Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media
Lori Townsend is the chief editor, senior vice president of journalism and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452. Read more about Lori here.
LISTEN: Primaries or ranked choice? Vote Yes and Vote No make their case on Ballot Measure 2.
Ballot measure 2 seeks to make changes to the state’s election structure by replacing the political party primary and by selecting candidates through ranked choice voting. What would it mean for elections and what do you need to know about the measure before voting on it?
Alyse Galvin is taking on Alaska’s longtime congressman. Here’s why she thinks she’ll win | Alaska Insight
We continue our coverage of the Congressional candidates for the upcoming November election with U.S. House candidate-Independent Alyse Galvin. Galvin has returned to the ticket for a second attempt to unseat Alaska's longtime congressman, Don Young.
LISTEN: U.S. Senate candidate Al Gross is here to answer your questions
Making his first run for public office, Al Gross wants to win the race for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat, currently held by incumbent Dan Sullivan. Gross is running as an Independent with support from state democrats.
LISTEN: U.S. House candidate Alyse Galvin is here to answer your questions
Challenging Alaska's lone and long-serving U.S. House representative for a second time, Alyse Galvin is running as an independent with support from state Democrats.
Fighting for his 25th term, here’s why Don Young says he’s not done yet | Alaska Insight
Alaska Insight is kicking off four weeks of discussions with Alaska Congressional candidates with U.S. House incumbent Don Young. Congressman Young is seeking his 25th term in Alaska’s sole House seat.
How districts are working to meet distance education needs in rural Alaska | Alaska Insight
Most schools are underway across the state. Do rural students have better options for online instruction now than they had in the spring?
LISTEN: U.S. House incumbent Don Young is here to answer your questions
Alaska has only one U.S. House seat and Congressman Don Young is seeking his 25th term in that position. What does he want to accomplish in the next two years if he is re-elected?
CARES Act funding is helping communities through the pandemic, but is it enough? | Alaska Insight
Lori Townsend speaks with the executive director of Alaska Municipal League and a local government specialist with the State of Alaska about how communities are spending CARES Act funding.
LISTEN: Not every student in Alaska has access to reliable internet. How are officials handling distance education in rural Alaska?
How will rural students access course materials in areas with little or no broadband? And how will teachers build relationships with students that can’t log on?
Months after initial closures, how is Alaska’s economy faring? | Alaska Insight
Five months after state and local governments' initial COVID-19 closures, where is Alaska at in its recovery? Where are the gaps that must be filled to keep businesses and citizens whole?
LISTEN: Weathering budget cuts and COVID-19, the UA System preps for a new school year
COVID-19 has thrown higher education into turmoil. State budget cuts, loss of research funds and the sudden departure of the University system president are also challenging education leaders at an already difficult time. What’s the outlook?
Looking at the summer uptick in COVID-19 cases | Alaska Insight
Life has changed rapidly in Alaska with the arrival of COVID-19. On the season premiere of Alaska Insight, Lori Townsend is joined by Alaska's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Zink, and the medical director of the Norton Sound Health Corporation, Dr. Mark Peterson, to discuss how officials around the state are handling the recent uptick in coronavirus cases across the state.
LISTEN: It was supposed to be a record year for Alaska tourism. Then COVID-19 hit.
How much has federal CARES Act funding helped Alaska's visitor industry and will these businesses survive the winter?
LISTEN: Hard hit by government closures and consumer fears of exposure to COVID-19, restaurants are on the brink
Bars and restaurants are once again closed to indoor drinking and dining in Anchorage, but some restaurant owners say they can't afford another shutdown, and will defy the order and stay open. Some will close permanently. What's the best answer to keep people safe and keep businesses whole?
LISTEN: We’re celebrating 50 years of public radio in Alaska. Share your stories with us.
Public radio came to Alaska in 1970, providing a vital link between rural communities at a time when there were none. How was Alaska’s public radio network built?
LISTEN: The annual five year Arctic Research plan is inviting public comment before the plan is written. Here’s what you need to know.
Which federal agencies decide what it will include and how can you weigh in to help shape the focus of the science?
LISTEN: How important is removing statues in the larger context of systemic racism?
For many Americans, monuments, statutes and other historical markers are tributes to past figures, but for Native and Black Americans, these relics are painful reminders of racism and colonization. Some want them torn down, others say they should remain with accurate historical context. Is this the right fight?
LISTEN: COVID-19 cases are on the rise as Alaska reopens. How do we slow the spread and maintain our economy?
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Alaska has sharply increased in this month as the economy reopens. What are the factors contributing to the rapid rise and how should state and local government leaders respond to help slow the spread of the virus?
LISTEN: What does it take to ensure human rights across Alaska? A conversation with the Human Rights Commission and state Ombudsman.
Protests demanding equality have rippled across the state and nation in recent weeks. Communities of color and their supporters demand reform of policing, but inequality also exists within many other government agencies and programs that create barriers to social justice.
LISTEN: Is Alaska getting its “fair share” of oil revenue? Ballot measure one seeks to change how oil production is taxed.
Alaska’s economy is built on oil, and a measure going to the ballet box on November 3rd could have a huge impact on the future of oil in the state.