Talk of Alaska

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.

As the temperatures outside drop, the temptation to curl up next to the fireplace with a good book only grows. A memorable novel can take us out of the dark and cold and transport us somewhere entirely new. So what do bookstore owners and librarians say are the best new reads? And what role do these gathering places play in the larger community? We discuss reading recommendations for the colder seasons on this Talk of Alaska.

A safe, stable and supportive home is important for helping young people start life off on solid emotional ground, but sudden tragedies, accidents, illness and dysfunction can lead to children needing foster care. It can be hard to find nurturing adults to provide care, especially for kids who need intensive, therapeutic care. A new campaign seeks to raise awareness and recruit new foster care families. We learn more on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaska's darkest season is a great time of year to see new movies and documentaries with family and friends. The Anchorage International Film Festival gets underway on Friday, December 6, and features a packed schedule of documentaries, short films, comedy, animation and discussions with filmmakers. It will be a week filled with creative and thoughtful content from both Alaska filmmakers and international selections. We hear from filmmakers and the festival directors on this Talk of Alaska.

Whales hold a deep and an outsized role in Alaska’s culture. The huge sea mammals are a centuries long mainstay of steady protein for Alaska Native communities and they invoke mystique and power for many Alaskans. A dead fin whale that washed up near Anchorage is bringing hundreds of spectators to the beach. What is the whale teaching biologists about the health of Alaska’s whale populations and by extension the health of oceans? We’ll learn more on this Talk of Alaska

Pedestrian safety should be a major consideration when transportation corridors are being built. But for decades, roads and highways were designed to create speedy and efficient movement of vehicles, not people on foot or on a bicycle. As understanding grows of the health, safety and community benefits from creating walk and bike routes, city planners and traffic engineers are getting better at designing for the safety of all users. Anchorage has had a lethal stretch of pedestrian deaths in recent months. We discuss what’s being done to lower these tragedies on this Talk of Alaska.

On this Talk of Alaska, we revisit our 2023 discussion on darkness, and finding ways to enjoy the short days of winter.

The harm that comes from too much cell phone time, especially for young people, has become much clearer in recent years. So much so that the U.S. Surgeon General is calling for warning labels on social media platforms, similar to the warnings on cigarettes and alcohol, because of what he calls a youth mental health crisis. Education leaders are grappling with how to keep kids focused during the school day while balancing logistics and safety concerns. Should cellphones be banned in school? If so, what should those bans look like? We discuss it on this Talk of Alaska.

Leading a happy, healthy and productive life should be available to all of us, and it is, but sometimes the path to it can be buried under years of trauma, abuse, neglect and addiction. Those of us who have suffered abusive behavior in the past may have locked it down or tried to ignore it or numb it through alcohol and drugs. Sharing our experiences, the good and the bad, can be a powerful start to healing, forgiveness and a life with less pain. We talk with Alaskans who have done just that and hear how their bravery has helped them find a happier life on this Talk of Alaska.

Who should help shape the future of clean energy, land and water use, community health and sustainable economic growth in the far north? Three Alaska women have been selected as Fulbright Arctic Initiative scholars, and although they have very different career paths, they share the common goal of a healthy, secure Arctic where the people who call this vast region home have a say in what that future looks like. We learn about their international research plans and what they hope will come out of it on this Talk of Alaska.

Presidential elections typically draw a significant number of voters to the polls. This year a coalition of Alaska organizations is working to increase that number even more, especially in underserved communities. What does it take to boost voter turnout across the state, especially in communities where people aren’t as likely to vote, and what issues are bringing Alaskans to the polls? We discuss voter engagement on this Talk of Alaska.

Presidential elections typically draw a significant number of voters to the polls. This year a coalition of Alaska organizations is working to increase that number even more, especially in underserved communities. What does it take to boost voter turnout across the state, especially in communities where people aren’t as likely to vote, and what issues are bringing Alaskans to the polls? We discuss voter engagement on this Talk of Alaska.

Presidential elections typically draw a significant number of voters to the polls. This year a coalition of Alaska organizations is working to increase that number even more, especially in underserved communities. What does it take to boost voter turnout across the state, especially in communities where people aren’t as likely to vote, and what issues are bringing Alaskans to the polls? We discuss voter engagement on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaska nonprofits have an outsized role in addressing needs for a broad swath of services, from child care to mental health support to food production. Beyond the services they provide, nonprofits are also a big part of the economic engine of the state. What will changes in leadership at some of the largest nonprofits here mean for the future of supportive services and rates of charitable giving? We discuss the future of Alaska’s nonprofit sector on this next Talk of Alaska.

As the temperatures outside drop, the temptation to curl up next to the fireplace with a good book only grows. A memorable novel can take us out of the dark and cold and transport us somewhere entirely new. So what do bookstore owners and librarians say are the best new reads? What role do these gathering places play in the larger community? We discuss reading recommendations for the colder seasons on this Talk of Alaska.

Police officers are tasked with keeping order in our communities and ensuring residents and visitors engage in lawful conduct. It can be a difficult job where decisions sometimes need to be made in seconds, especially when people are at risk, in crisis and threatening themselves or others. After Anchorage Police officers shot and killed four people in Anchorage over the last few months, some Alaskans are calling for change. Law enforcement officials, attorneys, and community advocates answer questions about use of force and how cases are investigated on this Talk of Alaska.

Spending more time indoors in fall and winter might be appealing and cozy, but it can also be an effective way for respiratory viruses to spread. Alaska has seen spikes in respiratory illness in recent weeks. What do you need to know about the latest viral variants, their treatment and the vaccines that can prevent infection or lessen severity if you do get sick? Alaska’s top medical experts join us to describe the latest science about viral disease, how to prevent it and answer your question on this Talk of Alaska.

The Alaska Permanent Fund was established more than 40 years ago. Through the decades there have been multiple changes to how funds are allocated, and perennial legislative fights over the amount of the Permanent Fund dividend. Permanent Fund managers want changes to the fund’s structure they say will protect it for the future. What are they advocating for and how are lawmakers responding?

Company mergers are often touted as a way to create more efficiencies for the companies and savings for customers. Albertsons, the owner of Safeway and Carrs, wants to sell to Kroger, the parent company of Fred Meyer. The deal would affect multiple stores in Alaska. The companies say the merger will result in better prices for consumers. Do economists, public advocates and attorneys agree? We ask them on this Talk of Alaska.

The painful legacy and harm caused to Alaska Native people by the boarding school era in Alaska and the rest of the nation is only beginning to be acknowledged and understood. The U.S. Interior Department released a report last month to continue documenting the federal government’s role in the system that ripped children away from their homes. We talk with survivors and researchers about what else is needed to tell the full story and bring healing on this Talk of Alaska.