Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem!

In this Coffee Talk edition—a new series in partnership with Salem Reporter—Jacob Espinoza sits down with Rachel Alexander from Salem Reporter to discuss:

• Oregon's last-minute push to distribute SNAP benefits amid federal uncertainty
• How local food pantries continue dealing with increased demand since COVID
• Salem-Keizer schools facing $25 million in cuts and potential layoffs
• The ongoing tension between rising costs and state funding for education
• Recent ICE arrests in Salem and the challenges of reporting on immigration enforcement
• Why local nonprofits are crucial for tracking what's happening in our community

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Timestamps:

00:01 - Welcome back and weekend sports recap

01:22 - Sprague volleyball finishes second in state

02:08 - SNAP benefits update: Oregon pushes payments through

04:05 - Food insecurity remains a long-term challenge

04:38 - Salem-Keizer schools need to cut $25 million

07:14 - Understanding the structural funding issues in education

08:44 - ICE arrests reported in Salem yesterday

11:45 - The difficulty of reporting immigration enforcement

11:49 - Wrapping up this week's Salem update