Think Out Loud

Cattle ranching is a nearly $20 million industry in Grant County. But it can take a serious environmental toll on the region’s land and waterways. Jack Southworth, a fourth-generation rancher in Seneca, has been practicing holistic land management since the 1980s. He’s planted willows to restore the streams on his property and worked with the Forest Service to sustainably graze his cattle in the summers, among other measures. Southworth gave us a tour of his land and talked about what he sees as the future of cattle ranching in 2023.

Portland’s sunny days are done and snow has started to fall around the region Thursday. Currently, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Portland area, with current predictions saying the metro area should expect up to 2 inches of snow and sleet. Dylan Rivera is the public information officer with PBOT. He joins us to share how the agency is preparing streets. We’ll also hear from Jes Larson, the assistant director of homeless services for Washington County to hear how workers there are helping people on the street stay warm and safe.

 “Geography is everything” for digital creator Geoff Gibson. The Portlander’s YouTube channel explores population geography and how that affects cities, states and countries. Some of his video essays have millions of views including pieces about the Cascadia Subduction Zone and why some parts of Oregon and Northern California have few people living there.  More recently, Gibson covered Astoria and why it never became a major hub like San Francisco. We learn more about “Geography by Geoff” and how it struck a chord on social media. 

Democrats continue to struggle over how to counter President Donald Trump and the unprecedented governmental power he has given to billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest man. Recently, Democrats banded together to fight against the unelected "special government employee" through protests and policy proposals. Democrats are among those who say the country is at the brink of a constitutional crisis, as the Trump administration has suggested it may not abide by judicial ruling it disagrees with. U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum spoke at a “Nobody Elected Elon” rally last week. She joins us to share more about her concerns and what Democrats are doing to 

Reports of child sexual abuse in schools in Oregon have drawn outrage and concern in the communities where they have occurred. Researchers and therapists who focus on helping child abuse survivors have best practices and prevention strategies, but they don’t actually know how prevalent abuse is in the state. Oregon is not alone. According to the University of Oregon’s Center for Childhood Safety and Wellbeing, no state has yet taken that on. Center director Jeff Todahl intends to change that with a study that’s now underway. Researchers have already done a pilot program in Lane County and are confident the statewide study will be completed by year’s end. Todahl joins us to share what we know about how to prevent and respond to child abuse in Oregon and how it can be improved.

Perhaps no executive order of President Trump’s has so far been met with as much confusion and consternation as the one issued two weeks ago freezing federal funding for grants and loans. Although it has been blocked temporarily by federal courts, nonprofits and organizations are still reeling from the effect it’s had on grants they’ve won from agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts.  That’s especially true if you’re a nonprofit like Portland choir Cappella Romana, which won a $35,000 NEA grant last May for the premiere of a work about racial reconciliation that fuses Orthodox music with African American gospel. As first reported in Oregon ArtsWatch, the choir was uncertain its NEA grant money could be accessed for performances of Canon for Racial Reconciliation in Seattle and Portland after the federal funding freeze was announced. But a direct appeal to donors, who gave more than $20,000 in 48 hours, has ensured the shows on Feb. 28 and March 1 will go on. On the morning of Feb. 11, the NEA funds appeared in Cappella Romana’s accounts, according to executive director Mark Powell. He joins us to talk about the Canon for Racial Reconciliation, and how the evolving guidance for NEA grants may close the door to works championing racial diversity or marginalized communities.  

On his first day in office, President Trump placed a 90-day freeze on all U.S. foreign aid. He then put all employees of the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, on leave last week. A federal judge has temporarily paused the mass layoffs, but the freeze on aid remains — meaning many programs providing food assistance, health care services have had to cease operations. Suparna Chaudhry is an assistant professor of international affairs at Lewis & Clark College. She joins us to talk about how these changes could impact humanitarian aid across the globe.

Last month, President Trump signed an executive order directing federally run insurance programs, including Medicaid and TRICARE for military families, to drop coverage for gender-affirming care. Last week, Oregon’s attorney general joined a lawsuit with Washington State and Minnesota against the Trump administration over that order, which also seeks to cut off federal funding from institutions that provide hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgical treatment for people under 19. The state’s largest Medicaid provider, CareOregon, covers medically-necessary, transition-related health care, which is currently required under state law. Eric Hunter, President and CEO of CareOregon, joins us to discuss how the health insurer is responding to the demands of the federal government.

In January, acclaimed filmmaker David Lynch died. He is known for films such as “Eraserhead” and “Blue Velvet,” but is also behind the award-winning show set in the Pacific Northwest, “Twin Peaks.” While much of the show was shot in a Los Angeles-based studio, exterior shots were filmed in Washington towns, including North Bend, Snoqualmie and Falls City. Katherine Cusumano is a freelance journalist and essayist. She, along with Oregon photojournalist Riley Yuan, went out to Twede’s Cafe in North Bend after hearing of Lynch’s death and reported on what they saw there for Longreads. Cusumano joins us to share her memories of the show and the legacy it has on the world around us.

State Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Dundee) returns to the Oregon Legislature this session after about a decade away. He lost his reelection bid in a close race in 2014. He replaces former Republican Sen. Brian Boquist who was unable to return to the legislature after the 2023 GOP walkout.  Funding a transportation package is a key issue for lawmakers this year. Starr worked on a bipartisan transportation effort in 2009 and serves as a co-vice chair of the joint committee on transportation during the current session. He joins us to share more on his priorities.