Rational in Portland

Kristin Olson

Portland, Oregon native. Trial Lawyer. Resisting extremism through long-form conversations.

  1. Joe Hagedorn, running for Multnomah County family law judge

    MAY 18

    Joe Hagedorn, running for Multnomah County family law judge

    Joe Hagedorn began his career as an Oregon lawyer by representing domestic violence victims as an AmeriCorps legal aid attorney. He then practiced as a public defender and, before becoming a referee/pro tem (temporary judge to assist the work of the court), Joe was a lawyer in juvenile court. Joe and his wife Hau have three boys. Joe is running for Judge of the Circuit Court, 4th District, Position 14 in Multnomah County on the Family Law bench. The election is May 19, 2026.

    1h 20m
  2. Noah Ernst for Metro Council

    MAY 16

    Noah Ernst for Metro Council

    Noah Ernst is running for Metro Council. Noah is a lawyer, a former small business owner, a former taxi driver for Radio Cab, and currently serves as both a superintendent and in-house counsel for Radio Cab.  Listen to or watch former Metro Council President Lynn Peterson’s interview about what Metro does and about Metro’s Supportive Housing Services Tax. Lynn appears on this episode with Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West (currently running for re-election) on NW Fresh Noah Ernst’s interview about his Metro Council race on NW Fresh Noah Ernst interviews during his previous race for Portland City Council  Rational in PortlandNW Fresh Learn about what Metro Council does from Terri Preeg-Riggsby, who has a Masters of Public Administration and has served on the Metro Policy Advisory Committee for nine years. Terri is also the Executive Director of the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils and a former candidate for Metro Council.  Max Steele’s Substack Recalibrate Portland Learn about Gov. Kotek’s unsheltered homelessness legislation  CityTeam Portland Rational in Portland Episode with Lance Orton  Allegations regarding the former CEO of Home Forward, which is the state of Oregon’s largest public housing authority Rational in Portland episodes with former Portland City Council candidate, Terrence Hayes:  Terrence’s story about his 13 years in prison and growing up with drug-addicted parents in the projects and with a sister still suffering from active drug addiction“Truth Always Makes People Nervous”  40% of Portlanders are considering moving  Oregonian editorial: Vote “no” on Measure 120 Chris Christensen for Metro President

    1h 20m
  3. Joanna Perini-Abbott, running for Multnomah County Judge

    APR 29

    Joanna Perini-Abbott, running for Multnomah County Judge

    Joanna (Jo) Perini-Abbott is a lawyer and a law school professor running for judge in Multnomah County, Position 5. She is a Professor of Practice and Director of the Center for Advocacy at Lewis and Clark Law School. She has been a practicing litigator since 2010 and represents clients in criminal, civil, and regulatory matters and investigations for Angeli & Calfo. Jo is a mother and the wife of a police officer. https://jpaforjudge.com https://law.lclark.edu/live/profiles/14678-joanna-perini-abbott https://angelicalfo.com/joanna-perini-abbott https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-perini-abbott-17997424/

    1h 11m

  4. 10/12/2025

    Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Hudson Tyler and Janis Jasinsky from the Alzheimer’s Association of Oregon and SW Washington

    Hudson Tyler is the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Alzheimer's Association Oregon & SW Washington Chapter.  Janis Jasinsky is a dedicated volunteer and advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. Janis was a caregiver for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s. Janis provides education and helps people navigate the disease.  Hudson and Janis define Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and talk about warning signs, prevention, and hopeful research developments. They also explain how Alzheimer’s Association can help those living with, caring for, and supporting loved ones affected by dementia disorders.  https://www.alz.org/orswwa https://youtu.be/4hECECtTL2E?si=nDZnCsHu7w5qkwl9

    1h 10m

  5. 08/14/2025

    Sgt. Aaron Schmautz

    Sgt. Aaron Schmautz is the President of the Portland Police Association (“PPA”), which represents the police officers, sergeants, detectives, criminalists, and PS3s who work for the Portland Police Bureau. The PPA also represents the 911 dispatchers and supervisors who work for the Bureau of Emergency Communication. They are the oldest continuous police union in the United States.  Aaron talks about:  How the Portland police fared in the City of Portland budgetThe fact that the Portland police continues to be near the very bottom of police staffing per capita in the United StatesArguments from some of the Portland City Councilors regarding whether the Portland police are overfunded, are not using their allocated funds, or have too many vacanciesArguments from some of the Portland City Councilors about whether the Portland police are funded at a rate higher than they were during the Portland police defunding of 2020.The uniquely difficult nature of police staffing for protests in Portland, Oregon, which could turn violent at any moment, based on historical dataThe fact that Portland spends more than other cities, including bigger cities, but those cities still manage to fund their police departments  The ongoing activity occurring at the ICE facility in Portland Whether the Portland police are appropriately trainedThe various ways Portland police are held accountable and police accountability systems currently in existence  And more! Thanks to Andy Chandler from the podcast NW Fresh for co-hosting.  Thanks to Thad Fisco for the studio space and Portland Water for the refreshments.

    2h 16m

  6. 06/20/2025

    Betsy Johnson and Alan Evans Video

    Betsy Johnson ran for governor of Oregon as an unaffiliated candidate in the 2022 election cycle. She also served in the Oregon Legislature as a Democratic House Representative and later in the Oregon Senate. Betsy met Alan Evans when he came to the Oregon Legislature to talk about homelessness after he started an addiction recovery program called Thugs off Drugs. Alan was homeless for over 25 years and is now in recovery from substance use. He founded the Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, which includes Bybee Lakes Hope Center in Portland, Oregon. Betsy and Alan talk about homelessness and addiction solutions that have proven effective in Oregon and why those programs have problems getting funding from local government, the story about how they met, and more. https://helpinghandsreentry.org/about-us

    1h 13m
  7. Betsy Johnson and Alan Evans

    06/20/2025

    Betsy Johnson and Alan Evans

    Betsy Johnson ran for governor of Oregon as an unaffiliated candidate in the 2022 election cycle. She also served in the Oregon Legislature as a Democratic House Representative and later in the Oregon Senate. Betsy met Alan Evans when he came to the Oregon Legislature to talk about homelessness after he started an addiction recovery program called Thugs off Drugs. Alan was homeless for over 25 years and is now in recovery from substance use. He founded the Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, which includes Bybee Lakes Hope Center in Portland, Oregon. Betsy and Alan talk about homelessness and addiction solutions that have proven effective in Oregon and why those programs have problems getting funding from local government, the story about how they met, and more. https://helpinghandsreentry.org/about-us

    1h 13m
  8. Josh Marquis

    05/29/2025

    Josh Marquis

    Josh Marquis is the former District Attorney for Clatsop County, Oregon. He is a founding member and on the Board of Directors at the Oregon Criminal Justice Truth Project, He is also the Director of Legal Affairs and Law Enforcement for Animal Wellness Action. Now retired, Josh continues to be an active member of the Oregon State Bar and to advocate for victims' rights. We recorded this episode right before Josh moved to Florida. https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-marquis-5b30258https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/task-force-that-cut-car-thefts-in-half-now-on-the-chopping-block-multnomah-county-da-says/https://www.coastda.com/about.htmlhttps://www.oregon.gov/ogec/pages/default.aspxhttps://www.koin.com/news/politics/soros-backed-group-donates-20k-to-candidate-in-washington-county-da-race/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/05/multnomah-county-da-mike-schmidt-campaign-gets-boost-from-progressive-philanthropist-george-soros.htmlhttps://www.wweek.com/news/2024/05/03/working-families-party-contributions-to-mike-schmidt-grow-to-213000/https://open.spotify.com/episode/1OcUCKj1ud4AmuaGgGfYfP?si=jk3u01mUQZa5pgOEJnZO7ghttps://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2021/04/09/grammy-winning-musician-john-legend-once-again-weighs-in-on-oregons-criminal-justice-policies/https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2023/05/city-considers-two-teams-to-oversee-mandated-portland-police-reforms.htmlhttps://www.ocjtp.orghttps://www.wweek.com/news/2023/03/15/data-shows-fires-at-homeless-camps-remained-a-large-portion-of-portland-blazes-last-year/https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2023/05/10/la-mota-founders-campaign-contributions-to-kotek-and-others-stacks-of-cash/

    2h 26m
See All (132)

4.3
out of 5
103 Ratings

About

Portland, Oregon native. Trial Lawyer. Resisting extremism through long-form conversations.

Information

  • Creator
    Kristin Olson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    132
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kristin Olson
  • Show Website
    Rational in Portland

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