Think Out Loud

How the US military shaped the outdoor apparel industry

From camping gear to gorpcore [https://www.instyle.com/gorpcore-8742147], consumers may not realize that the functional, tactical and practical clothing worn today has deep connections to the U.S. military. In the latest season of “Articles of Interest, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/articles-of-interest/id1455169228]” host and producer Avery Trufelman takes listeners on a journey to learn more about how civilian and military fashion intersect and the ways in which the uniforms of soldiers have influenced the outdoor apparel industry. Trufelman joins us to share more on the history of military gear, the civilian-veteran divide, Portland’s Functional Fabric Fair and more.

CDC advisory committee votes to stop universal hepatitis B vaccines for newborns

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [https://www.cdc.gov/acip/index.html] voted Friday morning to change its recommendation [https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/12/05/nx-s1-5634004/cdc-hepatitis-b-vaccine-acip-meeting] on hepatitis B vaccines for newborns.    For more than three decades, the agency has recommended that all infants receive a hepatitis B vaccine, regardless of their risk status. Now, the vaccine will only be recommended for infants born to mothers who test positive for the infection or whose status is unknown. The committee’s decision still needs approval from the CDC’s acting director.   A group of researchers conducted a modeling study [https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.25340907v1] to assess the impacts of delaying the vaccine. The study has not yet been peer reviewed, but it found that delaying the vaccine by even two months could lead to more than 1,400 preventable hepatitis B infections and more than $222 million in additional health care costs.   Eric Hall is an assistant professor of epidemiology in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. He led the study and joins us with more details.

HBO documentary explores multibillion-dollar school shooter preparedness industry

Since 1999, there have been more than 430 school shootings [https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/school-shootings-database/]across the nation. Oregon alone has had eight incidents since 2008, according to CNN [https://www.cnn.com/us/school-shootings-fast-facts-dg]. With school shootings being a concern for parents, teachers and students, a new industry around school safety has emerged. Estimated to be worth $4 billion, school shooting preparedness and security is projected to continue to grow. From panic buttons and bullet-resistant backpacks to drill simulations and AI gun detection software, the amount of products and services being sold to schools and districts varies wildly. A new HBO documentary, “Thoughts and Prayers [https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-0/hbo-original-documentary-thoughts-prayers-debuts-november-18],” takes a look at this industry and follows students, teachers and community members during a mass-casualty event drill in Medford, Oregon. Directors Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock join us to share more about the school security industry.

Astoria dance instructor honored for 75 years of teaching dance

Jeanne Maddox Peterson was 13 years old when she began teaching dance lessons out of her family’s living room in Astoria.     That was 75 years ago. Today, at the age of 89, Peterson is still teaching students at Maddox Dance Studio [https://www.maddoxdancers.com/maddoxdance_about.htm], which is now located in Warrenton and offers classes ranging from ballet to tap, hip-hop to acrobatic dance. As first reported by The Daily Astorian [https://dailyastorian.com/2025/11/18/dance-teacher-gets-ovation-from-community-for-seven-decades-of-leaps-and-twirls/], Clatsop County Commissioners honored Peterson last month when they proclaimed Dec. 6, 2025 “Jeanne Maddox Peterson Day” in recognition of her many contributions to the community. That day marks the 50th anniversary of “The Nutcracker” [https://members.oldoregon.com/events/details/lbt-presents-the-nutcracker-12-06-2025-41937] this Saturday in Astoria, which Peterson has been producing annual winter performances of since 1975.     Peterson joins us to talk about her remarkable career, which also includes having worked as a professional dancer for companies in San Francisco and Montreal and producing the Miss Oregon pageant for more than three decades. We also hear from Michelle Kischner Rogers, an instructor at Maddox Dance Studio and one of Peterson’s former students who first took lessons from her at the age of 5.

Immigration agencies have access to license plate data in Washington state

Law enforcement agencies across Oregon and Washington use automated license plate readers to identify vehicles and manage traffic. Many of those cameras are run by a company called Flock Safety, which has been criticized for sharing data with immigration officials. A new study from the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights found that U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have access to Flock license plate data from at least 18 of 31 law enforcement agencies in WA state. Phil Neff, the coordinator for the UW Center for Human Rights, joins us to discuss the research.