
File photo from November 7, 2023. There are more than 1,000 open positions in schools for teachers, counselors, sport coaches and other professions across the state, according to Oregon's Teacher Standards and Practice Commission.
Oregon is facing a teacher shortage
As the historic Portland Public School strike comes to an end, the state and country continue to face another issue: hiring. We'll hear from a professor on the challenges of obtaining a teaching license and what can be done to address the hundreds of open teaching positions in Oregon.
Today's show
Report looks at Salem’s increasing gun violence
In the Pacific Northwest, organizations work on distributing naloxone
New USDA and Oregon State University map helps winter gardeners
Featured stories

Maupin couple launches local newspaper
When retired preschool owner Colleen Strohm and her husband moved to Maupin after their retirement, they found a vibrant community, but no local newspaper. Strohm says she tried to talk others into starting one, but after no one took her up on it, she finally realized she’d need to do it herself.

REBROADCAST: UO museum travels across Oregon to rural communities
We learn more about why the museum wants to focus on statewide outreach.
Tentative deal reached to end Portland teachers’ strike
We hear about the tentative deal reached between the Portland teachers' union and district officials ending a strike which shut down Portland schools since Nov. 1.

OHSU geriatrician on treating and preventing injuries from falls, as incidents increase
At Oregon Health & Science University, the number of patients treated for falling injuries has increased by 90% compared with 2016.
University of Oregon professor helps schools foster supportive learning environments
For 25 years, the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has worked with schools around the country to make learning environments more supportive and productive. We'll talk with the University of Oregon professor who co-directs the center.
REBROADCAST: Tim O’Brien
Author Tim O’Brien is best known for his book “The Things They Carried,” about the Vietnam War. His latest book is a compilation of anecdotes and reflections on becoming a parent in late middle age, and what he wants his young children to know about him before he dies. This conversation was recorded in front of an audience at the Portland Book Festival in the fall of 2019.

How after-school programs and other organizations are shifting resources during the PPS strike
We'll hear from several groups that are shifting gears to offer kids and their families more resources as the strike continues.
Syphilis cases are on the rise across Oregon and the US
More than 3,700 babies were born with congenital syphilis in the U.S. last year, the highest count in more than 30 years. We'll hear from OHA on what syphilis currently looks like in Oregon and what's being done to address it.

New AI technology from UW researchers lets noise-canceling headphone users choose which sounds they hear
University of Washington researchers developed an algorithm that allows noise-canceling headphone users to filter in sounds they might want to hear, like door knocks and bird chirps.

Double-crested cormorants create conundrum for biologists
Many thousands of cormorant birds were driven away from East Sand Island near the mouth of the Columbia River decades ago in an effort to protect the fish. Now the roughly 10,000 cormorants that make their home on the Astoria-Megler bridge are a problem.
How University of Washington researchers are using augmented reality to improve accessibility
Augmented reality technology is often used to enhance gaming experiences, but researchers at the University of Washington are using AR to improve accessibility for users who are blind, have low vision or other disabilities.
In Northeast Oregon, rural counties address homelessness
We hear from an organization based in rural Oregon that’s working on rehousing residents in Baker, Grant, Union and Wallowa counties.
Latest forecast shows Oregon’s economy is stabilizing
Oregon's economy is stabilizing, according to a new forecast. We'll hear from a state economist on what the labor market is looking like and current population trends.

Honoring Chinese immigrants buried in Portland’s Lone Fir Cemetery
Metro, the Tri-County regional government agency, will build a memorial for Chinese immigrants who were buried in a section of Lone Fir Cemetery in Portland.
Trip to Portugal offers Oregon lawmakers a look at drug decriminalization 20 years later
Two dozen elected officials, law enforcement officers and substance use treatment providers traveled from Oregon to Portugal recently to learn about the country’s 20-year-old drug decriminalization program.

District, union leaders on contract negotiations to end Portland teachers strike
Portland Public Schools students are out of class for the 10th day this month as the first strike in the district’s history continues.

The tough job of being a county clerk in Oregon
A recent report from researchers at Reed College highlights the challenges facing Oregon's county clerks, from threats to funding and staffing woes.
New report finds abortion access varies in Oregon jails
The Oregon Justice Resource Center recently released a report focusing on access to abortion in Oregon county jails.
New lumber mill in Philomath aims to market Oregon hardwoods
Patrick Lumber aims to mill Oregon white oak, Pacific maple, tan oak, madrone, chinquapin, myrtle and Oregon ash trees from lots that are being thinned for fire protection.
University of Washington research could lead to ‘living’ dental fillings made from real enamel
UW researchers have succeeded in creating a rudimentary tooth enamel — a substance the human body currently can't regenerate.