Think Out Loud

When Oregon became the first state in the country to legalize the supervised use of psilocybin, thousands of people from all across the country expressed interest in the service. One of them was an 88-year-old woman in Woodburn. Vivian Anderson has been living with PTSD that resulted from childhood abuse when she was 13 years old. Over the decades, she has tried many forms of therapy, but none of them provided the healing she was looking for. She hoped psilocybin would be different. We talked to her before and after her psychedelic session to find out what the experience was like.  

If you’re a parent of a music-loving toddler or grade schooler in the Portland metro area, you may not have heard of Andy Furgeson. You may, however, have heard of Red Yarn, the musical persona that Furgeson has embodied for more than a decade with his signature red beard, acoustic guitar and family-friendly puppets in tow. By his estimation, he performs 200 to 300 shows a year, most of which take place at community events, daycare centers, schools, and the occasional music festival, including Pickathon, the long-running festival at which he’s performed for the past seven years. Furgeson’s 10th and latest studio album, “The Get-Together,” is being released this Friday. It was inspired by his love of ‘50s and ‘60s music when artists like Roy Orbison, The Ronettes, Ritchie Valens and The Drifters mingled on the radio, but reimagined to explore themes like friendship and reading, aimed at appealing to younger audiences.  Furgeson joins us in the studio for a live performance and conversation about his musical journey, new album and why he feels like he’s found his calling as Red Yarn.  

Wildfires, extreme heat events, and other environmental disasters can have an extreme impact on those who are already living close to the edge. For people in addiction or recovery, these kinds of events can disrupt whatever stability they may have found. We talk to Robin Buller, who wrote about the connection between climate change and addiction for High Country News.

The housing and homelessness crisis in Portland was a key reason city officials pledged in 2019 to crack down on unpermitted short term rentals on Airbnb. Four years later, an investigation into the city’s regulatory efforts finds a near complete breakdown. Those who should be enforcing regulations say they are understaffed, can’t get access to the data they need and don’t have access to the technology to get the job done. Meanwhile, safety inspections of properties are rarely done. The Oregonian’s Ted Sickinger shares with us his reporting and what the city is likely to do next. 

Black mothers experience higher maternal death rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S. In Multnomah County, the Healthy Birth Initiatives program provides those moms with case management, respite care, breastfeeding support and access to community health nurses and other resources to support healthy outcomes for babies and families. Desha Reed-Holden, a senior program specialist, says the only requirements are that families are Black, live in the county and are having a baby. Roberta Suzette Hunte had both of her children with the support of the program. She says the culturally specific wrap around care she received was invaluable. She particularly valued the home visits and more broadly, having a buffer between herself and the rest of the maternal healthcare system. Hunte and Reed-Holden join us to talk about the need for the program and the results it delivers to clients.

It’s been more than a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively ending the right to abortion, which had existed for nearly 50 years. The decision has led to a wave of laws to restrict abortion access in about half the states in the nation. Not only have patients had to cross state lines to end pregnancies which pose a risk to their health, some doctors have also fled states like Idaho where performing abortions could result in imprisonment. Dr. Stella Dantas is an obstetrician and gynecologist in Hillsboro, and the president-elect of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She joins us to explain the ripple effect that restricting abortion access is having on reproductive healthcare, especially for underserved communities. 

After several recent attacks on TriMet passengers, the transportation agency has invested millions in hiring private security officers. In addition, it will fund a prosecutor at the Multnomah County DA’s office to focus on TriMet crimes. The agency also recently announced the results of a study that found trace amounts of fentanyl on public transit surfaces in amounts that were not dangerous to the public. Meanwhile, TriMet ridership is down nearly 40%, and the agency plans to increase fares by 12%. We talk to TriMet Chief Safety Officer Andrew Wilson and Rob Hendrickson, medical toxicologist at OHSU.

Students across Oregon will walk out of school on Friday as part of a youth strike for meaningful climate action. Among the demands they’re making are a formal declaration of a climate emergency from Gov. Tina Kotek, direct relief to unhoused Oregonians during climate disasters, and more legislative support for clean energy. Organizers in Portland, Bend, Salem and Florence set specific demands for their cities in addition to the statewide demands.  Chloe Gilmore is an organizer with the Portland Youth Climate Strike and a senior at Lincoln High School. She joins us with more details on the strike from the gathering at City Hall.

The nonprofit Partners in Care offers hospice and palliative care in Central Oregon. Its Transitions team recently received an award from Deschutes County for its work helping clients navigate resources for care. We learn more about the organization and how it aims to give Oregonians from all walks of life a chance to die with dignity. Joining us are Maureen Dooley, the marketing and communications manager, and Bethany Benefield, the Transitions Program Lead for Partners in Care.

On Wednesday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced he will not seek a third term as mayor in 2024, and instead focus on addressing the city’s “critical challenges” such as homelessness, public safety and economic recovery for the duration of his term. Last month, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler asked for nearly 100 Oregon state troopers to help tackle crime in the city. He made his suggestion at the first meeting of  the new task force convened by Gov. Tina Kotek to develop a plan to revive Portland’s downtown business district. Meanwhile, city officials have yet to enforce a daytime ban on camping that started in July, the same month that the first of six large outdoor shelter sites for people experiencing homelessness opened in Southeast Portland. We’ll talk to Mayor Wheeler about his vision for the city, the challenges it faces and the voter-approved overhaul of how it is governed.