Talk of Alaska

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 c...

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 a...

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...

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 ha...

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...

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...

When you’re in the middle of a mental health crisis you need help immediately but options are often limited and inappropriate. Organizations around Alaska are working to change that and connect people with the support they need. Guest host Anne Hillman discusses Crisis Now and the state’s evolving mental health response system. Listen here: HOST: Anne Hillman GUESTS: Summer Lefebvre , Psychiatric...

Bunny Blackbird with her mother, Martina Dundas, a partial shareholder born after ANCSA was signed in 1971. Shee Atiká issues distributions to shareholders, funeral benefits, and scholarships. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo) As the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act approaches, corporations, subsidiaries and shareholders in and outside the state are reflecting on the landmark leg...

Diane Shrader joined roughly 150 protesters to oppose mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for employees at the Alaska Native medical campus on Aug. 5, 2021. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) What will it take to recover from this pandemic? Vaccines and booster shots are widely available, but less than 60% of eligible Alaskans are fully vaccinated. Many doctors feel inaccurate information and conspiracy theo...

Many businesses closed or reduced operations early on during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Abbey Collins/Alaska Public Media) Alaska businesses are facing another holiday season of pandemic problems, this time from shipping delays and price increases that are rippling across the national and international economy. How are they weathering this latest challenge? Small business owners share their experienc...

Caribou from the Porcupine Caribou Herd in 2007. The herd often calves on the Arctic Coastal Plain. (Andrew Ramey/USGS) The history of caribou, their migrations within the arctic, climate change and the intertwined lives of the people who depend on this fragile ecosystem are captured in Kotzebue-based author Seth Kantner’s latest book, “A Thousand Trails Home: Living With Caribou.” As the cold and...

Fifty years ago, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act established regional and village corporations throughout the state. In the second of our three-part discussion of ANCSA, we’ll speak with corporate executives about the economic and cultural impact the corporations have on not just Alaska Native lives, but on all Alaskans. Listen here: HOST: Lori Townsend GUESTS: Kim Reitmeier, Executive Dir...

Juneau drag queen Gigi Monroe performs at the youth Pride party on June 20, 2019. (Photo by Zoe Grueskin/KTOO) Queer and trans youth are at increased risk of homelessness across the nation. In Alaska, limited resources compound the problem, and that makes it more likely young people will become chronically homeless. How are advocates working to address the shortfalls? Listen here: HOST: Adelyn Bax...

Students in a classroom at Redington Sr. Jr/Sr High School in Wasilla on September 21, 2020. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Educators and students have been through the gamut over the last year and a half. Now that they’re back in the classroom, the long term impacts of virtual learning and social isolation are making themselves known. Teachers are reporting issues with learning loss, with studen...

A crane prepares to move a shipping container off a cargo ship and onto a truck at the Port of Alaska on March 22, 2020. (Mayowa Aina/Alaska Public Media) International and national shipping delays are rippling down the supply line to Alaska. What’s causing the issues, and what does it mean for consumers and businesses in our state? How are the pandemic and labor shortages contributing to the slow...

Willie Iġġiaġruk Hensley speaks during the Elders and Youth conference in 2019 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks. (Tripp J Crouse/KNBA) It has been called the most important legislative act since statehood. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is 50 years old in December and the economic effect of the Native Corporations ripples across the state, representing an increasingly larger piece of th...

The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North) Permanent Fund Dividends will arrive soon, but the plan to pay for them going forward hasn’t materialized. Legislators have yet to agree on a solution, despite a fourth special legislative session and a list of recommendations made by a bipartisan working group this summer. Advocates share their ideas for a sustainable plan for...

What stories do Alaska’s ghost towns have to tell? In his newest book, longtime Alaska writer Tom Kizzia explores that question in McCarthy, digging into the bygone days of the tiny community nestled into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Cold Mountain Path explores forgotten stories of mining, homesteading and loss. We’ll also discuss the new micropress based out of McCarthy that’s publishing the...

Two people pick up donations of chum and king salmon that will be distributed to villages along the lower Yukon river. (Olivia Ebertz/KYUK) The Chinook salmon fishery on the Yukon has been in decline for years, but this fall chum salmon numbers also collapsed and all subsistence and commercial salmon fishing was shut down on the Yukon. That left fishermen and families without a vital source of inc...

A nearly empty critical care unit at Bartlett Hospital on April 7, 2020, in Juneau, Alaska. on (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO) Alaska hospitals are in crisis. The state is setting new records for COVID case numbers and hospitalizations, overwhelming medical facilities and forcing providers to make difficult decisions about who gets an ICU bed and who has to wait. What needs to happen to bring thi...

Food runner Amanda prepares to deliver entrées at 49th State Brewing in downtown Anchorage. The wait to be seated on a Wednesday evening in July was roughly 1.5- to 2-hours, according to staff and patrons. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) With no more federal relief coming, what do economists see on the horizon for Alaska’s labor shortage? How much did tourism’s return over the summer make up for t...

Photo: Mark Byzewski For many Alaskans, fall’s cooler temperatures and wet weather signal the peak of mushroom season. Two regional fungus festivals are happening this month, and whether you’re a veteran forager or a budding mycologist, there’s so much to learn about and discover in the woods and your own backyard. Listen here: HOST: Adelyn Baxter GUESTS: Kate Mohatt , Prince William Sound Zone Ec...

Avery Barnaby dances on the playground during her first day back to school as a first-grader at Sayéik Gastineau Community School on Jan. 14, 2021, in Juneau. (Rashah McChesney/KTOO) Students are back in school amid rising COVID-19 cases and community divisions over how to keep them safe. That has left many parents questioning how to best keep their families healthy. How much risk does the delta v...

Two people and a dog curl up near a boiler room on Shattuck Way on Jan. 20, 2017 in downtown Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/Alaska’s Energy Desk) For Alaskans who experience homelessness, the looming colder weather creates additional stress. The highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 makes the logistics of safe shelter more complicated. What are the plans in Anchorage and across A...

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (Dunleavy Flckr) Gov. Mike Dunleavy wants to amend the state constitution to enshrine an annual Permanent Fund earnings amount to use for government spending and dividends, impose a cap on annual spending and hold a statewide vote on any new taxes. As the third special legislative session gets underway to work on stabilizing the state budget, Dunleavy describes why he believes h...