Think Out Loud

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.

Portland’s Innovation Law Lab breaks down what the end of Temporary Protection Status will mean for Oregon

Last week, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration to end protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. The Temporary Protected Status program was signed into law by George H. W. Bush in 1990 and allows citizens of other countries to stay in the U.S. when it is deemed unsafe for them to return to their home countries.    The 6-3 vote only ends protections for people from Haiti and Syria, but will have broader implications for the nearly million other immigrants who also received TPS. Kelsey Provo is the associate legal director of the Innovation Law Lab in Portland. She joins us to share more on what this decision means and the impact it will have.

Portland hosts USA Fencing National Championships

For the first time in nearly 50 years, Portland is hosting the USA Fencing National Championships [https://www.usafencing.org/2026-summer-nationals-july-challange]. The ten-day tournament kicks off this Sunday, with thousands of fencing athletes from around the world competing for national titles.   Michael McTigue [https://www.nwfencing.org/michael-mctigue/] served as the executive director of the non-profit Northwest Fencing for 5 years and now volunteers as a coach. He’s been fencing, competing and coaching for the last 48 years. Sandra Marchant [https://www.usafencing.org/profiles/sandra-marchant] is a national fencing champion who’s coming to town to compete. She frequently travels to Portland to host a women’s-only fencing summer camp called The Athena Project [https://www.nwfencing.org/athena-summer-camp/]. We’ll hear from McTigue and Marchant ahead of the tournament

Portland Art Museum offers regional artists’ works for rent

The Portland Art Museum’s rental gallery has been operating on the same business model since its inception in 1959. In the 1950s, the Portland Art Museum was the city’s art school as well as a gallery. They opened the rental gallery to showcase local artists’ works, and they’ve been offering rentals and sales ever since. Mark Tindle has been the head of the rental sales gallery since 2021, and he joins us to share more about the gallery and its unique model.    The current showcase on display at the rental gallery is a collaboration with OPB’s Oregon Art Beat, featuring local artists that have been featured on the program. The exhibit is up in the rental gallery until July 11th.