Reporter and Producer
Kristian Foden-Vencil

Kristian Foden-Vencil is a reporter and producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting. He specializes in health care, business, politics, law and public safety. In 2004 he was embedded with the Oregon National Guard in Iraq.
Kristian started as a cub reporter in 1988, working for newspapers in London, England. In 1991 he moved to Oregon and started freelancing. His work has appeared in The Oregonian, the BBC, NPR, the Statesman Journal, Willamette Week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Voice of America.
Kristian has won a Peabody Award along with awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists and the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors.
He graduated from the University of Westminster in London.
Recent Articles
News | local | Business | Health
PhRMA Files Suit Against Oregon's New Prescription Drug Pricing Laws
The drug company trade group PhRMA has filed a legal challenge to a pair of Oregon laws designed to curb prescription prices.
News | local | Health
Oregon Reports 3 Additional Vaping-Related Illnesses
The Oregon Health Authority has identified three additional cases of severe lung illness linked to vaping.
News | local | Health
Oregon Calls 'All Clear' Following Rash Of Measles Cases
Oregon health officials are calling ‘all-clear’ after a rash of measles cases this fall.
News | local | Health
Nonprofit Central City Concern Wants Out Of Portland Sobering Center
A Portland center where intoxicated people can safely sober up for a few hours is facing significant changes — and maybe even closure.
Land | News | Forestry | local
Want To Get A Christmas Tree From A NW Forest? Get A Permit First.
Law enforcement units will be watching the woods this holiday season, to stop people from taking Christmas trees and other forest products without a permit.
News | local | Health
Clark County Child With Measles Arrived At PDX, Visited Hospitals
Clark County is investigating another case of measles. An unvaccinated child returned from an international flight last week.
News | Health
Mental Illness Treatment Is Limited And Faces Imminent Risks
Multnomah County’s ability to help people with mental illnesses is limited and faces imminent risks, according to a new audit.
News | local | Business | Health
Oregon Health Authority Sends 8,000 Businesses Kit To Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths
The Oregon Health Authority is sending out kits to 8,000 businesses across the state to reduce opioid overdoses at work.
Fish & Wildlife | News | Environment | Science | local
NOAA Wants More Cameras On Fishing Vessels And Fewer Biologists
For years NOAA has put observers on fishing boats to track what's caught and what gets thrown back. It plans to start replacing those jobs with cameras and computers to save money.
local | Health
Audit Finds Prescription Drug Monitoring At Oregon's Veterinarian Offices Needs Strengthening
A new audit by the Oregon secretary of state has found the system for monitoring controlled substances in veterinarian offices needs strengthening.
News | local | Health
Multnomah County Holds Hearings On Flavored Tobacco Ban
Multnomah County is holding a series of public hearings to discuss a possible ban on flavored tobacco products. The first hearing is scheduled for county headquarters in Portland Tuesday morning.
News | local | Health
Federal Leaders Identify Potential Culprit For Vaping Illness
Federal health authorities think they’ve identified a potential culprit for the vaping illness that’s killed 39 people and sickened thousands more, including many in Oregon.
News | Business | local
Gert Boyle, Longtime Columbia Sportswear Company Chairwoman, Dies At 95
Columbia Sportswear Company’s longtime chairwoman Gert Boyle died Sunday at the age of 95.
News | Forestry | local | Health
Open Enrollment Starts For 2020 Health Insurance
Open enrollment starts Friday for people who don’t qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, or get their health insurance through work.
News | local | Health
Multnomah County Whooping Cough Cases Almost Double Since Last Year
Authorities send out warning letters as the number of cases of whooping cough almost double in Multnomah County over the last year.
News | Health
Oregonians Could See 3 Votes On Psilocybin In 2020
Some Oregon voters might be asked to decide on three different efforts to change the rules for psychedelic mushrooms this presidential election.
News | local | Business | Health
Vaping Illnesses Prompt Cannabis Legalization Concerns
Efforts to legalize cannabis have been gathering momentum, as more than half the states have passed laws, and Congress is considering banking legislation. But vaping illnesses have raised worries.
News | local | Health
Young People Increasingly Using Vape Tech For Cannabis And Tobacco
Young people are dramatically changing the way they use cannabis and nicotine, according to a new report from the Oregon Health Authority.
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