KGW’s Straight Talk

Peter DeFazio is the longest serving House member in Oregon history and the 65th longest in U.S. history. He was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to reflect on his congressional career and his plans for retirement.

Long-term care executive Phil Fogg is calling on the U.S. to treat the workforce shortage in health care as a national crisis.

Bloodworks Northwest is calling on Washington and Oregon residents to give blood this holiday season as the nationwide shortage continues. We also talk to Josh Schreck with the KGW Great Toy Drive about this year's effort to support the community. Investigative reporter Kyle Iboshi also joins to discuss holiday scams to watch out for.

Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan joined Oregon Recovers co-founder and director Mike Marshall and Oregon State Representative Tawna Sanchez (D-District 43) on this week's episode to discuss behavioral health and homelessness in Oregon.

Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury joined Laural Porter on Straight Talk to discuss the city's homeless crisis and progress being made, thanks in part to Metro's supportive housing bond that passed in 2020. Homeless service providers Mercedes Elizalde from Central City Concern and Stacy Borke from Transition Projects were also guests on this week's episode.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer says he's optimistic the planet can slow global warming. He recently attended the global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland and joined Laural Porter on Straight Talk to discuss climate change and his new report on preparing for climate disaster, "From Ruin to Resilience."

Gabe Newland with the Oregon Justice Resource Center and Marion County DA Paige Clarkson joined Laural Porter to discuss the pros and cons of clemency for offenders convicted as teens.

Political strategists Dan Lavey and Kevin Looper usually find themselves on opposing sides of an issue. Lavey served as strategist for former Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, and advises Oregon business interests. Looper is a long-time Democratic consultant. However, what they see as the decline and decay of their hometown, Portland, brought them together to launch the nonprofit advocacy group, People for Portland. Lavey and Looper were guests on this week's episode of "Straight Talk" to discuss why they founded People for Portland, their objectives, and who is funding the $1.5 million campaign.

Kim McCarty represents 6,000 low-income tenants across the state. As the executive director of the Community Alliance of Tenants, McCarty said their office receives hundreds of calls from tenants who have lost their employment benefits and are still not fully employed — now, they're afraid of being evicted. Oregon's statewide eviction moratorium expired at the end of June but state lawmakers passed a bill providing a 60-day grace period for those who applied for assistance — Multnomah County extended that grace period to 90 days. Deborah Imse is the executive director of Multifamily NW, a rental industry group representing a mix of large and small landlords and property managers. She said landlords are in the dark about how the rental assistance process works, where their tenants' applications are in that process and at what point they will get paid. McCarty and Imse discussed their frustrations on this week's episode of "Straight Talk."

Portland Police Sergeant Ken Duilio, Lakayana Drury, founder of the nonprofit Word Is Bond, and Multnomah County's Chief Deputy District Attorney Kirsten Snowden were guests on this week's episode of "Straight Talk" to discuss what's behind the gun violence and possible solutions.

It was 1913 when Portland voters first decided the city would have a commission form of government with city council members elected at large. Now, 108 years later, Portland is the only large city in the U.S. to still have the unique system of government and residents have voted eight times to keep it that way. A twenty member Charter Review Commission is studying alternatives to the city's form of government and elections, and may refer their recommendations to the Nov. 2022 ballot. In this episode of Straight Talk, Laural Porter talked to members of the commission about their task, why there's a charter review, what they're studying and how you can make your voice heard.

Youth climate activists Adah Crandall and Cassie Wilson discuss the growing climate crisis and what they want Oregon leaders to do about it. Specifically, they talk about the recent climate protests and their objections to the I-5 Rose Quarter expansion project.

Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan discusses the new "Safe Rest Village" project, the surge in gun violence and his plan to run for re-election in 2022.

Blanchet House Director Scott Kerman is calling for innovation, bold action and teamwork as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens the crisis on Portland's streets. Also, Terry Leckron-Myers with the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) joins to discuss how MHAAO has ramped up efforts to alleviate the ongoing crisis.

Greg Johnson, the leader of the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, and Joe Cortright, a Portland economist opposed to replacing the bridge, discuss the latest bridge project and concerns about the cost, tolling and congestion.

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.