42: Water Goes Where Money Flows

Trending consolidation puts more and more power into the hands of fewer people.

As clean drinking water continues to become a scarce resource around the world, it is baffling to understand why we are endlessly giving away water “rights” to those who do not have the best for the planet in mind. Columbia Insight is bringing awareness to water allocation issues and pushing for big changes in decision-making procedures to this life-sustaining commodity. Environmental protection organizations are calling to slow down in order to comprehend the type of use efficiency it’s going to take to ensure the health of our global community into the future.

Originally aired on February 16, 2022 on KPOV’s The Wednesday Point

41: Blood On Their Hands

The growing number of fatal shootings has changed the way these kids think about going to school and the responsibility of lawmakers.

Students hold lawmakers accountable for continued school shootings and call for gun control laws to be implemented in Oregon. Open-hearted youth share perspectives they hold on second amendment rights, the availability of military-grade weapons to the public and arming their teachers while continuing to grapple with their own emotions and daily fears. It is scary and exhausting, but they are committed to bringing awareness to and not letting lawmakers forget about the chronic gun problems in society today.

Originally aired on June 8, 2022 on KPOV’s Youth Radio Hour

30: Cancelling Rape Culture

We must all do our part in passing along progressive messages of gender-equality.

Every culture is learned through observation of what is socially acceptable and allowed on a “normal” basis. In her book, No More Excuses, How To Dismantle Rape Culture, Amber Keyser unpacks the disconnect in America between what we say and what actions are ultimately tolerated. When amplified and carried into adulthood, this dangerous level of cultural conditioning leads to a lifetime of unhealthy sexual relationships.

Originally aired on October 31, 2019 on KPOV’s The Friday Point

25: Rising From The Ashes

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Alyssa’s Law is intended to save the lives of children from gun violence in schools.

In a courageous display of transmutation, Lori Alhadeff and her husband started the non-profit Make Our Schools Safe (MOSS) after losing their daughter in the Parkland, Florida school shooting in 2018. Named after the departed, Alyssa’s Law is now a nationwide movement and is focused around enacting a direct notification method between classrooms and local law enforcement and creating a standard level of protection in schools across the country.

Originally aired on July 1, 2022 on KPOV’s The Friday Point

21: Save The Animals, Save Yourself

Even snails intuitively “board up” their shells with multiple layers of weather-proof slime in preparation of an incoming storm.

Animals are unmistakably intelligent in ways that humans are only beginning to understand, Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA, expresses passionately. Humans, ultimately, could learn from the behaviors and emotional temperaments of all of Earth’s creatures, who are incredibly loyal to each other and are wonderful caretakers, nurturers and partners. Become aware of the immense effort working to preserve the entire orchestra of life and asking the tough questions.

Originally aired on July 23, 2020 on KPOV’s All Things Vegan

19: Kids Say The Darnedest Things

Youth activists and DJs are just happy to have a platform to speak and be heard.

Courageous Youth Radio Hour hosts, Juniper and Parker, have important dialogue about topics that are important to them, how they feel and what they’re experiencing in their community. They express their deep desire to be accepted for the way they are and the exhaustion that’s felt as they continue to fight for representation, action and change. Be inspired by the honesty and stamina it takes to defend your life against everything you’ve ever known and have been taught.

Originally aired on May 25, 2022 on KPOV’s Youth Radio Hour

18: Securing Your Cyberspace

Social engineering uses human behavior against humans.

Protecting ourselves and our families from cyber attack can seem like a daunting task with the overwhelming amount of information and misinformation that’s available on the internet. Matthew Canham, cybersecurity expert and cognitive psychologist, explains what type of security can be implemented to keep information safe from these all too common breaches and how to protect consumers from the dark alleys of cyberspace.

Originally aired on May 25, 2022 on KPOV’s The Wednesday Point

17: Poisoned Water

Flint's struggle for basic human rights became a mark in time for the concern of clean water supplies.

There is no easy way to swallow the harsh reality of what life was like for the people of Flint, Michigan when they experienced a sudden breakout of mysterious illnesses in 2014 and began their arduous fight for a clean water supply. Authors Candy Cooper and Marc Aronson encourage critical thinking and challenge everyone to question what they’re told, seek evidence and look for more information.

Originally aired on February 3, 2021 on KPOV’s Open Air

10: A Force Among Us

Moms Demand Action promotes gun safety, gun-sense laws and squashes myths to keep families safe.

The ripple effect of gun violence is wide and the discussion here brings awareness to and questions how our immediate culture shapes the way we view and process gun violence. Brandy Steelhammer and Juniper Rook, both gun safety advocates in Central Oregon, vulnerably give their own stories and many ways to take action against gun violence.

Originally aired on May 31, 2022 on KPOV’s Curiosity Lab

8: The Life-Saving Question

Suicide reduction requires a complex community response, but it all starts with a simple question.

A crucial talk about how to approach someone who may be showing warning signs of committing suicide. Whitney Schumacher, Deschutes County Suicide Prevention Coordinator, works along side community organizations and members to reduce suicide attempts and provide essential support through outreach, awareness, education and policy change.

Originally aired on September 4, 2019 on KPOV’s The Wednesday Point

7: Bridging Past and Present

Myrlie Evers Williams, widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, continues the fight for justice today.

Wife of Medgar Evers, civil rights activist who died of political violence on June 12, 1963, Myrlie Evers Williams, uses wisdom and knowledge from past experiences to continue fighting for justice and equal opportunity today. She urges us not to forget the essence of Medgar’s fight for equal voting rights and the basic rights of each American individual.

Originally aired on January 20, 2021 on KPOV’s Open Air

6: Fundamental Choices

Protestors outside Bend, Oregon's Planned Parenthood are an almost daily scene.

This topical discussion with Bend, Oregon’s Planned Parenthood Manager, Joanna Dennis-Cook, brings awareness to how important consistent and supportive reproductive and abortion care is for Oregonians. Also, what will happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned at the federal level and our communities response to continuing to offer this equal, fundamental care for all.

Originally aired on May 10, 2022 on KPOV’s Curiosity Lab

4: "Ghost Skins" Revealed

White supremacy is rampant in law enforcement communities across the US nation.

“Ghost skins” are infiltrating local law enforcement communities across the USA, reports the 2006 FBI Intelligence Assessment White Supremacist Infiltration of Law Enforcement. This enlightening conversation with Teryl Young, criminology major, aids in breaking down the hidden codes used to systematically marginalize BIPOC communities, as well as, spotlighting the mental and social health of law enforcement.

Originally aired on October 24, 2017 on KPOV’s The Tuesday Point

2: Students Staring Down The Barrel

High school student, Juniper Rook, leads a walkout and pleads for more local gun control.

Organizing student walkouts and protesting the desire for more gun control laws in Central Oregon, Redmond Proficiency Academy students, led by youth activist Juniper Rook, are not afraid to stand up for what they believe community leaders should prioritize; Their lives.

Originally aired on January 31, 2022 on KPOV’s The Tuesday Point