In The NewsUmatilla County is in the middle of one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in Oregon. Since the beginning of July, the county has registered more than 17 cases per 1,000 people. But data released Friday by Oregon State University suggest the rate of coronavirus infection could actually be significantly higher in places.A door-to-door testing initiative called in Hermiston found that nearly 17% of the city’s population is infected. That’s 169 infections per 1000 people in the city.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Project co-director Ben Dalziel calls the infection numbers “very high,” the...…In The NewsUmatilla County is in the middle of one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in Oregon. Since the beginning of July, the county has registered more than 17 cases per 1,000 people. But data released Friday by Oregon State University suggest the rate of coronavirus infection could actually be significantly higher in places.A door-to-door testing initiative called in Hermiston found that nearly 17% of the city’s population is infected. That’s 169 infections per 1000 people in the city.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Project co-director Ben Dalziel calls the infection numbers “very high,” the...WW…

In The NewsYour browser does not support the audio element.A close-up of an eye dominates the computer monitor in Avinash Bala’s lab. It’s uncomfortably close, blinking like it’s irritated. A vaguely female voice is repeating the word “bah” in the background every few seconds.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“The eighth trial is coming up,” Bala says quietly. “The tenth one will be a different sound, and we should pay attention to that because I’m expecting it to be really big dilation.”Bala is a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon, and although he calls his workspace the “Baby Hearing Lab,”...…In The NewsYour browser does not support the audio element.A close-up of an eye dominates the computer monitor in Avinash Bala’s lab. It’s uncomfortably close, blinking like it’s irritated. A vaguely female voice is repeating the word “bah” in the background every few seconds.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“The eighth trial is coming up,” Bala says quietly. “The tenth one will be a different sound, and we should pay attention to that because I’m expecting it to be really big dilation.”Bala is a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon, and although he calls his workspace the “Baby Hearing Lab,”...WW…

In The NewsNASA is poised to make aerospace history . It will be the first flight by a controlled aircraft on another planet beyond Earth.Decades of planning and prototype testing have led up to this moment. And a piece of that history happened on the Oregon Coast.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“The problem on any planet is the same as Earth. If you want to go around a bunch, you have to go in orbit. To be in orbit, your altitudes are significantly higher than if you could fly,” said Kevin Tucker, president of aerospace engineering company . “If you really want to get sensors in close proximity...…In The NewsNASA is poised to make aerospace history . It will be the first flight by a controlled aircraft on another planet beyond Earth.Decades of planning and prototype testing have led up to this moment. And a piece of that history happened on the Oregon Coast.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“The problem on any planet is the same as Earth. If you want to go around a bunch, you have to go in orbit. To be in orbit, your altitudes are significantly higher than if you could fly,” said Kevin Tucker, president of aerospace engineering company . “If you really want to get sensors in close proximity...WW…

In The NewsOregon is expecting to receive a large chunk of federal stimulus money this week to help pay for its COVID-19 vaccination program.Congress approved to use for vaccine activities under the supplemental pandemic stimulus bill that went into law in late December. Oregon’s share of those funds is $38.1 million, although only a portion of that is expected to be distributed this week.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“Particularly now, it is crucial that states and communities have the resources they need to conduct testing, and to distribute and administer safe, high-quality COVID-19 vaccines...…In The NewsOregon is expecting to receive a large chunk of federal stimulus money this week to help pay for its COVID-19 vaccination program.Congress approved to use for vaccine activities under the supplemental pandemic stimulus bill that went into law in late December. Oregon’s share of those funds is $38.1 million, although only a portion of that is expected to be distributed this week.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“Particularly now, it is crucial that states and communities have the resources they need to conduct testing, and to distribute and administer safe, high-quality COVID-19 vaccines...WW…

In The NewsNearly a year after the new coronavirus emerged as a worldwide threat, dozens of companies and research institutions started work to create a vaccine for COVID-19. It usually takes years to develop a vaccine, so it was not at all certain that any of the vaccines being developed would actually work.In fact, when the Food and Drug Administration set requirements for how effective a vaccine needed to be for an emergency use authorization (EUA), it set it at 50% — that’s in the same range as to how effective the flu vaccine is each year.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Less than a year later,...…In The NewsNearly a year after the new coronavirus emerged as a worldwide threat, dozens of companies and research institutions started work to create a vaccine for COVID-19. It usually takes years to develop a vaccine, so it was not at all certain that any of the vaccines being developed would actually work.In fact, when the Food and Drug Administration set requirements for how effective a vaccine needed to be for an emergency use authorization (EUA), it set it at 50% — that’s in the same range as to how effective the flu vaccine is each year.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Less than a year later,...WW…

In The NewsYour browser does not support the audio element.During the early days of the pandemic, whether or not you had a backbone could have been the difference between life and death. At least if you were a lab animal.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“(Oregon State University) would let you take care of fish during the shutdown, but invertebrates were not considered to be, I guess, important enough,” said OSU eco-toxicologist Susanne Brander. – including the lowly spineless mysid shrimp that plays a big role in the ocean food web.Not being able to access her lab was a big problem, so she had to...…In The NewsYour browser does not support the audio element.During the early days of the pandemic, whether or not you had a backbone could have been the difference between life and death. At least if you were a lab animal.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“(Oregon State University) would let you take care of fish during the shutdown, but invertebrates were not considered to be, I guess, important enough,” said OSU eco-toxicologist Susanne Brander. – including the lowly spineless mysid shrimp that plays a big role in the ocean food web.Not being able to access her lab was a big problem, so she had to...WW…

In The NewsNew research suggests that a U.S. Forest Service proposal to allow the cutting of larger trees on public lands east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington will have an outsized impact on forest carbon storage in the Pacific Northwest.The is the latest scientific evidence that forests are important buffers of climate change because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Large trees are particularly efficient at capturing or “sequestering” carbon in their wood, leaves and roots.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“We’ve had some other systems that have been looked at around the world...…In The NewsNew research suggests that a U.S. Forest Service proposal to allow the cutting of larger trees on public lands east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington will have an outsized impact on forest carbon storage in the Pacific Northwest.The is the latest scientific evidence that forests are important buffers of climate change because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Large trees are particularly efficient at capturing or “sequestering” carbon in their wood, leaves and roots.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:“We’ve had some other systems that have been looked at around the world...WW…

In The NewsResearchers say the invasive insects popularly referred to as “murder hornets” could expand into Oregon in ten years if not successfully contained in Washington.The giant hornets, native to Asia, were discovered on Vancouver Island in Canada and the northwest part of Washington last year. They’re the world’s largest hornet — up to two inches long — and they prey on other insects.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Agriculture officials are about the introduction and spread of Asian giant hornets because a few hornets can kill a honey bee hive in just a few hours.The hornets are also known to...…In The NewsResearchers say the invasive insects popularly referred to as “murder hornets” could expand into Oregon in ten years if not successfully contained in Washington.The giant hornets, native to Asia, were discovered on Vancouver Island in Canada and the northwest part of Washington last year. They’re the world’s largest hornet — up to two inches long — and they prey on other insects.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:Agriculture officials are about the introduction and spread of Asian giant hornets because a few hornets can kill a honey bee hive in just a few hours.The hornets are also known to...WW…

In The NewsYour browser does not support the audio element.UPDATE (11:30 a.m. PT, Monday, June 15) — The state of Oregon saw a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases over the past weekend. The bump comes just days after Gov. Kate Brown to further relax business closures and social distancing measures under Phase 2 of reopening.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:State public health officials have not shied away from predictions that the number of people infected with novel coronavirus would go up once people started to interact in public spaces again.Still, the case bump that counties have experienced has...…In The NewsYour browser does not support the audio element.UPDATE (11:30 a.m. PT, Monday, June 15) — The state of Oregon saw a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases over the past weekend. The bump comes just days after Gov. Kate Brown to further relax business closures and social distancing measures under Phase 2 of reopening.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:State public health officials have not shied away from predictions that the number of people infected with novel coronavirus would go up once people started to interact in public spaces again.Still, the case bump that counties have experienced has...WW…

In The NewsFederal regulators have given final environmental approval for a groundbreaking blue pigment discovered in Oregon.  The clearance opens the door for “YInMn Blue” to be manufactured for commercial sale in a broad range of products.The blue, discovered in 2009 by Oregon State University chemist Mas Subramanian, was the first new blue pigment developed in more than 200 years. Subramanian made the discovery accidentally while trying to create new materials to use in electronics.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:YInMn blue is named for the three component minerals: yttrium, indium, and...…In The NewsFederal regulators have given final environmental approval for a groundbreaking blue pigment discovered in Oregon.  The clearance opens the door for “YInMn Blue” to be manufactured for commercial sale in a broad range of products.The blue, discovered in 2009 by Oregon State University chemist Mas Subramanian, was the first new blue pigment developed in more than 200 years. Subramanian made the discovery accidentally while trying to create new materials to use in electronics.THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:YInMn blue is named for the three component minerals: yttrium, indium, and...WW…