Tooth enamel is the strongest substance produced by the human body, protecting the sensitive lower layers of the teeth. But once it wears away, we can’t regrow it. The cells that create enamel, called ameloblasts, die shortly after the teeth are formed. New research from the University of Washington could eventually change that, however. Researchers have succeeded in transforming stem cells into ameloblasts, which can produce a rudimentary enamel under the right conditions. Hannele Ruohola-Baker...
Nov 15, 2023•23 min
Oregon’s timber reputation is largely built from softwoods like Douglas Fir. But a new lumber mill in Philomath aims to take advantage of the many hardwoods available on the western side of the state. Patrick Lumber aims to mill Oregon white oak, Pacific maple, tan oak, madrone, chinquapin, myrtle and Oregon ash trees from lots that are being thinned for fire protection. David Halsey, CEO of Patrick Lumber, joins us to tell us about their strategy for this new mill.
Nov 15, 2023•16 min
The Oregon Justice Resource Center recently released a report focusing on access to abortion in Oregon county jails. It found that access to the procedure varies widely by county. We hear more about the report from Brittney Plesser, co-director of the Fair Law Project at Oregon Justice Resource Center.
Nov 15, 2023•13 min
The way in which Americans have purchased firearms, and how they’re advertised, has changed greatly over the years. But a recent study from Oregon State University sheds light on a new group helping target consumers: gun influencers. Aimee Huff and Michelle Barnhart are both associate professors at OSU’s College of Business. They both join us to discuss how gun culture has changed over the years and the role these influencers are playing.
Nov 14, 2023•21 min
Portlanders passed a ballot measure in November 2020 to overhaul police oversight with more than 80% of the vote. And exactly how to do that is what the volunteer members of the Police Accountability Commission have been meeting for the better part of two years to do. That commission presented its findings and roughly 100-page report to the city council this summer. The city council will be voting Wednesday on whether to adopt a modified version of that PAC report and give the city attorney the ...
Nov 14, 2023•18 min
Last week, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum gathered experts from different fields together to talk about the fentanyl crisis facing the state. The all-day event included discussions of the scope of fentanyl addiction, what works to treat it, what young people know about the drug, and how law enforcement can effectively address the crisis. AG Rosenblum joins us to talk about what she learned, and what the next steps should be in addressing fentanyl abuse in the state.
Nov 14, 2023•14 min
In July 2022, oceanographer Dawn Wright made history by becoming the first Black person to dive to the deepest known spot on the planet. Victor Vescovo, a former Naval officer, entrepreneur and explorer, invited Wright to accompany him on the expedition to descend more than six-and-a-half miles to Challenger Deep in the western Pacific Ocean. Wright is the chief scientist at Esri, a California-based company that develops mapping software. Wright used the occasion of her sixth deep sea dive to su...
Nov 13, 2023•18 min
Many Portland and Seattle sports fans were angry last month after Xfinity announced they would have to pay more to watch Trail Blazers, Mariners and Kraken games on cable. As the Washington Post reports, regional sports networks are feeling the pressure as streaming services cut into their revenues from broadcast rights. And with immersive reality domes expected to broadcast NBA and NHL games in the near future, the experience of sports viewing could be set to dramatically change. Joining us to ...
Nov 13, 2023•14 min
Undergraduates at the University of Oregon have organized student workers - a first in the country at a public institution. The union represents a number of positions, including resident assistants, dining hall workers and other undergraduate positions. Mae Bracelin is a second-year political science student at the University of Oregon. Noah Thompson is a fifth year political science major. They are both organizers with the UO Student Workers union and join us to discuss working conditions they ...
Nov 13, 2023•21 min
Doctor Carlos Sanchez has an unusual and challenging caseload of patients. For one thing, they have scales, feathers, horns and fur, and can’t really say where it hurts. But it’s his job to oversee the medical care and treatment of more than a thousand animals as the head veterinarian at Portland’s Oregon Zoo. In our latest installment in our series on professions, we accompany Dr. Sanchez as he makes his daily rounds to check up on some of his favorite patients. He shares with us the special bo...
Nov 10, 2023•52 min
Vasectomy rates have risen in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the legal right to abortion in 2022. At Oregon Health & Science University, Jason Hedges performs about 500 vasectomies a year. He’s also one of the relatively few surgeons who does reversal procedures as well. He says like others in his field, he’s seen the interest rising and wait times for the procedure increase. Hedges joins us to discuss what’s involved and the change...
Nov 09, 2023•17 min
Last summer, Oregon made national headlines as timbers from the infamous Beeswax Wreck were discovered along the North Coast near Manzanita. The Beeswax Wreck, named for one of the products the ship carried, is said to be one of the inspirations for the beloved film, “The Goonies.” The wreck has also attracted the attention of treasure hunters in the past, searching for signs of its wreckage or anything it may have been carrying onboard. Now, a new documentary and podcast series shares the story...
Nov 09, 2023•16 min
Mercy Corps, a humanitarian aid organization based in Portland, has had a small staff based in Palestine for years. For the last month, they have been checking in with staff members about the conditions on the ground. The organization is calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to provide aid to Gaza. Arnaud Quemin, the Middle East regional director for Mercy Corps, joins us to talk about what he’s hearing from staff, and what is needed for an effective humanitarian response in Gaza....
Nov 09, 2023•20 min
RuPaul might be the country’s most famous drag queen, but in the Pacific Northwest, the LGTBQ+ community is still feeling the loss of Darcelle, who passed away earlier this year. The icon, also known as Walter Cole, was arguably the best known and loved drag queen in the region. Darcelle XV Showplace, the drag bar institution she created, lives on where she and others have performed for decades. So when Portland writer and podcast host Eden Dawn was pitched the idea of beating the world record f...
Nov 08, 2023•23 min
Two Oregon high schoolers have teamed up with their grandfather to create a biodegradable drinking straw. They say the seaweed-based invention is a step toward more sustainable alternatives to disposable plastic products. The crew conducted many experiments in a garage-turned-laboratory and hope to create other products using biodegradable materials like shellfish exoskeletons, seaweed and lac bug excretions. Edward Brezina is a senior at Oregon Episcopal School. Emile Cantrell-Moore is a senior...
Nov 08, 2023•12 min
Today marks one week since Portland Public Schools teachers declared a strike and campuses have been closed. Negotiations are ongoing with no clear timeline on when an agreement will be met. In Oakland, California, a teachers strike in the spring lasted a week and a half and kept kids out of school for several days. Jill Tucker is the education reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. She joins us to share more on why teachers went on strike there and how the resolution was reached.
Nov 08, 2023•18 min
Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1” follows the titular king as he prepares for war while his ne’er-do-well son Hal shirks — then ultimately accepts — his duties. The play deals with themes of violence, masculinity, power and leadership, all of which speak to Indigenous playwright Yvette Nolan. She recently updated the play’s language as part of Play On Shakespeare, an initiative that aims to make the Bard’s plays more engaging and accessible to modern audiences. A production of Nolan’s translation...
Nov 07, 2023•15 min
It’s hard to imagine a writer who has had as enduring an impact on the English language as William Shakespeare. Phrases like “neither rhyme nor reason,” “too much of a good thing,” or “It’s Greek to me,” color our language today centuries after the playwright immortalized them with quill and paper. But many of these linguistic contributions would have been lost to history were it not for the First Folio. Published in 1623, seven years after his death, it contains three dozen of Shakespeare’s pla...
Nov 07, 2023•14 min
The Hollywood Theatre will host a screening of the new movie, “The Holdovers,” on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a live ensemble performance from the Portland-based composer of the film. We hear more from composer Mark Orton about the score and his work creating music for other films.
Nov 07, 2023•26 min
Last week, the Black Business Association of Oregon, in partnership with ECONorthwest, revealed a new Black Economic Prosperity dashboard. The dashboard provides data on the current state of Black Oregonians which reveals that one out of every five Black individuals in Oregon lives in poverty. Additionally, the median income for Black households is only two-thirds of that for white households and only 36% of Black households own a home. Lance Randall, executive director of the Black Business Ass...
Nov 06, 2023•14 min
The Oregon Quality Education Commission is responsible for figuring out how much the state should be spending on students for a quality education. While the commission has been around for a little more than two decades, the state legislature has not once spent the suggested amount the commission puts forward. John Rexford is the chair of the commission. He joins us to share how the commission comes up with its calculations and some of the unexpected costs that come with running schools.
Nov 06, 2023•19 min
Several recent court cases have upheld transgender prisoners’ right to gender affirming care while incarcerated, and the right not to be held in segregation. Tara Herivel has represented a number of transgender prisoners, and joins us to discuss the legal options available to these adults in custody. We are also joined by Nova Gaia, an inmate at Snake River Correctional Institution, who recently won the right to gender affirming care and treatment.
Nov 06, 2023•21 min
At the beginning of the year, test exam fees for anyone seeking a social worker license were temporarily waived with funds allocated by the Oregon Legislature. The Oregon Health Authority told KLCC this was meant to address the number of social workers who left the industry during the pandemic and increased demand. The funds have also allowed fees for some license renewals and new applications to be waived as well. But with technology, communication and backlog issues facing the Oregon Board of ...
Nov 03, 2023•16 min
Portlanders may be familiar with Brian Kidd, the founder of Weird Portland United. He can be seen around town on a unicycle playing a bagpipe, often in a kilt. Kidd founded the nonprofit in 2018 in an effort to bring together artistic and creative types who are all engaged in the effort to keep Portland weird. Kidd joins us, along with Christine Lassiter, host of the "Finding My Own Weird" podcast.
Nov 03, 2023•19 min
Portland Public School teachers have been on strike since Wednesday. While district offices are open, schools have been closed, and students have not been attending classes. Winnie Keane is a sophomore at Grant High School. Cassidy Goodwin is a sophomore at Ida B. Wells High School. They both join us to share their thoughts on the strike and how they’re spending their new found free time.
Nov 03, 2023•18 min
During their very first meeting, musicians Lamiae Naki and Nat Hulskamp wrote their first song together and decided to get married. The resulting project was Seffarine, an eclectic ensemble that blends traditional Andalusian and Moroccan music with jazz and other contemporary influences. The band is based in Portland, but has performed and recorded throughout Europe, Africa and North America. Their most recent residency was in Morocco, just days after the devastating earthquake that leveled seve...
Nov 02, 2023•24 min
The Career Technical Education Center in Salem is hosting a behavioral health and human services program for students. It’s designed to give high schoolers an inside look into the mental health field and teach students about principles and careers in psychology, sociology, counseling, and social work. Erin Dannecker is an industry teacher at CTEC and a licensed clinical social worker. Nevaeh Humbyrd is a junior in the program. They join us with more about the skills and lessons taught in the pro...
Nov 02, 2023•11 min
The first teachers strike in Portland Public Schools history is currently underway. Schools have closed across the district, which is Oregon’s largest, as teachers lobby for better pay and working conditions. Renard Adams is chief of research, assessment and accountability for PPS. Angela Bonilla is the president of the Portland Association of Teachers. They join us with back-to-back perspectives on where things stand between the district and the union.
Nov 02, 2023•17 min
More than 80 schools in Portland are closed today, as teachers began their first-ever strike in the history of the Portland Public Schools district. The Portland Association of Teachers represents nearly 4,500 teachers and coaches in Oregon’s largest school district. Negotiations between PPS and PAT have been ongoing for months to ratify a new contract, including sessions held with a state mediator earlier this week. OPB education reporter Natalie Pate gives us an update on the strike, what each...
Nov 01, 2023•18 min
The Portland Art Museum has begun a multi-year construction project that will revitalize the gallery and perhaps help do the same for the city's downtown core. In addition, the museum has opened its new Tomorrow Theater in Southeast Portland. We talk to Brian Ferriso, executive director and chief curator, about the future of the Portland Art Museum, and the role of museums in 2023.
Nov 01, 2023•21 min
