East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew Gray

Send us Fan MailNebraska State Senator John Fredrickson was first elected in 2022 by a margin of only 82 votes. He is the first openly gay man to be elected to the Nebraska state legislature. We discuss Nebraska's unicameral non-partisan legislature and its term limits. We also talk about John's youth, how he and his husband adopted their son, and his journey into politics. This conversation was recorded in Chicago at the Council of State Governments Convention in December 2025.This is part of a series on the first gay men elected to state legislators around the country. To listen to the episode with Glen Maxey, the first elected to the Texas state legislature, click here. Upcoming episodes will include the first gay man elected to South Dakota's state legislature and to Iowa's state legislature.

Send a textThe Alaska State House Representative for Ketchikan is Jeremy Bynum. We discuss his childhood growing up in a devout Pentecostal household, his escape to the Air Force, and his struggles being accepted as a newcomer to Ketchikan. We also talk about the drama of the Juneau Capitol, specifically his fraught relationship with my chief of staff Kyle Johansen (a previous Representative of Ketchikan) and the heated rhetoric around recent attempts to draw from the legislative savings account. We address a podcast episode from last week with Rep. Zack Fields of downtown Anchorage where inappropriate language was used to describe the House Minority.

Send a textLaura Booch and Dr. Ingrid Johnson both appeared at the Alaska State House Judiciary Committee's informational hearing on Civil Protective Orders that happened on Monday, March 9th. Civil protective orders are also called restraining orders and there are several types, but the most common type is the Domestic Violence Protective Order, and that's what today's episode is about. Right now a long term domestic violence protective order is good for one year, and then the petitioner needs to file for an extension. At each extension, the respondent can appear in court and make the case for why the protective order should not continue. For someone leaving an abusive relationship, this revisiting of that relationship every year can be traumatizing. Laura Booch is a brave survivor of Domestic Violence who is sharing her story today. Dr. Ingrid Johnson is a criminal justice professor at The University of Alaska Fairbanks who specializes in gender-based violence.  She will discuss the alarming statistic that 70% of adult women in Alaska report having experienced domestic violence at some point in their life. To apply for a civil protective order, click here. If you need help with an abusive relationship, call Alaska's 24 hour crisis & support line at 907-272-0100, someone is waiting for your call. 

Send a textRepresentative Zack Fields of downtown Anchorage explains the Alaska State House's failed vote to draw from our legislative savings account yesterday. In order to receive a 9 to 1 match from the federal government for our state transportation projects -- a potential investment of almost $700 million -- we needed to fully fund the match yesterday. The Alaska State Senate had earlier this week voted unanimously to draw from our savings account and receive that match, but yesterday the House failed; we needed a 3/4 vote (30/40) and we came up very short (22/40). This podcast also addresses Rep. Fields behavior during a speech by Congressman Nick Begich earlier this week. 

Send a textEdgar Ruiz is the Director of the Council of State Governments West. The Council of State Governments (CSG), is a nonpartisan national organization that connects and informs all three branches of state government to help bring forth best practices. CSG is divided into four regions, and Alaska is part of the Western region. Edgar Ruiz has been the director of CSG west since 2011. He grew up in southern California on the border with Mexico and began with CSG in 2002 managing American-Mexican programs. CSG West runs a training program for new legislators called the Western Leadership Academy (WLA). This interview took place in Juneau while Edgar was visiting the state capitol as part of his duties as Director of CSG West.

Send a textEric Croft is the Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party. Erik was born to Chancey and Toni Croft in Anchorage, but he grew up with his two siblings traveling back and forth to Juneau where their father started in the House and later served in the Senate eventually serving as president. Chancey Croft was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1978. Eric would serve in the Alaska House representing west Anchorage from 1997 to 2006, at which point he too ran for governor, losing the Democratic nomination to former governor Tony Knowles. Eric served as Anchorage School Board President from 2013 to 2016 and served on the Anchorage Assembly from 2016 to 2019. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Anchorage in 2009 and 2021. While Eric was in the Alaska House, his minority leader was Ethan Berkowitz. Ethan Berkowitz would go on to be Anchorage mayor while Eric was on the Assembly -- that's the "Ethan" that you hear referenced several times in this episode. During our conversation we discuss the US military and President Trump's quelling of criticism of military operations. This interview was recorded before the United States invaded Iran.     

Send a textTo learn more about becoming a foster parent, click here.Landen Ryan is a senior at Service High School in Anchorage. Madison Brewer is a sophomore at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Both Landen and Madison have had extensive experience in Alaska's foster system. This interview happened while they were in Juneau with the non-profit organization Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA). Madison reference my House Bill 157 which would allow siblings to remain legal siblings even after adoption into different households.Warning: this podcast episode contains references to violence and trauma.

Send a text2024 Alaska Teacher of the Year Catherine Walker teaches high school engineering and marine biology at Dimond High School. 2018 Alaska Teacher of the Year Ben Walker teaches 7th grade science at Romig Middle School. Both are in their 20th years teaching with the Anchorage School District, but this year will be their last. Due to the perpetual budget cuts in ASD, Ben, Cat, & their two high school-aged children are permanently relocating to Washington state.Last week Ben published an op-ed in the Anchorage Daily News entitled, "We were honored as Alaska Teachers of the Year. Now we can no longer stay."Listen to Ben Walker's previous appearance on the podcast here. Listen to the recent podcast episode with Anchorage School Board president Carl Jacobs, ASD superintendent Jharrett Bryantt, & Bettye Davis East High School Teacher Janice Strickland here.

Send a textThe Executive Director of the Alaska Pharmacy Association is Dr. Brandy Seignemartin. After a somewhat circuitous route, Brandy found herself in Doctor of Pharmacy program at Washington State University in her early thirties. Upon completion of that degree she did an executive fellowship in administration and in 2022 came to Alaska to take on the ED role at the Alaska Pharmacy Association and to become an assistant clinical professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage/Idaho State University Doctor of Pharmacy program. We discuss Alaska State House Bill 195, sponsored by Rep. Genevieve Mina, which would grant limited prescriptive authority to pharmacists. 

Send a textClara Baldwin is the assistant special education director for the Anchorage School District and she oversees the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She was born in northern California and moved to Anchorage 14 years ago. She has been a lifelong advocate for the rights of the deaf and hard of hearing community and has found her place leading that struggle here in Alaska. Clara is the 2026 Fur Rendezvous Queen -- the first deaf Fur Rondy Queen in state history.Leah McElwee is the Executive Interpreter for the Idaho Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ICDHH) and is the American Sign Language interpreter for Andrew during this interview. Brenna Kelly is the President of the Alaska Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and the American Sign Language interpreter for Clara Baldwin during this interview. It is Brenna's voice that you hear in the recording. 

Send a text Pat Pitney is the President of the University of Alaska System. Growing up in Montana, she started shooting guns at an early age. At age 18 she won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles becoming the first Olympic champion in air rifle for women. She competed on the international riflery circuit until 1988 when she married an Alaskan, relocated to Fairbanks, and started a family. She began work at the University then, and, 34 years later, she will be retiring from the University system this May. In 2014, she became the director of the office of management and budget (OMB) for Governor Bill Walker. She oversaw state finances as at a particularly turbulent time in our history and we discuss that time today as well the efforts to reform Alaska's healthcare system.

Send a textLong-time legislative staffer Buddy Whitt spent his childhood moving frequently thanks to his Air Force father. After high school he joined the Marines. Eight years later he left the military, went to college at Texas A&M, and then landed a job in the hotel industry which ultimately brought him to Anchorage over 20 years ago. He began working in the capitol in 2017 as Chief of Staff for Senator Shelley Hughes of Palmer. He later worked for Representatives Kevin McCabe of Big Lake and Laddie Shaw of South Anchorage. He is currently Chief of Staff for Representative Jubilee Underwood of Wasilla.

Send us a textWithout additional funding, the Anchorage School District is facing a $90 million shortfall for the 2026-2027 school year. The pupil-to-teacher ratio is expected to increase by 4. Multiple positions will be cut all over the district, from vice-principals to teachers, from counselors to nurses, from clerks to custodians. Many sports will also be completely eliminated, including swimming, tennis, volleyball, and hockey. Some schools may close.Here to discuss the funding crisis are ASD School Board President Carl Jacobs, Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School teacher Janice Strickland, and ASD Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt.To listen to Dr. Bryantt's previous podcast episode, click here.

Send us a textFormer US Senator Mark Begich was born in Anchorage in 1962 to, at the time, Alaska State Senator Nick Begich who would go on to become US House Representative in 1970 and whose plane would disappear in 1972. Mark opened the Mother Lode night club when he was 16, was appointed to the youth commission by Mayor George Sullivan in 1980 and served in Mayor Tony Knowles' administration, all that before being elected to the Anchorage Assembly at age 26 -- the youngest ever to serve on that body. He was sworn in as mayor of Anchorage on July 1, 2003, and elected to the US Senate in 2008 defeating Senator Ted Stevens. He served just one term before being defeated by Sen. Dan Sullivan in 2014.Listen to Mark's brother Tom Begich's podcast episode here.Listen to Mark's son Jacob Begich's appearance on the podcast here.

Send us a textBrian Fechter was the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Revenue for the state of Alaska from 2021-2023. Brian grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Alaska in 2012. He worked various financial positions in the state government before becoming Deputy Commissioner of Revenue. In 2023 he became the budget advisor for then Washington Governor Jay Inslee. Last year he moved to Idaho where he currently serves as the executive director for budget and financial planning for the College of Western Idaho. Much of today's conversation revolves around Brian's recent article published in the Alaska Landmine entitled, "The Alaska Legislature could learn a lot from Washington and Idaho."

Send us a textImmigration attorney Nicolas Olano was born and raised in Colombia. He moved to Florida for high school, but went back to Colombia for law school. After a short practice there, he decided to return to America where, due to Colombia's different legal education system, he had to attend law school a second time in Florida. He has been practicing immigration law for 24 years. He and his wife Lara Nations own Nations Law Group based in Anchorage where they exclusively practice immigration law. Nicolas discusses how his practice has changed during President Donald Trump's second term and how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been functioning in Anchorage.

Send us a textBolts Magazine Journalist Alex Burness discusses his article from January 8, 2026, “Americans by Name, Punished for Believing it.” The story is an in-depth look at the case of Tupe Smith, an American Samoan woman living in Whittier who was persuaded to run for school board in 2023 and was elected only to learn afterwards that she was unqualified and had actually committed a crime. Then, ten other American Samoans in Whittier were charged with voter fraud. American Samoa is the only U.S. territory where residents are not automatically granted citizenship by being born on American soil and instead are considered U.S. nationals. Paths to citizenship exist, such as naturalization, though that process can be expensive and cumbersome.The American Samoans in this story are charged with felonies and face up to ten years in prison even though very few Alaskans understand American Samoans' status.Just a few days ago, on Thursday, January 15, 2026, the Alaska Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case against Tupe Smith. There's a chance that the court might dismiss the charges against Ms Smith; however, the state could then bring different charges or could appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court.  

Send us a text Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration in December 2025 revealed a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) that omitted nearly $19 million that Anchorage officials expected to use for projects that would make our city's most dangerous roads safer.The Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) allocated just $9 million for Anchorage projects out of the $77 million total for the state's program. On the show to comment is Alaska State House Representative Zack Fields whose district includes downtown Anchorage. 

Send us a textDr. Shauna Birdsall is a naturopathic doctor with over 25 years of experience in integrative oncology. She got her naturopathic medical degree in Oregon and then did her residency in oncology in Illinois. She later practiced in Arizona and then from there ventured to Alaska in 2019 where she practiced in several oncology practices along allopathic providers in the MatSu, Soldotna, and here in Anchorage. Allopathic medicine is the medicine that most of us think of as traditional medicine; MDs, DOs, nurse practitioners and physician assistants like myself are part of the allopathic medical tradition while naturopaths are an alternative medical tradition. But as you will hear from our guest today the two are not mutually exclusive. During the course of today's conversation we will reference House Bill 147 sponsored by Representative Mike Prax of North Pole. This legislation would grant Alaska naturopaths the ability to write prescriptions for certain allopathic medications, among other things.

Send us a textKirk Rose is the CEO of the Anchorage Community Land Trust (ACLT). ACLT started in Mountain View in 2003 and has supported new housing, public spaces, and businesses ever since. Kirk began as an intern at the organization 15 years ago and has never left. We discuss his journey to this work and the specific role that ACLT plays in supporting foreign-born entrepreneurs here in Anchorage.

Send us a textDebbie Corbett is an archeologist who has been working in Alaska for over 40 years. After 7 years in the 1980s scouting ancient burial grounds all across Alaska for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, she got her master's degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where she specialized in Aleutian archeology. She had already spent time in the Aleutian islands and knew that this region and its people was her passion. Forty years later she and fellow archeologist Diane Hanson have written the definitive textbook on the Aleutian islands and its people, Culture and Archeology of the Ancestral Unangax/Aleut of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, published by Springer in 2025. 

Send us a textBill Hill is the former superintendent of the Bristol Bay Borough School District. Raised in Kokhanok, his family moved to Naknek when he was a sophomore in high school. After earning his teaching credential, Bill returned to Naknek before moving with his wife and 4 kids to Juneau where he taught middle school. After his oldest two kids graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School, the family returned to Naknek where Bill became an administrator in the Lake and Peninsula School District (which had been founded by his uncle Frank Hill). In 2013, Bill became the superintendent of the Bristol Bay Borough School district, a post he held until his retirement in 2023.  

Send us a textHarriet Drummond was first elected to the Anchorage School Board in 1994 where she served for nine years. She then represented West Anchorage on the Anchorage Assembly, leaving that post when she was elected to the Alaska State House in 2012 to represent Spenard, North Star, Forest Park, Huntington Park, north Midtown, Rogers Park and Geneva Woods for ten years. She chaired or co-chaired the House Education Committee for six years.In 2022, she lost her seat due to redistricting which left her in a largely new district and challenging another incumbent, Representative Zack Fields. Now, three years out of office, Harriet offers her reflections on her career and insight into issues that matter most to her, primarily public education. Her husband of 22 years, rural economic development consultant Elstun Lauesen, was yesterday's podcast guest; they have been integral members of the Alaska Democratic Party for many decades.

Send us a textElstun Lauesen grew up in Alaska and after dropping out of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1970, he managed former Alaska State Senator Joe Josephson's campaign for the US Senate to replace Bob Bartlett who had died in office; ultimately Joe lost the Democratic primary to Wendell Kay, and Republican Ted Stevens won that seat. After time at Harvard University (where he lived in Constitutional Law Professor Laurence Tribe's basement), Elstun returned to Alaska where he made a career in rural economic development. We discuss some of his projects on Saint Lawrence Island off the coast of western Alaska. Elstun is known to many listeners as a progressive firebrand; he and his wife of 21 years, former Alaska State House Representative Harriet Drummond, have been at the heart of Alaska Democratic circles for decades. Elstun has a pulmonary disorder that requires him to use supplemental oxygen and makes extended conversation challenging.

Send us a textSteve Williams is the director of Diversions Programming at the Anchorage Police Department. The Diversion Program allows officers to offer offenders a path to drug treatment instead of charges at the point of arrest. Previously, Steve was the CEO at the Alaska Mental Health Trust. And. prior to that, he worked for the mental health court. We discuss all three of those roles in detail on today's episode.To listen to APD Chief Sean Case's podcast episode, click here.

Send us a textAnna Taylor is the executive director of the Alaska Institute for Justice which is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of everyone living in Alaska regardless of immigration status. Anna is the daughter of a Vermont State House Rep father and a veterinarian mother. Anna got interested in law while living in Ghana, West Africa, and initially wanted to work in international law, but an experience in law school convinced her that she could do more good by helping folks navigate the American immigration system. Her work at AIJ has largely revolved around helping survivors of abuse acquire legal status in the United States. Read: "ICE shift in tactics leads to a soaring number of at-large arrests," by Mairanne Levine, Emmanuel Martinez, & Alvaro Valino, here.

Send us a textDr. Michael Livingston is an Unangax̂ historian. The Unangax̂ are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, also known by the Russian-given name Aleut. For many years it was thought that Benny Benson designed the Alaska state flag when he was 13 and that, because he had been born in Chignik, that he was Alutiiq. But thanks to the research and persistence of our guest today, Benny Benson's birth certificate was posthumously corrected; we now know he was 14 when he designed the Alaska state flag. We also know that Benny's maternal ancestors are from Unalaska making Benny Unangax̂, not Alutiiq. We discuss Dr. Michael Livingston's own story, Unangax̂ history, and Benny Benson.

Send us a textToday, New Year's Eve 2025, I thought I'd take a look back at a few episodes from the last year. I am in my 5th year of the East Anchorage Book Club podcast and last year I released 78 episodes. This podcast is extremely meaningful to me as both as a legislator and as a person: I learn about issues that I am unfamiliar with, I create relationships with unexpected people, and it really is through editing the conversations that I internalize them and come out of them changed. Alaska needs foster families. Click here to learn how to become one.Today's episodes includes excerpts from the following interviews:Hollis French: former AK Senate Minority Leader, gubernatorial candidate, and AOGCC CommissionerRep. Jubilee Underwood (R-Wasilla): Former President of the MatSu School BoardJosh Revak: Former Alaska State Senator & Iraq war veteranMara Kimmel: Director of the ACLU of Alaska discusses ICE detainees held at the Anchorage Correctional ComplexPRIDE 2025: JJ Harrier, Chair of the Anchorage Pride ParadeRep. Zack Fields (D-Anchorage) discusses the US Congressional Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025AK MEDIA: Dan O'Neill: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Columnist 1998-2002LEAVING AMERICA: Aaron Poe on relocating his family to Ireland in 2025Margaret Stock: Immigration attorney, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, & 2016 AK US Senate CandidateLes Gara & Amanda Metivier: Audit of the Office of Children's ServicesFoster Care in Alaska 2025: Deko Harbi, Shannon Smith, & Tali Stone

Send us a textToday's episode is part of a series called "Leaving America," about folks who have decided to move outside the country and how they did it. Our guest is Joanna Keenan. Jo and I worked together in Santa Cruz, California. We were both physician assistants in the same emergency department at the local hospital there. Eight years ago Jo and her spouse Kelly retired to Mexico. Five years ago, Joanna came out as a trans woman. We discuss our shared experience working in American healthcare, and her and Kel's decision to retire to Mexico and the logistics of that move. We also talk about her experience coming out as a trans woman in Mexico, and her and Kel's move back to the United States this year in large part because they have turned 65 and now qualify for Medicare which gives them access to better health care than what they had in Mexico.  Other episodes in the "Leaving America" series:Aaron Poe (Ireland)Tashina Duttle (Spain)Daniel Gundlach (Germany)Kathy McCue (New Zealand)

Send us a textAs a 13-year-old, former Alaska State House Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins headed Vermont Governor Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential campaign in Alaska. He immersed himself in all things political as a high school student, but gave up politics when he got to college at Yale. During his junior year, he was contacted by several people encouraging him to return home to Sitka to run against the incumbent Republican serving in the state house seat, co-chair of the powerful House Finance committee Bill Thomas. Jonathan ran, won, and served for 10 years in the House where his proudest achievement was getting his HB 216 signed into law in 2014 which made 20 Native languages official Alaska state languages. Much of this interview draws from a 2018 Politico story that profiled three young Alaskans: Forrest Dunbar, John-Henry Heckendorn, and our guest Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.  

Send us a textThis Christmas morning US Senator Lisa Murkowski discusses her book that came out last summer, Far From Home: An Alaskan Senator Faces the Extreme Climate of Washington, DC. And, although much of what we speak about is from the book, we also discuss her vote on HR 1 (referred to by President Trump as the "One Big Beautiful Bill"), her concerns about the use of the National Guard, and the insurrection that happened on January 6, 2021. The co-writer of Far from Home is Charles Wohlforth; listen to his podcast episode here.Listen to Beth Kerttula's podcast episode here.Listen to Andrew Halcro's podcast episode here.

Send us a textAfter a childhood in east Anchorage, Andrew Halcro worked his way up in his family's Avis Rental Car business eventually becoming CEO in 2002 after leaving the state house where he had served for four years representing the Sand Lake district of west Anchorage. After an unsuccessful gubernatorial run in 2006, he continued a popular political blog until he became the president of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce in 2012. In 2015 he unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Anchorage losing to his friend Democrat Ethan Berkowitz. Mayor Berkowitz appointed Halcro to be director of the Anchorage Community Development Authority. Through a collaboration with the Anchorage Daily News in 2021, he started a podcast called "With All Due Respect," which became extremely popular for its biting criticism of Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson. Andrew continues to host "With All Due Respect," which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Send us a textMinnesota State House Representative Rick Hansen was first elected to represent South St. Paul in the Minnesota State House in 2004 along with his colleague Melissa Hortman who represented northern Minneapolis and went on to serve as Speaker of the Minnesota House for 6 years. On June 14, 2025, Melissa and her husband Mark were assassinated when they opened their front door to a man impersonating a police officer. The man had come from Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman's home where he had shot Senator Hoffman and his wife multiple times; their daughter called 911 and saved her parents. The assassin had a list of lawmakers to assassinate, and our guest was on that list. We discuss his experience and his thoughts about the future.  

Send us a textJohn Heilman is a West Hollywood city council member and former mayor. West Hollywood was incorporated as a city in 1984, and John was elected to the first city council and has been serving almost continuously ever since. He is a lecturer at the University of Southern California's law school where he was voted adjunct professor of the year in 2008, 2010, and 2016. He is also a professor at Southwestern Law School where he has been elected a professor of the year for the past 5 years. I met John at the 2025 Victory Institute LGBTQ+ International Leadership Convention held in Washington, DC, where he was inducted in to the LGBTQ+ Hall of Fame. In 2026, he will become mayor of West Hollywood for the 9th time.

Send us a textLaura Norton-Cruz is a licensed master social worker, former teacher & victim advocate, artist, and mother of two elementary-aged children. Over the past two years, she has co-produced three documentaries with filmmaker Joshua Albeza Branstetter. The first, “At Home/In Home: Rural Alaska Childcare crisis,” was based in Kotzebue and highlighted the dire lack of childcare in that community. The second, released in April 2025, was called, “ILP,” and focused on the infant learning program in the Mat-Su Valley. Her most recent, “Growing the Kenai: childcare licensing,” illuminates the obstacles to licensed childcare in Alaska. Last week she published an op-ed in the Mississippi Free Press entitled, “Raising teens in the era of the Epstein Files,” and that will frame our discussion for the second half of today's interview. Laura supports my House Bill 101 which would raise the age of consent in Alaska from 16 to 18 helping prevent the sexual victimization of young people by predators who take advantage of our low age of consent. For a timeline of all sexual misconduct allegations against President Donald Trump, click here.This is the Politico article I referenced about Katie Johnson, "Woman suing Trump over alleged teen rape drops suit, again."To watch Megyn Kelly's full comments about Jeffrey Epstein, click here.

Send us a textDr. Kathy McCue is an emergency medicine physician who first visited Alaska as a medical student in 1999. For 2 decades she staffed Anchorage ERs, mainly at the Alaska Native Medical Center but also at Providence, where she famously took care of Dan Bigley, author of Beyond the Bear, after a mauling left him blind and unlikely to survive. Dr. McCue moved her family in 2021 to New Zealand for an 18 month adventure. Then, in August of 2025, she and her family moved back to New Zealand permanently. They live in a small town on the northeast coast of the North Island where they are renovating an old farm house and growing their own vegetables. We discuss why they moved, the challenges involved, and their thoughts on their decision.

Send us a textThe representative for the northernmost state house district in the United States is Rep. Robyn Frier (D-Utqiagvik). Robyn was born and raised in Utqiagvik. She served on the North Slope Borough School Board for four years, the last two as President. In 2024, she ran to represent House District 40, and won, defeating the incumbent Thomas Baker, as well as the former mayor of Kotzebue Saima Chase who had won the primary. Today we talk about her childhood, her journey into politics, and her experiences during her first year in the legislature.

Send us a textRabbi Abram Goodstein was raised in Anchorage where he graduated from Service High School. After graduating from Rabbinical School, he moved back to Anchorage where he has served as rabbi at Beth Shalom, home to the largest Jewish community in Alaska, for over 7 tears. Today, we are discussing the Washington Post article republished in the Anchorage Daily News from Thursday, November 20, 2025: “US Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas and nooses as hate symbols,” by Tara Coop and Michelle Boorstein.  After recording and editing the podcast, there was an update posted by one of the authors of the Washington Post story, Tara Copp. I will read her tweet from about 8:00 PM on Thursday night: "Late this evening, the Coast Guard published a new policy dated November 20th that reestablishes, swastikas and nooses as hate symbols, not as just, "potentially divisive," and states that they are expressly prohibited. Importantly, it says the new guidance published tonight would supersede any other policies out there."Click here to read The Hill's article, "Coast Guard denies report it won't classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols."

Send us a textToday, Alaska state house Representative Zack Fields published an op-ed in the Alaska Current called: “Look at the Criminals who Donald Trump is pardoning.” The article explores pardons related to cryptocurrency. In Anchorage we have at least 3 crypto ATMs where folks can deposit cash and purchase crypto or sell crypto and withdraw cash.Cryptocurrencies are essentially digital money. From the very start, crypto has been an attractive investment for drug dealers. This is for several reasons: 1. Its pseudo-anonymity – cryptocurrency wallets are identified by a string of numbers and letters, not names. 2. Their decentralization – crypto transactions don't rely on banks and those transactions can be performed without receipts – this reduces oversight from traditional financial institutions and law enforcement. 3. Large scale International transfers are much faster than through traditional banks. This enables criminal enterprises, like drug cartels, to move huge sums of money anywhere in the world almost immediately. 4. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are the primary mode of payment for dark web market places where folks can purchase hacked personal information, drugs, and other illegal goods. Alaska Congressman Nick Begich is a big fan of Bitcoin. And according to reporting by Liz Ruskin at Alaska Public media he's made a lot of money from it, turning a small investment into an asset now worth around $760,000. he's the  sponsor of a bill in congress that would make the United States a crypto owner. Begich's Bitcoin bill is similar to an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March, creating a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.” Begich has described it as a place to store wealth that would be similar to the U.S. gold reserves.The Trump family created a crypto business in 2024 called World Liberty Financial. In April of this year, President Trump ordered the disbanding of a Department of Justice crypto crime investigations team. In May, Binance, the largest cryptoexchange in the world, invested $2 billion in the Trump crypto enterprise. And just 3 weeks ago, Trump pardoned Changeng Zhao the founder of Binance who was serving a sentence after pleading guilty to money laundering charges – his company has laundered huge sums of money for Hamas and Al-Quaeda.

Send us a textThe Executive director of the Alaska Municipal League is Nils Andreassen. The Alaska Municipal League (AML) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide membership organization of 165 cities, boroughs, and unified municipalities, representing over 97 percent of Alaska's residents. Originally organized in 1950, the League of Alaskan Cities became the Alaska Municipal League in 1962 when boroughs joined the League. Nils grew up in Washington State, earned a degree in Peace and Development studies from the University of Bradford in Great Britain, and served as the executive director of the Institute of the North prior to moving to AML in 2018.

Send us a textPhysician Associate Christi Froiland spent a decade as an athletic trainer in the lower 48 before she went to PA school. She then returned to her hometown of Anchorage where she has practiced at both a dermatology clinic and an urgent care for over 18 years. She has also served for the last decade as the PA representative to the Alaska State Medical Association (ASMA). Outside of the legislature I, too, am a PA, and I know Christi through our professional organization the Alaska Academy of Physician Assistants. Our American professional organization (AAPA) has officially changed the name of our profession to Physician Associates. Alaska PAs have voted to officially change our name to physician associates as well, but the name change has not happened at the regulatory or statutory level yet. The PA profession in Alaska needs modernizing beyond a name change, and although we do not speak about it directly, we will reference Senate Bill 89 sponsored by Sen. Löki Tobin, which would modernize Alaska laws governing PAs. 

Send us a textLibby Roderick is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist, who was born in Anchorage just before statehood. Her father Jack Roderick was the last mayor of the borough of Anchorage prior to the unification of the municipality in 1975. Libby recorded her first album in 1990 which included the song, “How could Anyone,” which has been featured on CNN, CBS, and the Associated Press. Her music has been featured at the U.N. Conference on Women, with Coretta Scott King and Walter Cronkite in Washington D.C., and played on Mars by NASA. Libby has also been the director of the University of Alaska Anchorage's Difficult Dialogues Initiative since 2006; through that initiative she has helped reinforce and protect civil discourse at centers of higher learning and beyond. According to former UAA Chancellor and governor of Alaska Sean Parnell: “Libby's work is a critical keystone in the university's service to students and to Alaska. The democracy-threatening polarization of the American public, social media's influence on our inability to find common ground, and the difficult but necessary discussions related to human dignity and educational access have combined to maker her leadership paramount to meeting the mission to the university.” 

Send us a textAttorney John McKay has practiced media law in Anchorage for almost 50 years. He has represented Alaskan and national news organizations, photographers, artists, and others on libel, privacy and copyright issues, access to government proceedings and records, subpoenas to journalists, secret settlements by public agencies, cameras in courts, and many other matters.He taught Media Law at the University of Alaska Anchorage for more than 30 years. In 2007, John was the first recipient of the Alaska Press Club's First Amendment Award, and in 2011 on the 40th Anniversary of the ACLU of Alaska, he was recognized as one of the “40 Heroes of Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties.” He is the author of a legal guidebook for Alaska news reporters, and of publications on privacy law and open government law.John has two sons both in their mid-30s, whose mother, the late Suzan Nightingale McKay, was a beloved columnist and opinions editor at the Anchorage Daily News.To read John's "Open Government Guide" for the state of Alaska, click here.

Send us a textChloe Pleznac is a former reporter for the Homer News. After six years working in public radio, Chloe got her first newspaper job at the Homer News in January of this year. After the right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, the Representative for Homer Sarah Vance co-organized a vigil for Kirk in Homer which was held on Sept. 17. Chloe decided to cover the vigil for the paper and posted her story online along with video of the event to the Homer News website on Tuesday Sept. 23. Rep. Vance objected to the article and wrote a letter to Carpenter Media which owns not only the Homer News but also the Peninsula Clarion in Kenai and the Juneau Empire. By Thursday Sept 25, Chloe's story had been taken down, rewritten, and then re-published online without Chloe's byline and without a note stating that the story had been changed. Neither Chloe nor her editor Erin Thompson were informed that the story had been taken down, edited, and republished.  Ultimately, both Chloe and her editor resigned from the paper because of the incident. Joining them in their resignation were the entire staff of the Peninsula Clarion in Homer Jeff Helminiak and Jake Dye, who appeared on this podcast the day after the resignations. You will hear Chloe and I reference Jake and also Michael Armstrong who was the former editor of the Homer News who was a guest on this podcast around the same time as the resignations. To read more about the incident, check out this article by Eric Stone from Alaska Public Media, "Homer newspaper revises Charlie Kirk memorial coverage after pressure from Republican lawmaker."To listen to Jake Dye's episode, click here.To listen to Michael Armstrong's episode, click here.

Send us a textToday's guest is the executive director of Project Alaska, Tetyana Robbins. Project Alaska is an organization that helps Ukrainian refugees find meaningful employment in Alaska. From helping improve their English language skills, to navigating the American immigration system, to helping with certifications and even transportation, Project Alaska does everything it can to make sure Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country can quickly achieve self-sufficiency here in Alaska. Tetyana immigrated to Anchorage herself from Kharkiv, Ukraine, over 20 years ago when she married her husband Mike Robbins. With her Masters degree in accounting and auditing, she was a natural fit for her husband's business ventures where she tracked the finances and kept the books. When war broke out in her home country in 2022, she and her husband founded the Ukraine Relief Program which helped Ukrainians escape to Alaska, contributing to one of the biggest waves of foreign resettlement our state has ever seen. Now, as the legal status of those recent refugees is called into question, she is advocating the federal government to find a path to citizenship for the over 2,000 Ukrainians who are vital to our state's workforce.

Send us a textSeveral friends and neighbors have moved out of the United States over the past year, and many more Alaskans are talking about it. Today's guest is an opera historian who has been living in Berlin, Germany, for the past 13 years. Daniel Gundlach is a former professional classical singer and accompanist who today hosts a podcast called Countermelody. The Countermelody Podcast is focused primarily on opera singers of the past century that may not have received the attention they deserved. Daniel is a countertenor which is a type of classical male singing voice equivalent to that of a female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice type. Today we talk about his life and career, but we will also discuss the trials and tribulations of being an American emigrant in Germany. Musical Excerpts:Leontyne Price, "O patria mia," from Verdi's AidaJoan Sutherland, "Eccola," from Donizetti's Lucia di LammermoorAnna Moffo, "Sempre Libera," from Verdi's La TraviataGilda Cruz-Romo, "O mio babbino caro," from Puccini's Gianni SchicchiDaniel Gundlach, "O Lord, whose mercies numberless," from Handel's SaulDaniel Gundlach, "O fatal day," from Handel's SaulDaniel Gundlach, "On a dit sur Venise tant et tant de choses," from Gualtiero Dazzi's Le Luthier de VeniseDaniel Gundlach, "Danny Boy," Irish Folk Song

Send us a textMargaret D. Stock is an immigration attorney, and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. She is a recognized expert on immigration law as it applies to U.S. military personnel and veterans. In 2013, she was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as a "genius grant." She has taught law at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.She ran for the United States Senate as an Independent candidate in the 2016 Senate election in Alaska losing to the incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Today we discuss her life, but also her concerns about the politicization of the US military, the change in the way our country treats its immigrants, and the illegal extra-judicial killings of Venezuelans by the US military in the Caribbean Sea.

Send us a textTashina Maasac Duttle is the chief operating officer and co-owner of DeerStone Consulting. DeerStone is a company focused on improving the infrastructure of Alaska's rural and Tribal communities by managing projects that upgrade energy systems, improve water and sanitation facilities, and expand broadband access. Tashina earned her bachelors degree in Sustainable Resources Management from UAF and her masters in project management from UAA. During covid, she started her own company which eventually merged with two of her friends' companies to become DeerStone. In May of this year, she moved her family, including her husband and three kids, to northern Spain. This episode is part of a series on why some people are leaving America permanently, and how they did it. 

Send us a textRachael Miller is the chief advocacy officer of the Food Bank of Alaska. The Food Bank of Alaska was founded in 1979 by a group of Anchorage churches and community volunteers; it operates under the belief that no one should go hungry. They partner with over 150 organizations and provide food to nearly 20,000 Alaskans a week. From Oct. 20-26 is Anchorage Restaurant week. Learn more here.Rachael grew up in Ohio, and food & food policy have always been front and center in her life. She first visited Alaska 16 years ago to commercial fish. She has worked on food policy in Benin, West Africa, taught at Alaska Pacific University for 9 years, and has been the Chief Advocacy Officer at the Food Bank since January 2024. 

Send us a textThe Executive Director of Running Free Alaska is Lisa Keller. Running Free Alaska is a structured running program for incarcerated women at Highland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River. Today we discuss how that program came about, what it entails, and the types of support that the organization is trying to provide to women after their release from prison. I got to know Lisa when she took a job as legislative staff, first to Representative Andy Josephson two years ago, and then Representative Alyse Galvin last year. We discuss Lisa's childhood in Anchorage, the value sports have played in her life, her battle with breast cancer, and her time as host of the Alaska Public Media Radio Show Outdoor Explorer.

Send us a textThe Chief of the Anchorage Police Department is Sean Case. As a 7th grader at Hanshew Middle School in Anchorage, he decided he wanted to be a police officer. He got his bachelor's degree in Justice at UAA. At age 20, Alaska wouldn't hire him because he was too young, so he got his first job in law enforcement with the Los Angeles Police Department. After just a couple years there, he came back to Anchorage and has been with APD ever since. Sean Case was appointed Chief of Police in 2024 by Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance.