ actions at the end of the legislative session hamstrung its referral effort. OPB’s political reporter Dirk VanderHart fills us in, and we hear from Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce Director Shaun Jillions.

A church in Medford bought $2 million of Oregonians’ medical debt. We speak to Dana Franchetti, a pastor from the church, and Jerry Ashton, the co-founder of an organization that buys and pays off people’s medical debt.

Methamphetamine now kills more people in Oregon every year than do prescription opioids. But there are no FDA approved medications and most of the funding for treatment goes to opioids. Lynne Terry, editor of The Lund Report tells us more.

Seattle is retrofitting some downtown buildings’ HVAC systems to filter wildfire smoke. We talk to senior policy advisor Julia Reed about the city’s plans to protect its citizens from the effects of wildfire smoke.

Portland Business Journal editor Suzanne Stevens joins us to discuss some of the latest regional business news.

After the Republican walkout, and plenty of hard feelings on both sides, is there a legislative way forward for a cap and trade bill in Oregon? We talk with two lawmakers who’ve been a part of negotiations from the beginning: State Senators Michael Dembrow, D-Portland and Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario.

A new season of the "Bundyville" podcast from OPB and Longreads explores anti-government extremism beyond the Bundy family. Seven episodes will be available July 15. We'll hear from the journalists behind it — Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas.

In 1908, three Hawaiian cowboys arrived in Wyoming and shocked the rodeo world with their riding and roping skills. The book "Aloha Rodeo" tells the cowboys’ story, and explores Hawaii’s long history of cowboy culture and ranching. We hear from author David Wolman about that history, and talk to Michelle Galimba, a current day rancher from Hawaii.

Cindy Werhane tried to become the first person to swim all the way around Sauvie Island this week. She swam for 20 straight hours — and almost completed the loop — before she had to call it quits.

Kids look forward to summertime, but a long break from school can lead to what’s called “summer slide,” or a decline in academic skills. The problem is particularly acute for children from low-income families, who lack the resources to keep them engaged with challenging camps and activities over the summer. One Eastern Oregon school district has come up with a solution. It’s called the Baker Summer Academy. We hear from Baker School District superintendent Mark Witty.

We hear opinions and analysis on this week’s news from Amanda Manjarrez, Eve Epstein and Jim Pasero.

A piece of a meteorite sacred to Native Americans in the Willamette Valley has been returned to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The fragment comes from the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, but the meteorite itself resides at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. The meteorite Tomanowos, also referred to as the Willamette Meteorite, is the largest meteorite ever found in the U.S. Travis Stewart is the interpretive coordinator for the Chachalu museum of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. He tells us about what Tomanowas means to his people.

As Portland's population grows, bringing more cars, more traffic, and more greenhouse gas emissions, what’s the future of the biggest interstate that cuts through the heart of the city? We're kicking off a series of conversations about Interstate 5. We start with Tammy Baney, who chairs the Oregon Transportation Commission.

Earlier this summer, Oregon Harbor of Hope began using two box trucks containing mobile showers and laundry facilities for people who are homeless. We talk with Harbor of Hope deputy director & operations manager Lisa Marandas and hear from people who are using the facilities.

The Bend Bulletin is being sold to Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers. But before that happens, all of its employees will be laid off. OPB Bend reporter Emily Cureton tells us what the sale of Central Oregon’s only daily paper means for the state.

Eugene city councilors recently passed an ordinance allowing police to remove campers from city-owned curbsides. Eugene Police Department Captain Eric Klinko and homeless advocate Kris McAlister tell us how the policy impacts homeless people, property owners and law enforcement.

We listen back to a conversation with author Elizabeth Rusch about the history of the piano as set out in her latest children’s book, “The Music of Life,” along with her pianist collaborator, Portland pianist, David Saffert.

The Columbia River Gorge has seen over a 50% increase in congestion over the past decade, causing dramatic increases in traffic and visitor frustration as parking lots struggle to hold all the vehicles those visitors bring with them. We speak to Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area coordinator Terra Lingley from the Oregon Department of Transportation about the plan to relieve congestion in the Gorge.