Podcast The Oregonian

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss how you can still maintain friendships when you don't have a kid but your friends do! For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday…

Scores from the standardized tests Oregon students take each year are out, and the 2023 results are dispiriting, to say the least, for anyone who hoped to see a rebound from a pandemic drop. Education reporter Julia Silverman analyzed the results for The Oregonian/OregonLive and discussed them on this week’s episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian…

This week on Why Tho? the Podcast, advice columnist Lizzy Acker and social media producer Destiny Johnson talk about the magic word. How magic is it? Can an adult tell another adult that they need to say “please.” For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday following the ai…

Earlier this month, a federal advisor committee met in Portland to come up with recommendations for updates to the Northwest Forest Plan, a blueprint that will guide forest management in the region through the next century. Ryan Reed, the 23-year-old representative on the committee who is also an Indigenous firefighter, talked with Beat Check about…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss Zoom etiquette in the year 2023. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday following the airing of this podcast! More: Read the…

Less than three years ago, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize minor possession of street drugs through an initiative that also promised to expand addiction-treatment services to people experiencing substance use disorder. Yet voters who overwhelmingly approved Measure 110 are already souring on the law amid a disastrous roll…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss the child abuse allegations against a Utah mom, Ruby Franke, who used to run a successful YouTube family channel called "8 Passengers." For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which…

The city of Portland has been grappling with homelessness for decades. Longtime residents remember then-Mayor Bud Clark’s plan to solve the problem in the 1980s. But the plight of unsheltered residents has continued and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated efforts to help the unhoused. Now, governments are poised to spend millions to deal with the iss…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss whether you can do anything about someone's troublesome social media posts that are bringing down the vibe of a whole group. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publi…

Intel appears to be doubling down on its key research and development sites in Oregon, with plans to spend billions of dollars to expand its computer chip factories in Washington County. Mike Rogoway, who covers the tech industry for The Oregonian/OregonLive, broke the news of Intel’s plans earlier this month. He joined business editor Elliot Njus …

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss whether you should confront your neighbor about their screaming children when you work from home. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho…

A proposed $24.6 billion merger could bring together Kroger, the parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC, and Albertsons, which has also owned Safeway since 2015. The Pacific Northwest is one of the regions where the two companies compete directly, so the combination could leave Oregonians with fewer choices for grocery shopping. Learn more about your…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss whether it's appropriate to ask someone not to hang out with someone you mutually know. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesd…

Gov. Tina Kotek is convening a panel of local elected officials, business executives and civic leaders to focus on how to best bolster downtown Portland’s economic future. The move comes as Portland’s urban core remains among the nation’s slowest to recover in the aftermath of the pandemic amid blocks of empty offices and storefronts as well as per…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss the freedom to have bodily autonomy and making the right choice for your kids and the judgement that can come from it. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at …

Maxine Bernstein has covered a lot of stories in her more than two decades with The Oregonian and now OregonLive. A recent Saturday run along the waterfront quickly gave way to a long day’s work when she heard reports of a shooting at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, not far away in Northwest Portland’s Nob Hill District. In this episode of Be…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss the Jonah Hill controversy with his former girlfriend Sarah Brady and what boundaries actually are. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whyt…

In this episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, environmental reporter Gosia Wozniacka talks to the executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper Travis Williams. His Oregon City-based nonprofit, which aims to protect and restore the river, had spent the past two decades cleaning up trash up and down the watershed. But since the onset of the pande…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss "birthday people." For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday following the airing of this podcast! More: Read the most recent W…

Climate change is upon us – it’s a reality affecting us personally. Hot days are getting hotter and more frequent in Oregon, across the U.S. and in other parts of the world. Wildfires and “unhealthy air” days are becoming more frequent. As extreme heat becomes common and more severe, it’s leading to more heat-related illnesses, emergency room visit…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss the Jonah Hill controversy with his former girlfriend Sarah Brady and what boundaries actually are. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whyt…

Voters last fall delivered a stinging rebuke of Portland’s status quo and handily backed a sweeping ballot measure to reshape the city’s form of government and expand the City Council from five to 12 members. The crucial, painstaking work of delivering that package of reforms is now well underway. On the latest Beat Check, I talk with Portland Chie…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss if it's okay to pick fruit if it's hanging over a sidewalk or is on a parking strip? For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday …

The Oregonian's Politics and Education Editor Betsy Hammond sits down for a one-on-one with Editor and Vice President of Content Therese Bottomly to talk about some of the issues in politics and education facing Oregonians. She reflects on how her team has done exemplary watchdog work in the realm of politics and about how she ended up as the polit…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss whether or not you get what you pay for with free childcare. Can you ask your free babysitter to clean up after your kid? What degree of mess constitutes this? For a more distilled version of this, check o…

In a rare interview, Brian McMenamin, who along with his brother Mike founded the McMenamins chain of pubs, breweries, and other venues in the 1980's, talks to Oregonian beer writer Andre Meunier about what the past 40 years have been like. Hint: a lot of fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss the perils of public transit and whether they'd approach a stranger. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday following the ai…

This month, The Oregonian and OregonLive broke the news that hackers had accessed Oregon DMV data, including what state officials described as personal and sensitive information on 3.5 million drivers license and state ID holders. That’s most Oregonians. And everyone potentially affected was advised to keep a close eye on their credit report for po…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss how to live in the moment when you're feeling stuck in life. For a more distilled version of this, check out Lizzy's column, which will publish at Oregonlive.com/whytho the Tuesday following the airing of …

Downtown Portland is the city’s economic, cultural and transportation hub. And its future remains far from certain. In this episode, The Oregonian/OregonLive's business reporter Mike Rogoway and city hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh discuss the city center’s ups and downs, its peril and promise. Read More: The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 2021 ‘Downto…

Join The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker and Destiny Johnson as they discuss your conundrums for Lizzy's advice column "Why Tho?" This week they discuss who is the "bad guy" in a situation with a pregnant bridesmaid and possible bridezilla. What do you think? More: Read the most recent Why Tho (and columns past): https://www.oregonlive.com/whytho/ Lizzy’s …

The past year has brought tremendous change in Oregon’s newspaper landscape, with the closure of the Mail Tribune in Medford and the struggles of the Register-Guard and Statesman-Journal under corporate ownership. Business reporter Jeff Manning took a extensive look at the decline of the two longstanding daily newspapers in the Willamette Valley. H…

What should you do if you find out your hairdresser is sending violent memes to public figure on social media? Is that cause to break off your relationship with them? The Oregonian's Lizzy Acker is here to give you advice for life on this and more. She's joined by producer Destiny Johnson and they talk out this conundrum (and share stories) that wi…

Starting last year, The Oregonian turned its investigative spotlight on itself. The result was Publishing Prejudice, a disturbing look at the news organization’s history of racism in its reporting and its editorial advocacy. A recent installment covered The Oregonian’s reporting after the 1948 Vanport Flood, and in particular its failure to humaniz…

Why Tho? The Podcast goes behind the scenes of Lizzy Acker's advice column for The Oregonian. Listen each week as Lizzy, producer Destiny Johnson and occasional guests dissect reader questions for future columns. New episodes come out every Thursday right here in the Beat Check with The Oregonian feed. In the first episode, Lizzy and Destiny talk a…

Heat pumps are soaring in popularity due to their energy efficiency and ability to reduce utility bills. Brian Stewart, the co-founder of Portland-based nonprofit Electrify Now, talked about why heat pumps beat gas stoves most of the time and how to afford one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Why Tho? The Podcast goes behind the scenes of Lizzy Acker's advice column for The Oregonian. Listen each week as Lizzy, producer Destiny Johnson and occasional guests dissect reader questions for future columns. New episodes come out every Thursday right here in the Beat Check with The Oregonian feed. More: Find the full archive of the Why Tho? ad…

We’re excited to announce that the Beat Check with The Oregonian podcast is coming back starting Monday, May 29. But it’s going to sound a little different. We’ll still take you behind the headlines of the biggest news stories in Oregon. But now, it’ll be with a new crew of hosts. You’ll hear from reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh who covers City Hall…

What would you do if someone you loved vanished and was never heard from again? That was the case for several families we interviewed on the first five episodes of The Unidentifieds podcast. In previous episodes, we explored the rapidly expanding use of genetic genealogy in finding the identities of long lost souls whose remains were found in Orego…

What would you do if someone you loved vanished and was never heard from again? That was the case for several families we interviewed on the first five episodes of The Unidentifieds podcast. In previous episodes, we explored the rapidly expanding use of genetic genealogy in finding the identities of long lost souls whose remains were found in Orego…

In September 1979, two hikers discovered human remains on a rocky slope above a little-used trail near Multnomah Falls. They found bones, a skull and a few personal belongings: gold-rimmed aviator glasses, a yellow cap with black felt letters reading “NT” and a chewed-up checkbook from First National Bank of Oregon. But there was no wallet or other…

In September 1979, two hikers discovered human remains on a rocky slope above a little-used trail near Multnomah Falls. They found bones, a skull and a few personal belongings: gold-rimmed aviator glasses, a yellow cap with black felt letters reading “NT” and a chewed-up checkbook from First National Bank of Oregon. But there was no wallet or other…

On August 2, 1986, two U.S. Forest Service workers were out collecting timber data on a remote logging road in the Mt. Hood National Forest near Government Camp when they stumbled upon a human skull, bone fragments, and a single tooth. Investigators took photos of the scene and the remains were transported and inventoried at the Clackamas County Sh…

On August 2, 1986, two U.S. Forest Service workers were out collecting timber data on a remote logging road in the Mt. Hood National Forest near Government Camp when they stumbled upon a human skull, bone fragments, and a single tooth. Investigators took photos of the scene and the remains were transported and inventoried at the Clackamas County Sh…

In the first two episodes of The Unidentifieds, we explored two decades-old cold cases involving remains found in southern Oregon. We learned how DNA and genealogical sleuthing gave a little boy and a young woman their names back. But what is genetic genealogy? It goes far beyond the 23andMe gift card you received a few holidays ago from a relative…

In the first two episodes of The Unidentifieds, we explored two decades-old cold cases involving remains found in southern Oregon. We learned how DNA and genealogical sleuthing gave a little boy and a young woman their names back. But what is genetic genealogy? It goes far beyond the 23andMe gift card you received a few holidays ago from a relative…

On the morning of July 11, 1963, a fisherman made a horrifying discovery: He stumbled across the concealed remains of a 2-year-old boy. The tiny body was wrapped in blankets, tied with wire and held down by iron weights in the Keene Creek Reservoir along Oregon 66 east of Ashland, Oregon. Officials moved the body to a cemetery where his tombstone r…

On the morning of July 11, 1963, a fisherman made a horrifying discovery: He stumbled across the concealed remains of a 2-year-old boy. The tiny body was wrapped in blankets, tied with wire and held down by iron weights in the Keene Creek Reservoir along Oregon 66 east of Ashland, Oregon. Officials moved the body to a cemetery where his tombstone r…

There are so many unidentified human remains in the United States that the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System calls it “the nation’s silent mass disaster.” Roughly 4,400 human remains are found every year, and nearly one-quarter of those remain unidentified after one year. Some people were never reported missing. Some went missing dec…

There are so many unidentified human remains in the United States that the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System calls it “the nation’s silent mass disaster.” Roughly 4,400 human remains are found every year, and nearly one-quarter of those remain unidentified after one year. Some people were never reported missing. Some went missing dec…