The Must Read Alaska Show

In a culture chasing novelty and quick spiritual fixes, many men are left restless, confused, and spiritually vulnerable. Temptation has become the front line of battle — and most don’t even realize they’re already in it. On this episode of the Must Read Alaska Podcast, we sit down with Kyle Clement, co-founder of Liber Christo and a leading trainer in Catholic deliverance ministry. For over 20 ye...

Must Read Alaska's mission is to be Alaska's trusted source for news and analysis dedicated to America's founding principles.    On this 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, please listen along as we read the words that started the longest running experiment in history of self-government. America is great because God is good and as the founders of our nation stated:   "And for the...

Host Todd welcomes Dennis Tayman of Tayman Tutoring to preview “America Comes Alive,” a free community event at Anchorage’s Mountain City Church celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Dennis shares his remarkable collection of artifacts, documents, and relics spanning the 1700s to today, giving families a hands-on chance to see, touch, and experience real American history. He explains why faith,...

In this Must Read Alaska Social segment, host Todd welcomes Natalie Spaulding to introduce the "Service to My Country" series. Created to mark America's 250th anniversary, the series highlights veteran and active duty stories of service, sacrifice, and the virtues of honor, courage, and perseverance. Natalie shares how the project began after an op-ed questioning superficial thanks for service and...

In this episode of Must Read Alaska's Energy and Business Edition, host Todd sits down with Marcus Moore of Alaskan Rants for an in-depth look at the special session on the Alaska LNG project. Central to the discussion is House Bill 381, which shifts taxation of pipeline infrastructure from traditional property taxes to an alternative volumetric tax based on gas throughput. Marcus provides sharp a...

On this episode of Energy and Business from Must Read Alaska, host Todd sits down with John Hendrix — President and CEO of HEX LLC, Homer native, civil engineer, and recently named Outstanding Alaskan of the Year — for a clear-eyed conversation about Alaska’s energy future. In “Powering Alaska from Within: HEX and the Cook Inlet Comeback,” John explains how HEX LLC, the only 100% Alaskan-owned and...

On this episode of The Social from Must Read Alaska, host Todd explores the powerful connection between food, health, and self-reliance with two expert guests: Kristen Rasmussen from the Culinary Institute of America and Brenda Josephson, Haines-based Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and author of MRAK’s popular Foodies & Foragers column. In “Food, Health & the Future of What We...

Join Sonia on The Social from the Must Read Alaska Show as she sits down with Tandy Hogate — host of the Sustainable Alaska podcast and co-founder of Common Ground Alaska — for a timely conversation on Alaska’s growing homestead revival. In “From the Land Up: Alaska’s Homestead Revival,” Tandy shares how more Alaskans are reclaiming self-reliance through gardening, animal husbandry, food preservat...

Jim Minnery joins the Must Read Alaska Show and discusses the 2026 Alaska March For Life with Natalie Spaulding. They go through history of the March, the speakers that will be at the rally, and great ways to participate in the event. The March For Life begins at 12PM on Saturday with the rally starting at 1:30PM on the Delaney Park Strip, Downtown Anchorage.  Jim and Natalie discuss the events le...

Rick Whitbeck guest-hosts an energizing conversation with two of the four candidates for the Chugach Electric Association Board of Directors: mechanical engineer and oil & gas veteran Todd Lindley and power-generation expert Michael McManamon. This episode cuts through the noise on the issues that hit every Southcentral Alaska ratepayer’s wallet: protecting dispatchable Eklutna hydro while res...

In this must-listen episode, Todd Lindley sits down with Brian Flynn, the conservative private-sector candidate challenging incumbent Anna Brawley in the Anchorage Assembly District 3 West Anchorage rematch. Flynn pulls no punches on what residents are really seeing: 15-20 foot snow piles blocking cul-de-sacs while officials claim victory, skyrocketing property taxes, a homelessness system that “r...

In this episode, the conversation centered on the launch of Thomas More Classical School in Anchorage, set to open in 2026. The guest, Headmaster Sarah Spaulding, explained the school’s mission to bring classical education to Alaska and described how the model emphasizes forming both intellect and character. The discussion highlighted what sets classical education apart: its grounding in the seven...

After the shocking loss of Charlie Kirk, Ben Carpenter explores what this moment means—and why it could define an entire generation.

Thought the teachers union was your only option? Think again. In this Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter is joined by Kenai teacher Kim Bates, Anchorage teacher Aimee Sims, and Garry Sigle, Central Region Director for the Association of American Educators (AAE), to unpack what AAE is, who it serves, and how it stacks up against NEA-Alaska. If you’ve never heard of AAE, you’re not alone. Whi...

Is Alaska’s grand jury still the people’s tool for oversight, or has it become another lever of government control? In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter presses Attorney General Treg Taylor on the Supreme Court’s controversial move to make him the “gatekeeper” for public access to grand juries. Taylor defends new procedures, acknowledges constitutional concerns, and rev...

Alaska State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Shelley Hughes joins Ben Carpenter to share her remarkable journey from rural Alaska in the ’70s to the state legislature. She outlines her vision for fiscal reform, energy development, and protecting the PFD, while drawing on decades of experience across Alaska’s regions. Known for working across party lines without compromising her conservative pr...

In this eye-opening episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter sits down with forensic journalist and author David Ignell for a deep dive into the constitutional role of grand juries in Alaska—and how that role is being undermined by the Department of Law and the judiciary. At the heart of their conversation is the case of former Ketchikan Police Chief Jeffrey Walls, who was targeted...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show podcast, host Ben Carpenter sits down with Adam Hendrix, Anchorage native and world-renowned poker professional, to unpack his extraordinary journey to a sixth-place finish at the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event—netting him a $1.9 million prize and recognition as Alaska’s all-time top tournament earner. Adam shares the intense mental and physical...

In this compelling episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter sits down with Phil Izon, the driving force behind the effort to repeal ranked choice voting (RCV) in Alaska during the 2024 election. Izon recounts the intensive grassroots campaign that gathered far more than the required signatures across 33 of Alaska’s 40 House districts, relying entirely on volunteers and innovative t...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter sits down with Lynn McCabe and Mikaela Emswiler, of the Repeal Now initiative, to explore the close, contentious fight to roll back ranked choice voting in Alaska. Together, they share firsthand accounts of signature-gathering on the ground, the fierce lawfare tactics deployed by outside interests, and the surprising challenges volun...

In this in-depth episode, host Ben Carpenter tackles the long-anticipated and often controversial Alaska LNG pipeline project—offering listeners an insider’s look at recent developments and reasons for renewed optimism. Drawing from his attendance at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, Carpenter presents a compelling overview of a conversation between Governor Mike Dunleavy and Brendan Duval...

In this episode, Must Read Alaska Show host Ben Carpenter delivers a robust, real-time debrief from the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, hosted by Governor Mike Dunleavy in Anchorage. Carpenter walks the audience through the key takeaways, the tone of the event, and the overarching vision shared by political and industry leaders, particularly from the Trump administration, about Alaska’s pivo...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter welcomes Bernadette Wilson of Repeal Now Alaska to discuss the second effort to overturn Alaska’s ranked choice voting (RCV) system. They begin by defining RCV—how it replaced traditional closed primaries with an open “jungle primary” advancing the top four candidates and then allowing voters to rank their top four choices in a multi...

In this engaging episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, Congressman Nick Begich takes center stage to discuss the whirlwind first 100 days of the new Congress, offering a deep dive into the priorities shaping Alaska and the nation. Begich highlights the unprecedented pace of legislative action under Republican leadership, focusing on key achievements like the Lake and Riley Act, which strengthens i...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter and guest Randy Ruaro focus on the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s (AIDEA) landmark court win in Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority v. Department of Interior, which declared the Biden administration’s cancellation of oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) illegal, reinsta...