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.
How Will Retreating Glaciers Affect Whales, Seals?
Glaciologist Erin Pettit was on a kayaking trip in Glacier Bay in 2006 when she first wondered what kind of noise the glaciers were making under the water. Her new research shows the answer to that question is a lot - and not just when the glaciers are calving. Here's the sound of a glacier pressurized bubbles being released from a glacier.
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‘Iditarod Adventures, Tales from Mushers Along the Trail’ Documents Race Stories
A new book, out just in time for this year's race, documents stories of the Iditarod. Lew Freedman, a former Anchorage Daily News reporter and author of numerous other books on Iditarod legends, gets people who race or love and support the race, to tell their own stories. The book is called Iditarod Adventures, Tales from Mushers Along the Trail. Freedman starts with Martin Buser. He says he's had a question he's wanted to ask Buser since 1991.
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National Geographic Photographer Reflects On Three Decades Of Work
National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths will be speaking tonight in Anchorage about her more than three decades of work capturing the lives and cultures of people across the planet. Griffiths has worked in more than 150 countries. She raised her children on the road and says they loved the Middle East where they rode camels, milked goats and were warmly welcomed by people who prioritized family.
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Holly Brooks Wins American Birkebeiner Ski Race
Holly Brooks won the 51 kilometer American Birkebeiner ski race in Hayward, Wisconsin this Saturday. Brooks is leading the International Ski Federation - or FIS - Marathon Cup - competing in long distance races in Europe, the U.S and later this spring- Russia. She gave up her spot on the U.S. Ski team to pursue an overall win on the Marathon Cup this season.
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Anchorage Man Indicted On Sex Trafficking, Sexual Assault, Weapons Misconduct Charges
Xavier Lanell Cook Benson is facing 12 counts related to what law enforcement officials allege in a written release, was a brutal and exploitative sex trafficking and prostitution operation in Anchorage, Juneau, Kenai and Fairbanks.
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Seward Highway Reopened After Rock Slide
Alaska Department of Transportation and Anchorage police report the Seward highway is open again. It was closed this morning due to a rock slide near the scales south of Potter Marsh. Both lanes of the highway were closed.
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Anchorage YWCA Works for Gender Pay Equity
The Anchorage YWCA has taken on the topic of pay inequity for women. Nationally women make 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, but in Alaska, the rate is 67 cents, placing Alaska at 48th for women's pay in the nation. Hilary Morgan is the CEO of Anchorage YWCA, she says when she researched the pay disparity, she thought it may be skewed due to jobs in the resource development industry that required more physical strength, so she examined industries that didn't require brawn.
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Practitioner of Traditional Medicine Stresses Personal Responsibility
Ted Mala grew up in a family that covered a broad career spectrum; from medicine people to movie stars. Dr Mala is the son of Alaska Native movie star Ray Mala and before he became the first Alaska Native to attend medical school and return to Alaska to practice, he learned about traditional medicine from relatives in the region of his childhood home in Buckland.
He believes deeply in the power of traditional healing, but he also makes a clear distinction between it and shamanism.
Seabird Decline Could Signal Drop In Ocean Productivity
Seabirds are on the decline in the North Pacific, from the Western Aleutians to Vancouver Island. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey compiled and filtered the data of hundreds of thousands of surveys of different species conducted in the last 40 years to document the decline. They say the decline could signal a drop in the overall productivity of the ocean.
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What Do Wilderness Designation Proposals Mean For Arctic Development?
The Obama Administration has proposed designating more than 20 million acres of both on and offshore federal areas be made off limits to development such as oil and gas exploration. The announcement was described as a gut punch by Senator Lisa Murkowski and had the entire delegation and the governor so steamed, they said it was a "war on Alaska."
KSKA: Friday, 1/30 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, 1/31 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, 1/30 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 1/31 at 4:30 p.m.
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Sugar Creates Genetic Trouble For Coastal Alaska Natives
The idea that traditional diets are best for coastal Alaska Native people is being further confirmed by the discovery of a gene deficiency that doesn't allow their systems to process sugar. Dr Matthew Hirschfeld is the director of maternal/child health services at the Alaska Native Medical Center. The intolerant gene causes a condition know as as C-Sid.
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Leaner Times In Store For Alaska’s Budget
Governor Bill Walker’s State of the Budget speech made clear that leaner times are ahead for Alaska. His address was a somber departure from the optimistic state of the state address. He noted almost right away that managing the state’s finances into better standing will not be easy.
KSKA: Friday, 1/23 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, 1/24 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, 1/23 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 1/24 at 4:30 p.m.
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Alaska’s 29th Legislature Gavels In
The state legislature began the 29th session this afternoon. House Speaker Mike Chenault gaveled in at 1 pm. The State Senate followed an hour later. Senate President Kevin Meyer is a Republican from Anchorage. He says the caucus has several priorities this year,-the gas line, education, Arctic policy and development and federal over-reach. But he says the state budget will - of course - need the most attention.
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Gov. Walker Outlines Priorities For Legislative Session
The Alaska Legislature gavels in tomorrow afternoon for the 29th session. Lawmakers - along with all Alaskans will get a better sense of Governor Bill Walker's agenda for the next 90 days in two speeches this week - the State of the State and the State of the budget. Walker took some time today to talk about his priorities. He says he has a few guiding principles as he crafts a budget this year.
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A Year in the Life of the Bowhead Whale
A new film produced by the University's Museum of the North in Fairbanks, seeks to reveal the secrets of the undersea migration life of bowhead whales. The animated film is called A Year in the Life of the Bowhead Whale. The film features English, Inupiaq and St Lawrence Island Yupik narration.
Roger Topp heads up digital media at the museum. He wrote and directed the film. He told APRN's Lori Tow nsend the project started four years ago and was inspired by the linear passage of time.
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More Than 40,000 Earthquakes Detected In 2014
The Earthquake Information Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks logged more earthquakes in 2014 than in past years, a lot more. 40,000. An increase of about 10,000 from the average of the years before it. Michael West is the state seismologist at the center. He says part of the reason they counted more last year was because of better technology.
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State’s New Attorney General Outlines Department’s Challenges
Alaska's new attorney general is a 39-year-old who has spent the last 10 years practicing law with Governor Bill Walker. Craig Richards grew up in Fairbanks. He's enthusiastic about his new position. Richards says the department of law is dealing with two big challenges right now- the first is the National Guard issue.
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The Future Of Alaska’s LNG Pipeline Project
As the Federal Coordinator’s office for an Alaska North Slope LNG pipeline prepares to close its doors, we take a look at the history of the office, the current state of proposed Alaska LNG pipelines and the outlook on the future of the project.
KSKA: Friday, 1/9 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, 1/9 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, 1/9 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 1/9 at 4:30 p.m.
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Is SB21 Working?
Since the Frank Murkowski administration, every Alaska governor has offered his or her own version of oil tax reform. Now, Governor Bill Walker is expressing concern with aspects of the current tax regime.
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Post-Holiday Lull Means Less Public Attention For Homeless Needs
Quiet after the frenzy of the holidays is a welcome change for many Alaskans, but for those who live from paycheck to paycheck or are homeless, the quiet can mean less. Less public attention to donations of clothing, food and money during the coldest part of the year. In December, Lisa Aquino took the helm as executive director for Catholic Social Services, the organization that runs Brother Francis Shelter, Clare House and other assistance programs in Anchorage.
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