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.
Keeping a president safe on the road: the devil’s in the details
The White House released more details today on President Obama's visit to Alaska next week. The President will spend Monday in Anchorage, Tuesday in the Seward area and Wednesday in Dillingham and Kotzebue. Planning the security for Obama's visit isn't easy, according to retired Federal Marshall Marc Otte. For 22 years, the Eagle River resident helped protect foreign dignitaries and federal judges.
Download Audio
Alaska Music Greats ‘Portugal. The Man’ To Rock AK State Fair
Getting an internationally successful rock band to play in Alaska is tough, but when the Alaska State Fair gets underway later this month, one of the performing groups will be playing for a home town crowd.
Download Audio
Wild food and its role in Alaska culture
Berry picking, salmon fishing and preparations for fall hunting are in full swing and Alaskans are putting up food for winter. Whether canned, dried, fermented or smoked - wild foods go hand in hand with the culture and traditions of the north.
APRN: Tuesday, 8/11 at 10:00am
Download Audio
The future of Alaska’s megaprojects
The six so called megaprojects that Governor Walker put on hold soon after taking office have already received millions in state and federal funds but would take billions to actually complete. Where would the money come from? If the state stops them completely will the federal money have to be repaid?
APRN: Tuesday, 8/4 at 10:00am
Download Audio
As Subsistence Foods Become Scarce, Kivalina Celebrates A New Store
It's been a festive day in the northwest Arctic community of Kivalina today as residents celebrate the grand opening of a new store. It's an end to eight months of struggle with limited supplies after Kivalina's store burned to the ground last December.
Download Audio
Alaska’s budget woes and the effects on public safety
Budget cuts are creating stress for communities trying to keep their citizens safe with fewer dollars for law enforcement. In a state with staggering statistics for violence and sexual assault, how can municipalities, cities, and villages keep the peace amid jail closures, fewer troopers and local police.
APRN: Tuesday, 7/28 at 10:00am
Download Audio
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, July 17, 2015
Wings of Alaska Flight From Juneau to Hoonah Goes Down, Survivors Confirmed; President Obama Will Attend Glacier Conference In Anchorage in August; Shell Rigs Leave Dutch Harbor For Chukchi, To Wait; Former Permanent Fund CEO Dies; Mississippi Flag To Be Removed From Downtown Juneau; Aniak Fire Base Battles Stubborn Fires: Fatal Plane Crash Wreckage Awaits Removal; AK: Nimbus Sculpture and 49 voices visits Chuck Sassara
Variability of Alaska’s salmon runs
Salmon runs in Alaska have been defying expectations this season, in both good and bad ways. Why has it been so difficult to meet escapement for some runs while seeing bounty in others? From closures on the Kuskokwim to a puny run on the Yukon, salmon fishing in Alaska is changing and the reasons why remain elusive.
APRN: Tuesday, July 21 at 10:00am
Download Audio
Bethel Democrat to Lead PNWER Arctic Caucus
Representative Bob Herron, a Democrat from Bethel was elected the chairman of the Arctic Caucus during the 25th summer summit of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, or PNWER.
Download Audio
Chuck Sassara on Propellers, Politics and People
Chuck Sassara first arrived in Alaska in a VW bus in 1955. He and his wife Ann built a life that encompassed a career in aviation, government and business. Sassara witnessed the beginnings of statehood and the growth of the Alaskan community. His new book is "Chuck Sassara’s Alaska - Propellers, Politics and People."
Download Audio:
APRN: Tuesday, July 14, at 10:00 a.m.
Alaska Ablaze: Fires Activity Puts State On Track For A Record-Setting Year
More than 300 wildfires are burning across Alaska right now- mostly in a wide swath of the interior and Southwest part of the state. More than 3 million acres of the state have burned so far this summer, which is on pace to beat the record setting 2004 season.
Download Audio:
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, July 3, 2015
Wade Hampton Census Area Gets A New Name; Coast Guard Cutter Sherman Returns To Port To Address Engine Trouble; Computers Aid Firefighting Efforts; State Fish And Game Officials Warn Of 'Rabbit Fever' Outbreak; Haines Assembly Approves Lower Cruise Ship Moorage Fees; UAF Addresses Water Quality Concerns; AK: Seward's Mount Marathon Race Hits The Century Mark
Polar Bear Recovery Plan
New reports are painting a grim picture for the future of polar bears. Studies looking at climate change impacts clarify that without ice, polar bears will have difficulty surviving. Polar bears in Alaska are particularly vulnerable and at risk of disappearing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have just released a polar bear conservation management plan that identifies arctic warming as the largest threat to the bear’s survival.
KSKA: Tuesday, July 7, at 10:00 a.m.
Listen now:
Alaska’s shoreline erosion rate among highest worldwide
Alaska has some of the most aggressive rates of shoreline erosion in the world. These findings are part of a new study released Wednesday by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Download Audio
Study: Climate Change Is A Chief Threat to Polar Bears
A new federal study shows Alaska's two polar bear populations could be greatly decreased in a decade. The research also shows global warming is by far the biggest threat to polar bear populations across the arctic compared to other stressors like hunting and pollutants.
Download Audio
Alaska: On the Cusp of Recession?
With oil prices stuck in the gutter, Alaska is staring down the possibility of economic recession. Combine that with declining federal dollars and jobs, military reductions and a weakened fishing industry and it all adds up to a perfect storm. It's an uncomfortable question: what will our economy look like without a booming oil sector?
APRN: Tuesday, 6/30 at 10:00am
Download Audio
Economic Report Assesses Potential for A Recession in Alaska
The state released a report last week with the ominous title, "The Great Alaska Recession." It's written by Juneau economist Greg Erickson, who was commissioned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to produce a report on the economic impact of Medicaid Expansion.
Download Audio
Anchorage Protesters Demonstrate Against Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plans
Two protests against Shell's plans for drilling in the Arctic this summer took place Thursday in Alaska. The first was in Juneau during the early afternoon and later in the day a second protest was organized on a street corner in Anchorage.
Kids Gather in Tanana to Learn Some Basketball and Life Skills
Kids from several villages and Fairbanks are gathered in the Yukon river community of Tanana this weekend for a basketball camp that seeks to do more than just help young people brush up on their bucket skills.
2015 Alaskan Wildfire Tally is Below Normal
So far this year, about 78,000 acres have burned in 280 fires in Alaska. That may sound like a lot, but it's actually below normal. That's according to Pete Buist, a public information officer for the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. Buist has worked on fires in Alaska and the rest of the country for 48 seasons.