Welcome to Coffee Talks—your weekly 10-minute news roundup from What's Happening Salem in partnership with the Salem Reporter!

In this episode, Jacob Espinoza sits down with Rachel Alexander from the Salem Reporter to break down the biggest stories affecting Salem this week:

Immigration Declaration: Salem City Council voted to declare a state of emergency over immigration enforcement—but what does that actually mean? Rachel breaks down the largely symbolic measure, the training for city employees, and what tangible steps might come next.

Healthcare Crisis Alert: Over 140,000 Marion and Polk County residents on Medicaid could lose access to Salem Health starting January 1st due to a contract dispute with Pacific Source. With Salem Clinic already out of network, where are families supposed to go for care?

Guns in Schools: A student was arrested at Sprague High School after bringing a loaded handgun through the metal detector. We discuss what happened, the response, and what comes next.

Plus: Small Business Saturday downtown, the Holiday Traditions Parade recap (spoiler: the weather cooperated!), and some much-needed good news—the Capitol's 40-foot Christmas tree is back in the Rotunda for the first time since 2019!

Subscribe to the Salem Reporter to stay informed: https://www.salemreporter.com/

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Welcome back after Thanksgiving
• 00:47 - Immigration declaration explained
• 02:18 - Medicaid/Pacific Source crisis
• 06:17 - Gun incident at Sprague High School
• 08:48 - Small Business Saturday & Holiday Parade success
• 09:33 - Good news: Capitol Christmas tree returns