The Psychedelic Frontier
Q: I’m a psychedelic practitioner, and I’ve been thinking about safety in ceremony. I’m wondering about your thoughts on background checks. It feels like it goes against my value of holding space for everyone seeking transformation. How do you navigate this? A: There’s a very frank conversation we need to have about background checks in psychedelic…
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Machine
Cinema has long been obsessed with the concept of machines that can think, feel and one day be indistinguishable from their creators. When done correctly, artificial intelligence as a cinematic device can serve as a perfect mirror for human anxiety, ambition and existential dread; at its worst, it’s a goofy stab at speculative fear-mongering, nervously…
AI Tools Used as Smart Medical Assistants
In the medical world, artificial intelligence is being used in multiple ways to improve efficiencies and patient care. Last year, St. Charles Health System began offering doctors an AI software program called DAX. So far, 125 primary care providers and workers in ambulatory settings at St. Charles are using it. The physicians use an app…
Bend-La Pine Schools Support Responsible AI Literacy
Navigating the balance between an appropriate use of AI technology in schools and creating human bots is a delicate, complex issue. In April, the Bend-La Pine School Board passed a resolution requiring the school district to review the use of all technology and apps and create standards for tech use at different grade levels. Communications…
Artificial Intelligence Promises to Make Our Work Easier — But What If AI Doesn’t Need Us at All?
As some recent university graduates expressed with loud boos during the commencement speeches of pro-AI speakers, artificial intelligence is cause for concern, not excitement, as they enter an increasingly automated workforce. For starters, studies have shown that AI has already — or stands to — replace millions of entry-level and mid-level positions throughout myriad industries. Think computer programmers, commercial jingle writers and — gulp — some types of journalists. If…
Free Will Astrology, Week of June 25
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now is an auspicious time to declare a sweeping amnesty and observe a personal season of pardon. To the best of your ability, release your clenched feelings about people who have caused you pain. Banish blame! Purge any lingering resentment and regret that has curdled into self‑reproach. Celebrate atonement and absolution!…
AI Chatbots Assist With Central Oregon Government Work
Local governments in Central Oregon have rolled out artificial intelligence chatbots that they say have saved hours of staff time, help in combing through documents, synthesizing emails, generating content for press releases and even rewriting website language. Governments across the country face the question of how — or whether — AI could interact with the public to help make services more efficient, even while they grapple with potential risks of the new technology. That’s spurred a region-wide organized discussion in Central Oregon that could lead to new…
Holiday Festivities & 250th Birthday Celebrations
With the Fourth of July holiday on Saturday this year, and coinciding with the nation’s 250th birthday, there’s no shortage of celebrations around Central Oregon. Bend The Discovery West neighborhood west of Northwest Crossing in Bend is celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday on Friday, July 3, with food vendors, square dancing lessons, games and a…
Wine, Music, Vibes
I know it can be one of the most basic things in the world to talk about geography, but bear with me for a second because I’m trying to paint a picture and you must consider the scenery. If you’ve ever driven north on Highway 97 between Bend and Madras, you know the dramatic shift…
If Journalism is the Last Job…
A recent article in The Hollywood Reporter offers a chronicle of how journalists may soon be adjudicated in the court of AI justice. As disturbing as that piece may be, it did contain an intriguing muse about the future of journalism, and the future of work. In it, entrepreneur Aron D’Souza — the founder of…
Using AI to Detect Wildfires Faster
Agencies and officials tasked with keeping vigilant watch over remote areas prone to wildfires have been incorporating artificial intelligence into their toolkit. PacifiCorp, which is embattled in a class action lawsuit for its role in four major wildfires in Oregon during 2020, says its recently invested in advanced cameras and camera networks to monitor wildfire…
Memos Detail Points of Interest in Investigation into Sheriff Candidate and Two Other DCSO Employees
Internal memos shed new light on the numerous instances of alleged misconduct by a candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff and two other department employees. The instances are related to events surrounding the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office SWAT apprehension of Paul Akehurst in Sunriver on Feb. 25. On June 6, Det. Lt. James “Mac” McLaughlin announced…
Letters to the Editor, Week of June 25, 2026
Comment on Trump’s and Vought’s huge federal grant rule change by July 13 The Trump administration plans to change the federal research grants process in ways that would cripple science in the United States. Oregonians need to tell Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought that we won’t stand for these rule changes.…
Fresh Food for the Summer Season
Smoothies bursting with flavor. Craft wraps and sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients. Fresh pressed juices. For 27 years, Mother’s Juice Cafe has served the Bend public. The Source sat down with Renee Raymond, executive chef and new owner of the Bend staple to learn about the best menu items, recent changes to the business,…
I Read for the Human Experience in Books; AI Can’t Replace That
Human experience is the totality of what it means to live — our interactions, our emotions, our thoughts and perceptions as we go through our day-to-day lives. This experience is what shapes how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Reading is one of many ways we enrich our human experience, just as art…
Real Estate Is Still a People Business
Unless you’ve been avoiding the internet for the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that artificial intelligence is everywhere. From customer service chatbots to content creation and personal assistants, AI is reshaping how people work, communicate, and access information. Real estate is no exception. Buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals are incorporating AI into their…
Resisting the AI Assist
Artificial intelligence has fingers in nearly every part of life. But many artists see it as a watering down of creative license. While some see the efficiencies in using technology for the business side of the industry, many are adamantly opposed to the use of AI in making music. Bend musician Eric Leadbetter of the…
Redmond Plans Massive Celebration for Country’s 250th Anniversary
When it comes to celebrating the 250th anniversary since the Declaration of Independence was signed, the City of Redmond is not holding back. A massive extravaganza on Fourth of July weekend will feature thousands of free hot dogs and red, white and blue snow cones plus a $20,000 fireworks show in what appears to be the largest semi-quincentennial event across Central Oregon. “It is the 250th anniversary of our country going…
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is one of the most hot-button topics of our time. For some technology optimists, AI will be a crucial piece of a near-future resembling that of The Jetsons — our daily mundanity is outsourced to helpful robots who wear cute aprons and anticipate our every need. For pessimists, that future horizon is a…
Ranked-Choice Voting Effort Launched in Deschutes County
Advocacy groups have launched a campaign to change the way county commissioners are elected in Deschutes County by introducing a new voting system they say would increase representation and give a better chance to candidates not backed by either of the major political parties. A coalition supporting the change announced the campaign on Monday, kicking off an effort to gather the 6,500 signatures needed to get…
