Best Oregonlive Podcasts (2026)

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46 — Golden Nugget Bar 51:37

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24d ago51:37

51:37

Thirteen bars entered. One bar left. In the end, Milwaukie's Golden Nugget (11056 SE Main St.) -- nominated by The Oregonian's unofficial old bar beat writer Samantha Swindler -- held off 12 other nominees from across the metro area in the traditionally idiotic HBTG coin flip tournament bracket to claim the third annual Listeners' Choice Episode ho…

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45 — The Trap 1:00:23

3M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

“Once the kind of place where your estranged alcoholic father would buy you breakfast, the Trap now feels like that weird bar in the suburbs your friends from high school settle on for an annual evening of bad decisions the night before Thanksgiving. The Trap has grown up a bit, and so have you.” -Pete Cottell, Willamette Week, November 2017 A clas…

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(2023 Replay) The Unidentifieds Episode 2: The unknown baby boy and the reservoir 27:26

4M ago27:26

27:26

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…

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44 — Your Inn Tavern 55:11

4M ago55:11

55:11

Folks, Prohibition sucked. And here in Oregon, we had it worse than most, cutting off our own booze supply in 1916 -- four years before the rest of the country. When the 18th Amendment was finally repealed in all states in 1933, Oregonians had not legally been in a bar for EIGHTEEN GODFORSAKEN YEARS! It was during that time (1923) that a neighborho…

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(2023 Replay) The Unidentifieds Episode 1: Remains found along the Redwood Highway 34:12

4M ago34:12

34:12

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 d…

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(2024 Replay) The backstory to the mystery of ‘Cosmo the talking crow’ 20:05

4M ago20:05

20:05

Any newspaper editor will tell you readers love animal stories. The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Samantha Swindler took that axiom to the next level this spring with a 12-part video series on the mysterious disappearance of Cosmo, the talking crow. She joins Editor Therese Bottomly on “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to discuss the narrative, which also w…

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(2024 Replay) The mysterious shadow economy around winning Oregon Lottery tickets 21:24

5M ago21:24

21:24

Watchdog reporter Ted Sickinger published ⁠an in-depth article ⁠examining a loophole in the Oregon Lottery’s rules. In Oregon, it is perfectly legal to re-sell your winning lottery ticket at a discount, allowing the buyer to claim the prize. Why would anyone do this? Well, if they wanted to avoid having the state seize part of their winnings for ta…

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(2024 Replay) Why heat waves are growing more frequent, and what’s being done 31:49

5M ago31:49

31:49

Environment reporter Gosia Wozniacka joined host Elliot Njus to discuss this dangerous effect of climate change and how the Portland region is preparing for more frequent, more severe heat events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

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43 — Scooter McQuades 1:00:29

5M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

This month's episode finds the boys -- now officially including Producer Bill -- back in town, contemplating semi-historic and overtly political bar decor...poking around Shanghai Tunnels...eating a by-god bar burger...ogling a PERFECT men's room...possibly having one round too many...and putting their age/surliness/cynicism aside to have life affi…

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Fiona Conneely & Shelley Schuler: Food hubbing emerges as a solution for feeding us all (Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment) 39:31

5M ago39:31

39:31

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon’s Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. Listeners producer Kristen Mico speaks with Fiona Conneely and Shelley Schuler about how food hubbing models offer solutions to small farms, markets and food assistance programs. At a time when programs that support access to fresh …

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More than words: Language and belonging in rural Oregon (Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment) 22:10

6M ago22:10

22:10

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon’s Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. For this episode, we invite listeners into the realities of rural Oregon, where questions of identity, belonging, and resilience are part of everyday life. In this episode, Kristina Path and Leif Olsen travel to Monmouth to meet Ama…

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Adam Davis: Humanities resilience (Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment) 30:02

6M ago30:02

30:02

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon’s Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. Listeners producer Daniel Bloomfield speaks with the Executive Director of the Oregon Humanities, Adam Davis, about the Trump administration’s recent cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities and how they’ve impacted the wor…

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Beat Check is taking a short break for the summer, stay tuned 2:24

6M ago2:24

2:24

Beat Check with The Oregonian is taking a short break for the summer while we work to bring you our next exciting project and reimagine the format of the show. In the meantime, you can look forward to several episodes of “Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment,” a limited-series podcast from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Commu…

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Duncan Hwang: Advocacy in organizing and politics (Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment) 30:05

6M ago30:05

30:05

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon’s Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. Producer Kaiya Laguardia-Yonamine speaks with Duncan Hwang about the importance of local organizing and turning inward to sustain our communities. Duncan reflects on his experience as the Community Development Director at APANO, as …

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42 — The Rainbow Cafe (Pendleton, OR) 1:29:48

6M ago1:29:48

1:29:48

Thought you'd heard the last of History by the Glass? Think again! After a 6-month hiatus, Alfredo & Nate are back for their fourth season of vintage bar-going adventures. As part of their annual curiosity-laden Bourdain Day observance, the boys squeezed into an 8-seat turboprop bound for the cowboy town of Pendleton — "The Real West" of Oregon — f…

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Therese Bottomly on four decades in Oregon journalism 43:04

6M ago43:04

43:04

Therese Bottomly, editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive and a frequent host of Beat Check with The Oregonian, is retiring next month after 42 years in the newsroom. On this episode of Beat Check, Bottomly reflects on the stories that shaped her career, and Oregon. She discusses how the newsroom rose to the challenge of covering some of the most signif…

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The charm and gossip in reporting in rural Oregon 22:09

6M ago22:09

22:09

Features reporter Samantha Swindler talks about the hidden gem stories she finds in some of Oregon's smallest towns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

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How the Trump immigration crackdown is impacting Oregon 42:57

7M ago42:57

42:57

The Oregonian’s investigative reporter Yesenia Amaro talks on Beat Check about the recent immigration enforcement ramp-up, Trump’s approach to immigration and the impact on Oregon communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Does Oregon’s cherished Bottle Bill compound Portland’s fentanyl crisis? 27:44

7M ago27:44

27:44

Lawmakers in Salem recently enacted a series of substantive tweaks to the state’s beloved Bottle Bill, which allows residents to return cans and bottles for 10 cents apiece. Those changes have helped amplify a growing and complicated debate about Oregon’s first-in-the-nation program, now more than 50 years old. Does Portland and some other pockets …

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Fact vs. speculation: How true crime podcasters approach the Kyron Horman case (Part 4: Guest podcast: Bookies with Your Besties) 28:28

7M ago28:28

28:28

In the digital age, true crime content has exploded in popularity across podcasts, social media and streaming platforms. But with this growth comes a troubling trend: The blurring of verified facts and speculative theories. On a recent episode of Beat Check with the Oregonian, guests Emily Reeder and Ashley Desanno from the Books with Your Besties …

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Long hours, daylong stakeouts: How reporters pursued the Kyron Horman story in 2010 (Part 3: Shane Dixon Kavanaugh) 27:05

7M ago27:05

27:05

In 2010, digital tools for journalists were emerging, but the gritty, time-intensive methods of traditional reporting still dominated newsrooms. The disappearance of 7-year-old Kyron Horman from his Portland elementary school thrust The Oregonian’s journalists into a high-stakes investigation that demanded old-school techniques now increasingly rar…

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How a critical time gap derailed the Kyron Horman investigation (Part 2: Maxine Bernstein) 26:38

7M ago26:38

26:38

When a child goes missing, the first hours can be critical. In Kyron Horman’s case, investigators didn’t even know he was missing until about six hours had passed — a devastating delay that may have forever altered the trajectory of one of Oregon’s most haunting unsolved cases. In a recent discussion on the Beat Check with The Oregonian podcast, ve…

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15 years later: The haunting disappearance of Kyron Horman (Part 1: Noelle Crombie) 23:34

7M ago23:34

23:34

Fifteen years after 7-year-old Kyron Horman vanished from Skyline Elementary School in Portland, his disappearance continues to haunt not just the Pacific Northwest, but parents everywhere. In this special episode of Beat Check, engagement editor Julie Evensen and social media producer Destiny Johnson talk to investigative reporter Noelle Crombie a…

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Five years on, Portland journalists reflect on 2020 protests 31:05

7M ago31:05

31:05

A trio of journalists joined Editor Therese Bottomly on Monday’s episode of “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about the 2020 street protests that started in Portland after the police killing of George Floyd. Multimedia journalist Beth Nakamura, social media producer Ryan Fernandez, and reporter Zane Sparling (who covered protests for the Port…

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The Trail Blazers are for sale. What’s next, who might buy them and will they stay in Portland? 29:42

7M ago29:42

29:42

When Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen died in 2018 from complications related to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, it was matter of when, not if, his beloved professional sports team would be sold. Seven years later, that time has finally arrived. Allen’s estate announced on May 13 that is has initiated a formal sales process for one of Oregon’s most …

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Behind The Oregonian/OregonLive’s headlines about a trucker licensing scheme 21:17

8M ago21:17

21:17

Watchdog reporter Ted Sickinger joined Editor Therese Bottomly on this episode of “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about his extraordinary reporting into Skyline CDL School, which operated in Oregon and Washington. On this episode of Beat Check, we talk about: --How the alleged bribery scheme operated, according to regulators --How the newsr…

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Burning questions on the Portland Public Schools bond 22:42

8M ago22:42

22:42

For this week’s episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, education reporter Julia Silverman tackles a series of burning questions from readers and listeners who are weighing how to vote on the $1.83 billion bond. Have a listen, and don’t forget to turn in your ballot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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A perilous moment for Portland mass transit 34:04

8M ago34:04

34:04

It is a bleak time for mass transit all throughout the U.S. The challenges here in the Portland metro area are many and pronounced.TriMet is providing about 30 million fewer rides each year than it did in 2019 — and the recovery appears to be slowing way down. Rider safety has been a persistent concern since the pandemic. Fare evasion is rampant. M…

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How to keep hope alive as Trump upends climate, environmental work 39:31

8M ago39:31

39:31

In recent months, climate and environmental work have been under threat in the U.S., with the Trump administration dismantling climate legislation, freezing funds and intimidating universities, states and nonprofits. Despite the chaos, there’s still a place for hope, says award-winning environmental journalist Alan Weisman, author of the new book H…

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Trump’s tariffs and his trade war’s ‘sobering’ impact on Oregon small businesses 22:10

9M ago22:10

22:10

When President Trump raised tariffs against China and other countries earlier this month, stock markets plunged, chaos rippled through the global economy and anxiety hit business owners across the United States. The specifics of the tariffs — which soared as high as 145% on China and affected virtually every country on earth — have been changing we…

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Everything you ever wanted to know about polls, because we are not afraid to ask. 20:52

9M ago20:52

20:52

In this week’s episode, Politics and Education Editor Betsy Hammond breaks down the key finding of a survey of 600 metro area voters by DHM Research, commissioned by The Oregonian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Is Portland ready for a large wildfire in Forest Park? 31:52

9M ago31:52

31:52

With wildfire season approaching and southern California still reeling from the January wildfires, Portland leaders are making sure the city can withstand a major urban wildfire. Forest Park, the city’s crown jewel and one of the largest urban forests in the U.S., has been identified as one of the areas most at-risk for wildfire in the city. Kim Ko…

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How officials at one Oregon sewer agency scored years of lavish trips and lots of meals 32:51

9M ago32:51

32:51

First-class airfare to Hawaii. Five-star hotel stays. Lots and lots of food. All of it footed — directly or indirectly — by customers of a large Portland-area utility. A recent Oregonian/OregonLive investigation found that executives with Clean Water Services, Washington County’s sewer agency, have spent years enjoying fancy business trips to Hawai…

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Scandals plague Oregon’s adult prisons, youth detention facilities 15:36

9M ago15:36

15:36

A series of headlines has brought bad news about the management of Oregon’s Department of Corrections and Oregon Youth Authority to public attention. Numerous leadership changes have also resulted at the two departments. The agencies are separate divisions in Oregon’s state government but share the responsibility to care for people incarcerated for…

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The fight to keep Mt. Bachelor ski resort local 22:26

10M ago22:26

22:26

When the Mt. Bachelor ski resort abruptly went up for sale in August, a couple of Central Oregon mountain enthusiasts had an audacious thought: Maybe we should buy it. Before they knew it, the me — who had not met beforehand — put in motion a plan to purchase one of Oregon’s most cherished landmarks. They organized a GoFundMe and formed a company. …

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The effort to land a baseball team in Portland is swinging for the fences 28:45

10M ago28:45

28:45

But will it be a home run? The Portland Diamond Project has so far struck out on its years-long efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Portland. But now they’ve got a new site on the South Waterfront, fresh energy from city leaders and a pitch to the Oregon Legislature, not to mention swoon-y renderings of a new stadium along the Willamette. Spo…

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How dangerous are wood stoves and fireplaces to human health and the planet? 35:55

10M ago35:55

35:55

Preliminary results from a new state survey on wood combustion show more people are using fireplaces and woodstoves in urban areas in Oregon, despite efforts by state and local governments to decrease their use. Why the increase? And just how dangerous are wood stoves and wood-burning fireplaces to our health and the health of the planet? John Wasi…

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Are Portland’s stubbornly high homicide numbers a new normal? 38:09

10M ago38:09

38:09

It’s undeniably good news that deadly violence in Portland continued to tick downward last year. The city recorded 71 homicides in 2024. That’s six fewer than the year prior and a 30% drop from the record-shattering 101 killings Oregon’s most populous city saw in 2022. Reported shootings, meanwhile, fell below 1,000 for the first time since 2020. D…

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How The Oregonian/OregonLive is covering Trump orders, policy changes 13:17

11M ago13:17

13:17

The second Trump administration has barely begun, but an avalanche of policy changes and executive orders have already had repercussions in Oregon. Editor Therese Bottomly is joined by politics co-editor Jamie Goldberg and watchdog editor Brad Schmidt to discuss local coverage of the Trump effect in Oregon. They discuss the many lawsuits already fi…

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Recreational marijuana and Oregon’s cannabis economic crisis 24:50

11M ago24:50

24:50

When Oregon became the third state in the United States to legalize recreational marijuana use, proponents envisioned a double dose of green. Residents were given a chance to light up legally, finally bringing the state’s underground cannabis culture out of the shadows. Nowadays, Oregon boasts twice as many cannabis shops as Starbucks coffeehouses.…

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Putting together the pieces of Oregon’s affordable housing puzzle 18:45

11M ago18:45

18:45

It’s no secret that Oregon has an affordable housing problem. Gov. Tina Kotek has set an ambitious goal of building 36,000 units of housing a year, but so far, the state is nowhere close to hitting that target. Housing and real estate reporter Jonathan Bach recently went to Bend to spotlight a small but meaningful piece of the affordable housing pu…

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Can legislators shield consumers from the cost of powering data centers in Oregon? 29:31

11M ago29:31

29:31

Oregon’s residential electricity rates have gone up nearly 50% in the Portland area in just the past four years. Those increases have primarily been driven by the rising costs to buy power from the open energy market. But there’s growing concern that the rapid expansion of power-hungry data centers could significantly drive up residential power bil…

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Oregon lawmakers report to work. Here’s what they’re up to 19:17

12M ago19:17

19:17

A housing, homelessness and behavioral health crisis. Flagging student test scores. Billions of dollars needed for road and bridge repairs.Oregon legislative leaders will kick off their 2025 session this week at the Capitol with no shortage of significant challenges to tackle and tame. And while Democrats and Republicans say right now that they sha…

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The ‘Starfish’ surveys that rattled the highest echelons at Nike 19:32

12M ago19:32

19:32

Business reporter Matthew Kish just completed a three-part series on one of Oregon’s signature companies, Nike. He took a deep dive into the so-called “Starfish” surveys, a clandestine effort to document problems employees had with harassment and discrimination. The surveys are at the heart of a court case set to be argued this winter at the 9th Ci…

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Another Round With...Samantha Swindler (The Oregonian/OregonLive) 37:52

12M ago37:52

37:52

In one of their most professional efforts ever (even with Alfredo's audio sounding like a Jack in the Box drive-thru speaker) the HBTG boys visited with Samantha Swindler -- features reporter, videographer, chronicler of all things weird, intriguing, and off-the-beaten path for The Oregonian/OregonLive -- to learn more about her recent efforts to d…