Think Out Loud

Little oversight, a disorganized office and an uncertain future are just a few issues plaguing the Oregon Racing Commission, a state audit finds. The agency, which oversees animal racing in the state, generates little state revenue compared to the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission and the Oregon Lottery. Ian Green is the audit manager with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division. He joins us to share his team's findings.

Across the U.S., COVID-19 cases are on the rise. The new variant EG.5, also known as Eris, has been circulating the country for the past six months and currently makes up more than 17% of new cases, according to the CDC. At the same time, a new vaccine and booster is expected to be available by the end of September. Corey Casper is the president and chief executive officer of the Access to Advanced Health Institute in Seattle. He joins us to share more on the new variant and the booster expected to be released this fall.

Oregon’s older adult population is growing rapidly, with over 1 million residents who are at least 65 expected by 2030. By the same year, the number of older adults experiencing a mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression is expected to double. Aging presents unique mental health challenges, with factors like isolation, dementia and other co-occurring conditions compounding those challenges. And access to treatment is often limited for older adults. According to the Pan American Health Organization, only a third of older adults receive the mental health treatment they need.

When Tom Swearingen wrote his first poem to remember a friend who had died, he didn’t consider himself a poet. But the small group of friends and family he read it to told him to keep writing. He did, and he says because he long enjoyed Western music, art and literature, including the cowboy poetry of Baxter Black, that was the style that fit. Within 10 years, Swearingen had published a collection of poetry which was named the 2020 Cowboy Poetry Book of the year by the International Western Music Association. The group also named him best male poet in 2019 and 2022. He also got Willamette Week’s nod in its “Best of” edition this year. Swearingen, like other cowboy poets, is particularly busy in the summer months with performances at rodeos and other events. He’s done with rodeo appearances for this summer, but you can still catch him this month and through November at various gatherings around the state. He joins us to talk about his work and read some of his poetry.

Earlier this week, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade announced that Republican state senators who staged a six-week-long walkout during this year’s legislative session will not be eligible to run for reelection as a consequence of Measure 113. Ten conservative lawmakers - including six who face reelection next year -  ran afoul of the voter-backed measure which bars a lawmaker from running for reelection after accumulating 10 or more unexcused absences in a single legislative session. Republican lawmakers have vowed to challenge Griffin-Valade’s interpretation of Measure 113, with the dispute likely to be settled in court. OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart joins us to talk about the ruling and other recent political news, including the spiraling cost of a massive renovation project at the state Capitol. 

 It’s perhaps fitting that “Spirit Rangers,” an animated series on Netflix made for preschool-aged audiences, premiered last October on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Now in its second season, the show revolves around three Cowlitz and Chumash Indian siblings - Kodi, Summer and Eddy Skycedar - who magically transform into a bear cub, red-tailed hawk and turtle. They then embark on adventures in a fictional California national park where they live and where their parents work as rangers. The creative team behind “Spirit Rangers” are all Native American, including Joey Clift, an L.A.-based comedian, television writer and enrolled member of the Cowlitz Tribe of Southwest Washington who also serves as a consulting producer on the show. Clift wrote a recent episode about salmon habitat restoration which features a maternal guardian salmon spirit voiced by Cowlitz Tribal member and musician Debora Iyall. Clift and Iyall join us to talk about their collaboration on “Spirit Rangers,” and how the show is both a source of pride and empowerment for Indigenous storytelling.   

"Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell about Fear" explores danger and culture through stories about wolves. Portland-based author Erica Berry weaves in her own experiences and encounters with "big, bad wolves." She also charts the journey of OR 7, a radio-collared Oregon wolf who wanders throughout the state and into California. We listen back to a conversation with Berry from April, 2023.

Thomas Dambo, a recycle art activist, is building giant trolls in Washington and Oregon. Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King includes six pieces in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland sculpture has an unveiling on Friday. Dambo uses recycled materials for his pieces and the trolls typically interact with their environment. He’s built pieces around the world and has recently finished Rita, a troll who lives in Colorado. He’s also traveling across the country building trolls and documenting his journey on social media. Dambo joins us with more on his art.      

The USDA’s National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis houses thousands of species of berries, tree fruits, nuts, hops and more. It’s one of a handful of national centers dedicated to preserving diversity in the country’s key crops. Unlike a seed bank, the repository also stores whole plants, pollen, buds and other cuttings. But much like a seed bank, it provides an important library of genetic traits that could help modern agriculture adapt to a warming world. Nahla Bassil is a plant geneticist at the Corvallis repository, and Lauri Reinhold is a horticulturalist. Both also serve as curators of the collection. They join us with more details on the repository and how it could help ensure future food stability.

Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties are working together on a series of climate reports that document the health impacts of extreme weather in the Portland metro area. Findings from the most recent report show that more than 200 people have died from extreme weather events. In 2021 alone, more than 90 people died from the heat dome. The report also discusses mental health and found that extreme weather events have compounded trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic and there’s a lack of mental health providers and services. Brendon Haggerty is a healthy homes and communities manager at the Multnomah County Health Department. He joins us with details of the report.