Talk of Alaska

Bird watching and listening is a fun activity that is also important for understanding how migration patterns change and for documenting new or invasive species.

Crime rates in Anchorage are higher than other communities in the state. Could a new public safety partnership between the city and state help make Anchorage safer?

Alaskans are smart, resourceful and creative. That’s on display in a new book called "Alaska Literary Field Guide" which weaves together art, poetry, personal reflections and natural history.

Some waste is inevitable, but careful shopping, reusing and recycling can cut down on what gets tossed into landfills and ambitious Alaskans are finding creative solutions.

For decades, Alaskans have heard of burgeoning plans for building a gas pipeline from the North Slope and for decades, those plans have fizzled out at some point. But with a private developer at the helm and support from the president, will this latest iteration be different?

Alaska travel experts join us to talk about travel adventures that are fun and safe.

Alaska’s economy through the decades was on an oil price dependent roller coaster of up and down revenue, making it difficult to plan for long term projects and fiscal stability. Changes in recent years to how the state finances services and public infrastructure has provided some clarity, but what does that clearer picture mean and what do state leaders need to do to help stabilize revenue and spending for the future? Guests: Brett Watson-Associate Professor-Applied and Natural Resource Economics-ISER; Spencer Perry-Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Policy-ISER

The word subsistence is used to describe a broad range of activities on land and water that aim to help people sustain their families and traditions for living a life off the land. Indigenous people have used these practices for thousands of years.Federal law codified priority protections for rural subsistence in 1980, but now the federal government is reviewing the subsistence management program and changes could be coming. What could that mean for life in remote communities?Learn about the review and how you can be heard in the process.

Finding affordable child care in Alaska is tough. Rising costs, long waitlists and staffing challenges mean families don’t have a lot of options. State and local leaders are tackling the problem from a variety of angles, but is it enough?

What is the best path forward for Alaska’s economy, public health and safety and future energy development? School districts need funds for crumbling infrastructure and state facilities are also backlogged for maintenance. But where will funds come from to meet these expensive obligations? And is there a path to a sustainable permanent fund dividend that won’t run the state’s main spending account out of money? The legislature is back in Juneau and House and Senate leaders are with us to describe the work before them, on this episode of Talk of Alaska.

Improving health outcomes for Alaskans is at the heart of a multi-billion dollar federal plan aimed at improving rural healthcare systems. Alaska is in line to receive as much as 1.3 billion dollars over 5 years. What will the funding support-- and what do state health officials think Alaska’s healthcare system needs to help all Alaskans have healthier lives? We’ll learn about the Rural Health Transformation program on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaska has always had periods of dramatic weather, but recent bouts of long periods of deep cold and swings from subzero temperatures one week to rain the next are difficult and tedious to contend with. How are weather experts and city leaders working to understand and meet the unpredictable weird weather test of the future? We learn about planning for weather chaos and disasters today on Talk of Alaska.

A plan for a more affordable and efficient electric system is at the heart of an effort to build a grid that meets the future needs for Alaskans. Nearly 75% of Alaska’s residents live along the 700 mile railbelt system from Homer to Fairbanks. The utilities, consumer groups and energy experts are all in the mix to solicit ideas to make the power grid more efficient and resilient. What do you need to know about how you can weigh in? We discuss it on this Talk of Alaska.

John McPhee’s 1977 book Coming into the Country inspired young people to visit Alaska and many stayed. More recently, one of McPhee’s former students followed his path around the state, and was featured on Talk of Alaska. On this Talk of Alaska, we revisit Lori Townsend's 2017 conversation with McPhee about his book and his travels. Join us for a walk down memory lane on this very special Talk of Alaska.

Winter in Alaska can be lots of fun. It can also get long, and deep cold, combined with darkness, can make even the most optimistic among us get a little anxious, a little less productive, and a little cranky. But instead of dreading the long, northern winter, there are lots of ways to embrace it and enjoy snow and even cold. Join us for a discussion and tips on how to love winter on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaska Public Media’s warmest holiday tradition, Talk of Alaska: Holiday Greetings from Across the State, is back again this year with hosts Steve Heimel and Wesley Early. Connecting Alaskans, from Utqiaġvik to Juneau, hear festive greetings, well wishes and sentiments from those who call Alaska home. With listeners all over the state, and even in the Lower 48 and Hawaii, this show is the perfect opportunity to send love to friends and family, no matter where they may be.

Stable housing helps people live healthier, happier lives with less risk of injury, illness and trauma that our unhoused neighbors face on a daily basis. In the past decade, increased attention to the growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness has resulted in multiple efforts to help get people off the streets with mixed results. The United Way, the Municipality of Anchorage, Southcentral Foundation and other partners started the Home for Good program in 2019 and are beginning to see results. We learn about the ideas behind the program and how success is being measured on this Talk of Alaska.

Many young people have been inspired to venture to the 49th state by the book Coming into the Country, by John McPhee. Nearly 50 years later, a student of McPhee’s followed in his footsteps and wrote about his life changing travels through Alaska’s vast wilderness. The author and Alaskans who helped him learn about the state, and how climate change is reshaping the Arctic, join us to discuss his book, North to the Future, on this Talk of Alaska.

If you’ve ever attended the Anchorage International Film Festival, you know their slogan, films worth freezing for, is accurate. The annual line up of features and shorts from Alaskan filmmakers and other U.S. and international creatives brings a festive start to December. This year is the festival’s 25th anniversary and Alaska Native film adaptations of classic books like Two Old Women will bring even more excitement to this year’s mix. Directors and filmmakers join us to dig into the details on this Talk of Alaska.

The Alaska office of Children’s Services, OCS, is tasked with protecting children and supporting struggling families. Providing a stable, loving home for children helps improve their chances for success in health, education, social settings and future employment. An audit required by a 2018 law aimed at improving OCS outcomes found problems persist. Where has OCS had success and what else is needed? Advocates on both sides join us for this Talk of Alaska.