Think Out Loud

Thanksgiving cooking could mean hours in the kitchen -- and it can be stressful, managing timing or different dietary needs. Do you have menu questions? Or tips for pulling off a successful meal for family and friends? OPB “Superabundant” contributor and food writer Heather Arndt Anderson joins us to answer your questions

The Native American Youth and Family Center has hosted a series of events throughout November that celebrate survival and solidarity with the Portland Native community. The tending days at NAYA’s gardens at the Neerchokikoo Campus allow people to connect with the land and honor indigenous resilience. We learn more about the events from Lucy Suppah, Indigenous Food Sovereignty Coordinator for NAYA.  

The tune you hum along to from your favorite podcast may come from the Portland band Wonderly. The duo, made up of Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk, have recorded theme music for many podcasts, including the New York Times’ “The Daily.” They have also recently released a new album called "Wolves." Brunberg and Landsverk join us in studio for a performance and conversation.    

Adults who decide to not have children have faced criticism for being “selfish” or derided as “childless cat ladies.” The term DINK has been used to describe people who have dual incomes and no kids.  In the Portland metro area, Erika Abdelatif and Kristen Myers have created “Dinky,” a podcast which takes a lighthearted approach about their lifestyle and features other guests who are similarly childfree. The show covers news and pop culture, with past episodes featuring a range of topics, including discussions on feminism, traveling without kids and artificial intelligence.   Dinky has generated a sizable following on social media, including TikTok and Instagram.   Abdelatif and Myers join us to talk about their show and why it’s resonating with audiences.   

For some Oregonians, their medical needs are too high to be discharged from a hospital, but they also don’t need the emergency care that hospitals provide. They remain at the hospital while waiting for space at another facility that can provide the appropriate level of care. Oregon lawmakers created the Joint Task Force on Hospital Discharge Challenges to address the issue. Earlier this month, the task force approved its recommendations, after studying the issue for more than a year, according to reporting by the Oregon Capital Chronicle. We learn more about the proposed solutions from Jimmy Jones, the executive director of the  Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency who chairs the task force.

Last month, Amazon announced it had signed an agreement to develop four small-scale modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, along the Columbia River to power its data centers in Eastern Oregon. The e-commerce giant also touted nuclear energy as a “safe source of carbon-free energy” that would allow it to achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2040.  Energy Northwest, a consortium of publicly owned utilities, is partnering with Amazon on the development of the SMRs in southeast Washington. Under the agreement, Energy Northwest could build an additional eight SMRs that would generate enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 770,000 homes in the region. OPB rural communities reporter Antonio Sierra recently looked into this technology, its safety and how it differs from traditional nuclear reactors. He joins us to share what he’s learned. 

This week, Oregon’s new state economist, Carl Riccadonna, gave his first quarterly economic and revenue forecast. It projected Oregon getting nearly $950 million more in the current two-year period than previously estimated, and an extra $1.3 billion in the 2025-2027 budget cycle. Riccadonna, who was hired in September, based his forecast on an economic model that’s less pessimistic than the one his predecessor, Mark McMullen, relied on. It not only projects higher revenues from personal income and corporate taxes, it also aims to reduce the errors in forecasting that led to large kicker tax refunds, including a record $5.6 billion paid out to taxpayers this year. Riccadonna talks to us about Oregon’s economic outlook.

Hannah Glavor’s music used to lean toward singer-songwriter folk. But her newly released single, “Otherside,” shows an indie rock side to the Portland musician. She writes about loss and hope, and about darkness and the light on the other side. Glavor joined us in March 2024 for an interview and performance of songs from her then-upcoming album, “Hold On, Hold Tight,” which was released in September. 

Oregon has among the strongest protections for abortion rights and the fewest limits on the procedure of any state in the nation. Could Republican control of the presidency and both chambers of the U.S. Congress make things harder for abortion providers and seekers in Oregon, despite protective state laws? OPB health reporter Amelia Templeton fills us in.      

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is falling short of meeting some of its safety goals, according to a new city audit. Vision Zero is an international effort to completely eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The city of Portland adopted this philosophy in 2016, and while traffic deaths declined soon after, in 2021 they reached the highest they’ve been in the past three decades at 64. In 2023, those numbers are expected to be even higher, with early data standing at around 69 deaths. KC Jones is the audit services director for Portland. He joins us to share the details of the new audit. Dylan Rivera is the public information officer for PBOT. He also joins us to share the changes the agency will be making in response and the challenges of reaching Vision Zero.