Think Out Loud

In March, the federal government approved a $2 trillion stimulus package and is already discussing another one. Where does that money come from, and what are the long term implications of federal debt? Robert Hockett, a professor at Cornell Law School, explains the extraordinary ways federal monetary policy is changing right now, and why that gives him hope.

The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians have had to cancel clam digs, cedar bark harvests and spring canoe trips. Doug Barrett, prevention activities coordinator for the Tribes, said they have also canceled in-person talking circles, which are geared toward suicide prevention. We hear from Barrett about how the pandemic has impacted the tribes and his personal life.

Six years ago, Oregon healthcare organizations created a new program to help pregnant women who were addicted to opioids. Project Nurture combined maternity care, substance use treatment and social services for the mothers. Now, a new study shows the program has helped reduce the number of children placed into foster care. Josh Reagan is the medical lead for Project Nurture at Providence, and Kasey Edwards Snider is a peer mentor for the program. They tell us about what's made the program successful, and how it's continuing in the age of coronavirus.

Rachael McDonald, Kerry Tymchuck, and Zakir Khan share opinions and analysis of some of the biggest stories of the week.

Portland Parks & Recreation’s many community centers and pools will remain closed this summer, and programs for kids will not be resuming. Adena Long, PP&R director, joins us to talk about the combination of public health and budget concerns driving the closures and what resources the bureau is able to offer low-income families. We also hear from Beth Unverzagt, the director of OregonASK, a statewide network for after school and summer programs.

Twenty-eight Oregon counties have received state approval to enter “phase 1” of Gov. Kate Brown's reopening plan. That means restaurants and bars will be allowed to serve customers on-site as long as they can meet certain requirements, such as masks for all employees and enough space for customers to maintain physical distancing. Hair salons and other personal service providers in these counties will also be allowed to reopen with strict screening guidelines and records for all customers. We hear from Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen, Umatilla County Chair John Shafer, Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron and Lane County Chair Heather Buch.

Craig Hill has been a TriMet bus driver for five years. He currently drives four different routes, relieving other drivers on their days off. He recorded an “audio diary” for us to give us a window into what it’s like for him to be at work right now.

Sheri Speede runs a sanctuary for chimpanzees in Cameroon. But when the country closed its borders because of the global pandemic, Speede was stuck in her second home in Oregon. Greg Tully, the Executive Director o f the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (based in Portland), says primate sanctuaries are facing multiple threats right now. Most sanctuaries have closed their gates for fear that the primates themselves could become infected by the virus. And many sanctuaries rely on visitors as their primary source of income. Speede and Tully join us to talk about these challenges.

Sunset High School junior Eric Kim is creating see-through masks free of charge for people who are deaf or hard of hearing like himself. He’s also gotten requests from medical staff and others all over the country who communicate with those who rely on lip reading. Kim joins us to discuss how he’s running his operation while keeping up with his distance learning work, and how he’s been able to meet the increasing demand.

A coalition of groups representing business owners of color expressed a fear to Portland city leaders last week: Unless the city allocates significant portions of aid to minority-owned businesses, they wrote, they “foresee the near total decimation of the BIPOC-owned small business community in the Portland area.” Oregon Native American Chamber Executive Director James Alan Parker is one of the business leaders who signed the letter. He tells us why business owners of color have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. And the owners of the tattoo parlor Tattoo 34, Nisha Supahan and Toby Linwood, tell us how they’re faring.

It’s hard to overstate the impact that the COVID-19 prevention measures have had on the hospitality industry. An estimated 80 percent of Oregon restaurant workers have lost their jobs, according to a National Restaurant Association survey. We hear from Nate Tilden co-owner of Clyde Common, former server and restaurant manager Erika Goldin-Jones, and Amy Jaffe from the now closed Prosperity Pie Shoppe.

Immigrants and refugees are more likely to work in the service sector jobs devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. During the month of Ramadan, many are in need of food and supplies. Omar Hashi, who owns the Hashi Halal Market in Northeast Portland, is stepping up to help. In a partnership with the city of Portland and Lutheran Community Services, he’s delivering culturally specific food boxes to people in the refugee community. We talk with Hashi and Mahad Hassan, refugee wellness coordinator for Lutheran Community Services.

Casino closures during the pandemic mean that many tribal governments are losing their main source of income. The Cowlitz tribe, with its ilani casino, is no exception. We talk with Cowlitz Tribal Chairman William Iyall about how the Cowlitz tribe is handling the economic blow and other effects of the pandemic.

Last week, Gov. Brown reopened a handful of state parks across the state. Many are popular tourist destinations, which could potentially attract out-of-towners for day trips. We hear from Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer, Detroit Mayor Jim Trett and Redmond Mayor George Endacott about how the first weekend of park openings went.

Oregon has one of the worst graduation rates in the country. And for teens who were already struggling to get a diploma, remote learning is making school even harder. OPB’s Elizabeth Miller and The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com’s Eder Campuzano share their joint reporting.

As humans are forced to quarantine, experts say there is some evidence of environmental gains during the pandemic. But the changes are small and temporary. We hear from Portland State University professor Vivek Shandas and assistant professor Jola Ajibade about what’s happening to the earth, and how the pandemic could help us make lasting, structural environmental change.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about how COVID-19 is affecting communities of color in Oregon. The data we have shows that the state’s Hispanic population has been disproportionately represented in the numbers of confirmed cases of the virus. Nearly a third of the people who have tested positive in Oregon have been identified as Hispanic, but race and ethnicity data was unavailable in 10% of the reported cases, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Another 25% marked “other” in the race category. We dig into the data and what we know about health equity to try to better understand how the pandemic is playing out in Oregon. Multnomah County public health director Rachael Banks and state epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger join us.

We get opinions and analysis on some of the big stories of the week on the news roundtable. Today our guests are Alejandro Queral, Beth Slovic, and Jim Pasero.

When we think about who’s most at risk for contracting COVID-19, we know that seniors and people with underlying health conditions are at the top of the list. This means that people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. And at the same time, due to restrictions in place to help slow the spread of the virus, these same people are not able to get all of the services that help them and their families on a daily basis. We hear from Lilia Teninty, director of the Oregon Office of Developmental Disabilities Services and Emily Cooper, legal director at Disability Rights Oregon.

On Thursday morning, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced phase 1 of her plan to reopen Oregon, lifting some of the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart joins us to dig into the details.