Madilyn Rose

Alex McKay, now-president and CEO of the Alaska Community Foundation, speaks at the opening of the 3rd Avenue Resource & Navigation center in Anchorage on Feb. 15, 2023. (Elyssa Loughlin/Alaska Public Media)

The top two candidates for Alaska’s only U.S. House Seat debated three times over three days in mid-October, including in Alaska Public Media’s Debate for the State. How did incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican challenger Nick Begich make their case across these debates, and what do their answers tell us about their potential performance in office?

Host Lori Townsend and her guests discuss arguments for and against keeping Alaska’s new election system on this Alaska Insight.

What’s the best way to educate Alaskans from the diverse neighborhoods and communities of Alaska? We discuss on this Alaska Insight.

In rural Alaska, the barriers to participating in the electoral process can be much greater than in urban areas.

While final results and tabulation are still a few weeks away, preliminary election results can tell us a lot about the future of ranked-choice voting, the minimum wage, and the makeup of the 2025 legislature.

Alaska winters can be formidable, especially for people who don’t have a home, but Anchorage officials are creating new connections with vulnerable Alaskans to offer help.

A convergence of factors are challenging Alaska fisheries. Climate change, fluctuations in market demand and foreign competition are all putting pressure on fishermen and processors.

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 revisit our September 2024 show on reading recommendations for Alaska’s colder seasons on this Talk of Alaska Rewind.

Connecting Alaskans, from Utqiaġvik to Juneau, hear festive greetings, well wishes and sentiments from those who call Alaska home.