The Jefferson Exchange

School is out for most kids and teachers, but the work of education goes on. 

And so do the debates about how best to make the American public education system better. 

The existing system has been overlaid with more standardized testing in recent years, and the implementation of the national Common Core Standards. 

The Oregon Education Association represents the teachers who carry out the work. 

Maybe you had a chance to get away from the daily routine lately. 

It's expected this time of year. 

But the events of the world continue non-stop... so we keep booking guests for the Jefferson Exchange. 

The greater fuel efficiency of cars means fewer gallons of gas are being sold, so less tax money gets set aside for road-building. 

It's an issue on the water, too… recreational boating has increased in Oregon in the past five years, but fuel tax revenue declined.  And so did motorboat registrations. 

So the state marine board approved a motorboat registration fee increase, from $3 a foot to $5 a foot, pending legislative approval.

It's one of the sharper debates in extractive industries: what happens to land that has been mined. 

Think about strip mines and mountaintop-removal mining. 

Now think happier thoughts, because Oregon rewards companies that do good work in reclaiming mined land. 

So maybe you're not a big vegetable enthusiast. 

But this time of year, there's just so much good produce to be had, as gardens large and small begin delivering their wares. 

It's a great time to get up to speed on recipes Straight From The Earth. 

Discrimination in rental housing is banned under law. 

But landlords in Oregon could refuse to rent to people who got rental assistance through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. 

That ended effective July 1, when the Housing Choice Act went into effect under Oregon law. 

The Electoral College that still officially elects our presidents and Facebook shenanigans are the focus of this week's VENTSday segment.

We do not schedule guests for Wednesday at 8:30, because that's the time for VENTSday, your chance to vent (politely, please) on a pair of topics in the news. 

We bring the topics, you bring the opinions. 

The term "patient-centered medical home" probably conjures up a number of images and ideas. 

It is not a home you LIVE in, but a home base of sorts, a place to get all of your medical needs addressed in one place. 

The concept is catching on in Oregon. 

On those hot days, it's hard to resist a swim in a cool body of water. 

But findings of toxic algae and high bacteria levels in area lakes and rivers make a few swimmers more cautious. 

The Rogue Riverkeeper program is set up to help... with The Swim Guide. 

Who knew a place with the rhythmic name of "Hobby Lobby" could cause such an uproar? 

But that's what happened recently, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Hobby Lobby stores do not have to cover certain contraceptives in their employee health plans, for religious reasons. 

The outcry from reproductive rights groups has been sharp.