REBROADCAST: Historian Jill Lepore on the difficulty of amending the U.S. Constitution

REBROADCAST: Historian Jill Lepore on the difficulty of amending the U.S. Constitution

The U.S. Constitution likely would not have been ratified in 1788 without Article 5, which allowed for amendment. Many of the original founders championed the idea that the document would need to change as the country changed. As historian Jill Lepore points out in her newest book most of the 27 amendments to the constitution have happened just after times of war or conflict, and after 33 years without an amendment, we may be headed that way again. OPB’s Geoff Norcross speaks to Lepore in front of an audience at the 2025 Portland Book Festival about “We the People: A history of the U.S. Constitution.”

Why some Oregon communities have high rates of alcohol-related deaths among older adults

Oregon communities have some of the nation’s highest rates of alcohol-related deaths among adults age 65 and older. That’s according to a new study [https://wrdnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Where-Alcohol-Induced-Deaths-Among-Americans-65-Are-Highest-_-Woodlands-Grove-1.pdf] conducted by the Woodlands Grove Recovery Campus [https://woodlandsrehab.org/] in Ohio. It used CDC data [https://wonder.cdc.gov/] from 2020 through 2024 to rank metro areas by both alcohol-induced death rates and total number of deaths.    Of the top 15 cities with the highest rates, six were in Oregon. Roseburg ranked second, Eugene-Springfield fourth and Medford fifth. Salem, Bend and the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro area also appeared in the top 15.   Tom Jeanne is the deputy state health officer and an epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority. He joins us to talk about the dangers drinking can pose to older adults [https://woodlandsrehab.org/] and what the state is doing to reduce alcohol-related deaths.

Mixed-income cohousing development in North Portland gets boost with state funding

Cathedral Park Cohousing [https://www.cathedralparkcohousing.com/] is a mixed-income cohousing development in North Portland that was recently awarded $1.4 million in Oregon State Lottery Bond funds. Along with $2 million in funding previously awarded by Oregon Housing and Community Services and other funding sources, the project is expected to break ground early next year. In cohousing developments, residents typically own their own units but share common areas and participate in decisions affecting their community.    The nonprofit Our Home Inclusive Community Collaborative [https://www.ourhomeicc.org/] has spent several years working to secure the funding and partnerships to develop Cathedral Park Cohousing as an inclusive, mixed-income community. Fourteen units are being set aside for affordable home ownership, which people earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income would typically qualify for. The other nine units are being sold at market rate. Priority is also being given to people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, a group that often struggles to find housing options that meet their needs.     Alicia DeLashmutt is the president and founder of Our Home Inclusive Community Collaborative. Shane Boland is the development consultant on Cathedral Park Cohousing and the development director of Owen Gabbert, LLC. They join us for a discussion, along with Abby Braithwaite, a future owner of a market rate unit at Cathedral Park Cohousing.

Recently naturalized citizen from Iran living in Oregon reflects on the 250th anniversary of the US

In just a few weeks, our nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of its independence. As we approach this historic milestone, “Think Out Loud” hears from guests whose life experiences and personal histories illuminate different aspects of what it means to be an American. Noushin Hoshyar came to the U.S. in 2010 and just last month, became a naturalized citizen. She's originally from Iran and had a dream of working in healthcare. After attending school and receiving her license in the U.S., she became a nurse, something she could not have done in Iran. Hoshyar joins us to share her story, what it means to be an American and how she is thinking about the country's 250th anniversary this year.

Daughters of the American Revolution leader reflects on the 250th anniversary of this country

In just a few weeks, our nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of its independence.   As we approach this historic milestone, “Think Out Loud” hears from guests whose life experiences and personal histories illuminate different aspects of what it means to be an American.    Jill Gentry is the recently installed State Regent of the Oregon State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Gentry is an army veteran and worked for the National Security Agency for over 30 years before retiring to Bend and becoming involved in the DAR. Her mother and grandmother were also active DAR members. We talk to Gentry about her life of service and how she thinks about this country on its 250th anniversary.