KGW’s Straight Talk

In a wide-ranging interview, Sen. Ron Wyden discusses a number of issues like the Afghanistan withdrawal, the COVID-19 pandemic and legislation he authored to eliminate dozens of current tax credits and replace them with provisions that would move the country toward achieving its carbon emission reduction goals.

Multnomah County Chair Kafoury, Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines and Deputy Chief of Multnomah County Emergency Management Alice Busch were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to reflect on the deadly heat wave and explore ways to address future heat emergencies.

Oregon state Sen. Lew Frederick, Cameron Whitten, co-founder of the Black Resilience Fund and founder of the nonprofit Brown Hope, and Dr. Carmen Thompson, a historian and visiting scholar in the Black studies department at Portland State University, discuss the prospect of reparations and what they should look like with KGW's Laural Porter.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Eugene, Springfield, and Corvallis this week to highlight how the president's vision would improve traffic safety, make historic investments to help cut carbon pollution and make everyday Americans' lives better. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and a 2020 presidential candidate was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk. Pacific University political science professor and Olympics expert Jules Boykoff was also a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk. Boykoff discussed the politics leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, athlete activism, and Northwest athletes to watch.

The Centers for Disease Control reported a record number of overdose related deaths during the pandemic and several studies showed binge drinking increased during that same time. This week, Straight Talk covered addiction and the impact the pandemic has had on those struggling. Two employees at the De Paul Treatment Centers joined to talk about the challenges doctors and their patients have navigated over the past year. They also shared advice for those who think they or a loved one may need help to deal with substance abuse.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has said he has waited his entire congressional career for an opportunity to participate in a sweeping infrastructure plan like the one President Biden has proposed. Blumenauer was a guest this week on Straight Talk, and applauded Biden's announcement this week that he's reached a bipartisan deal on a pared down version of his American Jobs Plan.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof writes about human rights, women's rights, and global affairs. He also has a unique perspective on his home state of Oregon and in Portland. In this episode of Straight Talk, Laural Porter went to Kristof Family Farms in Yamhill to talk to Kristof about his views of Portland, city leadership, and what he thinks the city needs to do to rebound.

New York Times columnist and author Nicholas Kristof has been called the "Indiana Jones of journalists" for the dangerous places he's reported from around the world; genocide in Darfur, the massacre in China's Tiananmen Square, and war and human suffering in Yemen. But Kristof says some of the most painful and heart wrenching reporting he's done has been on the struggles and despair right in his own backyard. In this episode of "Straight Talk", KGW's Laural Porter went to the Kristof Family Farms in Yamhill to talk to Kristof about what's happening in what he calls "the other America," and where he sees hope for the future.

When the pandemic forced Portland Parks and Recreation to close community centers, swimming pools, and recreation programming, that also meant a hit to revenues. Portland voters came to the rescue in November 2020, passing a five-year operating levy. Portland Parks and Recreation Director Adena Long and Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio join Laural Porter to discuss what the levy means for the bureau, and what Portland residents will see from Parks & Rec this summer. Commissioner Rubio also discusses the spike in gun violence in Portland, and a new plan for homeless campers.

Three generations living together in a connected community, peers helping others experiencing homelessness, and grandmothers trained to offer counseling to people suffering from depression: from Portland to Zimbabwe nonprofits are innovating ways to deliver holistic health care. Dr. Derenda Schubert, the executive director of Bridge Meadows, Dr. Rachel Solotaroff, the president and CEO of Central City Concern, and Dr. Dixon Chibanda, the founder and CEO of Zimbabwe's Friendship Bench were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk.

Tax Day comes a month later than usual in 2021. The IRS extended the filing and payment deadline to May 17 to allow people more time because of difficulties posed by the pandemic. On Straight Talk, former Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick, economist Dr. Eric Fruits with the Cascade Policy Institute, and DHM Research pollster John Horvick join Laural Porter to discuss where Americans' taxes go, how much is wasted, and what poll numbers say about Oregonians' opinions on taxes.

Before 2001, a diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia was almost certainly terminal. But a breakthrough drug pioneered by a doctor at OHSU changed that and made the rare cancer treatable, saving thousands of lives. Dr. Brian Druker, chairman of OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute, and Rob Shick, a CML survivor and chair of the Knight Cancer Council, join Laural Porter to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Gleevec's FDA approval, look back on the impact it has had on cancer care, and discuss what's next in the fight to cure cancer.

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners has declared racism as a public health crisis, in an attempt to rebuild the county using a racial equity lens. Chair Deborah Kafoury and Multnomah County Interim Health Director Ebony Clarke were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk. They discussed how the county plans to tackle racism as a public health crisis and how it will make a difference.

Even as Oregon and Washington have expanded vaccine eligibility to everyone older than 16, the number of COVID cases and hospitalizations are going up. The Oregon Health Authority said this week, those numbers in some counties are beginning to look like they did last fall when they started to peak. The KGW Vaccine Team's Cristin Severance and Pat Dooris were guests this week on Straight Talk to pull the curtain back on how they work to get answers from state health officials and gather the latest information on the COVID vaccine.

Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio is king of the hill, at least Capitol Hill, when it comes to all things transportation and infrastructure. As the Chairman of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, DeFazio is considered the expert on the issue. The 17-term congressman from Oregon's fourth district will be point-person in the House for President Biden's $2 trillion "American Jobs Plan." DeFazio was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss what's in the plan and how it could benefit Oregon and Southwest Washington.

A human rights expert for the United Nations has said anti-Muslim hatred has reached epidemic proportions. Now as Ramadan begins, Portland Muslim community leaders are calling for unity against Islamophobia and all forms of hate.

Four Asian American women who are community leaders in Oregon discuss recent anti-Asian violence and how to stop it on this week's episode of "Straight Talk."

Three women who helped lead Oregon through the COVID-19 pandemic reflect on the past year, lessons learned and what’s ahead.

The Portland Street Response Team, a non-police response to assist people in a behavioral or mental health crisis or experiencing homelessness, officially launched last month. Here's a look at how the program is going.

This week's Straight Talk episode takes a look back at the winter storm in February that left many without power for more than a week, and takes a look ahead to see how we can keep ourselves safe when natural disasters strike in the future. KGW’s Dan Haggerty fills in for Laural Porter.

The Port of Portland brings in nearly $6.5 billion a year to the region. Now, it’s looking to do some major overhauling through selling and repurposing properties to spread the wealth with people of color, the poor and marginalized. In this episode of Straight Talk, we look into how the Port plans to accomplish those goals. We also look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Portland International Airport and what’s ahead for the Port. KGW’s Dan Haggerty fills in for Laural Porter

Now in office for six months, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt discusses his criminal justice policies, how they’ve been applied during the Portland protests and riots in 2020, why he supports getting rid of mandatory minimum sentences and his goals moving forward.

This week's episode of "Straight Talk" examines the 2021 "State of the Economy" report with guests, Andrew Hoan, CEO of the Portland Business Alliance, John Tapogna, president of ECONorthwest, and Michelle Neiss, president of DHM research. "I would phrase this really simply as 'fire and ice,'" said Andrew Hoan. "We have had historic wildfires. We just went through historic snow and ice storms. In between it all, the pandemic, ongoing political violence, a layering of crises that has impacted the region much differently than the rest of the nation," he said. ECONorthwest's John Tapogna described the decline in the regional economy. "We're down 15% and it's a very unusual recession caused by something outside the economy, a public health crisis that has created tremendous inequities," he said. "It's very disproportionately impacting lower income households, small businesses and leaving other parts of the economy untouched."

The pandemic has been difficult on everyone, but it has had a disproportionate impact on older adults. They're the most likely to contract COVID-19, to be hospitalized and to die. According to the health policy group, KFF, adults 65 and older account for 16% of the U.S. population, but 80% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. Not only that, the isolation caused by the pandemic has taken a steep toll on seniors. Spokesperson for AARP Oregon, Joyce DeMonnin, said the impact is 10-20 times worse for older adults living alone. "We are seeing a lot of anxiety, frustration, and frankly, a lot of fear because it is this age group that is getting the sickest and passing away," she said. DeMonnin and Portland geriatric psychiatrists, Dr. Maureen Nash and Dr. Vimal Aga, were guests on this week's episode of "Straight Talk" to discuss how the pandemic has affected older adults and to give them information on resources that can help. More: https://www.kgw.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/straight-talk/oregon-seniors-pandemic-mental-health-anxiety-concerns/283-672c9d06-1e4e-42a6-86e3-24cfdd2d7341

The mayors of Gresham, Beaverton and West Linn all have something in common. They are first-term mayors who took office in January and are breaking barriers. Mayor Travis Stovall is the first Black mayor of Gresham, Oregon's fourth largest city. Mayor Lacey Beaty is the first woman to be mayor of Beaverton, the state's sixth largest city. Beaty and the new mayor of West Linn, Jules Walters, are among just four women in the Metropolitan Mayors Consortium, which represents 26 cities in the Portland-Vancouver region. They also see opportunities to work together on issues of common interest. The three mayors were guests on this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk with Laural Porter.

In the bonus podcast episode, KGW's Dan Haggerty sits down for a one-on-one with Republican congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, who represents Southwest Washington, to talk about the impeachment of President Trump, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene being removed from her House committees and the future of the Republican party.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of life. In the first segment this week, Jeff Carr, CEO of Albertina Kerr, discusses the impact the pandemic has had on youth mental health. In the second segment (14:30), Susannah Morgan, the CEO of the Oregon Food Bank, explains how the pandemic has impacted food insecurity in the state.

While many in Oregon and Washington eagerly await getting the COVID-19 vaccine, school leaders in both states are charting a course for schools to reopen even before everyone is vaccinated. The heads of public schools in Oregon and Washington believe it's critically important to get students back in class, and believe they can do it safely if health safety protocols are followed. The director of the Oregon Department of Education, Colt Gill, and Washington's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, were guests on this week's episode of "Straight Talk."

Portland's two newest city commissioners, Mingus Mapps and Carmen Rubio, were sworn into office on Jan. 1 with big plans to move the city ahead in 2021. They discuss what they're working on and what they're hope to accomplish.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was on the Senate floor when members of a violent pro-Trump mob broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Wyden talked about the incident and called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office on this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk with Laural Porter.

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon is Laural Porter's guest on this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk. Merkley discusses how Congress is working on potentially passing a COVID-19 relief bill that many Americans are desperate for. He also reacts to the 2020 election and looks ahead to 2021. This episode was taped on Dec. 17, 2020.

On this week's episode, Laural Porter takes a look at the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon. She's joined by the CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS), Becky Hultberg, and the chief executive of Providence Portland Medical Center, Krista Farnham. They discuss the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, the concern for another post-holiday case spike and more.

In this week's episode of Straight Talk with Laural Porter, she talks with Street Roots executive director Kaia Sand and staff members Raven Drake and Gary Barker about how the nonprofit, which supports the homeless, has been getting by during the pandemic and how people can support them during the holiday season. Laural also talks with Andrew Hoan, the CEO of the Portland Business Alliance, and Kristin Van Buskirk, owner of the small business Woonwinkel, about the impact 2020 has had businesses.

The first Black member and first Muslim member of the Washington County Commission and Mayors-elect of West Linn and Beaverton went through Emerge Oregon training. Emerge Oregon counts among its successful graduates, Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, and Secretary of State-elect Shemia Fagan, as well as Beaverton Mayor-elect Lacey Beaty, and West Linn Mayor-Elect Jules Walters. The organization supported over 70 women up for election in the 2020 May primary and November general elections. FULL STORY: https://www.kgw.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/straight-talk/emerge-oregon-historic-wins-women-election/283-7792f870-881a-445e-ad77-d13210090d1b

On this week's episode of Straight Talk, Laural Porter is joined by Portland Commissioner-elect Mingus Mapps, who talks about his victory and what he hopes city council can achieve moving forward. Laural is also joined by Travis Stovall and Eddy Morales, who are battling in a tight race to be Gresham's next mayor as the votes continue to be counted.

Longtime Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio is facing Republican challenger Alek Skarlatos in a race that has received national attention.

Southwest Washington's 3rd Congressional District holds the unique distinction of being the only district touching the Pacific Ocean that is held by a Republican. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler has served the district since 2010 and is hoping to win a sixth term as she faces one of her toughest political challenges yet. For the second time, Democrat Carolyn Long is hoping to convince voters it's time for a change. Long is a political science professor at Washington State University-Vancouver. The race is a rematch from 2018 when Long came within about five percentage points of Herrera Beutler. In previous elections, the congresswoman had beaten her opponents by double-digits.

In a Portland mayoral debate hosted by KGW and the Oregonian, incumbent Ted Wheeler tried to make his case to voters to let him lead the city for four more years, while challenger Sarah Iannarone pushed for progressive policies and a fresh start in local government. Both candidates appeared from remote locations to ensure the debate was as safe as possible. Wheeler was at the offices of the local firefighters union, while Iannarone appeared from the office of a supporter in Southeast Portland. We taped the debate in advance to minimize the risk of any technical difficulties that would distract from the messages from the candidates. The debate was moderated by KGW's Laural Porter and The Oregonian's Everton Bailey, and the candidates discussed everything from nightly protests, climate change, to homelessness, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery.

For Portlanders, one of the most important issues on the ballot is the runoff election for city council between incumbent Chloe Eudaly and challenger Mingus Mapps. We talk with both candidates about how they can help tackle Portland's biggest issues.

This week on Straight Talk, three associate professors at Portland State University, Paul Loikith, Max Nielson-Pincus and Andres Holz, analyze the historic wildfires that devastated parts of Oregon, climate change’s role in the fires and what can be done moving forward. Maggie Vespa fills in for Laural Porter.

Two men. One dream. Their partnership could mean a new beginning for hundreds of people living on the streets of Portland. Jordan Schnitzer and Alan Evans, the CEO of the nonprofit Helping Hands, are about to do something most everyone else had given up on. They’re on the brink of opening the never-used Wapato Jail facility in North Portland as a homeless shelter newly branded as the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. Schnitzer and Evans shared their story this week on KGW’s Straight Talk.

In this week’s episode of Straight Talk with Laural Porter, Portland activist Cameron Whitten says Portlanders should be asking when the suffering of their Black neighbors will end. Also, Reed College professor Paul Gronke says to get ready for a long election night that could potentially extend into days.

As the pandemic stretches into six months, more than two-thirds of employees working from home are experiencing symptoms of burnout, according to a survey from online employment platform Monster. The problem seems to be growing. The number of people reporting signs of burnout is up 20% from a similar survey in May. On this week's episode of "Straight Talk," a Providence psychologist and a sports medicine specialist offered advice on how to battle burnout and succeed in a work-from-home and remote learning environment.

This week's guests include Dan Ryan, who this week won a special election to fill the late Nick Fish's seat on Portland City Council. He discusses the ongoing protests and what he hopes to bring to the council. Also, Portland businessman and philanthropist, Jordan Schnitzer, talks about his foundation’s $150,000 Black Lives Matter artists grant program.

Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone positions herself as a more progressive alternative to incumbent Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is seeking his second term. She's made police accountability a major part of her platform, and has joined protesters on numerous occasions calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality. Iannarone joined KGW for a taping of this week's episode of Straight Talk.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was once overheard saying he couldn't wait for the next 24 months to be over, and the end of his first term as mayor. That was in November 2018 after a health coalition forum where he was heckled. Fast forward to today and being disrupted during a speech seems minor. Wheeler faces a global pandemic, an economic crisis rivaled only by the Great Depression, and nightly civil unrest on the streets following the killing of George Floyd. But now, he said he has no doubt he wants to be Portland's mayor for another four years. "This is a leadership moment," Wheeler said. "This is a very tough time, being the mayor of the city of Portland is never particularly easy, but it is a privilege. Being the mayor of this city has meaning." Wheeler joined host Laural Porter on this this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk. He acknowledged the myriad of challenges facing the city, but called it a transformational period in history. "We have an opportunity as a community and as individuals to write that history that decades from now, people will look back on as being a really important inflection period in our city and nation's history," he said.

Portland voters will decide between longtime political insider Loretta Smith and political newcomer Dan Ryan, who calls himself a change agent, as the next commissioner on Portland City Council. The winner in the Aug. 11 special election will take the late Nick Fish's council seat, Commissioner Position 2. Fish died in January after a two-year battle with stomach cancer. Smith, a former Multnomah County commissioner, and Ryan, the former executive director of the educational nonprofit All Hands Raised, were the top two vote-getters in the May primary between 18 candidates. Smith and Ryan joined KGW Straight Talk host Laural Porter for a modified debate as they pointed out differences they feel make them the better choice.

For the first time, Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said she is open to heading up the Portland Police Bureau. Traditionally, the mayor has taken on that role, and Mayor Ted Wheeler currently heads the bureau. Hardesty, who is pushing for police reform, had said in recent interviews she had no interest in being police commissioner. However, during this week's taping of "Straight Talk," Hardesty told KGW's Laural Porter she's warming to the idea of having the police bureau in her portfolio. She currently oversees three first responder bureaus: Portland Fire & Rescue, the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management and the Bureau of Emergency Communications.

All of Oregon has begun gradual reopening over the last month. At the same time, cases of COVID-19 have also increased to their highest levels during the months-long pandemic. Dr. Dean Sidelinger from the Oregon Health Authority analyzes where Oregon is right now, the challenges facing the state and what may lie ahead. Maggie Vespa fills in for Laural Porter.

In this week’s episode of Straight Talk, we examine the impact COVID-19 is having on Oregon’s prisons, and calls to release inmates to reduce the risk of transmission. We also take a look at how the pandemic is affecting food insecurity. KGW anchor Maggie Vespa fills in for Laural Porter.