Think Out Loud

Lullaby Project brings creativity and music to parents in prison or experiencing homelessness

The Lullaby Project [https://www.orsymphony.org/lullaby-project] was created more than a decade ago by the  Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. The program pairs singer-songwriters with parents who are incarcerated or experiencing homelessness, and together they create a lullaby.  In Oregon, those songs are arranged for the Oregon Symphony and then publicly performed [https://soundcloud.com/oregon-symphony/sets/oregon-symphony-the-lullaby-project-vol-7]. This year’s performance is next Tuesday, May 12 at the Alberta Rose Theatre [https://www.orsymphony.org/productions/2526/the-lullaby-project-community-concert-2026] in Portland.   Ada McGraw was one of the first women to participate in this program after it expanded to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility last year. While serving her sentence, McGraw was paired with singer-songwriter Bre Gregg [https://bregregg.com/]. The lullaby they wrote was for her son Legend and included a poem from Legend’s father. Jessica Katz is the director of The Family Preservation Project [https://family-preservation-project.org/] and facilitated their meeting. We talk with Katz, Gregg and McGraw to hear about this creative process and learn more about the larger impact of The Lullaby Project.

Portland-based transportation consultant on the current state of public transport in Oregon cities

As commuters are seeing continuous hikes on gas prices in Oregon and across the nation, some are forced to reevaluate their commuting habits. Public transportation could currently be a vital alternative to commuters in Oregon and the Northwest as a whole. But, how well are public transportation systems in Oregon cities serving the public? How can they serve their communities in more efficient ways?   Jarrett Walker is a transportation consultant based in Portland — and he’s been answering these kinds of questions for public transit agencies across the nation for the last 35 years. We’ll hear his thoughts on the current challenges and opportunities ahead for modes of transportation such as buses, light rail and more.

Portlander wins World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event

ADAM NATTRESS HAS BEEN PLAYING POKER SINCE HE WAS 19 YEARS OLD, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL HE GOT SOBER THAT HE WAS ABLE TO REALLY SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND DEDICATE HIMSELF TO THE GAME. NATTRESS RECENTLY WON NEARLY $140,000 DOLLARS IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AT THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER CIRCUIT MAIN EVENT. THE $1,700 BUY-IN TOURNAMENT DREW OVER 400 PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE U.S. WE TALK TO NATTRESS ABOUT WHY HE LOVES POKER, ADDICTION AND WHAT THE TOURNAMENT CIRCUIT IS LIKE.

What difference will 8 new immigration laws make for immigrants in Oregon?

OREGON LAWMAKERS PASSED EIGHT IMMIGRATION BILLS IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT ENDED IN MARCH, AND GOV. TINA KOTEK SIGNED THEM INTO LAW [https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/09/oregon-governor-signs-slew-of-bills-protecting-immigrants-amid-federal-crackdown/] IN APRIL. THE PACKAGE OF BILLS CAME AS A RESPONSE TO A HOST OF FEDERAL ACTIONS IN 2025 THAT PUT IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN JEOPARDY. OREGON WAS THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO BECOME A SANCTUARY STAT [https://www.doj.state.or.us/oregon-department-of-justice/civil-rights/sanctuary-promise/]E IN 1987 AND HAS STRENGTHENED ITS PROTECTIONS IN THE INTERVENING YEARS. IT IS ALREADY ILLEGAL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC AGENCIES TO COOPERATE WITH FEDERAL AGENTS WITHOUT A WARRANT.    THE NEW LAWS STRENGTHEN EXISTING PROTECTIONS AND ESTABLISH NEW ONES. AMONG OTHER PROVISIONS, THEY DIRECT SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS TO CREATE ALERT SYSTEMS, FORMALIZING RESPONSES TO FEDERAL ACTIONS. AND THEY PROTECT IMMIGRANT’S DATA AND AIM TO PREVENT EMPLOYER RETALIATION. ISA PEÑA [https://innovationlawlab.org/team-member/isa-pena] IS THE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AT INNOVATION LAW LAB [https://innovationlawlab.org/], AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT LOBBIED FOR THE BILLS. SHE JOINS US TO SHARE MORE ABOUT WHAT THE LAWS WILL DO AND THE DIFFERENCE THEY’RE EXPECTED TO MAKE FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN OREGON.

Amazon is planning more smaller distribution centers in smaller communities around Oregon

Amazon has plenty of huge warehouses around Oregon to get goods to online shoppers quickly, including one that’s 3.8 million square feet one in Woodburn, its biggest in the entire Northwest. But the giant retailer has started moving toward smaller facilities [https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2026/04/amazons-oregon-buildout-shifts-to-smaller-warehouses-and-sometimes-bigger-fights-with-local-residents.html] in more communities around the state, like Hood River, Eugene and Redmond. Amazon says this will provide better service for rural and smaller communities. But some people aren’t so keen on this idea. We hear more from Mike Rogoway [http://connect.oregonlive.com/staff/MikeRogoway/posts.html], who covers business and technology at The Oregonian/Oregonlive to hear more about Amazon’s strategy and the variety of reactions it's getting from residents.