Season 2, Episode 5 - Happy New Year?
Portland Vibe Check with Author Donovan Scribes
Episode snapshot
Portland doesn’t just debate policy—we debate reality. Journalist Donovan Scribes joins me to break down his “Top 10 Takeaways” from a chaotic 2025, and we talk about how vibes (and media narratives) can drive big decisions on Measure 110, police budgets, and the so-called “doom loop”—plus what feels genuinely hopeful heading into 2026.
What we cover
Vibes vs. evidence: how hype forms, spreads, and becomes policy
Portland’s journalism landscape: where Donovan goes to get grounded and verify what’s real
2025 in review: the moments and patterns Donovan thinks mattered most
Memory, protest, and power: what Portland learned (and didn’t) since 2020
Hopeful 2026 governance bets: “boring competence” wins that could change daily life—sidewalks, storefronts, AI accountability, and harm reduction tools
Portland 2026: initiatives we highlight
Sidewalk Improvement & Paving Program (Loretta Smith / Mitch Green / Olivia Clark)
Small business storefront support (Dan Ryan)
AI + housing / algorithmic systems (Angelita Morillo)
ERPO focus + youth suicide prevention framing (Steve Novick), including discussion of emerging “smart gun” concepts
Referenced work from Donovan
Donovan’s Portland Mercury piece: “THE BLACK BYLINE: Top 10 Takeaways from 2025, A Wild Year in Portland”
The Portland Mercury x Donovan Scribes project: BlackOut — A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement
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