Talk Of Alaska

Will Alaska always be an oil state, or is there a future in which energy development isn’t the end-all-be-all of our economy? What would a transition to that future look like? A group of community organizations from around the state are convening for the Just Transition Summit to explore sustainable concepts, and how we can build a more equitable economy. Listen: HOST: Adelyn Baxter GUESTS: Ruth Miller, Climate Justice Co-Director, Native MovementPamela Miller, Executive Director, Alaska Community Action on ToxicsJessica Girard, Executive Director, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition LINKS & RESOURCES: https://www.justtransitionak.org/ Regenerative Economies: A Guide to a Thriving Alaska Archived livestreams of Just Transition Summit 2022 on Facebook PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broa

The Kwethluk Fire on April 22, 2022, when it was estimated at 9,693 acres. (Alaska Division of Forestry photo) It’s wildfire season in Alaska. Several fires have already burned in the state, including the largest April fire in a quarter century. How is climate change fueling early season fire conditions and prolonging them through the summer? We’ll hear from state and federal officials about how they coordinate fire response and the outlook for the rest of this season. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Kale Casey, PIO, Alaska Division of Forestry Beth Ipsen, Public Affairs Specialist, Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Season Monica Nicholson, Fuels Specialist, BLM Fairbanks District Office Eric Stevens, Fire meteorologist, Alaska Interagency Coordination Center PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after t

Pulled out of the ocean by Sitka Tribe’s Resource Protection staff, herring eggs are bagged and delivered to elders and tribal citizens by drive-through pick-up. Sitka, Alaska. April 9, 2020. (Berett Wilber / KCAW) More daylight and less snow mean it’s almost peak subsistence season, and Alaskans are eager to harvest from the sea, rivers and land. But in many places, traditional subsistence has seen repeated interruptions in recent years, causing food insecurity and cultural disruption for Indigenous communities that rely on these foods. We’ll discuss subsistence sustainability and new research. Listen: HOST: Adelyn Baxter GUESTS: Louise Brady, herring protector Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, research scientist, Child Trends RESOURCES: Alaska Native Subsistence Rights: Taking an Anti-Racist Decolonizing Approach to Land Management and Ownership for Our Children and Generations to Come Yáa at wooné | Respect for All Things PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800

Many people who are involved with the criminal justice system have mental health issues, substance use disorders, or both. Instead of going to prison, some people choose to participate in the Alaska Therapeutic Court System where a team of people helps them heal. We’ll hear from people who have graduated from the program and people who run it. Listen: HOST: Anne Hillman GUESTS: Ron Wilson, Therapeutic Court Alumni Association Steve Corven, Therapeutic Court Alumni Association Pamela Washington, Presiding Judge, Coordinated Resource Project James Huffstetler, peer support navigator, Set Free Alaska PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air). LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 10 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.LIVE Web stream: Click here to stream

A map of Arctic shipping routes, including the Northern Sea Route over Russia. Maersk is about to test that route with a cargo ship for the first time. (Public Domain photo courtesy the Arctic Council) The Arctic spans multiple countries and continents, making collaboration and diplomacy vital to its management. The war in Ukraine has strained the international community’s relationship with Russia, a key player in Arctic affairs. How are other nations and Arctic residents working to continue collaboration on safety, vessel traffic, climate change and development?  Listen: Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Mike Sfraga, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission Rachel Kallander, Founder & Executive Director, Arctic Encounter Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Ambassador of Iceland to the United States PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comm

Coastal erosion reveals the extent of ice-rich permafrost underlying active layer in the Teshekpuk Lake special area of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve . (Photo by Brandt Meixell/USGS) Climate change is warming the Arctic at least twice as fast as other places in the world. Our polar position means the effects of increasing temperatures are creating problems for coastal and Interior communities. New tools for measuring carbon emissions from melting permafrost could change future cap and trade policies. We’ll discuss the Permafrost Pathways, a new collaborative project aimed at addressing the impacts of permafrost thaw. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Sue Natali, Arctic Program Director, Woodwell Center for Climate ResearchRobin Bronen, Executive Director, Alaska Institute for JusticePatricia Cochran, Executive Director, Alaska Native Science CommissionJulius Carl, Kwigillingok Tribe PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcas

With 48 candidates in the running to serve the remainder of Congressman Don Young’s term, Alaskans have a big decision to make in the upcoming pick-one primary election. What do Alaskans need to know to prepare for June’s primary and the ranked choice special general election in August? We discuss the special election to fill Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat and hear from candidates*. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Liz Ruskin, Washington Correspondent, Alaska Public MediaNat Herz, Reporter, Anchorage Daily News LINKS & RESOURCES: Alaskans prepare for state’s first ranked choice election cycle | Alaska Insight Talk of Alaska: Remembering Don Young *NOTE: AKPM contacted candidates registered for the special primary election for U.S. House Representative and asked them to share short recordings stating their reasons for running by noon on Monday, April 11 for inclusion on Talk of Alaska. Candidates who were not able to meet the deadline can still submit their statements and informa

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Alaska continues to lead the nation in rates of violence against women. Two councils recently established by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office are tasked with addressing missing and murdered Indigenous people and human and sex trafficking. We’ll speak to council members to learn about their role in addressing the epidemic of sexual assault in Alaska. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Staci Yates, Director of Human Trafficking Recovery Services, Alaska Stop Human Trafficking Alliance (ASHTA)Jennifer Brown, Communications & Development Director, Standing Together Against Rape (STAR)Valerie Qamgalrea Chadwick, Community Development Manager, Rural Alaska Community Action ProgramBrenda Stanfill, Executive Director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your com

We all know a thing or two about isolation in Alaska. But the pandemic brought on a level of loneliness that many of us haven’t encountered before. Even two years in, we’re just beginning to understand how our communities and relationships have been affected. This special episode was recorded in person in Talkeetna and explores the importance of personal connection. The sign that welcomes visitors to Talkeetna. (Colleen Love/KTNA) HOST: Anne Hillman GUESTS: Sarah Blanning, Behavioral Health Director, Sunshine Community Health CenterLouAnne Carroll-Tysdall, Director, Upper Susitna Food Pantry *NOTE* This week’s program is a prerecording of a live discussion held on location in Talkeetna. We will not be taking listener calls and emails during this show. PARTICIPATE: Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air). PRERECORDED Broadcast: Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 10 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.LIVE Web stream: Click here t

Rep. Don Young in his Washington, D.C. office in 2017. (Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media) Rep. Don Young’s death is a monumental loss for Alaska. For nearly 50 years, Young’s bombastic style both helped draw attention to Alaska’s legislative need and often found him crossed up in less than flattering headlines. Despite his steamroller approach, he was known as a highly effective congressman and his love of Alaska was legendary. Constituents, former colleagues and journalists share memories of Alaska’s longest serving Republican. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Liz Ruskin, Washington Correspondent, Alaska Public MediaMichael Carey, former editorial page editor, Anchorage Daily News PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air). LIVE Broadcast: Tues

A Capstone Clinic employee prepares a COVID-19 test at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Jan. 5, 2022. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) COVID-19 case counts continue to decline and CDC guidelines, mask mandates and mindsets, are all changing, with many people shedding masks in public. Schools across the country are relaxing or ending mask mandates. Will cases spike in coming weeks? What do Alaskans need to know to help keep infection rates down? Alaska’s top doctors help to clarify the way forward. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Dr. Joe McLaughlin, State Epidemiologist Coleman Cutchins, Clinical Pharmacist, State of Alaska Dr. Lisa Rabinowitz, Staff Physician, State of Alaska & Providence Medical Center PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may

Alaska Native and Black children are significantly overrepresented in our state’s foster care system. A recent study found they make up 65% of those in foster homes. We’ll speak to the researchers investigating these disparities about the history behind them and their ideas for reform and solutions moving forward. Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Jessica Saniġaq Ullrich, study co-author & assistant professor, University of Alaska Anchorage Yvonne Chase, study co-author & associate professor, University of Alaska Anchorage LINKS & RESOURCES: “A Connectedness Framework: Breaking the Cycle of Child Removal for Black and Indigenous Children” PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air). LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 10 a.m. o

Paige Drobny’s team during the 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. (Zachariah Hughes/for ADN) The Iditarod is an iconic annual sled dog race in Alaska that attracts mushers and fans from across the nation and world. This year marks the 50th running of the race. How has the competition changed over the last five decades and what might the next 50 years bring?  Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Jeff King, four-time Iditarod champion Mike Williams, Sr., retired musher Will Peterson, Iditarod trail sweep Paige Drobny, 2022 Iditarod musher LINKS & RESOURCES: Alaska Public Media’s Iditarod coverage PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air). LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 10 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.LIVE Web st

Children in crisis need immediate help to keep them safe and longer-term assistance to stabilize their lives, especially if they can’t return to their families. Alaska’s foster care system has long been challenged by a need for more case workers and foster families, but now the lack of social workers and willing caretakers has reached a crisis level. What’s being done to help vulnerable young people have a safe place to live? Listen: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Amanda Metivier, Interim Director, Child Welfare AcademyAileen McInnis, Director, Alaska Center for Resource FamiliesLaura Ingham, foster parent LINKS & RESOURCES: The COVID-19 pandemic is leaving more children in Alaska’s foster care system without a stable home PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be

Alaska is often called the land of opportunity for anyone willing to work hard, but your race and culture shape how you see the world and how the world sees you. A new compilation of the stories of struggle and triumph provides a lens on the lives and careers of Black Alaskans. We’ll learn more of what it means to be Black in Alaska. Listen here: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Bill Bailey, advisory committee member, Black in AlaskaRenee Wardlaw, advisory committee member, Black in Alaska Angela Cox, Vice President of External Affairs, Rasmuson FoundationJewel Jones, advisory committee member, Black in Alaska LINKS & RESOURCES: Black in Alaska PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air). LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at 10 a.m. on APRN station

Alaskan skiers Sadie Bjornsen and Kikkan Randall will represent the U.S. at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. (Emily Russell/Alaska Public Media) Every four years, Alaskans have a chance to test our winter sport prowess on the international stage. Our homegrown athletes will compete in nordic skiing, curling, figure skating, hockey and more this year. With the Winter Olympics already underway in Beijing, we’ll hear from members of Alaska’s winter sports community to learn more about the programs that trained some of our top athletes. Listen here: HOST: Adelyn Baxter GUESTS: Leland Rich, member, Fairbanks Curling ClubReese Hanneman, 2018 Olympic cross-country skierHolly Brooks, 2014 Olympic cross-country skier and coach PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Co

High winds in Palmer blew over an exit sign off the Glenn Highway. Photographed Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. (Matthew Faubion/Alaska Public Media) Hundreds of millions in federal infrastructure money is heading to Alaska. This winter has seen a series of extreme weather events in regions throughout the state. How are local governments planning for a future where climate related threats are more intense and what kind of relief is available to help communities recover? Will federal infrastructure money help build community resilience? Listen here: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Bryan Fisher, director, Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency ManagementJon Erickson, city manager, YakutatCasey Cook, emergency manager, Matanuska-Susitna Borough PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (C

Opponents of the proposed Anchorage mask mandate in the Anchorage Assembly chambers on Sept. 29,2021. Several adorned their clothes with a Star of David, drawing concern from some of Anchorage’s Jewish residents. (Wesley Early/AKPM) The Holocaust took place about 80 years ago, but the horror of so many lives lost still haunts the world. Recent incidents of anti-Semitism nationally and in Alaska have highlighted the need to continue educating people about the pain and violence that bigotry can produce if allowed to go unchecked. Listen here: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Robin Dern, board member, Anti-Defamation LeagueMiri Cypers, Northwest Regional Director, Anti-Defamation LeagueRabbi Yosef Greenberg, Lubavitch Jewish Center of Alaska PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (C

A COVID-19 testing site on C Street run by Capstone on Jan. 7, 2021. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) The omicron variant surge in Alaska is once again putting health care resources under strain, but not in the same way as last fall’s delta surge. Omicron appears to be more mild than previous variants, but its high rate of transmissibility means hospitals and schools are still seeing significant impacts. How long do health officials expect this surge to last, and how is limited testing adding to the problem? Listen here: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Dr. Anne Zink, Chief Medical Officer, State of AlaskaDr. Joe McLaughlin, State Epidemiologist, Department of Health and Social ServicesJared Kosin, President/CEO, Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home AssociationKim Kluckman, RN & Treasurer, Alaska Nurses Association PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on ai

Musk ox grazing on the tundra by the Cape Krusenstern National Monument. (Doug Demarest/ National Park Service) As the Arctic experiences unprecedented warming and other impacts from climate change, federal agencies tasked with overseeing research in the region are coordinating with local communities and researchers to determine the best path forward. Experts discuss the newly published five-year Arctic Research Plan and how Alaskans can stay involved. Listen here: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Larry Hinzman, IARPC Executive Director and Assistant Director for Polar Sciences, White House Office of Science and Technology PolicyNikoosh Carlo, Director, Arctic Research Plan DevelopmentMike Sfraga, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission LINKS: Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 PARTICIPATE: Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast. Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air). Post your comment during or after th