Best OPB Podcasts (2024)

1
Advocates for people of color in Oregon intrigued by Harris campaign, but want to see real progress 4:41

12m ago4:41

4:41

The sudden emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president provides an opportunity for Oregon’s voters of color to recenter the values and issues most important to their communities.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Oregon and the changing presidential race 10:08

15m ago10:08

10:08

On this week's show, OPB reporters Lauren Dake and Bryce Dole examine Democratic responses in Oregon to President Joe Biden's decision to exit the race.

1
Portland's music scene and landmarks feature in indie comedy ‘Cora Bora’ 22:24

17m ago22:24

22:24

There’s a new Portland-based, independent comedy on the scene. “Cora Bora” follows Cora, a snarky, somewhat aimless musician struggling her way through solo shows in bars and coffee shops across Los Angeles after the mysterious dissolution of her band. When she suspects her girlfriend is seeing someone new, Cora returns to Portland to try and salva…

1
Portland launches the Office of Arts and Culture 14:33

17m ago14:33

14:33

Last year, city officials decided to end Portland’s contract with the independent Regional Arts and Culture Council. The organization was previously responsible for doling out grants and providing art advocacy for the city. Now, Portland’s Office of Arts and Culture has taken shape and has found organizations, including RACC and MusicOregon, to hel…

1
Oregon Public Defense Commission details multi-pronged efforts to stem public defender crisis 15:41

17m ago15:41

15:41

In the last few years, the state has come under intense criticism from civil rights advocates for its failure to provide constitutionally mandated defense attorneys to people charged with crimes if they cannot afford them. A 2022 report by the American Bar Association found the state had barely a third of the lawyers it needed to represent defendan…

1
Parking Reform Network founder says his mission is key to reduce car travel and meet climate change goals 25:32

27m ago25:32

25:32

What does parking have to do with climate change? Everything, according to Parking Reform Network founder and president Tony Jordan. Getting rid of parking mandates in Oregon means that housing developers can also build more units rather than having to set aside space for car infrastructure. Four years ago there were fewer than a dozen cities natio…

1
Outgoing Multnomah County DA changes jury selection for misdemeanor trials 11:54

2h ago11:54

11:54

Starting next week, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office will no longer allow prospective jurors to be dropped without reason for misdemeanor trials. The change was made to reduce racial bias during jury selection, according to outgoing DA Mike Schmidt. The new policy will not apply to trials involving domestic violence charges, and will…

1
Wildfires burn across Oregon and Washington 15:07

2h ago15:07

15:07

Wildfires spreading throughout the state have caused multiple road closures and prompted evacuations. The Durkee Fire, which is burning in Malheur and Baker counties, is so hot it created its own weather. Record dry conditions combined with lightning strikes and human activity have set off over 60 fires across Oregon and Washington already this sea…

1
Eugene's senior hockey league returns from California tournament 18:07

16m ago18:07

18:07

The Snoopy Senior World Hockey Tournament is an annual event that draws hundreds of hockey players to an ice rink in California. But unlike other tournaments, this one is specifically for older adults. Eugene’s Oregon Old Growth is a team with players ranging in age from 70 to 83. Mike Sheehan and Bob Carolan both just returned from the tournament …

1
OSU study raises concerns about elevated lead levels from old telephone cables 17:34

24m ago17:34

17:34

Before telephone wires were coated in plastic, they were originally protected by a layer of lead. Lead-sheathed cables were largely phased out in the 1950s, but in Portland’s oldest neighborhoods, some of them still hang from utility poles. A recent study from Oregon State University tested lead levels in moss in some neighborhoods and found that l…

1
In Oregon, nurses provide health care to newborns and their families at home 16:37

24m ago16:37

16:37

Family Connects Oregon is a program that brings nurses to the homes of newborns and their families, as NPR recently reported. It’s an opt-in service that aims to improve health and socioeconomic outcomes for parents and children. Family Connects continues to expand in Oregon and has visiting nurses in counties including Jefferson, Lincoln and Washi…

1
Revolutionary Indian independence movement has roots in Astoria 5:10

8m ago5:10

5:10

QA with historian Johanna Ogden, who wrote a book about the Ghadar Party's roots in Astoria.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Recent research details potential solutions to Ross Island Lagoon’s cyanobacteria blooms 13:45

1h ago13:45

13:45

The Ross Island Lagoon, which sits in the center of the four-island complex known as Ross Island, is a byproduct of decades of mining. In addition to industrial purposes, the lagoon also has a long history of being used recreationally and provides habitat for a variety of vulnerable plant and animal species. In 2015, researchers began to see cyanob…

1
How some of Oregon’s Indigenous youth are using equine therapy 16:29

1h ago16:29

16:29

A growing number of Oregon tribes have been investing in equine therapy for youth struggling on reservations and in foster care. Both the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs have developed programs in the last three years. And the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Klamath Tribes and Burns…

1
Live Nation wants to operate a venue in Portland. Local promoters have other ideas. 22:33

8m ago22:33

22:33

Live Nation wants to develop a 3,500 capacity venue in Portland’s central eastside. The company, which also owns Ticketmaster, controls an estimated 60% of concert venues across the country and also serves as one of the nation’s biggest artist management companies. Earlier this summer, the Department of Justice sued Live Nation, seeking to break up…

1
Identifying road kill could help save wildlife 5:02

17m ago5:02

5:02

Identifying road kill could help save wildlifeBy Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Morrow County will hold a vote to recall its commissioners for the second time in three years 4:29

24m ago4:29

4:29

Voters in rural Oregon are increasingly turning to recall elections to settle political controversies. Morrow County will vote on the recall effort Monday.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Researchers find extreme heat impacts tree recovery even more than drought 12:10

1h ago12:10

12:10

Since the extreme heat dome in the Pacific Northwest in 2021, researchers have been busy trying to identify all the different effects that heat had on trees and forests. One of those researchers is Chris Still, a professor in the college of forestry at Oregon State University. He says a collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service using satellite dat…

1
Pacific Northwest cities struggle to fulfill public records requests 14:59

1h ago14:59

14:59

Cities across the Pacific Northwest are struggling to handle a growing number of requests for public records such as court documents, police reports and emails between public officials. To test those systems, the investigative news outlet InvestigateWest sent the same records request to 15 cities across Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Some took month…

1
Oregon delegates respond to Biden’s withdrawal and Harris endorsement 25:43

1h ago25:43

25:43

President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election is reverberating across the nation and the Pacific Northwest’s political world. The news comes less than a month before the Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin in Chicago. Earl Blumenauer, Democratic Congressman representing Oregon’s 3rd district, and James Manning, state sena…

1
The life and legacy of chef Naomi Pomeroy 7:48

11m ago7:48

7:48

James Beard award winning chef and icon of Portland's culinary landscape, Naomi Pomeroy, has died. Journalist and Food Critic Karen Brooks joined OPB to look back at Pomeroy's life and legacy.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Peter Courtney played influential role in making Oregon what it is today 18:37

28m ago18:37

18:37

Peter Courtney, the longest-serving state lawmaker in Oregon history, and arguably the most consequential one died this week. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart talk about Courtney’s legacy and the influence he had over policies that now shape our state.

1
Remembering the legendary Oregon statesman Peter Courtney 21:06

5d ago21:06

21:06

Peter Courtney died this week at the age of 81. He was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1980. He moved to the Senate side in 1999 and became Senate President four years later. Courtney, who grew up in what he liked to call “West by God Virginia,” served for 38 years in the legislature, including a record 20 as the senate pres…

1
Oregon and Washington graduate students tackle problem of bias in AI 18:02

16m ago18:02

18:02

Artificial Intelligence is radically changing how we work, learn, play and socialize, from virtual assistants helping organize our day to bots that can score Taylor Swift tickets or write college-level essays. But that vast computing capability may also come at a cost, generating results that are rife with bias if the data that was used to train AI…

1
Southern Oregon residents and insurers struggle with a changing wildfire landscape 14:21

16m ago14:21

14:21

Wildfires in the West are becoming more common and severe. Nationwide, national disasters are becoming worse and insurance premiums are rising. In Southern Oregon, residents are seeing spikes in their premiums or are deciding to change insurance companies. One Ashland insurance agent saw a premium on his rental property jump 86%. And for residents …

1
Grim Theatre brings the circus out of the big top 5:12

17m ago5:12

5:12

Grim Theatre brings the circus out of the big topBy Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
What is synesthesia and how does it work? Oregonians weigh in. 42:51

6d ago42:51

42:51

Have you ever heard a color, or seen a piece of music? Maybe you’ve tasted a sunset, or felt a particular smell? If so, you might have synesthesia. It’s a phenomenon in which one or more sensory pathways blend in the brain to create a new experience. Researchers aren’t sure how many people have synesthesia, but estimates range from 1 in 200 to 1 in…

1
How much methane seeps out of Oregon landfills? 9:40

1h ago9:40

9:40

Earlier this year, the Washington state Department of Ecology wrote new rules to regulate methane emissions from landfills that surpass federal emission regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality wrote its own rules in 2021 and has been collecting data from landfills for the last two ye…

1
Episode 27: Assassination Attempt, Republican National Convention, New Michigan Poll from Milwaukee 50:48

3h ago50:48

50:48

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin, on location at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, analyze the state of the presidential race after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, talk about the first two days of the Republican convention, and release fresh polling data in Michigan’s 7th District, one of t…

1
Oregon conservation groups will sue on behalf of the red tree vole 11:46

1h ago11:46

11:46

Oregon conservation groups will sue on behalf of the red tree vole LONG SYNOPSIS: Four conservation groups including Cascadia Wildlands, the Bird Alliance of Oregon, Oregon Wild and the Center for Biological Diversity, released a notice of intent to sue the US Fish & Wildlife Service in June for failing to protect the red tree vole. The red tree vo…

1
University of Oregon professor trains AI to distinguish between real and fake Jackson Pollock paintings 23:16

2h ago23:16

23:16

About 75 years ago, Jackson Pollock revolutionized the art world with his distinctive style of painting. He would lay the canvas on the floor and with his arms outstretched, pour or drip cans of paint directly onto its surface. The technique invited admirers and detractors alike, along with scandals involving forged canvases turning up decades afte…

1
Oregon HIV cases see slight increase after years of decline 17:37

14m ago17:37

17:37

Between 2012 and 2020, new HIV cases were generally declining, according to data from the Oregon Health Authority. But in recent years, the trend is headed in the opposite direction. What’s behind the change? How have attitudes shifted around HIV more recently? We dig into these details with Dean Sidelinger, health officer and state epidemiologist …

1
Team Oregon Moto Training gets motorcyclists rolling 4:34

17m ago4:34

4:34

Team Oregon Moto Training gets motorcyclists rollingBy Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Peter Courtney, legendary and longtime leader of Oregon’s state Senate, has died 5:02

12m ago5:02

5:02

Peter Courtney, the longest-serving state lawmaker in Oregon history whose booming oratories and one-of-a-kind style made him a Salem legend, died Tuesday. He was 81.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
How some communities are tackling opioid abuse on Oregon’s fishing boats 15:47

1h ago15:47

15:47

A recent New York Times article shed light on how some fishing communities are grappling with opioid abuse and overdoses in fishing communities. Overdoses at sea are much more difficult to stop than on land. A program founded by Oregon State University in partnership with Oregon Sea Grant called “Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training” (FFAST) tra…

1
How a new Portland-Multnomah County agreement for homeless services may impact people living on the streets 24:36

1h ago24:36

24:36

Portland and Multnomah County have been working together for decades on how to get people experiencing homelessness off the streets and ultimately into permanent housing. Since 2016 that collaboration has taken the form of a Joint Office of Homeless Services. The five-member city commission, three of whom are running for mayor this fall, narrowly a…

1
Oregon RNC committeewoman shares her view from Milwaukee 12:05

23m ago12:05

12:05

The Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee. On Monday, Donald Trump picked Ohio senator and author JD Vance as his running mate. Tracy Honl is the RNC national committewoman from Oregon. She joins us with details from the convention.

1
The Willamette River has a trash problem. Homeless camp removals could be making it worse 5:22

15m ago5:22

5:22

Environmental groups say riverside homeless encampments are polluting waterways. People experiencing homelessness say urban camp removals are pushing them there.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Oregon’s transportation system is due for an overhaul next year. Here’s what you need to know 5:02

17m ago5:02

5:02

Finding a solution to the state’s road funding problems is one of the highest-profile — and politically tricky — problems lawmakers will consider next year.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
The Willamette River has a trash problem and homeless camp removals could be making it worse 5:26

21m ago5:26

5:26

The Willamette River has a trash problem and homeless camp removals could be making it worseBy Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Women veterans at higher risk for repeat suicide attempts than men, OHSU study suggests 12:28

1h ago12:28

12:28

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, veterans have a 57% higher risk of suicide than the general population. But little is known about how that risk differs between men and women. In the first study of its kind, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University followed a group of veterans for roughly a year after a nonfatal s…

1
New journal founded by Oregon scientist offers alternative to traditional academic publishing 23:56

1h ago23:56

23:56

Earlier this month, a new journal based in Portland launched online with its first set of published scientific articles. But the Stacks Journal isn’t your typical academic journal, according to its founder, David Green, an ecologist who previously worked at OSU’s Institute for Natural Resources. He says that it removes some of the main obstacles as…

1
City of Bend receives $5 million federal grant to continue affordable housing efforts 16:01

1h ago16:01

16:01

In late June, it was announced that the city of Bend was awarded one of 21 grants given out by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing, also known as PRO Housing initiative. The 21 communities received grants between $1 million and $6.7 million from a pool of $85 million. Bend is th…

1
Portland volunteers gear up for annual bike count 5:03

35m ago5:03

5:03

Each summer for more than 30 years, over 100 volunteers spend rush hour at intersections across Portland to tally vehicles. But they’re not counting car bumpers, but bike bells — it’s the city’s annual bicycle count.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

1
Columbia Gorge Museum exhibit documents more than 150 years of Black family history through quilts 21:36

19h ago21:36

21:36

An exhibit at the Columbia Gorge Museum in Stevenson, Washington, features a collection of quilts made by an enslaved woman and her family, carefully preserved for more than 150 years. The exhibit, titled “Ms. Molly’s Voice: Freedom and Family Spoken in Fabric,” runs through July 31. It’s one of the first times the quilts have been publicly display…

1
Opioid hub treatment model shows success in Washington, could come to Oregon 17:00

19h ago17:00

17:00

Over the last few years, Washington state has funded five “health engagement hubs” to help treat people with fentanyl addictions. The model offers drop-in buprenorphine or methadone at no cost to people suffering from opioid addiction, as well as harm reduction services and other health care. The idea is to make treatment as easy to access as the d…

1
Nike promised big on the environment. It hasn't delivered yet. 14:25

19h ago14:25

14:25

In 2016, Nike pledged to cut its global carbon emissions in half. But in the last year, it laid off many of the employees who worked on sustainability. An investigation from ProPublica and the Oregonian found that Nike has managed less than a 2% cut in emissions. We’ll talk to the Rob Davis, investigative reporter at ProPublica, who worked on this …

1
Transportation funding woes hit Oregon and Portland’s central city 18:10

1d ago18:10

18:10

Oregon’s top transportation officials said they need billions of dollars to maintain the state’s roadways. Without it there will be more potholes, more traffic and worse driving conditions for everyone. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, we’ll dig into the politics and ask what it will take to make Portland great for bikes again. Find the show wherev…

1
PBOT published incorrect vehicle registration data 5:06

1d ago5:06

5:06

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has said half of Portland vehicles have lapsed registration. But DMV data shows that number is far lower.By Oregon Public Broadcasting

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