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Students at Harriet Tubman Middle School in Northeast Portland have been protesting weekly over Portland Public Schools’ decision to place teacher Bryan Chu on leave. On May 13, 2022, students again left school and marched to the PPS district office to voice their concerns.
Teachers and students struggle in Portland middle schools
OPB's K-12 education reporter, Elizabeth Miller, joins us to talk about her recent reporting that shows teachers and students are struggling in Portland middle schools after returning to in-person instruction in the fall.
Today's show
Indoor masking recommended in 15 Oregon counties
Pacific Northwest residents with ties to Ethiopia affected by war there
Oregonian divers travel across the US finding missing people
Featured stories

Art collaboration on display in Portland celebrates multicultural expression
Wild Woman is an art collaboration that highlights women’s empowerment.

Oregon breweries win at 2022 World Beer Cup
This year’s competition featured more than 10,000 entries from breweries across the globe. Oregon’s breweries took home multiple prizes.

Oregon primary winners and takeaways from key races
We hear from winner's in Tuesday's primary contests and get an update on the Idaho annexation proposal that was voted on yesterday by three Oregon counties.

NW Natural customers could see bills jump 25% in one year
NW Natural provides methane gas to about 2.5 million people in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Regulators approved a 13% rate increase last year, and now the company is asking for a similar hike. If approved, that would mean customers would see their bills rise by about 25% over a one-year period.
Salem-Keizer school district changes honors classes
Like everything else, honors classes in the Salem-Keizer school district were upended during the pandemic. But when students came back into the building, the district took advantage of the opportunity to re-work the way it offers honors classes. Now, instead of separate classes, honors students sit alongside their peers doing “embedded honors.”

Why a University of Washington astronomer thinks environmental protections need to extend to space
A University of Washington astronomer shares why exponentially increasing satellite launches threaten observations of the night sky for astronomers and amateur sky gazers.

Formula shortage affects Pacific Northwest families
An Oregon pediatrician says he’s been talking to his patients about practical solutions and counseling them on ignoring judgmental comments on social media about feeding babies with formula. And the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank has been fielding more calls from people interested in donating breast milk due to the nationwide shortage of infant formula, according to its executive director.
Survey shows increase in race-based hate crime and harassment against Asian Oregonians
A series of surveys conducted by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found a rise in hate crime and harassment incidents against Asian Americans in Oregon. Nearly half of all the Asian Americans surveyed said they heard someone use a racial slur, epithet or degrading language against them or a family member or both. A third of those surveyed reported reducing the amount of time they spend in the community because of a race-based bias incident or hate crime.
REBROADCAST: Bill Oakley
Portlander Bill Oakley may be most famous for the joke he wrote about hamburgers in his time writing for the Simpsons. So perhaps it makes sense that he has spent the last year focusing on hamburgers in a different way. He’s been reviewing fast food on Instagram. We listen back to a conversation with Oakley from 2019.

Bend City Council wants to make shelters more accessible
To increase the number of available shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness, the City of Bends is considering amendments to its development laws. These changes would help define three different types of shelters that can be built in the city and make it easier to operate a shelter.
Portland filmmakers document tree-sitting activists’ fight to protect northern California redwoods
A group of activists known as Redwood Forest Defense has been occupying treetops in northern California as a form of non-violent protest to block the logging of redwood forests.
How climate change and wildfires can contaminate wells with toxic chemicals
Freelance journalist Erika Bolstad shares her recent reporting about the harmful effects wildfires and climate change can have on wells that some residents rely on for drinking water.

Author Edwidge Danticat on “Everything Inside”
Edwidge Danticat is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories, essays, and memoirs, with a focus on the rich experiences of the Haitian diaspora. Her latest book is the collection of short stories “Everything Inside.”

Study chronicles Oregon farmworkers’ challenges during the pandemic
Researchers from Oregon universities collaborated with advocacy organizations and farmworkers themselves to understand the challenges these essential workers have faced and what policies they want to see changed to improve conditions in the future.
West Coast port contract negotiations underway as supply chain challenges persist
Some are concerned about a labor impasse that could create further issues.

East Oregon high school wins first-ever trip to state band championships
The Elgin High School band is competing for the first time ever in the state band and orchestra championships.

Revived Interstate 5 Bridge replacement slowly moves forward
Government officials from Oregon and Washington recently met to discuss replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge across the Columbia River.

Astoria moves to limit growing amounts of waste from local breweries
A growing number of breweries have shifted Astoria from a drive-by town to a craft beer and spirits destination. But as the fermentation cluster of breweries, distilleries and cideries grows in Astoria, it's leading to more waste being generated from leftover yeast, hops and other proteins.
Marion County District Attorney debate: Paige Clarkson and Spencer Todd
We hear from incumbent District Attorney Paige Clarkson and her challenger, public defender Spencer Todd, in the Marion County district attorney's race.
What to consider when voting in Oregon judicial races
All Oregon judges are chosen in nonpartisan elections. Why do we do it this way? And how should I think about judicial elections when I sit down to fill out my ballot?