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.

• 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

• 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

• 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

If this episode helped you see Portland a little clearer: like, follow, and subscribe—and share it with one person who cares about this city.

Guest Co-Host: Jennifer Williamson • Interview Guest: MAC Smiff (Thesis PDX)

In this episode, Mike is joined by guest co-host Jennifer Williamson, attorney, former Oregon House Majority Leader, and co-founder of Swift Public Affairs, for a wide-ranging conversation on law, politics, and what’s about to hit Oregon’s healthcare system.

Then we bring in Mac Smiff, organizer and host of Thesis, one of Portland’s longest-running independent music showcases, to talk about building a more accessible and exciting local music scene.

Segment 1 – The AG, Kristi Noem, and Federal Misconduct

Mike and Jennifer kick things off by unpacking Oregon Attorney General Rayfield’s recent press release and letter to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, flagging concerns about:

• Allegations of potential criminal misconduct by federal agents in Oregon
• What it actually looks like to investigate possible federal misconduct at the state level
• How fighting via press releases, and threats of investigation may fall flat without more.

Referenced links:

• • AG Rayfield press release
  • Portland DA balked

Segment 2 – What’s Coming for Oregon Health Care & OHP

Next, Jennifer draws on her recent conversations with Oregon lawmakers and policy folks to talk about the real-world impacts of federal funding decisions on Oregon’s healthcare system, including:

• What’s at stake for Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members
• How impending federal funding shifts and cuts might show up at the local level
• What this could mean for providers, hospitals, and families trying to stay insured
• Where the political fights are happening—D.C. vs. Salem—and who actually has leverage

Referenced links:

• Article on federal funding changes & Oregon
• Coverage of impending OHP cuts
• OHP / Medicaid & Snap implications

Segment 3 – Building Portland’s Music Future with Thesis (with MAC Smiff)

Then we’re joined by MAC Smiff, who runs Thesis, one of Portland’s longest-running recurring music shows.

We dig into:

• The origin story of Thesis and why it’s stuck around so long
• How the show is designed to bring new, young artists onto the stage
• The work behind the scenes to remove barriers to performing — cost, logistics, access, and gatekeeping
• Why Thesis aims to be the place where Portlanders can say “I saw them first,” at their cocktail parties, and what that means for building a real, sustainable scene
• How people who care about Portland’s culture can actually show up and support the artists coming next

Learn more / follow Thesis & MAC:

• Thesis info / tickets
• News coverage of Thesis
• IG @thethesispdx

Thanks for Listening

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Schmidt Show PDX.

Do all the podcast things to help keep this going:

• Follow / subscribe to the show
• Rate and review us on your podcast app
• Share this episode with a friend who cares about Oregon politics, healthcare, or Portland music
• Reach out with feedback or guest ideas – who should we talk to

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This holiday week, we’re breaking from our usual co-hosted current events + one-interview format and bringing you two back-to-back conversations with people doing deeply local work in Portland:

• Tyler Pell from Tennis Courterly
• Katie and Nicki from Sisters of the Road, talking about the Finding Home report authored by the Welcome Home Coalition

First up, Mike talks with Tyler Pell, founder of Portland Tennis Courterly – an analog, paper newsletter devoted to all things tennis in Portland. While it’s technically about tennis, it’s just as much about community, public space, and how we use shared resources like parks and courts.

• Why Tyler started an analog tennis newsletter instead of going online
• How Tennis Courterly is trying to “rebrand” tennis in Portland and build political consciousness around public courts and budget priorities
• What it looks like when a sport becomes a vehicle for community-building, not gatekeeping

• Select public tennis courts in Portland
• Players Racquet Shop
• Old Town magazine store Chess Club (downtown Portland)
• Mother Foucault’s Bookstore (Where I got mine)

Online:

• Website: https://tenniscourterly.com
• Instagram: @tenniscourterly

Next, we bring you part of a wide-ranging conversation with Katie and Nicki from Sisters of the Road, a long-standing Portland organization that centers the dignity and autonomy of people experiencing poverty and homelessness through meals, organizing, and advocacy.

We highlight the new report Finding Home: Lasting Solutions Rooted in Community Expertise, produced with Welcome Home Coalition that captures the perspectives of 650+ people experiencing homelessness in the Portland region.

91% of people surveyed said they would move into housing if they could afford it.

This challenges the myth that people on the streets “don’t want housing” or “prefer tents.”

• What the Finding Home study asked
• Why most respondents strongly prefer stable housing over shelters or living outside
• How a shelter-heavy response misses what people actually need
• The importance of peer support, rent assistance, and eviction prevention versus pouring more money into mass shelters and sweeps
• The broader myths and tropes about houselessness that this research dismantles

• https://www.sistersoftheroad.org
• Finding Home report (overview, toolkit, and links)
• Welcome Home Coalition

We only included part of the conversation with Katie and Nicki in this episode. To hear the full, extended interview and explore more of the Finding Home data and policy implications, head over to our Substack and become a subscriber.

Subscriber support helps cover production costs and lets us grow so more people can hear stories about folks working to make Portland a better place.

👉 Extended interview and subscriber extras: Schmidt Show PDX Substack