Épisodes

  • Portland’s comeback in jeopardy? How national uncertainty could stall growth

    Portland’s comeback in jeopardy? How national uncertainty could stall growth
    Sep 12 2025
    Portland faces economic challenges as Oregon loses 25,000 jobs. Experts warn national uncertainty could slow the city’s recovery and growth plans.
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    25 min
  • Repeal of 'Roadless Rule' could upend protections across millions of acres of forest in Oregon and Washington

    Repeal of 'Roadless Rule' could upend protections across millions of acres of forest in Oregon and Washington
    Sep 5 2025
    Nearly two decades of protections for some of the Pacific Northwest’s wildest landscapes may be on the chopping block as federal officials under the Trump administration move to undo the "Roadless Rule" and return parts of the national forest system to the commercial timber base. The rule, created in 2001 at the end of the Clinton administration, restricts road construction and logging on about 60 million acres of national forest nationwide. In Oregon, it covers about 2 million acres; in Washington, about 2.8 million. “There were millions of acres of national forests that were less accessible, more difficult to get to, that had generally not been commercially logged,” said Daniel Rohlf, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School who specializes in public lands law. “So, the question was what do we do with this resource?” After extensive public input, the Forest Service chose to manage those areas for their roadless qualities and for environmental benefits such as clean water, wildlife habitat and recreation, Rohlf said. Many of the Northwest's most popular destinations fall within those protections, including Lost Lake on Mount Hood, Larch Mountain in the Columbia Gorge, the Oregon Dunes from Florence to Coos Bay and hiking trails in the Cascade Lakes area, according to Steve Pedery, conservation director for the group Oregon Wild.
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    21 min
  • As Vaux's swifts change up their migration habits, Portlanders wonder where to go to keep watching

    As Vaux's swifts change up their migration habits, Portlanders wonder where to go to keep watching
    Sep 5 2025
    For decades, Portlanders have been accustomed to the yearly sight of Vaux's swifts swirling above the chimney at Chapman Elementary School, a punctuation on summer's end. But after a shakeup in the migratory birds' habits last year, the city waits to see where they'll land now. Joe Liebezeit with the Bird Alliance of Oregon was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss why the migratory birds might be moving away from their traditional fall resting place.
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    6 min
  • Trump targets mail-in voting, pandemic babies hit kindergarten

    Trump targets mail-in voting, pandemic babies hit kindergarten
    Aug 29 2025
    In a KGW “Straight Talk” interview, Oregon’s top election official rejected Trump’s claim mail-in voting is “corrupt,” saying the president lacks authority to end it
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    25 min
  • Experts discuss how parents can support children's mental health

    Experts discuss how parents can support children's mental health
    Aug 22 2025
    Growing scientific evidence points to a critical issue impacting younger generations. Nationwide, more children and teens are reporting symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of high schoolers reported experiencing depressive symptoms in 2023 — up from 30% just 10 years earlier. The trend is particularly bad in Oregon, and as students across the state enjoy their final days of summer vacation before heading back to school, parents want to know how they can best support their children's well-being amid the youth mental health crisis. On this week's episode of "Straight Talk," three experts who are working to get ahead of the curve came together to talk about what's driving the trend, what researchers say can be done to help, and what kids are saying they need.
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    25 min
  • Wyden talks Blazers sale, Medicaid cuts and the impact of Trump's immigration policies

    Wyden talks Blazers sale, Medicaid cuts and the impact of Trump's immigration policies
    Aug 15 2025
    U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk for a wide-ranging interview that touched on changes to Medicaid, the Epstein files, President Donald Trump's immigration policies and the pending sale of the Portland Trail Blazers. Sen. Wyden's interview on Straight Talk also touched on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and his efforts to get the Justice Department to release its Epstein records. Wyden has been representing Oregon in the U.S. Senate since 1996, after previously serving for several years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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    25 min
  • Examining the causes and impacts of Oregon's declining fertility rate

    Examining the causes and impacts of Oregon's declining fertility rate
    Aug 9 2025

    New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the U.S. fertility rate dropped to the lowest level on record last year. The news is sparking a lot of conversation — and a lot of questions. Is the decline driven by biology, culture or policy? What can be done? And what does this complex issue mean for Oregon, Washington and beyond?

    Dr. Paula Amato and Dr. Ethan Sharygin were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to help break down some of the answers to those questions.

    Amato is a professor of OBGYN and division head of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at OHSU, as well as a specialist at Spring Fertility in Portland. Sharygin is the director of Portland State University's Population Research Center, with expertise in mortality and longevity forecasting, evaluating the quality of census data and the demographic consequences of disasters.

    The U.S. birthrate in 2024 was 1.6 births per woman of reproductive age. The decline is part of a long-term trend, Sharygin said, first among teens and women in their 20s, and later among women at older ages. The Oregon rate used to be close to the national average, but has declined even faster in the past 15 years and is now about 1.4 — and even lower in urban areas like Portland.
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    25 min
  • Portland Fire interim president previews what's next for team's comeback

    Portland Fire interim president previews what's next for team's comeback
    Aug 1 2025
    The Fire has already sold more than 12,500 season ticket deposits, and Interim President Claire Hamill talks milestones, inspiring the city and drafting players.
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    25 min