New data from the Oregon Department of Education show that students in the state are still struggling with reading, math and science as they still have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. Test results show that less than half of students tested are proficient in English language arts and less than a third are proficient in math. Charlene Williams is the director of ODE. She joins us to share more on the results and what can be done at the state level.

For the first time, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been found in Oregon. Emilio DeBess is the state public health veterinarian based at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division. He says the insects are a national concern ”because they can carry and transmit various diseases that can have serious health consequences such as Zika virus, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.” The insect was found this summer in Jackson County while officials were monitoring other kinds of mosquitoes. Officials are continuing surveillance and OHA is working with other states to learn more about it. Infection risk from the mosquito is currently low. The insect, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, was found in California in 2013 and has been progressing northward since. DeBess joins us with more on this mosquito, why it’s important to track these insects with county and federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and how changing climates are playing a role in the insect’s spread.

It’s an open race this fall for Oregon Secretary of State. The office oversees elections and audits of state agencies, among other responsibilities. Interest in the race has been ignited recently by the discovery that the Oregon DMV accidentally registered hundreds of noncitizens to vote through an error in the state’s Motor Voter system. If voters pass Measure 117 in November, the winner of this race would also be responsible for implementing ranked choice voting for statewide elections. Dennis Linthicum is a Republican state Senator representing Klamath Falls. Democrat Tobias Read is the state treasurer. They join us to talk about why they’re running for secretary of state and what they hope to achieve if elected.

In 2022, Portland residents voted to drastically change the city’s form of government. That includes using ranked choice voting to expand the city council from five seats to 12. Another change is the creation of four geographic districts, with voters in each district electing three candidates to represent them on the new council. District 1 is in the far east side of Portland, including neighborhoods such as Hazelwood, Mill Park, Centennial and Parkrose to name a few. On Sep. 30, “Think Out Loud” convened a District 1 candidates forum at Von Ebert Brewing. Candidates were invited to participate based on the number of individual donors that contributed to their campaign. They include: Candace Avalos, Doug Clove, Jamie Dunphy, Timur Ender, Noah Ernst, Terrence Hayes, David Linn, Steph Routh, Thomas Shervey, Loretta Smith and Cayle Tern.

Amy Tan might be best known for her fiction, including "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God’s Wife," but her latest book takes its drama from her backyard bird feeder. In 2019, Tan began drawing birds she saw in nature, particularly the ones who visited her tree-filled backyard in Northern California. The result is a book of reflections, observations, detailed drawings and cartoon sketches called "The Backyard Bird Chronicles." Tan talks to us in front of an audience of students at Franklin High School.

Rhythm Traders, a Northeast Portland drum shop that has been open for over 30 years, is welcoming two other music businesses into its building. Together, the three businesses hope to create a sort of living room for Portland musicians, and long term stability for their own stores. Ryan Lynn, owner of Eastside Guitar Repair, and Hank Failing, owner of Hank’s Music Exchange, join us to talk about what the new MLK Music Mall could look like. 

In this enlightening discussion, Gayle Fielding, a licensed clinical social worker, and her son Brandon, also a licensed clinical social worker, team up with psychologist Kelly Fielding to unveil their new Birchstone Mental Health Urgent Care clinic in Vancouver. They share their vision of bridging the gap between emergency services and traditional therapy to provide immediate mental health support. The trio tackles the challenges of insurance, highlights the increasing demand for mental health services post-COVID, and advocates for a cultural shift encouraging help-seeking as a strength.

An ombudsman investigation in Portland found evidence of predatory towing at a group of apartment complexes in the Cully neighborhood. The report says towing practices financially and emotionally harmed residents, most of whom identify as low-income and Latino. It also found that the influx of towing impacted clients and staff at a nearby county-run health clinic and community center. Tony Green is a deputy ombudsman for the city of Portland. He conducted the investigation and joins us with more details.

For a third time, a federal judge has ruled that Wellpath — one of the nation’s largest for-profit providers of health care to people in prisons and jails — wrongfully deleted emails connected to in-custody deaths.  Wellpath operates in at least 10 correctional facilities in Oregon and Washington, and has purged email evidence in at least three wrongful death cases in the Pacific Northwest. Criminal justice reporter Conrad Wilson joins us to discuss the cases.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odorless gas released from the decay of radioactive metals like uranium found in soil, rocks and groundwater. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s also the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., and claims more than 20,000 lives annually. Homes are a major source of radon exposure which testing kits can be used to monitor and determine whether to do mitigation by increasing ventilation or sealing foundation cracks.   But it turns out that even relatively low levels of radon exposure can be dangerous, according to a new study funded by the EPA and led by researchers at Oregon State University. They found an increased risk for developing another kind of cancer - childhood leukemia - in children in more than 700 counties in 14 states, even at average levels well below the EPA’s own established guidelines for when to do radon mitigation. Joining us to share more is the study’s lead author, Matthew Bozigar, an environmental epidemiologist and assistant professor in the college of health at OSU.