Home To Roost

This week, in honor of July 4th, we focus on the meaning of our nation’s founding. We review news items from 1776, some quotes of the Founders, and consider why we celebrate July 4th, and not some other important day, as the birthdate of America.

This week we take a break from analyzing how the federal government effects Alaska in order to review some relevant American history, especially the Dred Scott decision, the problem of judicial supremacy, and the election shinannigans of 1876 and 1877.

This week we review Trump’s plan to require grants and scientific research to pass his political litmus tests, we discuss the dismantling of Ocean Station Papa, the most sophisticated deep sea monitoring system off Alaska’s coast, and we consider the Constitutional basis for federal funding of science.

Join us as we discuss how millions of dollars in federal coal subsidies could cost Alaskans billions in higher utility bills, and how the Trump administration is trying to stifle public workers. We also play “Who Said It?” and wonder what the American Founders would have thought of the expansion of ICE.

This week, we discuss new medicaid rules, new proposed mail-in ballot rules, and new threats to Alaska’s tourism industry. We also host two special guests for this week’s rendition of "Who Said It?'

This week we discuss rising inflation, delayed Department of Energy grant payments, and how political pressure on immigration judges recalls one of the grievances the Declaration of Independence stated against King George III. We also discuss fake money, fake monuments, and the real Ben Franklin.

This week, we look at Trump's growing power over Republican primaries and how Alaska's open system limits such power; we review how changes at FEMA are affecting Western Alaska; and we read what the Declaration of Independence says about immigration. We also play "Who Said It?", our unusual news quiz game.

This week, we cover Trump’s proposed billion-dollar settlement with himself and how his tariffs function as a tax on Alaskans’ utility bills. We also review what Thomas Jefferson and George Washington thought about the Murder Act and how their concerns about government power are still relevant today.

This week, we review lessons from recent Army cold climate training in Interior Alaska and discuss how Alaska’s location along the Pacific Basin currently affects our energy economy for better and for worse. We also ponder America’s 250-year-old grievance against taxation without representation and play "Who Said It?"

This week, John celebrates Home to Roost’s first anniversary by going 4-for-4 in "Who Said It?" Rachel contrasts hyper-partisanship in Washington with the currently less partisan nature of Alaska. We also look at how the war with Iran is greatly affecting rural Alaska, and we review the Constitution’s Origination Clause. 

In this episode, we review how new federal policies are increasing electricity rates in Fairbanks, how new federal enthusiasm for a gas line is not translating into new federal action, and how Trump might run afoul of the Constitution’s domestic emoluments clause. We also play Who Said It?, our weekly review of Washington’s wackiest words.

For our fiftieth episode, we review Trump’s pressure on Alaskans to repeal ranked choice voting and how his war with Iran might reduce the likelihood of an Alaskan gas line. We also discuss quotes of the week and the Constitution’s Pardons Clause.

On this week’s show, we discuss how huge new visa fees threaten to worsen Alaska’s teacher shortage, how federal actions have opened new opportunities for graft, and how the Constitution’s 25th Amendment is not the panacea some hope it might be.

For this episode, we review Trump’s recent executive order on mail-in ballots in light of the Constitution’s Postal Clause. We also discuss significant changes in how the US Forest Service will be organized in Alaska.

This week, we discuss how a looming US Supreme Court decision might stymie state legislative efforts to improve voting in Alaska, and we ponder recent statements by current and former Trump officials on sending ICE to the polls. We also ponder the meaning of the Constitution’s rarely reviewed Two-Year Clause, and play “Who Said It?”.

This week we discuss new federal oil lease sales in Alaska, new hate speech by federal officials outside Alaska, and how the SAVE Act would be a possible unconstitutional return of poll taxes to Alaska. Rachel also presents John with an especially difficult version of “Who Said It”, our weekly quiz game.

This week, we review one way the Constitution might stymie Trump's attempt to save the SAVE Act. The negative side of high oil prices for Alaska, the appearance of clown shoes in the White House, and more.

This week we consider some possible economic effects on Alaska due to  the U.S.-Iran conflict. We also look at how the Constitution structured similar conflicts early in U.S. history, and we review more strange statements made by the Trump administration. 

Join us this week as we review how the SAVE Act would affect Alaska especially hard and how the 19th Amendment  will likely be no protection for women’s voting rights. We also play another round of 'Who said It?”.

For this show we review the gains and losses in federal funding for rural healthcare, recent ICE arrests in Soldotna, and how the US Constitution’s Progress Clause means for Alaska. We also review some of the stranger things said by some of the nation’s leaders.

In this episode we discuss likely consequences of the DHS shutdown and of the Trump administration’s decision to pretend that global warming is not real. We also discuss the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause and laugh about some of the weirder public statements of the past week.

In addition to how the Trump administration is affecting Alaska’s ferry system and Scouting America, we look at how ICE enforcement is affecting immigrant and refugees in Alaska and how ICE might play a role in the conduct of the mid-term elections in light of the Constitution’s elections clause.

This week we review reductions in federal childcare support, a possible reduction in defense contracts for Native corporations, and a presidential threat to decertify Canadian-made aircraft. We also play “Who said it?” and read the Constitution’s Indian Commerce Clause.

This week Rachel and John look at the implications of President Trump's threats to Alaska's fellow Arctic state: Greenland

This week we review Native Corporation shareholders pushing back on ICE contracts, soldiers at Ft. Greely going without dinner for three months due to DOGE cuts, and how DHS is buying private location data. We also discuss the weirdest statements of the week.