Wildland firefighting crews fighting the Holiday Farm Fire work to clear a felled tree obstructing a road in the Willamette National Forest on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2020.

Wildland firefighter numbers plummet, as need for job rises

You may have heard that wildfire seasons are getting longer, with blazes burning more intensely and lasting longer than ever. The need to combat these conflagrations is growing at the same time huge numbers of wildland firefighters are quitting or retiring — and they are not being replaced.

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REBROADCAST: Author Edwidge Danticat on “Everything Inside”

Edwidge Danticat is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories, essays, and memoirs, with a focus on the rich experiences of the Haitian diaspora. Her latest book is the collection of short stories “Everything Inside.”







How a training program is preparing babysitters in Oregon

With spring break around the corner, many students will be enjoying their time away from school work, but some may find themselves picking up jobs as babysitters. We'll learn more about an Oregon program training babysitters.



OHSU study finds young children are being exposed to fentanyl more often

Within the last three years, there has been a 449% increase in children under the age of 6 being exposed to fentanyl, according to a new study from Oregon Health and Science University. We'll hear from a researcher to learn more about the increase and what it looks like in Oregon.



Oregon volunteer nurse treats hundreds in Gaza

Keizer-based nurse Yvonne Groenhout has decades of experience as an intensive care unit nurse. She is has also volunteered her medical expertise in Chicago, Los Angeles, Ukraine and, most recently, Gaza, as reported in the Salem Reporter.



March Madness features 3 Oregon college basketball teams

Three Oregon college basketball teams are competing in this year's NCAA Tournaments. We'll hear about the upcoming games, including some Sweet 16 and Elite Eight contests that will be held in Portland next weekend.


Indigenous perspectives showcased in new Sasquatch exhibit at High Desert Museum in Bend

For many Indigenous people, it isn’t a question of whether Bigfoot exists, but whether you have seen him. A new exhibit at the High Desert Museum in Bend features the work of many Indigenous artists exploring a relationship with Sasquatch. Phil Cash Cash and Frank Buffalo Hyde, two artists featured in the exhibit, joined us to talk about their work.




Love on the front lines

Even in the midst of great suffering, humans continue to live and love. Two new books from Louis Alberto Urrea and Alice Winn focus on the human relationships that take place in the midst of War. Winn’s novel, “In Memoriam,” tells the story of two gay British soldiers coming to terms with their relationship during the brutal trench warfare of WWI. Urrea’s book, “Goodnight, Irene,” chronicles the life of a woman serving on the front lines of WWII as a “Donut Dolly.” These heroic Red Cross volunteers served coffee and donuts to American soldiers to keep up their morale. OPB’s Geoff Norcross talked to Urrea and Winn at the 2023 Portland Book Festival.


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