Think Out Loud

U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle announced last week she’s leaving the Department of Government Efficiency House caucus. She was one of few Democratic members of DOGE, the new efficiency effort led by Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and other companies. She told OPB that President Donald Trump has given enormous power to billionaire Elon Musk – including control of the government's finances - and that they are operating “unconstitutionally and illegally.” Hoyle says Musk’s access to Social Security numbers and other personal information of U.S. citizens, along with names of U.S. agents abroad, represents a grave threat, both domestically and internationally. On Saturday, a federal judge blocked Musk from accessing Treasury department records containing Americans’ personal data. Hoyle joins us from D.C. to talk about the details and what she’s hearing from colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

The Portland Trail Blazers have now won 9 of their last 10 games, including Monday’s thrilling overtime against the Phoenix Suns. Their streak has now extended to six games with last night’s win against the Sacramento Kings. It’s a dramatic turnaround to a season that began with a slew of losses, and while the Blazers still have more losses than wins, expectations are rising about how they’ll end the season in late April. Sean Highkin is the founder of the Substack newsletter, The Rose Garden Report. He joins us to talk about what’s behind the dramatic turnaround, from the team’s chemistry to adjustments Coach Chauncey Billups has made that have sparked dominant performances on the court.

The “Black, Black History Month pop-up museum in Portland’s Old Town district has three floors of exhibits featuring history, photography, paintings, film and music. And the Horizon Enterprise Building that serves as the temporary museum is itself a kind of exhibit, as its new owners want to turn it into a community space to serve and support BIPOC artists and organizations. Tory Campbell is the interim director of culture at the 1803 Fund, which is supporting the building’s transition -  and the organizations represented in the museum. Taishona Carpenter is the board president of Don’t Shoot Portland, which runs The BLACK Gallery and was one of the curators of the pop-up museum. We talk with them about the mission and vision of their organizations and how that’s reflected in the exhibits.

Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp, BPA and other electricity providers throughout the West are weighing two new "day-ahead" energy market proposals. It’s important because the choice could cost electricity consumers billions over the next decade. Pete Danko wrote about this for the Portland Business Journal and joins us to explain.

Enforcement of Portland’s property maintenance rules are complaint-based. That means the city doesn’t even come to investigate unless a neighbor or anyone who passes by a property reports something. In about a third of cases, Ombudsman Jennifer Croft says, no violation is found. In other cases, fines can be imposed and homeowners can be burdened with ballooning penalties if they can’t or won’t fix the problem. Those most affected by this system are homeowners of color who live in diverse or gentrifying neighborhoods. In 2021 the Ombudsman’s office laid out these problems, and its recent report details the progress the city has and hasn’t made implementing its recommendations to address this inequity. Croft joins us to share the details.

The largest healthcare strike in Oregon history appears to be at an end. The unions representing most of the 5,000 Providence doctors and nurses who worked at eight different hospitals and six clinics around the state have now reached contract agreement. Union leaders say if members vote to approve the deal Thursday and Friday, they will end the strike and return to work immediately. We get the latest from OPB healthcare reporter Amelia Templeton.

Oregon Health & Science University has been facing a series of mounting challenges in recent months, including its proposed merger with Legacy Health, which is being reviewed by the Oregon Health Authority. If approved, OHSU would control five of the six hospitals in Multnomah County, according to a report issued by OHA last November.  OHSU has also had to contend with the departure of prominent executives such as the interim head of its health unit last month, and Dr. Brian Druker, a world renowned cancer researcher, who resigned in December as CEO of the Knight Cancer Institute. Among the reasons Druker shared with OPB for his decision included low staff morale, a lack of trust in OHSU’s leaders and the organization’s cost-cutting measures, such as its decision to lay off more than 500 employees.  Leading OHSU during this turbulent time is Steve Stadum. The board of directors appointed him as interim president in November, marking his return to the organization which he first worked at more than 25 years ago. Stadum joins us to share his vision for OHSU and how he aims to navigate its internal and external challenges, including threats to federally funded research from the new Trump administration.  

The Point-in-Time count is a federally required snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in a given area. Last week, the Council for the Homeless in Vancouver, WA went out on a cold Thursday morning to start the count. It was conducted by outreach staff, volunteers and other social service providers. OPB’s “Think Out Loud” joined surveyors Daniel Rivera, Gemma Somol and Brian Starbuck as they conducted their work. We were also joined by Charlene Welch, chief advancement officer for Council for the Homeless. They all shared the importance of the count, what homelessness looks like in Vancouver and why they go out and do this work.

Earlier this month, individuals and families had just five days to apply for a housing rental assistance program funded by the federal government that serves Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties. Eligibility is based on income limits and other requirements, with vouchers awarded through a lottery system to only about 1 out of every 4 applicants. Demand for the vouchers grew by more than a third since 2023, but obstacles still remain for those lucky enough to obtain one.  Reporter David Dudley wrote about the Housing Choice Voucher program after moving to Bend eight weeks ago to work on “Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions.” The series was launched last month by the nonprofit media organization FORJournalism. Dudley joins us to talk about his recent reporting and work on the series, which aims to dispel misconceptions about homelessness in Central Oregon.

The city of Portland changed its zoning rules in 2020 with the goal of producing duplexes, cottage clusters and other multi-unit housing in areas traditionally zoned for single-family homes. The idea was to provide more options at more affordable price points for the city’s growing population. A new report shows the initiative is largely working. It says more middle housing units are now being built than single-family homes, and those units are selling for $250,000 to $300,000 less than a new, market-rate detached house. Morgan Tracy is a senior planner in Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. He joins us with more of the report’s key findings.