The general election is an historic one in Portland as it is the first time voters will pick elected leaders under the new city government — and voting system.
September is Recovery Month, celebrating the recovery community and highlighting the importance of evidence-based treatment and recovery practices. Coincidentally, Sept. 1 is also the day that drug recriminalization takes effect in Oregon, following the passage of House Bill 4002, which rolls back a key provision of Measure 110, Oregon's 2020 drug decriminalization measure. Under the new law, possession will be a misdemeanor, but it does allow offenders to "deflect" from the justice system into treatment programs on a county-by-county basis. Tony Vezina is co-founder and executive director of Fourth Dimension Recovery Center, or 4D Recovery, which is participating in the Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington county drug deflection programs. It's a youth-led, peer-focused recovery community, and Vezina was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss the organization's work and mission.
The start of the new school year is just a week or two away, which means students across Oregon are likely dreading having to start setting early alarm clocks once again. School start times vary across the state, but a local group of students has begun pushing for a conversation about pushing those start times later into the morning — no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Studies have shown that teens would benefit from more sleep and graduation rates would likely improve. But in some districts, parents, teachers and district officials push back on the idea, citing family scheduling and transportation challenges, as well as concerns about cost. The renewed discussion also comes as Oregon, like many other states across the country, is grappling with a sharp rise in student absenteeism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students Alvin Chan and Aditi Subramanium joined OSU pediatrician Dr. Ben Hoffman and Oregon State Rep. Hoa Nguyen as panelists on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss possible solutions to the problem, including the idea of later start times.
From concerns over A.I. surveillance, Israeli athlete participation, climate and Olympic opposition, controversy mounts amid start to 2024 Paris Olympics Games.
From the Portland Rose Festival and music festivals to the women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, how events are helping Portland rebound.
Oregon Dept. of Corrections Director Mike Reese said his main focuses are employee wellness, reducing recidivism, and addressing aging infrastructure and technology.
With ranked-choice voting, voters will have the option to rank candidates in order of preference. It's a new system that largely came about as a more expansive way for voters to choose candidates and has largely been driven by dissatisfaction with the status quo both locally and nationally.
With a larger bridge footprint proposed, the Interstate Bridge replacement could need to fully or partially acquire 176 parcels, including homes and businesses.
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nicholas Kristof discusses the war in Gaza and possible implications on the U.S. presidential election.
Pulitzer Prize Journalist Nicholas Kristof talks about his new book that details life on a farm in Yamhill County to becoming a daring reporter at the New York Times covering war.
From peer support to partnerships with police, Portland is exploring several treatment options to solve its drug and addiction crisis.
Two political analysts from both the Republican and Democratic party join on this episode of Straight Talk to breakdown which races in Oregon’s primary election are worth keeping an eye on. And, Andrew Hoan, president and CEO, of the Portland Metro Chamber joins as a special guest to discuss how the results could affect the Portland metro area.
Oregon’s 5th Congressional District is one the most closely watched races in the nation as the winner of the general election could determine which political party controls the U.S. Congress.
One of the most consequential and closely watched races coming up in Oregon's primary election heats up with accusations of outside money entering the race.
How will the Oregon Health Authority deal some of the states biggest challenges from drug abuse to the behavioral health system — and lack of access to treatment.
The guests of Oregon's Congress members at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address talk takeaways from his speech.
This episode was recorded prior to the announcement that Day would be appointed permanent chief of Portland Police, which is why he is still referred to in the show as serving on an interim basis, and why he says he has not made any commitments yet when asked about staying in the role past June 2025.
There's a new sheriff in town in Portland — or rather, three sheriffs over the past four years. And now for the first time in history, all three sheriff's in the city's tri-county area are women: Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell, Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey and Clackamas County Sheriff Angela Brandenburg. All three sheriffs were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk, and they stuck around for a bonus episode to discuss diversity in recruitment, improving relationships with groups that have historically had negative interactions with law enforcement, and better communicating the role of law enforcement to the community.
There's a new sheriff in town in Portland — or rather, three sheriffs over the past four years. And now for the first time in history, all three sheriff's in the city's tri-county area are women: Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell, Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey and Clackamas County Sheriff Angela Brandenburg. All three sheriffs were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk.
Coming this November, Portlanders will face many decisions on the ballot, including picking the city’s next city mayor. Whoever wins will become the first mayor under Portland's new system of government starting in January 2025.So far, there are three leading candidates in terms of money raised, and they're all current Portland City Commissioners: Rene Gonzalez, Mingus Mapps and Carmen Rubio.Rubio was a guest on this week’s episode of “Straight Talk” to discuss how she plans to tackle Portland’s homeless crisis, public safety and climate crisis.Read the full story at KGW.com