Think Out Loud

New co-working space for artists opens in Sunriver

Centrally Oregon [https://centrallyoregon.com/] is a co-working space for artists, writers and other professionals which opened earlier this month in Sunriver. The Bulletin [https://bendbulletin.com/2026/06/24/centrally-oregon-opens-in-sunriver/] previously reported on its opening and owner Stephanie Gregory’s vision for it. Located inside a 1,400-square-foot warehouse, members have access to dedicated desks, an art studio space and workshops Gregory currently teaches on writing, printmaking, watercolor and more.    Gregory says she created the business because of her own experiences with working remotely and as a writer and artist in southern Deschutes County who often struggled to find local venues to teach her writing workshops. She joins us to share why she thinks her new space is needed in the region and her future plans for it. Kristine Thomas, the executive director of the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce and an aspiring mystery writer who has taken writing workshops taught by Gregory, also joins us for this discussion.

Chinook Indian Nation Chairman Tony Johnson reflects on 250th anniversary of American independence

As we approach the 250th anniversary [https://ictnews.org/tag/america-250/] of American independence, “Think Out Loud” has been hearing from guests whose life experiences and personal histories illuminate different aspects of what it means to be an American.   We’ll continue that conversation with Tony Johnson, the chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation [https://chinooknation.org/]. The nation represents five tribes [https://chinooknation.org/who-we-are/] whose ancestral homelands surround the mouth of the Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Southwest Washington.   The nation received federal recognition in 2001, only to have it rescinded 18 months later. Johnson joins us to talk about the ongoing fight for recognition [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/25/chinook-indian-nation-supreme-court-petition/] and the nuances of being Indigenous in the U.S.

UW School of Medicine program aims to increase primary care physicians in rural and indigenous communities

Since 1971, the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) program at the University of Washington School of Medicine has been working to bolster the rural physician workforce, both by recruiting medical students from these communities and providing them financial support to return to their communities as family physicians. The program also provides specialized education that prepares graduates to practice medicine in non-metropolitan areas of the northwestern U.S.   A recent donation to the UW School of Medicine will help to bolster this program, and fund students who want to practice family medicine in rural and indigenous communities.   Dr. Tim Dellit is the CEO of UW medicine, and Kenya Morales is a second year medical student who is currently taking part in the WWAMI program at the UW School of Medicine. We’ll hear from them about this education model, the shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas, and about what this funding could mean for students who aspire to pursue family care in these areas.

Washington State University study shows food insecurity varies among low-income racial and ethnic groups

A Washington State University study [https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2026/06/17/study-food-security-varies-widely-across-u-s-ethnic-groups/] found that rates of food insecurity in the U.S. vary among members of different racial and ethnic groups. It found, for example, that only 10% of Asian American adults who live in severe poverty are food insecure, compared to 40% of American Indian and Alaska Native adults living in severe poverty. It also found that low-income white adults had similar levels of food insecurity as low-income Hispanic adults while low-income Black adults faced more food insecurity than both those other groups.    A household whose income is below 50% of the federal poverty level is considered to be living in severe poverty, whereas a household whose income is 100% to 200% above the federal poverty level is considered to be living in near poverty.   Justin Denney, a professor of sociology at Washington State University, joins us to share more details about the study and how its findings could inform outreach efforts to communities with the greatest food assistance needs.

Portland financial advisors on navigating confidence surrounding financial decisions

Gina Jacobsen and Leslie Warren are both financial advisors based in Portland who specialize in helping women navigate financial confidence and life changes such as divorce or death of a partner. They say they notice patterns in the women they work with — oftentimes, they have their first interactions with money management later in life, and Jacobsen and Warren often take on the role of building up self-reliance in those who are managing these responsibilities for the first time.   They join us to talk about what it means to build financial confidence and competency out of uncertainty when navigating financial systems.