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.
Alaska Federation of Natives Wraps Up Annual Convention
The Alaska Federation of Natives wrapped up their annual convention with the usual process of amending and voting on resolutions. The resolutions process was similar to past conventions except for the notable difference this year of candidate endorsements.
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Libertarian Candidates for Governor and U.S. Senate
Libertarians believe citizens should be free to engage in any activity that does not violate the rights of others. Their party wants government out of the way so people can pursue liberty and freedom. How would this translate to elected positions?
APRN: Tuesday, 10/28 at 10:00am
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U.S. House Candidate Forrest Dunbar
Lifelong Alaskan and political newcomer Forrest Dunbar is young and determined. This Yale Law grad wants to be Alaska's next Congressman. Dunbar is running as a Democrat. His social policy fits with that party, but he says he is more in line with Republicans on resource development.
APRN: Wednesday, 10/29 at 10:00am
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Statewide Legislative Races; And The Alaska Federation Of Native Convention
From Southeast to the Northwest Alaska and many places in between, some interesting races and ballot issues top voter concerns. Also, the annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention is happening in Anchorage, covering a variety of rural issues.
KSKA: Friday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 25 at 4:30 p.m.
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Alaska Writer Presents Simple Philosophy On Wildlife
Bill Sherwonit knows a thing or two about Alaska wildlife. The Anchorage based writer has spent decades traipsing through swamps, forging rivers and hiking mountains studying and writing about Alaska's critters. From the superstars like grizzly bears, moose and caribou to the lowly wood frog. Even shrews and spiders have been given respectful literary treatment. Sherwonit has a simple philosophy about his relationship with wild animals.
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Gubernatorial Candidate Sean Parnell
Sean Parnell is in a close race to keep his position as Alaska's top executive. The state is facing tough issues. Revenue shortfalls mean hard budget questions in the future, and reform is needed in the troubled National Guard. But gasline development may also be on the horizon.
APRN: Tuesday, 10/21 at 10:00am
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Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Walker
Bill Walker wants to be the next Governor of Alaska. Whoever wins will take the job in a tough fiscal environment. Walker is running in a tight race without a party after running as a Republican in the past.
APRN: Wednesday, 10/22 at 10:00am
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How Does Climate Change Affect Public Health?
A series of reports that seek to define the potential changes to public health in rural Alaska communities based on the impacts of Alaska's rapidly changing climate. But, why are the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the North Slope Borough looking at the issue through the lens of climate change?
KSKA: Friday, October 17 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 18 at 4:30 p.m.
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U.S. Senate Race: Mark Begich
Six years ago, Mark Begich narrowly won his position as a U.S. Senator for Alaska. Now Senator Begich is in a fight to keep that seat with a strong challenge from former Attorney General and DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan.
APRN: Tuesday, 10/14 at 10:00am
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Alaska’s Fiscal Future
Alaska has had an interesting fiscal ride through the decades. From a time when the purchase of the territory from Russia was called "Seward's Folly" to the discovery of the rich oil resources of Prudhoe Bay -- which made the state very cashy, fairly quickly. Alaskans have enjoyed the benefits of oil revenues for decades, but production is in decline and that means the state must ramp up production or slow down expenses. We're in deficit spending now but the population and demand for services continues to ramp up. What should be done to help Alaska get out of deficit mode.
KSKA: Friday, October 10 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 11 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 11 at 4:30 p.m.
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Alaska National Guard Officer Recommended For ‘Other Than Honorable’ Discharge
A Lieutenant Colonel in the Alaska National Guard was recommended for an “other than honorable” discharge earlier this year, according to a story in this week’s Anchorage Press. Joseph Lawendowski is the guard’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training.
Reporter David Holthouse says he started looking into Lawendowski after reading the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations report that came out last month.
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Retired Colonel Implicated In Guard Scandal
A recent federal investigation documented a whole host of abuses in the Alaska National Guard, ranging from mishandling of sexual assault to embezzlement. While the report largely focused on structural problems and took a broad look at the crisis of confidence in Guard leadership, it made a few references to some particularly egregious examples. Now, some of the alleged perpetrators of those abuses are being called out.
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National Geographic Live – Paul Nicklen
National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen has traveled to some of the most remote regions of the globe to document the effects of climate change. He has plunged into icy water and floated on sea ice to photograph sea mammals that rarely encounter humans.
Nicklen worked as a biologist in Alaska before becoming a professional photographer. He says his love of the Arctic developed as a kid, growing up in a tiny arctic village on Baffin Island in Canada.
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Alaska Book Week: ‘Pup & Pokey’ and A Journey Into Kid Lit
Author Seth Kantner has published his first children's book. Pup & Pokey tells the story of a wolf pup and a young porcupine that strike up an unusual friendship. Kantner chose first time illustrator Beth Hill to bring the characters to life. Hill worked out of her home in the village of Kokhanok on a tight deadline, producing oil paintings that took two weeks to dry for each illustration.
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Book Chronicles Young Man’s Commercial Fishing Experiences
Being a deckhand can be tough, especially if you work for a boat owner who acts like a tyrant. In his new book Dead Reckoning, blank based author Dave Atcheson has written about his experience as a young man with no commercial fishing knowledge, trying to learn the business. His first job was really tough.
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Infectious Disease
What do Alaskans need to know about the first case of Ebola in America and the risk to children from Enterovirus 68? Neither disease is in Alaska, but public health officials are preparing just in case.
APRN: Tuesday, 10/7 at 10:00am
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Alaska Edition: October 3, 2014
An Alaska Supreme Court ruling in a tribal adoption case goes against the tribe's position; what are the broader implications for ICWA cases? Governor Sean Parnell defends his response to the National Guard sexual assault issue. Alaska voters will decide on a number of ballot propositions on November 4, including: marijuana legalization, increasing the minimum wage, and an initiative that would effectively prohibit the Pebble Mine.
KSKA: Friday, August 15 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 16 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, August 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 16 at 4:30 p.m.
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Health Policy Innovators Gather In Anchorage
A group of health policy innovators gathered at the Dena’ina center in Anchorage this morning to talk about how Alaska’s health care systems have evolved. The event is part of the Alaska Health Care Commission’s initiative to look at how Alaskans health status has improved in the last 60 years. A lot has changed in that time, including the development of an independent tribal health system.
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Arctic Researcher: Social Changes Are As Drastic as Climate Changes
Academics and researchers have been meeting in Anchorage to bring together studies looking at what sustainability means in the arctic. Andrey Petrov is lead investigator and director of Arctic Frost. He has studied the arctic in Russia, Canada and Alaska for 15 years. He says there is a lot of discussion about environmental changes, but social changes in arctic communities can be even more dramatic. His work looks at human capital and community innovators.
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What Should Alaska’s Fiscal Plan Be?
The level of spending by Alaska’s state government cannot be sustained. In the coming years as reserves are spent down, what are the choices that will have to be made? And when will they have to be made? Early next month, there will be a public forum to try to get some clarity about the state’s fiscal future.
APRN: Tuesday, 9/23 at 10:00am
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