Think Out Loud

UO professor shares history of Mahjong in the US 100 years after it first became popular

In the 1920s, Mahjong took the U.S. by storm, rapidly becoming a popular game to play and a household name. More than a century later, Mahjong’s popularity seems to be on the rise again, as Yelp data shows a nearly 4,500% increas [https://trends.yelp.com/2026-yelp-trend-forecast]e in searches for Mahjong in the last year. Annelise Heinz is an associate professor of history at the University of Oregon’s College of Arts and Sciences. She is also the author of “Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture.” She joins us to share the history.

Community Energy Project says PCEF grants are achieving climate goals and helping vulnerable communities

It’s been five years since the Portland Clean Energy Fund, or PCEF, gave out its first grants. The fund has grown much more than expected, and various interests [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/06/measure-to-divert-portland-climate-funds-to-hire-more-police-could-be-headed-to-voters-in-november/] have proposed using some of it [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/09/portland-unveils-timeline-for-moda-center-deal/] for non-climate goals. The Community Energy Project is among the local groups that helped create PCEF [https://www.portland.gov/bps/cleanenergy/about#toc-about-pcef] after voters passed the ballot measure in 2018. The Fund was designed to reduce carbon emissions to help get Portland net-zero emissions by 2050, develop a diverse workforce and focus on populations most affected by climate change. Jim Plantico [https://www.communityenergyproject.org/team/jim] is one of the Community Energy Project’s program directors. He joins us to share more about the program, what the money is being spent on more broadly and the specific projects that CEP has implemented with PCEF grants.

Portland writer breaks down native plant movement, gardening

Proponents for growing native plants, especially in gardening, argue that because native species adapted and evolved in their surroundings, they are best suited for the climate, habitats and mutually beneficial relationships with species in the area. But does this still ring true as our planet continues to change? Can someone have a garden that mixes both introduced and native species that still benefit insects and animals? Ferris Jabr is a science writer and author of “Becoming Earth.” He set out to answer these questions in a new piece [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/magazine/native-plants-garden.html?searchResultPosition=2] for the New York Times. He joins us to discuss the native plants movement, its challenges and benefits.

Vinyl record pressing plant opens in Salem

Amid the many return-to-analog trends in the U.S., vinyl records have held their footing as a popular medium since the early 2000s. In 2025, vinyl sales in the U.S. had its best year since the 1980s, and surpassed $1 billion for the first time ever. However, most vinyl record pressing is done overseas, with just over 40 record pressing plants currently manufacturing in the U.S.   Object Permanence records, based in Salem, is the newest vinyl pressing plant in Oregon.  They’re also now the sole local manufacturer, since Cascade Record pressing in Milwaukie closed its doors just last month.    Object Permanence has been in operation for just over three weeks, and the co-owners Carrie Morrisey and Adam Philips will join us with the details of the vinyl-pressing business, and why they moved from Brooklyn, NY, to Salem to start their small-press record manufacturer.

Ethical and safety concerns abound as wildfire prediction betting heats up

PREDICTION MARKET PLATFORMS ALLOW PEOPLE TO PLACE BETS ON A STAGGERING ARRAY OF OUTCOMES - FROM THE US-IRAN CONFLICT TO THE WINNER OF THE WORLD CUP TO WHO TAYLOR SWIFT’S BRIDESMAIDS WILL BE. ADD TO THAT LIST BETTING ON WILDFIRES.    HIGH COUNTRY NEWS [https://www.hcn.org/articles/people-are-betting-on-wildfires-should-they/]RECENTLY REPORTED THAT POLYMARKET, THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PREDICTION MARKET PLATFORM, ACCEPTED BETS ON THE PALISADES FIRE AS IT BROKE OUT IN JANUARY 2025 IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THE FIRE KILLED 31 PEOPLE AND DESTROYED MORE THAN 16,000 STRUCTURES. HIGH COUNTRY NEWS ALSO REPORTED ON THE LAUNCH OF ANOTHER PREDICTION MARKET EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING ONLY SIMULATED BETS ON WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA.    BETTING ON WHERE AND WHEN A WILDFIRE STARTS AND HOW IT GROWS RAISES ETHICAL AND SAFETY CONCERNS. A USER ON THE PREDICTION PLATFORM COULD, FOR EXAMPLE, ENGAGE IN ARSON TO SCORE BIG ON A PLACED BET. FEDERAL AND STATE FIRE OFFICIALS HIGH COUNTRY NEWS SPOKE TO REJECTED CLAIMS THAT BETS PLACED ON WILDFIRES COULD AID THEIR WILDFIRE FORECASTING AND MONITORING EFFORTS.   HIGH COUNTRY NEWS CORRESPONDENT KYLIE MOHR JOINS US TO SHARE MORE DETAILS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR OREGON AS STATE OFFICIALS PREPARE FOR A POTENTIALLY DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE SEASON.