Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media
Lori Townsend is the news director 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.
LISTEN: There’s a lot on the table during the next legislative session. State government reporters break down what to look out for.
Next Tuesday, legislators return to Juneau to start the 2020 session. Will the Dunleavy administration and state lawmakers find common ground on how to pay for state services and a permanent fund dividend without draining the Constitutional Budget Reserve?
How State Senate leadership is preparing for the next legislative session | Alaska Insight
Governor Mike Dunleavy released his budget proposal for the next fiscal year in December, but the legislature will have their work cut out for them when they return to Juneau on January 21 to begin the next session. How will lawmakers on both sides of the aisle come together to balance the state budget?
LISTEN: Senate leadership is here to answer your questions ahead of the 2020 legislative session
Alaska Lawmakers will have a lot on their plates when they convene on January 21st for the start of the legislative session. How will they work to balance spending with less revenue coming in from oil and what amount will they agree to for a permanent fund dividend?
Mel Sather, Alaska broadcasting pioneer, dies at 75
Mel Sather, who built the Anchorage-based Native station KNBA, died Dec. 4 after a long illness.
LISTEN: Spanish flu devastated rural Alaska in 1918. Are we better prepared for a pandemic 100 years later?
The 1918 viral pandemic known as the Spanish flu, killed millions worldwide and devastated rural communities in Alaska. 100 years later, what did pathologists learn from that outbreak and how prepared are we to handle a fast moving infectious disease today?
LISTEN: Eagle River author Marc Cameron returns with new Tom Clancy novel
Eagle River resident and prolific thriller author Marc Cameron juggles three distinct fiction series--his longtime special ops character Jericho Quinn, his new Alaska based series with federal Marshall Arliss Cutter and recently, on November 19th, Cameron released his third Tom Clancy novel, Code of Honor.
LISTEN: The Nov. 30 earthquake, one year later: what did we learn?
It's been a year since the largest earthquake to shake Alaska since 1964 hit the Southcentral region. Even with millions of dollars in destruction happening in seconds, no one was killed. Was it building codes, epicenter location or just luck?
When drought came to the rainforest, Metlakatla adapted | Alaska Insight
Alaska’s vast geography features dramatic precipitation variation from the relatively dry arctic to the rainforests of the southeast, but a changing climate is causing problems in some unexpected ways.
LISTEN: What should the future of Alaska’s government look like? AFN has a few ideas.
The Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention theme last month was Good Government-Alaskan Driven. How does AFN leadership see their role in driving political change and how do they work with tribal leaders to accomplish it?
Opportunities for Agriculture in Rural Alaska | Alaska Insight
Climate change is changing what Alaskans can expect during the growing season, presenting both new challenges and opportunities for fresh food in rural Alaska. Will residents, even in the arctic, be able to grow enough food for their winter use and sell extra produce to others?
LISTEN: Southeast’s “extreme drought” is over, but there are still concerns about water conservation
Southeast communities are working to adapt to a problem they never imagined-- drought. This week on Talkf of Alaska we discuss community health, water conservation in a rainforest and the climate model forecasts for the future.
What piped water means for residents in rural Alaska | Alaska Insight
Water and sewer infrastructure, something most Americans take for granted as a basic utility service, is lacking in many communities in rural Alaska. Why, more than 60 years after statehood, are there still villages without piped systems?
LISTEN: As the Arctic climate warms, the growing season lengthens. Will rural Alaska become more agricultural?
As winter approaches, farmers and gardeners make plans for spring crops. Climate change effects on the growing season in Alaska means new opportunities and challenges for the future. Will residents, even in the arctic, be able to grow enough food for their winter use?
Alaska lobbyists explain how their work shapes laws and policies | Alaska Insight
Lobbyists are viewed as representatives of special interest groups that want to drive policy change that favors big business. But many who lobby the local, state and federal government are citizens who seek better healthcare and improved schools.
LISTEN: 32 rural Alaska communities still lack running water. Infrastructure builders are trying to change that.
For most Americans, in home running water and flushing toilets are considered basic utilities, but across rural Alaska more than 30 villages are still living without piped systems. What are the challenges of providing water infrastructure to these communities?
How did Alaska become a destination for immigrants? | Alaska Insight
Immigration is a political hot button issue in the nation, with advocates calling for better pathways for citizenship and opponents demanding fewer entrants and higher border walls. But Alaska has been a state of rich diversity since before statehood.
LISTEN: How lobbyists shape government in Alaska
Lobbyists are often viewed with skepticism. But many who lobby the local, state and federal government are citizens — often volunteers — who seek better healthcare, improved schools or advocate for policies that address local concerns over clean air and water.
LISTEN: After plane goes off the Unalaska runway, passenger describes fatal crash, aftermath
Unalaska resident Patrick Lee was traveling home with his wife, daughter and granddaughter when the flight slid off the runway upon landing.
LISTEN: With the state’s reversal on justice reform, Alaska prisons are filling up. One Republican senator saw it coming
The Alaska Department of Corrections is planning to send hundreds of inmates to prisons outside of Alaska — and North Pole Republican Sen. John Coghill says it will likely cost the state money in the long run.
PFAS contamination in Alaska | Alaska Insight
Found in various items from firefighting foam to household cleaning products and even food containers, PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that bioaccumulate over time. Drinking water sources in several Alaska communities are contaminated with PFAS.