Think Out Loud

Earlier this year the federal government announced changes aimed at making it easier for schools to get reimbursed for services that they are already providing to children on Medicaid. The program has the potential to serve students where they already are, get schools more needed funding and shift the paradigm on how to approach childhood disability and neurodiversity. But many challenges remain. Portland based freelance journalist Shasta Kearns Moore is the mother of school-aged twins with severe disabilities and runs Medicalmotherhood.com. She joins us to explain the potential impact of the additional funding and share more about the barriers schools still face.

German scientist Peter Wohlleben captured global attention when he wrote “The Secret Life of Trees.” Now, he’s followed up with a new book, "The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us if We Let Them," that essentially argues that we should leave forests alone, because trees are very good at adapting to whatever comes their way. We spoke to Wohlleben in front of an audience at Powell’s Books.

A conflict over fishing access has some of Oregon’s federally recognized tribes at odds with both each other and the state’s Fish & Wildlife Commission. The commission voted last month to allow the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to issue hunting and fishing licenses to its own members. It’s approved similar agreements with four other tribes, but the wording of Grand Ronde’s agreement has members of the Yakama, Warm Springs, Nez Perce and Umatilla tribes worried that they could lose access to fishing at Willamette Falls.  Joining us to explain what’s at stake and what comes next are Karina Brown, managing editor of Underscore News, and Nika Bartoo-Smith, a joint reporter for Underscore and ICT. 

Earlier this month, about 40 organizations, including the Sierra Club, outlined actions that the Eugene Water & Electric Board could take to continue the utility’s transition to clean and renewable energy. The letter follows an analysis by the utility that suggests the need for different sources of low-carbon energy, including the use of small modular nuclear reactors. The analysis is part of the utility’s Integrated Resource Planning process which forecasts future electricity needs. We check in on the plan with Aaron Orlowski, a spokesperson for the Eugene Water & Electric Board.

Artificial intelligence is becoming more sophisticated, and the U.S. is a leader in the technology. Policymakers will need an innovative approach to managing the tech, and safety should be top of mind for government officials, according to Charles Jennings. He’s a Portland-based former AI executive and the author of the book, “Artificial Intelligence: Rise of the Lightspeed Learners.” He joins us with details of what U.S. leaders can learn from history and why Oregonians should be urgently learning more about AI. 

In 2020, smoke from wildfires led Jenifer Cruickshank, an assistant professor and dairy extension specialist at Oregon State University,  to explore how the issue affects livestock. Cruickshank along with several other academics in Oregon and Idaho have banded together to create an online resource hub where researchers are investigating the effects of wildfire on cattle. We learn more about the effort from Cruickshank.

Menstrual products like tampons typically have an absorbency level listed on the side of their packaging. But until recently, that absorbency had never been measured with actual blood. Saline, a simpler and less viscous fluid, has been the default test liquid since absorbency standards were first set in the 1980s. However, researchers at Oregon Health and Science University recently tested the absorbency of products like menstrual cups, discs and period underwear, in addition to tampons and pads, with real blood in an effort to better diagnose heavy menstrual bleeding. Bethany Samuelson Bannow is an associate professor of medicine at OHSU and a co-author of the study. She joins us to explain why research like this hasn’t been conducted before and what the findings could mean.

In Southwest Oregon, Douglas firs are dying. And warmer temperatures along with more severe droughts are making the problem worse. What does this mean for the future of forests in places like Ashland? How should fire prone communities handle stands of dead trees which can act as fuel for wildfires? Max Bennett is a retired extension forester with Oregon State University. He led research on Douglas fir mortality. Chris Chambers is the forest officer for the city of Ashland. We learn more about what this means for the region, what's being done to reduce wildfire risk and how Oregonians should be thinking about forests. 

Nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in statehouses across the U.S in 2023. While many were defeated, the ACLU has tracked more than 80 bills that were passed into law. These include measures banning gender-affirming care for minors, banning trans athletes from playing in K-12 sports and prohibiting minors from attending drag story hours and shows. While some of these laws are currently being challenged in court, the growing number of these types of laws is leading to a queer migration of people to places like Oregon that have stronger protections for the LGBTQ+ community, according to service providers here. Katie Cox is the executive director of the Equi Institute. Meg Miranda is the integrated health program manager at Outside In. And Jesse, whose full name we won’t be using for his protection, is a transplant from Missouri. They all join us now to share more on this trend and what it means for Oregon as a whole.

Next month, the city of Vancouver will open the newly redesigned Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station at Marshall Park. But this isn’t your typical playground. For one thing, wood chips have been replaced with smooth surfaces to allow children in wheelchairs easy access to play features, including a merry-go-round and swing, modified for their use and enjoyment. Instead of an abundance of steel and plastic, natural elements also abound, from a sensory garden to water features and a sandy play area for kids to explore and interact with. Harper’s Playground, a Portland-based nonprofit, entered into a partnership in 2018 with Vancouver city officials to design and raise the funds to build the $4 million fully accessible playground. G Cody QJ Goldberg, the co-founder and chief play officer of Harper’s Playground, explains his model for “radically inclusive” playgrounds and the personal motivation which drives his work.