Dr. Paula Amato and Dr. Ethan Sharygin were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to help break down some of the answers to those questions. 

Amato is a professor of OBGYN and division head of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at OHSU, as well as a specialist at Spring Fertility in Portland. Sharygin is the director of Portland State University's Population Research Center, with expertise in mortality and longevity forecasting, evaluating the quality of census data and the demographic consequences of disasters.

The U.S. birthrate in 2024 was 1.6 births per woman of reproductive age. The decline is part of a long-term trend, Sharygin said, first among teens and women in their 20s, and later among women at older ages. The Oregon rate used to be close to the national average, but has declined even faster in the past 15 years and is now about 1.4 — and even lower in urban areas like Portland.

This week on Straight Talk, two experts in the field of immigration try to detangle some of the misconceptions surrounding the president's efforts, aiming to peel back some of the layers of the debate over immigration, from legal battles to the Trump administration's tactics to what's driving voter sentiment about foreign citizens entering the country.

Professor Juliet Stumpf is a professor of law at Lewis and Clark Law School with expertise in both immigration law and the intersection of immigration and criminal law. Professor Alexander Sager is an associate professor of philosophy at Portland State University who specializes in political philosophy and the ethics of migration.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, joined this week's episode of "Straight Talk" to break down the highs and lows of the five-month session, which included a record-breaking number of bills and plenty of both accomplishments and failures to go around.

Portland's food scene is experiencing a golden moment. The city that once parodied on "Portlandia" for obsessing over farm-to-table dining is now earning serious national respect. Oregon restaurants are sweeping James Beard nominations like never before, with establishments from intimate neighborhood spots to Willamette Valley gems collecting the industry's most prestigious honors.

But step inside these celebrated kitchens, and a different story emerges — one of razor-thin margins, impossible mathematics and owners contemplating closure even as the awards roll in.

Wilson's victory in the Nov. 5 election marks the first time since Mayor Bud Clark in 1984 that Portland voters have chosen a mayoral candidate with only a business background and no political experience. During his campaign — initially seen as a longshot bid — Wilson cast his outsider status as an asset, saying it would allow him to bring a fresh perspective.

Wilson grew up in North Portland and attended Oregon State, then got his master's degree in business administration from the University of Portland. He's the CEO of Portland-based Titan Freight Systems, which he touts as the state's only trucking company so far to have completely ditched fossil fuels.

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

The $66.3 billion bipartisan package, titled the "Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act," a new funding bill includes both aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, in addition to a new border security policy.

Read more at KGW.com

Nathan Vasquez, a career prosecutor and senior deputy district attorney, is running against his boss Mike Schmidt, who was elected as the district attorney in a lopsided victory in 2020 during racial justice protests.

However, Schmidt’s popularity has fallen in many Portlander’s eyes blaming him for the increase in crime, which he denies in a Straight Talk episode with Laural Porter in September.

This week, his opponent Vasquez joined Straight Talk to discuss why he’s running for election and what he hopes to do.

Read the full story at KGW.com

The polling comes from the Portland Metro Chamber, formerly known as the Portland Business Alliance. The group takes an annual assessment of voter sentiments, and they commissioned local firm DHM Research to conduct a survey of 500 voters in the tri-county area late last year. Portlanders made up half of the people polled.

On week's episode of "Straight Talk," Portland Metro Chamber's President Andrew Hoan, DHM Research President Michelle Neiss and ECOnorthwest Director of Analytics Mike Wilkerson discussed the recent poll and why Portland has struggled with affordability.  

To read the full story visit KGW.com

The new mayor will immediately be tasked with hiring Portland's first permanent city administrator, and they'll also help set the city's agenda and set the tone for the culture of the new city government. 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.

Gonzalez was a guest on this week's episode of "Straight Talk" to discuss how he plans to tackle Portland's challenges with crime, homelessness, addiction and ambulance response times. Public safety and livability were a key part of his campaign when he was elected to the city council in November 2022, and he said he's maintaining that focus in his mayoral campaign.

"We went from very safe to average overnight, and that's been brutal for Portlanders," he said. "That was a big part of our identity. You could walk to the neighborhood grocery store or to a restaurant and feel safe, that your children could bike to the park. And all of that has been implicated in recent years."

Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, of District 3, was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss her reasons for reelection and hopes for more urgency at the county-level in tackling the communities challenges. 

The mayor and commissioners function as the city council and also directly oversee city bureaus under the current system, but the overhaul will split up those roles. The council will expand to 12 members — three from each of four new geographic districts — and it will only set policy. The mayor will no longer be on the council and will instead oversee a professional city administrator in charge of all day-to-day operations.

Jordan previously directed Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services, and before that he was a Clackamas County Commissioner and worked for 11 years at Pacific Power and Light. Jordan was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to help make sense of the new city government structure and provide an update on the progress of the transition process.

Ryan is the first of the city's current five council members to make a bid for a position on the new council. Fellow commissioners Mingus Mapps, Rene Gonzalez and Carmen Rubio have all announced plans to run for mayor. Current mayor Ted Wheeler has ruled out running for a third term, but has not announced any further plans.

Ryan was rumored to be considering a mayoral run last fall, but said he wanted to wait a few more months to make a decision. He ultimately declared in December that he wouldn't seek the mayor's office, but he didn't rule out the possibility of a council run, declaring only that he didn't want to mount a citywide campaign in 2024.

Albina Vision Trust is a nonprofit that advocates for large-scale restorative development in the area, aiming to revitalize and reconnect the historically Black Albina community.

The nonprofit's executive director Winta Yohannes, board chair Michael Alexander and strategic communications lead JT Flowers were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss the history of Albina, what Albina Vision Trust has accomplished so far, and the organization's vision and plans for the future.

"Our dream is to successfully execute that vision and create a brand-new neighborhood where wealth is shared and opportunity is available to all who live there," Yohannes said, adding that if successful, the scale of the project would result in the area adding a whole new ZIP code.

Salinas won the first election for the newly-created district in November 2022 after previously serving three terms in the Oregon House of Representatives. 

She weighed in on two topics that have been dominating headlines in recent weeks: The ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and congressional Republicans' struggle to elect a successor, as well as Hamas's attacks on Israel and subsequent conflict in the Gaza Strip. But she also discussed a range of federal legislation that she's worked on this year that could have and the potential environmental, economic and health care impacts for Oregonians.

Oversaturation remains a big problem for Oregon's cannabis industry, and product prices have dropped significantly. Regardless, things are looking up on the national level, with huge breakthroughs on the horizon.

PSU's board of trustees voted unanimously to name Dr. Ann Cudd the university's 11th president. She takes over from former president Stephen Percy, who retired in July. Dr. Cudd is only the second woman to serve as PSU president in the school's 76-year history.

Commissioner Dan Ryan was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss that process, as well as his thoughts on the decision to end the city's sole-source contract with the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and the city's ongoing efforts to resolve its homelessness crisis through projects like Safe Rest Villages and mass sanctioned campsites.

The first person to throw their hat into the ring for the mayor's race is current city commissioner Mingus Mapps, who was elected in 2020. Mapps was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk, and he stuck around for a bonus episode to talk about the city's efforts to combat climate change.

The first person to throw their hat into the ring for the mayor's race is current city commissioner Mingus Mapps, who was elected in 2020. Mapps was an early advocate for charter reform, but became a vocal critic of the final package of changes that was ultimately sent to voters last year. Nonetheless, he says the new mayor's role is going to be critical to addressing Portland's challenges, and he wants to be part of that change.

Mapps was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss his reasons for running, his hopes and concerns for the new system of government and his plans to help Portland meet its many challenges.

Wyden also discussed how he expects the federal C.H.I.P.S. Act to boost Oregon's semiconductor industry, his efforts to bring a WNBA team to Portland and the future of the Trail Blazers without franchise superstar Damian Lillard.

He also talked about the ongoing saga of the franchise's ownership and Nike co-founder Phil Knight's repeated — and so far, unsuccessful — offers to buy the team. Wyden said his top priority has been to avoid a scenario where the team gets purchased and then moved out of Oregon, like what happened to the former Seattle SuperSonics. 

"I've been very vigilant in terms of watching the process for dealing with Paul Allen's estate, staying in touch with the league," he said. "I just want Oregonians to know that as long as I'm the state's senior senator, we are not going to see a fiasco like what happened in Seattle."

The effects have been seen locally as well, with everything from hate speech to homicides. But LGBTQ+ people and their allies in Portland say they're not giving up on the fight for their rights.

Basic Rights Oregon is an organization that works to ensure all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two spirit, intersex and asexual Oregonians experience equality. Basic Rights Oregon statewide engagement manager Gabby Gardiner and communications manager Blair Stenvick were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss how the organization is pushing back against the wave of anti-gay laws and attacks that have been targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The post office site is the centerpiece of the 34-acre Broadway Corridor, which primarily owned by the Portland Housing Bureau and the economic and urban development organization Prosper Portland. The long-imagined redevelopment aims to transform the site to provide high-density employment, mixed-income housing, new park space and signature city attractions and amenities. 

Prosper Portland Executive Director Kimberly Branam, Portland Housing Bureau Interim Director Molly Rogers and Twauna Hennessee, leader of outreach for the Carpenters Union, were all guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss the vision the future of the Broadway Corridor and what the project will mean for Portland.

Rep. Blumenauer was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss the current challenges Portland faces with crime and homelessness, his vision for the future of the city and how his work in Congress will impact things back in Oregon.

Asked about the current state of Portland, Blumenauer described the city's outlook as very mixed, with serious problems and community struggles contrasting with good moments.

"If you go through the neighborhoods, as I do every week, you see people who take pride in their community, who haven't given up," he said. "They're fighting to move forward, to take advantage of opportunities, and to make sure that we're not going to be defeated by these circumstances."

Rubio heads the city Housing Bureau, the Bureau of Development Services and the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. She also heads up Prosper Portland, the city's economic development agency.

Gov. Tina Kotek has made it abundantly clear that the state needs more affordable housing, and she's looking for ways to speed up housing production.

With that in mind, what is Commissioner Rubio's plan and does it, as some critics claim, come at an environmental cost? Straight Talk's Laurel Porter sat down with Rubio to talk about that and reflect on her nearly 2.5 years as city commissioner.

Poison Waters, also known as Kevin Cook, is a local legend in her own right, having performed drag for 35 years, and she's set to serve as the Grand Marshal in Portland's Starlight Parade this year, following in the footsteps of Darcelle, who led the parade in 2010.

Poison Waters stuck around for a bonus episode after the show, which can be viewed at the bottom of this story.

Poison Waters, also known as Kevin Cook, is a local legend in her own right, having performed drag for 35 years, and she's set to serve as the Grand Marshal in Portland's Starlight Parade this year, following in the footsteps of Darcelle, who led the parade in 2010.

Poison Waters was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to talk about Darcelle, the Starlight Parade and the importance of celebrating Pride Month, especially in an era when drag queens have come under increasing attack in many parts of the country through drag bans and bad faith protests.

Pride is celebrated in June to honor the Stonewall Riots, an uprising in New York City that began on June 28, 1969, when police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. Protests against the raid lasted for 6 days and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement around the world.

All four of this week's guests have previously appeared separately on Straight Talk: Michelle Bart, president and founder of the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation; Vancouver police Sergeant Tanya Wollstein, who investigated the Tiffany Hill case; Washington Republican State Sen. Lynda Wilson, who helped write the Tiffany Hill legislation; and Democratic State Rep. Sharon Wylie.

The guests stuck around for a bonus episode to discuss the role of bail and other legal tools in preventing domestic violence and protecting victims.

All four of this week's guests have previously appeared separately on Straight Talk: Michelle Bart, president and founder of the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation; Vancouver police Sergeant Tanya Wollstein, who investigated the Tiffany Hill case; Washington Republican State Sen. Lynda Wilson, who helped write the Tiffany Hill legislation; and Democratic State Rep. Sharon Wylie.

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss how the city plans to maintain its momentum and tackle the challenges that come with rapid growth.

Vancouver's current population is about 200,000 people, she said, but county estimates show that the city will need to be prepared to house 450,000 people — more than double the current population — 20 years from now.

The scale of the shortage makes it difficult for even aggressive solutions to produce quick improvements; it will take a long time to build the hundreds of thousands of housing units Oregon will need to not only make up for the exiting shortfall but stay ahead of future population growth.

But there is one approach that can produce additional housing much faster, and without having to build anything at all: home sharing, in which existing homeowners rent out their unused rooms to tenants.

Tess Fields, executive director of Home Share Oregon, Margaret Van Vliet, former director of Oregon Housing and Community services, were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss the state of Oregon's housing crisis and the immediate impact that home sharing can have.

They were joined James Dirksen, an Oregon homeowner who has rented out a portion of his house for more than 20 years, hosting a variety of tenants, to talk about his experience as a home sharing participant.

One of those changes was to give control of the city's Housing Bureau to Commissioner Carmen Rubio. The previous housing director, Commissioner Dan Ryan, now heads up Portland Parks & Recreation, the Office of Community and Civic Life, the Office of Equity and Human Rights and serves as the city's Arts Liaison under a "culture and livability" unbrella.

Ryan was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk, and he said while he's eager to take on his new role, he still wants to make sure the projects he was overseeing at the housing bureau can come to fruition — especially the Safe Rest Villages project.

KGW's election night analysts, Democrat Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal and Republican strategist Rebecca Tweed, reflected on the midterm election in Oregon during this week's episode of "Straight Talk."

Jayapal said that leading up to election night, the 2022 midterms were popularly described as a referendum on both the party in power in the White House and in the Oregon governor's office. 

But rather than being a referendum, Jayapal said voters took a more nuanced approach for specific candidates. Democrats like Tina Kotek, who won the Oregon governor's race, were successful because they ran nuanced campaigns that touched on both issues and values, she said.

Republican strategist Rebecca Tweed said that while it's disappointing that GOP candidate for governor Christine Drazan came up just short of winning the race, Republicans in Oregon can still point to some meaningful wins. 

It wasn't a runaway race for Democrats, she said, who have been in power in the Oregon governor's office for nearly 40 years, and Drazan brought a lot of energy to her campaign and messaging that resonated with a lot of Oregonians.

Six-term incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler lost in the top-two primary in August. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, the only Democrat on a crowded ballot, was the top vote-getter while Republican Joe Kent came in second. Herrera Beutler was one of 10 US House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump, which Kent said motivated him to run against her. Neither he nor Gluesenkamp Perez have ever held elected office.

Gluesenkamp Perez owns a Portland auto repair shop with her husband and lives in rural Skamania County. Kent is a former Green Beret who served 20 years in the military. He's endorsed by President Trump and lives in Yacolt, Washington. In this week's episode of Straight Talk, Kent and Gluesenkamp Perez sparred over their competing visions for Southwest Washington and the nation, including what they would do to bring down inflation and reduce crime, and their views on abortion rights and immigration.

Following the taping of the regular edition of Straight Talk, the candidates took another 15 minutes to answer a bonus round of questions in which Kent and Gluesenkamp Perez debated what happened on January 6th during the US Capitol riot, how to make sure Social Security remains solvent, Second Amendment rights and how to reduce gun violence, and Kent's call to abolish Washington State's vote-by-mail system.

The candidates had an hour to tackle some of the biggest issues facing Oregonians: homelessness, mental health, addiction services, abortion rights, education and campaign funding, among others.

"Straight Talk" host Laurel Porter moderated the debate, and now she explores some of the key takeaways as we quickly approach Election Day.

Neutral polls show it's a contest that is too close to call. Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who defeated incumbent Kurt Schrader in the primary, is going head to head with Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer. One certainty in the race is that Oregon will add another woman to its Congressional delegation to join Democrat Suzanne Bonamici, who represents the state's first district.

McLeod-Skinner is a Terrebonne attorney and part-time emergency preparedness coordinator, as well as a board member of the Jefferson County Education District. Chavez-DeRemer served as mayor of Happy Valley from 2010 to 2018. She and her husband co-founded Anesthesia Associates Northwest, and own health and wellness clinics that treat drug resistant depression.

The two candidates appeared separately on this week's edition of "Straight Talk" to make their case to voters on why they believe they are the best fit for the vast and diverse district.

Melanie Billings-Yun, who co-chaired the Charter Commission that developed the proposal, and Sol Mora, campaign manager for the reform proposal advocacy group Portland United for Change, were guests on Straight Talk this week to make their case for the ballot measure.

Also appearing this week was Vadim Mozyrsky, who was one of three Charter Commission members who voted against the package, and is now campaigning in opposition to it as part of a group called the Partnership for Common Sense Government.

More than two and a half years since the start of the pandemic, hospitals and skilled nursing homes continue to face historic staffing shortages, and it's left Oregon's hospitals and health care systems in deep financial turmoil.

"Like many of you, I have family members whose lives have been saved in hospitals," Hultberg said. "And it feels really scary and desperate to me to think about living in a place or being in a time when there's not an emergency department bed that's open in a reasonable time, or there's not a hospital bed available when someone I love needs that care."

Hultberg and Samaritan Hospital CEO Laura Hennum were guests on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss the hospital crisis, what caused it and possible solutions.

Mayor Ted Wheeler's emergency declaration in February was pivotal, Ryan said, because it gave him office emergency powers to expedite village locations. And even with only some of the villages open, Ryan said city staff and partners are already starting to see the results they were hoping for. In the past three months, 23 people who were once living on the streets have transitioned through existing Safe Rest Villages and into permanent housing.

"I was telling the seniors (at the Medford pharmacy) that there was a dose of good news," he said. "A big dose of good news for thousands of senior citizens in Oregon and hundreds of thousands across the state, because they were going to get a fair shake, finally, for their medicine."

Wyden was a guest on this week's episode of "Straight Talk" to discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act will bring down costs for Oregonians, among other topics.

The House took the bill up Friday and passed it in a 220-207 vote, sending it on to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley hailed the passage of the bill "a very big deal." Merkley was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss how the bill will impact Americans and lower inflation.

The top two vote-getters in the Aug. 2 primary will advance to a runoff in the general election, regardless of party affiliation. That means the two names on the ballot in November could be two Republicans, two Democrats, or one of each. It's also possible Herrera Beutler could be edged out of the race on Tuesday if she fails to win one of the top two slots. Political observes say this year could be her toughest electoral challenge since first winning office in 2010.

A powerful new documentary called "A Donation Conversation" aims to reach a wider audience and spur more people to enroll as organ donors. The film centers on the story of a Forest Grove family, the Dieter-Robinsons.

Six-year-old Ana and 11-year-old Abigail were killed when a car ran over them while they played in a pile of leaves in 2013. In the documentary, their parents talk about how their legacy lives on through organ donation.

The law allows courts to order offenders to wear a GPS ankle bracelet which would be monitored and linked to an app on the victim's phone, alerting them when their abuser was nearby. State Sen. Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver), one of the authors of the law, said the technology could have saved Hill's life.

The bill was signed into law in 2020, but few Washington counties are utilizing the monitoring technology. Wilson has been advocating for wider adoption within the state and for other states to adopt their own versions of the law.

KGW's Ashley Korslien and Vancouver-based trans activist Linden Walls also joined the show to discuss the KGW original podcast "Should Be Alive," which explores the murder of transgender teen, Nikki Kuhnhausen.

It's not the wood chipper, but Johnson has thrown herself into the ring in the three-way race for Oregon governor. Johnson was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss why she's running for governor and her position on issues important to Oregonians, including gun safety measures.

Beaty said following the mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school where a gunman used an AR-15 rifle to kill 19 children and two teachers, she felt unsafe in America for the first time since serving in Iraq.

In their pitch to Portland voters, Ryan pointed to his experience and said now is not the time to elect a newcomer to politics, while McCreary said Portland needs change and new leaders.

This episode of "Straight Talk" includes excerpts from Kotek and Read as they debated how to tackle homelessness and gun violence, what they would do for rural Oregon, and how they would have handled the pandemic.

Lawmakers have described the investments as "historic" and the beginning of an effort to turn around a neglected system. Oregon state Senator Kate Lieber, D-Portland, and Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, are co-leaders of the Oregon Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, and they helped lead the way to pass both packages.

The two lawmakers joined this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk to discuss how the money will be invested and the difference they think it could make for Oregonians struggling with mental health and addiction issues.

Seven-term incumbent Kurt Schrader, a moderate, is being challenged from the left by former congressional candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner from central Oregon. 

They're running in a newly formed district. The boundaries were reshaped by the Oregon Legislature last fall and now include most of Clackamas and Marion Counties, but not Salem. 

How did Oregon miss out?

Monique Claiborne, CEO of Greater Portland Inc., along with Oregon state Representative Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley) and Jennifer Baker, President of the Columbia River Economic Development Council in Clark County, join Laural Porter to discuss how Oregon can work to attract new investment in the state.

Speaker Rayfield was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss what was accomplished, what is left to be done next session, and shared his personal life experience that has helped to inform the kind of leader he is today.

But now there are two candidates vying to replace Hull Caballero; Simone Rede, who works as a senior management auditor at Metro, and Brian Setzler, a certified public accountant.

Rede and Setzler were guests on Straight Talk to make their case for election to voters.

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.

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."

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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 

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.

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."

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

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.

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.

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.

Bonamici was a guest this week on KGW's current affairs show, "Straight Talk," along with pre-school teacher, Caitlin Curtis.

Bonamici told show host, Laural Porter, access to high quality affordable child care is essential as counties reopen.

"Parents are stressed and struggling. They can't go back to work with confidence and dedicate themselves to work, if they can't find child care," she said.

The PCAO executive director, Pamela Heisler, and board member, Karmen Fore, joined KGW Straight Talk host, Laural Porter, to talk about ways the community can help.

Hoan said the Portland metro area has been in uncharted waters with an 11-year economic expansion, the longest in history. But no one knows what lies ahead.

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