Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media

Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media
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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.

State Offers Free Flu Vaccines

The administrative fee for vaccines through the state's public health system is being waived in an effort to get more low income people protected from flu this season. Download Audio

UAA Engagement Week Highlights Community

The University of Alaska Anchorage is hosting community engagement events this week. The focus is on being urban in Alaska. Bree Kessler is an assistant professor for Health Sciences at the center for community engagement and learning. She says on Saturday a pop up museum will appear for a few hours in a downtown neighborhood. Download Audio

AFN Officials Revisit Subsistence Issues

Officials with the Alaska Federation of Natives gathered today in Anchorage, Juneau and Bethel on a teleconference to denounce the state's lawsuit. Download Audio

Book Makes Case For US, Canada Merger

The United States and Canada are friendly neighbors with many common cultural and business interests. A new book suggests that partnership should be formalized. The title: Merger of the Century - Why Canada and America Should Become One Country, succinctly defines the premise. Author and dual citizen Diane Francis says because Canada has vast, undeveloped resources but scant population and military, it needs the U.S. to help develop and protect what America also needs. Download Audio

Seismic Activity And Tsunamis In Alaska

Alaska is the most seismically active place in America and one of the most earthquake prone areas on the planet. There were numerous large earthquakes in the 1960s followed by a few decades of relative calm, but that's changed in recent years. It's not a matter of if, but when for the next big earthquake in Alaska. APRN: Tuesday, 11/5 at 10:00am Download Audio

Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault Top AFN Conversations

The issues of substance abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault garner a lot of attention at the Alaska Federation of Native Conference in Fairbanks. Calls to strengthen tribal control over subsistence matters were highlighted by a round-table discussion with Senator Mark Begich and an address by Senator Lisa Murkowski where she deemed certain Federal Subsistence Board rules “ridiculous.” KSKA: Friday, 11/1 at 2:00pm & Saturday, 11/2 at 6:00pm TV: Friday, 11/1 at 7:30pm & Saturday, 11/2 at 5:00pm Download Audio

AFN Youth Speak Out On Abuse

The Alaska Federation of Natives convention that just concluded in Fairbanks had a theme of traditional values this year. Protection became a big component of that. The perennial call to ensure that subsistence rights are not diminished was strong, but even stronger this year was the outpouring of support for young people, who opened up with gut wrenching stories of pain from the fall out of addiction, suicide and abuse.

New AFN Co-Chairs Elected

The annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention wrapped up Saturday in Fairbanks. AFN board co-chairs were elected in the morning. Ana Hoffman garnered the most votes. Hoffman is the President and CEO of the Bethel Native Corporation.

Alaska Native Communities Investing In Immigration Reform

The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention entered second day today. On the agenda: Affordable Care Act opportunities, arctic policy and suicide prevention. Download Audio

Bush Caucus Takes Stand On Rural Issues

Bryce Edgmon with the Bush caucus of the Alaska legislature spoke to AFN delegates this morning. Edgmon, a Democrat from Dillingham, said the caucus took a forceful stance against the photo ID mandates for voter registration and against the proposal to amend the state constitution for using state dollars for non public schools. Download Audio

300 Villages: Alaska Federation Of Natives

Although it isn’t a standard village, AFN is a community that pops up for a few days each fall, bringing together people from across the state. Attendees talk about why that community is so important. Download Audio

Julie Kitka On Tribal-Federal Relations

The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention got underway this morning in Fairbanks. The keynote speaker today was Nelson Angapak, retired as Senior Vice President of AFN. He urged young people to work hard to achieve success, to listen to their elders and for Native people to come together to confront big challenges like threats to subsistence and federal cuts to programs. Download Audio

Tribal Courts May Get More Power In Alcohol, Domestic Violence Cases

Governor Sean Parnell announced at AFN today that he's preparing to launch demonstration projects to allow tribal courts to process more alcohol and domestic violence cases. He said tribes "can often provide local, culturally relevant justice services." Jerry Isaac is President of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, which has one of the most active tribal court systems in the state. APRN's Lori Townsend asked for his reaction to Governor Parnell's announcement: Download Audio

Violence Against Women

The numbers of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Alaska continue to be some of the highest in the nation. Family violence impacts the emotional growth of children and affects entire communities. What can be done to reduce the harm? APRN: Tuesday, 10/22 at 10:00am Download Audio

Great Alaska ShakeOut Promotes Earthquake Preparedness

Nearly 50,000 Alaskans registered for an earthquake preparedness event today called the Great Alaskan ShakeOut. Download Audio

Discussion Touches On Unconventional Oil, Gas Development

Unconventional oil and gas development will be part of the discussion on Friday when energy advisory consultant David Goldwyn speaks at an Alaska World Affairs counsel event. Goldwyn is co-author and editor of Energy and Security: Strategies for a World in Transition. The revised 2nd edition addresses new energy frontiers, rising safety concerns for energy complexes and energy poverty. Goldwyn says the revolution in shale development in the lower 48 has changed the future of domestic energy development. Download Audio

Diversity In News Coverage

This year’s University of Alaska Anchorage Atwood Chair of Journalism is the first Native to hold the position. Alaska residents come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and the state is home to half of the nation’s tribes, yet most of the reporters in the state are white. Does this matter? What changes when there is more diversity in reporting? APRN: Tuesday, 10/15 at 10:00am Download Audio

Diversity In The Newsroom

My guest for today’s program is Mark Trahant, Mark is the University of Alaska Anchorage Atwood Chair of Journalism. Mark is the first Native person to hold the Atwood chair at UAA, and diversity in journalism will be part of the discussion today. Download Audio KSKA: Friday, 10/11 at 2:00pm & Saturday, 10/12 at 6:00pm TV: Friday, 10/11 at 7:30pm & Saturday, 10/12 at 5:00pm

Alaska’s Supreme Court Justice Talks About Diversity On The Court

The Alaska Supreme Court was in Barrow last week to hear a climate change lawsuit on the Barrow high school stage. Chief Justice Dana Fabe says it’s important for students to learn how their legal system works. The Chief Justice feels strongly that diversity on the bench helps communities have faith in the decisions judges make. In her chambers at the Boney courthouse in downtown Anchorage she spoke highly of her predecessor Jay Rabinowitz who believed all Alaskans should have equal access to the judicial system. Download Audio

Longtime Pilot, Adventurer Shares Experiences In New Book

The list of Alaskans with notable adventures is long, but Lowell Thomas Junior’s accomplishments are impressive by any standard. A former 12-year State Senator and Lieutenant Governor, an author, filmmaker and world traveler who visited the Dalai Lama and desert nomads, Thomas has logged more than 10,000 hours flying, much of it in a single-engine airplane with his wife. Tay. as his navigator. A new book co-authored with Lew Freedman chronicles Lowell Thomas Junior’s amazing life and is out now, just a few days before his 90th birthday. Lowell and Tay tell us with so many adventures, it’s tough to pick a highlight. Download Audio