
WaferTech is a semiconductor manufacturer in Camas, Wash., pictured here on Feb. 1, 2023. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
Lawmakers consider changes to make Oregon more attractive to the semiconductor industry
States all over the country are hoping to lure federal money, and semiconductor companies, after Congress recently passed the CHIPS bill. In Oregon, lawmakers are considering a major overhaul of longstanding land-use laws to do just that.
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Fall-run ocean Chinook fishing season likely to be canceled for much of Oregon
We'll hear about the potential closure of Oregon's ocean Chinook salmon season from a commercial fisherman and the fisheries director of the Yurok Tribe.
State report shows wage gaps persist in Oregon government
In 2017, Oregon passed a law that was aimed at reducing wage disparities for employees performing the same work. Years later, a report from Oregon’s audit division found that wage gaps in government positions still remain.

Protecting the Willamette Confluence Preserve in Lane County
More than 1,200 acres of land that include a floodplain forest and wetlands has been rehabilitated after years of effort.

Jefferson High School dancers win national award
Students from North Portland’s Jefferson High School made history earlier this month. Two members of the Jefferson Dancers won awards for choreography at the National High School Dance Festival. It was the first time any school won top honors for two different pieces.

‘She’s Speaking’ tour features women singers and musicians, highlights challenges in male dominated industry
Kristen Grainger and her band True North continue their series of live concerts celebrating women this weekend.

Oregonians earn scholarship to help make backcountry skiing more accessible and inclusive
The SheJumps Snowpack Avalanche Scholarship is awarded each year to 12 recipients to foster greater inclusivity, a sense of community and skills building for women in backcountry skiing.

Court rules National Marine Fisheries Service must protect Humpback whales
Last week a federal judge ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service can no longer continue to issue permits for the incidental take of humpback whales when they get tangled in sablefish pot gear off the West coast. The lawsuit was filed by the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.
Oregon Coast Aquarium develops treatment plan to save sick and injured sea stars, including one to get federal protection
Staff at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport spent two years developing a treatment program to rehabilitate and save sea stars, including ones afflicted by a fatal wasting disease.
A constitutional crisis in Oregon’s criminal justice system continues, 60 years after landmark US Supreme Court decision
This past weekend marked the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires the state to provide and pay for an attorney if it charges a person with a crime. The promise of Gideon v. Wainwright is particularly poignant in the midst of a nationwide public defender shortage.
Oregon faces holes in mental health services
For too many Oregonians, having a mental illness or substance use problem means repeated failed attempts to get help, and then experience a crisis: an emergency department visit, isolation in a jail cell, or an involuntary stay at the state’s overwhelmed psychiatric hospital. OPB health reporter Amelia Templeton talked to experts throughout the state to learn about several of the most pressing elements of the crisis — and about promising strategies to address them.

Portland artist Rita Robillard explores time and place
A new exhibit in Salem showcases more than 50 prints spanning four decades made by Portland mixed-media artist Rita Robillard.
An afternoon in the glass blowing studio with artist Evan Burnette
We spend some time with artist Evan Burnette, the owner and head designer of Portland's only public glassblowing studio.

REBROADCAST: Pulitzer-Prize winning author Anthony Doerr tackles the power of storytelling
Anthony Doerr’s last book, “All the Light We Cannot See,” told the stories of two different young people growing up in Europe during World War II and whose lives eventually overlapped. His newest book, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” follows a similar template, but on a much more complex scale.

How Oregon can improve pedestrian safety
The Street Trust recently issued recommendations to reduce pedestrian fatalities in Oregon.
OHA report finds high levels of dioxin contamination in Eugene neighborhood
We'll hear from a reporter who's been covering high levels of dioxin contamination

Understanding what’s behind a shrinking population of endangered killer whale
A team of international scientists have discovered differences in the foraging behaviors of southern and northern resident killer whales which may help explain why the outlook for the survival of the former looks so grim

Oregon bill would ban all flavored tobacco products
We hear from a pediatric cardiologist about the Oregon House bill that would ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including hookah, menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes.
New study highlights opioid overdose risk following release from Oregon prisons
A new study by a team of scientists at Oregon State University, Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon Department of Corrections found that people released from Oregon prisons were 10 times more likely to overdose on opioids than the general population.
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REBROADCAST: From ‘Corpse Bride’ to ‘Pinocchio,’ Georgina Hayns reflects on bringing puppets to life on the big screen
We talk with Georgina Hayns, a Portland-based puppet maker about her career in stop-motion animation and why Portland has become a hub for this particular analog style of filmmaking.

Portland Steel Bridge fire reveals living spaces inside onramp
We’ll get an update on Wednesday's fire under the Steel Bridge from Portland Fire & Rescue.