OHSU researchers connect tinnitus with elevated serotonin activity in the brain

OHSU researchers connect tinnitus with elevated serotonin activity in the brain

IT’S ESTIMATED THAT 1 IN 10 ADULTS EXPERIENCE TINNITUS [https://www.ata.org/about-tinnitus/why-are-my-ears-ringing/], OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A PHANTOM RINGING NOISE IN THE EARS. THE CONDITION CAN DEVELOP DUE TO HEAD TRAUMA, HEARING LOSS, EXPOSURE TO LOUD NOISE OR AS A SIDE EFFECT OF CERTAIN MEDICATIONS.   THERE’S NO CURE FOR TINNITUS AND ITS ORIGINS HAVE LONG BEEN A MYSTERY. BUT NEW RESEARCH [https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2509692123] FROM OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY HAS LINKED TINNITUS WITH ELEVATED SEROTONIN LEVELS IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE BRAIN. WHILE FAR FROM A CURE, THE DISCOVERY COULD ONE DAY HELP SCIENTISTS UNDERSTAND HOW TO REVERSE THE CONDITION THROUGH BRAIN CHEMISTRY.   LARRY TRUSSELL IS A PROFESSOR OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY AT OHSU AND INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE OREGON HEARING RESEARCH CENTER. ANGIE GARINIS IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY AT OHSU AND A MEMBER OF THE OREGON HEARING RESEARCH CENTER. SHE’S ALSO A PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR REHABILITATIVE AUDITORY RESEARCH AT THE PORTLAND VA.   THEY BOTH JOIN US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS NEW INFORMATION COULD MEAN FOR PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM TINNITUS.

Three of Oregon’s minor parties weigh in on the state of democracy under two-party system

The near total dominance of the two major political parties is nothing new. Democrats and Republicans have distinct ideological and political differences, but for some, it’s their similarities that drive them away from both.  Many voters are not affiliated with any party. In fact, those unaffiliated voters number more than either of the major parties by a substantial margin. Most of the remaining registered voters [https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/registration/2026-may.pdf] are members of the other minor parties: The Independent Party, the Constitution party, the Libertarian Party, No Labels, the Pacific Green Party, the Progressive Party, We the People Party and the Working Families Party.   In next week’s Oregon Primary [https://www.opb.org/elections-2026/], all voters will be sent ballots that include local and state candidates for nonpartisan offices and measures. But for those who are unaffiliated or a member of a minor party, no partisan candidates will appear, and they cannot vote for any of the major party candidates. Minor parties do not have their primary process funded by taxpayers, as the two major parties do.   A public opinion survey from January 2026 by DHM Research showed significant frustration [https://oregonbusinessindustry.com/januarypoll/] with both major parties. And a recent national survey of voter opinions of Congress indicated contempt [https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2026-04-22/disapproval-of-congress-ties-record-high-in-new-gallup-poll] for both Democrats and Republicans. But what does all this mean for minor parties, if anything?   We ask representatives from three of those minor parties to share how they think two-party rule is working for the electorate at large and what changes they’d like to see to include more voters more often. Our guests are Annie Naranjo-Rivera with the Oregon Working Families Party [https://workingfamilies.org/state/oregon/], Sonja Feintech with the Libertarian Party of Oregon [https://lporegon.org/] and Sal Peralta with the Independent Party of Oregon [https://www.indparty.com/].

Oregon Historical Society exhibit celebrates 100 years of Highway 101

If you’ve ever driven to the Oregon Coast, you’ve likely been on Highway 101. The scenic roadway was officially designated a federal highway 100 years ago in 1926. The highway changed how people across the state accessed the coast, bringing new opportunities for industry and tourism from Astoria to Brookings.  The Oregon Historical Society is celebrating the highway's 100th anniversary with an exhibit [https://www.ohs.org/museum/exhibits/101-at-100.cfm] that runs through Oct. 11. Megan Lallier-Barron, curator of exhibitions for OHS, joins us to share more about the history of Highway 101.

Lawsuit claims Oregon State Police shared data with ICE for years

According to a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Rural Organizing Project, state police have allowed [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/06/oregon-state-police-violated-sanctuary-law-sharing-data-ice-lawsuit-claims/] federal immigration officials to access law enforcement databases to acquire Oregonians’ data.   The lawsuit, filed last Tuesday, claims that Oregon State Police has violated Oregon’s sanctuary laws by allowing federal immigration authorities to search state and national databases, including those containing drivers license information, including license photos, as well as Social Security numbers.    We’ll hear from Martha Verduzco Ortega, the director of Immigrant Help Centers at the Rural Organizing Project, with more details.

May primary ballot measure in Lane County would give legal rights to watersheds

Next Tuesday, voters in Lane County will decide the fate of Measure 20-373, also known as the “Watersheds Bill of Rights,” in the May primary election. Organizers of the measure say it is in response to years of aerial spraying of pesticides in the county they claim has polluted drinking water and sickened residents. The measure also appears to be inspired by a global rights of nature movement, [https://www.garn.org/rights-of-nature/] by claiming that watersheds –  including rivers, creeks and the lands they flow through –  possess “inalienable rights” [https://www.protectlanecountywatersheds.org/read_ordinance] that any resident in Lane County can sue on behalf of in order to protect those watersheds and their ecosystems from pollution by corporate, business or government activities.  Opposition to the measure is being led by Protect Our County [https://protectourcounty.org/], a coalition that includes current and former elected officials and Lane County business groups such the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Brittany Quick-Warner, the chamber’s president and CEO, joins us for a debate with Rob Dickinson, a grassroots organizer of the Yes on Measure 20-373 [https://www.protectlanecountywatersheds.org/]campaign who helped draft the ballot measure.