Allison Frost

The inside of Lost & Bound Books, a mobile bookstore owned by Desirai Vuylsteke and Sidnee Andreychenko, on June 4, 2026, the day of the "Think Out Loud" interview about Portland Book Week. The mobile bookstore is one of more than 80 independent bookshops participating in the third annual event.

Civic leaders and community members in North Plains are in the midst of envisioning the future of their town with a population of about 3,500. The most contentious element in this Washington county town is over the size and shape of the urban growth boundary to plan for population and economic growth and expand its tax base. Downtown North Plains is the town's main commercial center, beginning at the intersection of Glencoe Road and Commercial Street, seen here on May 19, 2026.

The National Civic League honors 10 U.S. cities that demonstrate innovation, civic engagement and inclusive collaboration.

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Five years ago, the Oregon legislature declared that racism is a public health crisis. A year later, lawmakers told the Oregon Advocacy Commission’s office to come up with recommendations for how to respond to the crisis. The final report detailing that work was just released. It has information about the status of 100 recommendations, ranging from community safety and social services to education and healthcare. We get the details from Kaj Jensen, the author of the new report and the operations and policy analyst with the Oregon Advocacy Commission’s office.

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read recently called for the United States Postal Service to look at its policies around mail pick up on Election Day, after officials in Benton County found some voters’ ballots were left in mailboxes. The postal service has said they prioritize package delivery when staffing is short.

Rob Stone, Professor of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at OSU, and the interim CEO and principal investigator of the grant from the National Science Foundation joins us. He shares more about how the money will be used and its effect on Oregon’s economy.

Pacific University President Jenny Coyle and Willamette University President Steve Thorsett join us to discuss the merger and its impact on the institutions and the students they serve.

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with maternal depression, including during the perinatal and postpartum periods when women face elevated risk.

Lorna MacKennon Day joins us to share more about her son Sam, his fight to both survive and live well, and the advocacy and support foundation she founded in his name.