Programs

This week on State of Art we hear from the leads of Anchorage Opera's "Carmen" and discuss Momentum Dance Collective's Queen-centric season finale "Rhapsody."

Legislators could vote on taxes as a new form of revenue this session. Plus, Sen. Lisa Murkowski cosponsored a measure to revise the Equal Rights Amendment.

A few scientists and outdoor pioneers are studying and advocating for changes in the outdoor gear industry. Arlene Blum is one such person. Arlene is a groundbreaking mountaineer and scientist. She led the first all female ascent of Denali and Annapurna, and was the first American woman to attempt Mt Everest. While breaking stereotypes in the mountaineering world she did the same as a scientist, publishing research that led to the banning of toxic chemicals in children's pajamas for starters. Arlene is still at it working on "forever chemicals" (PFAS) that are found in the remotest parts of Alaska. Arlene and Pam Miller with Alaska Community Action on Toxics join host Paul Twardock to discuss Arlene's contributions to mountaineering and science.

The Army Corps of Engineers reconsiders an important Pebble Mine permit. Plus, the Alaska Senate finalizes its proposal to increase student funding.

Amid the debate over increasing education funding, some calls for a longer-term plan. Plus, how Anchorage library employees recorded inflammatory comments by their well-connected, conservative boss.

Think about your community. Do you feel safe there? Do you have access to clean water or to adequate housing? How connected are you to your neighbors? To the land? All these things are elements of a healthy community. On this Talk of Alaska we discuss what’s happening around the state to build healthy communities where everyone thrives.

Lawmakers discuss the possibility of introducing new taxes. Plus, as wildfire seasons grow more intense, researchers want to provide air quality data to Alaskans.

It's finally starting to feel like spring. And with that comes the birds. On this Hometown Alaska we meet some of the people that make up the Bird Treatment and Learning Center (Bird TLC). We find out what they do, what keeps them so busy this time of year and how their operation works. We also get to meet one of their avian ambassadors in the studio.

This week on State of Art we're learning about media preservation with Summit Day Media's Bob Curtis-Johnson and Mike Martz. They both started their careers in media production, but later shifted to working with museums, libraries and other organizations to archive and preserve audio and video collections. They tell us about what goes into cataloging and preserving obsolete media, their current project digitizing a 7,500-piece tape archive for KYUK and the cultural heritage that disappears if these collections are left inaccessible.

Two bills aim to change the way health care is offered to school district employees in Alaska. Plus, a Sitka man's invention to arrange luggage is sold to airlines around the world.

The Bering Sea snow crab season was canceled this year after billions of crabs disappeared – devastating a commercial fishing industry worth $200 million dollars and the livelihoods of those who depend on it.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough has a new sexual harassment policy after settling a lawsuit against the former mayor. Plus, a new bill would remove marijuana offenses from online court records.

On this Outdoor Explorer our guest is Harlow Robinson, the executive director of Healthy Futures and the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. On April 27, the Hall will induct the class of 2023. Harlow will tell us about the people, moment and event that comprise this year’s class, as well as the annual Director’s Awards and the popular 100 Miles in May.

Alaska was the third U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana use, but it recently became the first state to introduce an on-site consumption cafe.

The first cruise ship of 2023 docks in Juneau. Plus, researchers are collecting hair from humans to study mercury levels in fish. 

The state House passes a budget that would pull nearly $600 million from savings. Plus, after adapting to fishing for more rockfish, charters will see new limits this summer.

Amid a federal push to limit vehicle emissions, there is a small but fast growing community of electric car owners in Alaska. Drivers say modern EVs can handle the winter conditions just fine.

Will legislators find consensus on a budget by mid-May that the Governor will also agree to? We discuss the ideas for Alaska’s fiscal future on this Talk of Alaska.

Exxon says it does not plan to expand its oil drilling in the Arctic. Plus, electric vehicle owners in Alaska are enthusiastic and their numbers are growing quickly in the state.

Nationally, a record number of bills that attack LGBT rights, especially those of transgender youth, have been making their way through state legislatures nationwide. According to the ACLU, there are currently over 400 proposed bills that cover everything from limiting preferred pronouns to banning drag performances. Drag queens have become a lightning rod for the justification of much of the proposed anti-LGBT legislation. Both locally and nationally, drag performers are working to demystify the art form and set the record straight.