A homeless encampment perched along Southbound I-5, Jan. 20, 2022.
Cities continue to pass homeless camping ordinances
Three years ago, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that punishing people for sleeping on the street amounts to cruel and unusual punishment if they have no place else to go. That case, Martin v. Boise, and others have since helped to shape the way that cities and municipalities approach homelessness.
Today's show
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission split in two
How the Inflation Reduction Act will impact environmental efforts in Oregon
TriMet faces historic driver shortage
Featured stories
Sex trafficking survivors call for changes, more support
The Northwest Survivor Alliance was founded by survivors of sex trafficking. Members support each other and advocate for more services to help people deal with the trauma of their abuse. They say some progress has been made, but more is needed.
New research focuses on resilience of Oregon’s coastal roads and bridges
Researchers at Oregon State University used computer modeling to assess the resilience of roads and bridges on the Oregon coast and how this critical infrastructure would fare in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
Why one downtown Portland business is moving to the Lloyd Center
After 16 years in Old Town, Portland's Floating World Comics is moving to the Lloyd Center.
Bag & Baggage theater company stages bilingual production of ‘The Tempest’ in Spanish and English
Bag & Baggage theater company is staging a bilingual adaptation of "The Tempest," in Spanish and English, in Hillsboro city parks this month.
Using ‘green infrastructure’ to promote equity is a key goal for new Oregon forestry manager
Scott Altenhoff, a former urban forester for the City of Eugene, talks to us about his new role as the manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry's Urban Forestry and Community Assistance program.
New research shows lotteries rely on low-income players
A recent report found that state lotteries around the country are supported in large part by people who are least able to afford it.
Bureau of Land Management wants to test new ways to manage wild horse population
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing three new contraceptives to manage wild horse numbers. The agency is holding a public comment period regarding the testing of the new methods, but some advocates disagree with this approach.
‘Perspectives’ exhibit at Portland Art Museum features BIPOC photographers, racial justice protests
The Portland Art Museum is featuring works of six BIPOC photographers made during the racial justice protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Million-dollar federal grant boosts efforts to monitor air quality and improve health outcomes in wildfire-prone Southern Oregon
The Oregon Institute of Technology received a $1 million federal grant to build on research into the link between wildfire smoke, air quality and hospital admission in Southern Oregon.
McKinney fire impacts Southern Oregon and Northern California
After weeks of canceled shows due to COVID-19, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival had to pivot once again to move shows indoors due to smoke from the McKinney fire. Nataki Garrett, artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, tells us about how they're handling the challenges they face. Meanwhile, the McKinney fire blazed north of Karuk tribal homelands in Northern California and destroyed a building in Oak Knoll that housed the tribe’s archives. Josh Saxon, Executive Director of the Karuk Tribe, reflects on the fire's impact on the land and people who live there.
Oregon hospitals face rising costs and understaffing
COVID-19 hospitalizations may be far below their earlier peaks, but many Oregon hospitals are in serious trouble. Staffing shortages and a lack of skilled nurses mean that most hospitals in the state are nearing capacity. And rising costs have led to one of the worst financial quarters of the pandemic so far for some hospitals.
Behavioral health systems in Oregon face challenges dealing with increasing use of meth
Oregon has seen an increase in methamphetamine use over the past decade. This has caused an increase in patients experiencing mental health illness induced by meth use.
In Washington, fish populations improve after dam removal in Elwha River
About a decade has passed since two dams were removed in the Elwha River. The health of the river has improved and dwindling populations of Chinook Salmon are recovering.
Portland dating profile reviewer offers free advice
Dating profiles rarely get a second opinion prior to going public. Sarah Ruby Armstrong believes that is many peoples’ first mistake when trying online dating.
988 number now connects directly to national suicide prevention line
The three digit number 988 has replaced the national number making it easier to remember and use when it’s needed. The previous crisis hotline will also remain active.
Why three Washington breweries are suing Oregon
Three Washington-based breweries filed a lawsuit against the state of Oregon late last month. They are challenging Oregon restrictions on shipping beer directly to consumers from out of state.
Oregon Home Share matches seniors with spare room with those needing housing
When Gayle MacDonald decided to look for someone to share her home, she didn’t want it to be like another roommate situation she’d had before where everything was separate but under one roof. We hear her story and how Home Share Oregon helped matched her with her perfect roommate who was looking for housing she could afford.
Elwha River transformed 10 years after dam removal
The region continues to thrive.
Lane County nonprofit aims to build manufactured homes for affordable housing
Oregon is facing a housing shortfall of about 100,000 affordable units. A Eugene-based nonprofit says that need won’t be met by the private market, so they’re taking matters into their own hands. St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County plans to build its own manufactured homes in an old American Steel facility.
More Oregon colleges are hiring their first Black leaders
Several colleges and universities in Oregon recently announced new leaders, and many of the people hired for those positions are also the institutions’ first Black president.
