Think Out Loud

Cochlear implant helps Portlander make new music after losing hearing in one ear

PORTLANDER SEAN WOLFE HAS BEEN MAKING ELECTRONIC MUSIC OFF AND ON UNDER THE MONIKER SALVO BETA [https://salvobeta.bandcamp.com/album/abrasive-stuttering]FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. DURING THE PANDEMIC, HE STARTED EXPERIENCING HEARING LOSS IN HIS RIGHT EAR AND OTHER SYMPTOMS SUCH AS BALANCE PROBLEMS AND TINNITUS, OR A RINGING SENSATION IN THE EAR. WOLFE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A KIND OF RARE, NONCANCEROUS TUMOR THAT LEFT UNTREATED CAN LEAD TO PERMANENT HEARING LOSS, FACIAL PARALYSIS AND WORSE.     So in October 2024, Wolfe got surgery to not only remove the tumor, but also get a cochlear implant [https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cochlear-implants/about/pac-20385021], an electronic device affixed behind the ear that directly stimulates the auditory nerve. Although the surgery was a success, he had months of rehabilitation and adjusting to a new sonic environment. That includes difficulty hearing certain kinds of sounds and experiencing shifts in sound frequencies.   Wolfe says his cochlear implant has opened new creative doors musically. He contributed two new songs to an album of remixes [https://stillmachine.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-echoes-within] that will be released later this month by Chicago indie rock band Still Machine. Wolfe wants to compose music specifically for people who are hard of hearing, and he’s finishing work on an album of new, original material. He joins us to share his journey as a musician with a cochlear implant.

Industry groups raise concerns about Oregon's Climate Protection Program

Oregon’s Climate Protection Program was established in 2021 to place a cap on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels throughout the state. The program hadn’t gone into effect for most natural gas customers until November 2025. Natural gas users must use less natural gas, or face higher costs.    Many environmentalists are happy with the program and its progress towards reducing carbon emissions, but many policymakers view the program as flawed. Nigel Jaquiss, the senior investigative reporter at the Oregon Journalism Project, has been looking into this program, and how the climate policy is affecting businesses throughout the state.   Editor's note: This description and headline has been updated to more accurately describe Oregon's Climate Protection Program's impact on industrial and commercial users of natural gas.

Vancouver’s housing construction not keeping pace with city’s expected growth

BY 2045, VANCOUVER’S POPULATION IS EXPECTED TO GROW BY MORE THAN 80,000 NEW RESIDENTS – A ROUGHLY 40% INCREASE. ACCORDING TO VANCOUVER’S 2025 HOUSING REPORT, THE CITY WILL NEED TO DEVELOP 2,500 NEW UNITS A YEAR TO MEET HOUSING DEMAND. BUT THE CITY IS FALLING WELL SHORT OF THAT GOAL FOR BOTH MARKET-RATE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, AS OPB RECENTLY REPORTED [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/07/vancouver-continues-to-fall-short-of-housing-development-needs/].     City officials point to a range of factors for the slowdown. That includes rising construction costs, high interest rates, the ongoing effects of tariffs and the difficulty of accessing state funds to develop multifamily, affordable housing units.    Meanwhile, Vancouver is close to finalizing a new comprehensive plan [https://engage.zencity.io/beheardvancouver/en-US/projects/our-vancouver] to guide the city’s growth over the next 20 years. The draft calls for updating zoning codes to ease higher-density housing development [https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/mar/28/high-anxiety-overhigh-density-vancouver-residents-worry-that-citys-plans-for-more-housing-will-erode-quiet-neighborhoods/] in neighborhoods, for example, which would align with new state requirements [https://governor.wa.gov/news/2026/governor-ferguson-signs-bills-improving-housing] to boost housing development.    OPB’s Southwest Washington Bureau Chief Erik Neumann joins us for more details.

Students at two Portland high schools organize climate justice summit

ON SATURDAY, A CLIMATE JUSTICE SUMMIT [https://ejsummit.my.canva.site/april-11th-2026-lincoln-high-school-student-voices-for-climate-justice-summit-rsvp] WILL TAKE PLACE AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL IN SOUTHWEST PORTLAND. THE EVENT IS FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND IS BEING ORGANIZED BY STUDENTS AT LINCOLN’S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CLASS AND STUDENTS AT IDA B. WELLS’ ECO ACTION CLUB. IT’S THE FIRST TIME STUDENTS AT THE TWO PPS SCHOOLS HAVE COLLABORATED TO CREATE A CLIMATE JUSTICE SUMMIT, ACCORDING TO TIM SWINEHART, A LINCOLN SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER WHO LAUNCHED THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COURSE IN 2016.      LINCOLN AND WELLS STUDENTS WILL MODERATE A PANEL DISCUSSION AT THE SUMMIT AND PRESENT WORKSHOPS SUCH AS ONE ON LOBBYING AND GIVING TESTIMONY, WHICH THEY DID AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN SALEM EARLIER THIS YEAR AND LAST DECEMBER DURING A PORTLAND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING [https://www.youtube.com/live/3PMVn-9eGRM?si=-ursvQwzpeFEJmk_&t=2501]. THE STUDENTS ALSO INVITED ADVOCACY GROUPS SUCH AS THE BRAIDED RIVER CAMPAIGN [https://www.braidedrivercampaign.org/], SUNRISE MOVEMENT [https://www.sunrisemovement.org/]AND NEIGHBORS FOR CLEAN AIR [https://neighborsforcleanair.org/] TO GIVE WORKSHOPS ON HOW TO ORGANIZE A PROTEST AND OTHER TOPICS.   Lincoln High School senior Leah Almeida and Ida B. Wells High School junior Emma Lopez join us, along with Swinehart, for a preview of Saturday’s activities.

What the reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service will mean for the Pacific Northwest

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED A MASSIVE REORGANIZATION [https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/newsroom/releases/usda-prioritizing-common-sense-forest-management-moves-forest] OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE LAST WEEK. THE AGENCY’S HEADQUARTERS WILL MOVE FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, AND ITS REGIONAL OFFICES WILL BE REPLACED [https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/reorganization] BY 15 STATE-BASED OFFICES. ADDITIONALLY, MORE THAN 50 RESEARCH STATIONS WILL CLOSE ACROSS 31 STATES, INCLUDING ONE IN OREGON AND TWO IN WASHINGTON.  Christine Peterson is a freelance reporter covering wildlife, the environment and outdoor recreation. She wrote about the reorganization [https://www.hcn.org/articles/forest-service-overhaul-sows-confusion-concern/] for High Country News and joins us with more details.