Think Out Loud

The Memorial Day weekend was a test for counties that have entered phase one of Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s reopening plan. We talk with Umatilla County Chair John Shafer and Brianne Day, owner and winemaker at Day Wines, about how the weekend went and how they’re feeling about the weeks ahead. And OPB Central Oregon Bureau Chief Emily Cureton fills us in on a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Deschutes County.

Coronavirus concerns are prompting members of the Old Believers — a Russian Orthodox sect — in Marion and Clackamas counties to engage more with the world outside of their 10,000-person faith community. The group doesn't have data on their infection rate, but community leader Anna Kasachev says the virus has certainly spread in the community. We hear from Kasachev, president of the Russian Old Believer Community nonprofit, about how they are coping with the pandemic. Kasachev has been acting as a liaison between Old Believers, who have a historic distrust of government, and health officials.

Whale researchers in the Pacific Northwest have a unique opportunity right now. Some scientists are studying how whales are responding to a decrease in vessel traffic because of the pandemic. Back in 2016 we talked to Oregon State University marine ecologist Leigh Torres about her research on whale feeding and behavior. We listen back to that conversation today

We get opinions and analysis of some of the week’s big stories with our news roundtable. This week we’re joined by former Oregon legislator Julie Parrish, political scientist Jim Moore and Lisa Bates, associate professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University.

Five different neighborhood associations in North Portland have asked the city to get more involved in the creation of sanctioned homeless camps. That’s one of the suggestions in a new proposal from the groups, who want to meet with city leaders to discuss proactive solutions. Tom Hickey, chair of the Bridgeton Neighborhood Association, tells us about the collaborative work they have been doing.

Hundreds of workers in fruit packing plants in Washington’s Yakima valley are on strike. They say they are not being adequately protected against the new coronavirus or being compensated for the increased risks they face. We hear more from Yakima Herald reporter Mai Hoang and talk with fruit packer Julieta Pulido about her working conditions and what it would take for her to feel safe enough to go back to work.

We get opinions and analysis of some of the week’s big stories with our news roundtable. This week we’re joined by former Oregon legislator Julie Parrish, political scientist Jim Moore and Lisa Bates, associate professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University.

Two years ago, author Viet Thanh Nguyen joined us in front of an audience at Literary Arts in downtown Portland. Nguyen is the author of “The Displaced” and “The Sympathizer,” which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He is a 2017 MacArthur Fellow and professor at the University of Southern California.

Robert Holmes, owner of Bob’s Steak N’ Spirits in Nyssa, is happy to be back open after a long forced shutdown. But business in the 3,200-person Eastern Oregon town is still far from usual. We hear from Holmes about what it’s like to reopen in a pandemic, and how his restaurant will be impacted in the long term.

Mary McLean didn’t expect to be on the frontlines of a global pandemic in the last year of her medical residency. McLean, who grew up in Portland and graduated from OHSU, is currently the chief resident of emergency medicine at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, New York. She says that while things are a lot better there than they were a few weeks ago, she’s bracing for the second wave of COVID-19. And she’s glad that Oregon seems to have learned from New York’s mistakes and avoided a major outbreak. We hear from McLean about what she’s experienced, and what the uncertain future looks like from her perspective.

Oregonians got a clearer picture this week of what to expect from the economic slump caused by the pandemic. The state released its quarterly revenue forecast Wednesday, saying the economic downturn will be severe and “recovery will take years.” We dig into the forecast and discuss what it reveals and what questions still remain unanswered. Our guests are OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart and two Oregon state senators — Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-Beaverton/Portland) and Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) — both of whom are co-chairs of the legislature’s budget-writing committee.

Earlier this year, the Oregon Historical Quarterly published a special edition called “White Supremacy & Resistance.” The issue evolved as a reaction to the racial violence that resulted in two murders on a Portland MAX light rail line in 2017. Articles explore white supremacy in the formation of Oregon and its state constitution, as well as the history of violence to dominate and control nonwhite populations, from Indigenous peoples and African Americans to East Indian, Chinese and Japanese immigrants. We talk with one of the guest editors of the issue, emeritus professor of Black Studies at Portland State University Darrell Millner, and with independent historian Johanna Ogden.

Oregon’s primary election results are in, and a few key races are still too close to call. OPB’s Vice President of News, Anna Griffin, joins us for a recap.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland has been devastated by the pandemic, on top of major setbacks in recent years due to wildfires. We hear from OSF artistic director Nataki Garrett about the festival's plans, and from the Ashland Chamber of Commerce about the economic hit from the loss of tourism and how the festival — and the region —can move forward.

How does genocide happen? Can anything be done to prevent it? Samir Mustafic survived genocide in Bosnia. Rosalyn Kliot’s parents met in a concentration camp in Estonia. We learn how their experiences have shaped them, and what we all can learn from that trauma.

Portland's Fighting Shockwave is one of the longest standing female football teams in the country. The team plays in the Women's Football Alliance, the largest women football league in the world. The league provides a rare space for women to play at a competitive level. We talk with head coach Asia Wisecarver and rookie player Summer Rose, who had been looking forward to starting her first season this spring.

Dentists in Oregon were allowed to return to work earlier this month, but finding enough protective gear can be a challenge. Dr. Barry Taylor is the President of the Oregon Dental Association. He tells us about the challenges facing dentists right now.

On Monday, a Baker County judge issued a preliminary injunction to 10 churches that sued the state of Oregon over restrictions on religious gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic. The judge ruled that the Governor’s orders exceeded the 28-day limit for a state of emergency. Hours later, the Oregon Supreme Court granted an emergency stay to keep the Governor’s orders in place while they take up the case. Jayson Jacoby, editor of the Baker City Herald, tells us about the case.

Comedian Shelley McClendon thinks it’s important to make people laugh through their stress. McClendon, owner of independent improv and comedy venue The Siren Theater, has spent the last few months bringing her live sketch comedy skills online. We hear about what’s making McClendon laugh, and how she thinks comedy helps us cope.

The majority of counties in Oregon have been given the green light to begin reopening businesses. Now, the question is: will customers return to these businesses and will workers and business owners feel safe at work? We talk with Deana Julka, chair of the department of psychological sciences at the University of Portland about how human beings think about and assess risk.