Podcasts about Alaska Public Media

The University of Washington’s WWAMI medical school program just received a new $25 million endowment for scholarships and rural education support, as Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra reports. The program gets its name from the five states it serves – Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho – and educates emerging physicians in those rural states. Dr. Nick Phelps, WWAMI's assistant dean at the University of Alaska Anchorage, says the gift will go to scholarships for 30 eligible students across the five-state class. “For the students who are accepted to receive this scholarship, it covers half of their tuition.” Phelps says those eligible to apply for the scholarships are students in two specific programs: one, a rural track, and the other, a tribal and traditional medicine track. Medical school tuition – and the debt students take on to pay it – can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Phelps says the scholarships change the financial equation. “Primary care practices and primary care physicians… are the bedrock of medicine, for lack of a better term. They’re also some of the lowest paid specialties for students to go into, so for somebody who really is strongly interested in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, some of those other primary care specialties, they have to do a bit of an internal calculus.” Many medical students choose specialties that pay better, which has helped create a shortage of primary care practitioners, both in Alaska and across the U.S. Phelps notes that the U.S. Department of Education will soon start limiting student loan amounts that Americans can take out for higher education, including medical school. Philanthropists William and Carolyn Franke and their family gave the WWAMI program the $25 million endowment to create the Franke Medical Student Scholars Program. Phelps says he hopes that the resulting scholarships encourage more Alaska students to focus on medicine that serves rural, remote and Indigenous Alaskans. The cliffs of Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation on September 1, 2023. (Photo: Chris Clements / KNAU) An energy company is asking for preliminary approval from the feds to look into building a hydropower project on the Navajo Nation. KNAU's Chris Clements has more. The company Nature and People First is asking for a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate building a pumped storage project near Chilchinbeto, Ariz. It would include two reservoirs holding a total of 20,000 acre-feet of water. Pumped storage projects generate energy by letting water flow downhill and then pumping it back up. Nature and People First tried to get federal approval for three pumped storage projects in 2021, but the Navajo Nation and the feds later said no. Critics cited concerns about overuse of aquifers and damage to the environment of nearby Black Mesa, which is considered sacred by the Navajo and Hopi tribes. If it is granted, the permit would not allow the company to disturb any land or give them permission to enter private property. Grand Exit at Celebration 2026. (Courtesy Sealaska Heritage Institute) Thousands of Alaska Natives and visitors gathered in Juneau, Alaska last week for Celebration 2026, one of the largest Indigenous cultural events in the state. The four-day gathering, organized by Sealaska Heritage Institute, brought together Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian dancers, artists, and culture bearers from across Southeast Alaska, Canada, and beyond. The event featured traditional song and dance performances, Native art, language activities, and cultural workshops. This year’s theme was “Enduring Strength”. Celebration began more than 40 years ago as a way to preserve Native cultures and pass traditional knowledge to younger generations. Organizers say the event continues to showcase the survival and persistence of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian traditions while strengthening connections among Indigenous communities throughout the region. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, June 8, 2026 — Confronting division with Pride

On this week's episode with host Davis Hovey, details about a delay in construction at the Seward dock rerouting cruise ships to Whittier, summer salmon fishing restrictions in Kodiak Island rivers, a reversal of the Alaska Board of Fisheries rules by the state attorney general, KIBSD is paying for up to 20 of its international teachers to receive their green cards, and a special remembrance of Alaskan veterans ahead of Memorial Day on Monday from the Alaska Desk at Alaska Public Media.

Photo: Diné Bizaad is the latest mobile app created by Albert Haskie, the lead developer, who is Diné and from the Navajo Nation. (Courtesy Adoonee) Across the United States, there are over 575 federally recognized American Indian tribes. According to the U.S. Census, Native North American language use fell by 6% from 2013 to 2021, but among those who spoke a Native language, nearly half spoke Navajo. KUNM's Jeanette DeDios (Jicarilla Apache and Diné) spoke to a Diné software developer who has created a mobile app to help preserve the Navajo language. Albert Haskie (Diné) spent two years building the app Diné Bizaad with a group of Navajo employees. “I’m making it for us, and that’s the primary goal.” Haskie says he learned the Navajo language at a young age but in sixth grade he transferred to a non-Navajo language school and that it was a cultural shock for him. “I kind of always missed it and always wanted to figure out how to reintroduce it into my life, but also try to reintroduce it to a lot of other people’s lives.” Haskie says users can build their own curriculum and it includes fun tools like the word of the day. He says the app differs from other language apps because this one has richer content and a practicing Navajo speaker who consulted on every word and phrase. Diné Bizaad was independently built without collaboration of the Navajo Nation. “I’ve showed them multiple times, but they just couldn’t find anything to work with me. I was more than happy to try to figure out working with them. But the reality is, it would have probably not launched within the time I wanted it to be.” A representative from the Department of Diné Education said Haskie talked with members within the department and that they are open to working with interested parties on preserving the Diné language. Haskie says he is in talks with other tribes to create language apps for their members. Whaling captain William ‘Wiyu’ Parks, right, and his wife Crystal on their way back from Punguk Island after a 3-month-long camping trip. (Courtesy Crystal Newhall) Whaling is an essential part of subsistence hunting in Siberian Yupik culture. High school student Tracy Tungiyan in the village of Gambell, Alaska on St. Lawrence Island wanted to understand more about it, so he interviewed a whaling captain from the community, William Parks, nicknamed Wiyu. He spoke to Parks in the library of the Gambell school and asked him whether whaling is easy or difficult. “There’s a degree of difficulty in it. You got to think of how enormous the whale is. You’re in basically a wash tub compared to the size of that whale. Depending on how the whale is moving, it could be pretty straightforward, catch up to it, strike. And there’s some days where the tails are really thrashing. You can’t get close to them. “We use these harpoons that have a barrel on there. We call them Puskaan [Siberian Yupik word]. I don’t know what they’re called in English. I’ve always known them as Puskaan. It has a harpoon, buoy, line buoy, and it fires either a black powder bomb or a penthrite bomb into the whale. Tungiyan asked Parks what hunting means to him and whether it was easier back then. “That’s a good question. To me, hunting is mostly about survival, it’s about tradition, and it’s about feeding family, relatives as a community, which is the most important part of life, in my opinion. You need food to survive. “I think mostly it’s like second nature to me. I don’t even think of how important this is to me anymore, more so that it’s the way I was brought up to live. It’s a part of me. It’s been a part of me since I was two, three years old. “Back then it was- seasons were more predictable. Weather was more predictable. In a way, it was easier. Nowadays, with lack of ice, bigger storms, shorter opportunities to head out. Yeah, I think it’s more difficult now compared to back then. The windows of good weather are getting shorter. “I know that everybody that goes hunting isn’t doing it for fun or sport. They’re doing it (as a) means of trying to harvest food. It's a part of who we are as people, as the community. Hunting is part of our nature. It’s been for thousands of years.” Tungiyan then asked him why catching a whale is so important for Gambell. “I think it’s important mostly because of the size of the catch. There’s enough to feed everybody. Just the sheer size of the whale. It’s an opportunity to feed the community, to have a community gather. Whaling has been part of our culture since the first whale swam and man saw it. It was a means of survival.” Tungiyan produced this story with former KNOM reporter Wali Rana and Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, May 18, 2026 – Trump administration takes aim at American buffalo

The online marketplace Etsy plans to ban products made out of fur as well as threatened or endangered animals. In Alaska, many Indigenous artists say they do not use the platform, but several said they were frustrated with the decision. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more. Cheyenne Nelson (Aleut and Tlingit) pulls a pair of earrings from a box stacked with her creations. Nelson is an owner of Iliamna Arts based in Anchorage. She uses fur from otters, rabbits, lynx, and foxes to make jewelry. She sells her art to customers from California to Chicago, and from Canada to the Netherlands, but this might change: Etsy emailed artists like Nelson in early April to notify them it will ban fur products starting August 11. “It was like the worst case scenario … I really like being able to have my art reach people that in no other way it would have reached.” The new Etsy policy says that it will apply to fur from animals killed primarily for their pelts, to protect wildlife from extinction. It was not clear how the company would establish that animals were killed for fur and not for sustenance. There do not appear to be exceptions for Indigenous artists. Etsy did not respond to emailed questions for this story. Nelson and several others say the new policy will disproportionately harm Indigenous artists. “You’ve ostracized the entire Indigenous population that wants to share their art through Etsy.” Jamie Nurauq Stallings is Yupik and Athabaskan who makes earrings, using fur and feathers from her family's hunts – ducks, beavers, and rabbits. She sells her art at local markets, as well as Etsy. “Historically, there’s been a lot of shame put on certain parts of our lives, like our language, and now it’s fur. … we have the highest regard for animals.” When Stallings was small, she was a part of her father's Indigenous dance group. Between the performances, she would sit with her mom at a table, selling earrings and talking to guests. “Earrings were the one thing that we were able to share with people. … I really love that – being able to connect to people from everywhere. It’s unifying.” Stallings says she hopes the ban can motivate Indigenous artists to come together and create their own platform that sells traditional art – on their terms. Until recently, evacuees in Anchorage were staying at hotels like the Wingate, pictured here on November 14, 2025. (Photo: Matt Faubion/ Alaska Public Media) Six months after arriving in Anchorage, evacuees from Western Alaska have moved from hotels into temporary housing. Hundreds of people have been unable to return to their homes after ex-Typhoon Halong devastated villages in October of last year. Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the state's emergency response, says it gives people a chance to return to a slightly more normal way of life. “They’re cooking their own foods. They have more privacy, more room within the units. They’re also have places where they can host celebrations for their family members, or have people come over and visit and not just be in kind of one hotel room.” Evacuees stayed in five hotels around Anchorage through the winter. They received meals from various assistance teams and on-site staff helped them register for disaster relief and connected them to assistance programs. Zidek says the state will continue to help people with paperwork and bureaucracy hurdles. “We’re working with the every applicant on a case by case basis to make sure that they’re they’re not kind of lost in the shuffle, and they don’t get so frustrated that they just lose interest in pursuing this assistance that they’re eligible for.” As of April 17, 165 households have moved into temporary housing in and around Anchorage. The housing is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Zidek says the state and FEMA are working together to identify ways to rebuild in Western Alaska so that those who want to return home can do so as soon as possible. This story was provided by Alaska Public Media's Hannah Flor Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, May 1, 2026 – Efforts to improve Native student achievement under fire

An oil and gas lease sale is scheduled in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for June. The auction of drilling rights is mandated in federal law, but also reflects the Trump administration's commitment to promoting energy development in the state. The response from Indigenous residents that live in or near the refuge is mixed, as the Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced this month it will hold a lease sale in the nation's largest wildlife refuge, in the northeastern corner of Alaska. The piece of ANWR that has been the subject of passionate dispute for decades is the Coastal Plain, a swath along the Beaufort Sea that potentially has oil and gas reserves. The only community within the refuge is Kaktovik, an Iñupiaq village of about 300 people. Kaktovik Mayor Nathan Gordon Jr. says resource development in the refuge means economic opportunity because the regional government, the North Slope Borough, taxes oil and gas companies. “The taxes that come from the development pay for our schools, our water system, our sewer system. It pays for everything that has meaning in our lifestyle and protection and safety.” ANWR provides habitat for migratory birds and polar bears. And the Coastal Plain specifically is the calving grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. Gordon says he believes development within the refuge will not interfere with wildlife. “With restrictions in place, it’s already set in stone for us to have safe development with our animals.” But opponents of the project are concerned that gravel roads, drilling, and seismic exploration can harm caribou, especially during their vulnerable calving period. The Gwich'in community of Arctic Village is located right outside ANWR to the south. Faith Gemmill lives in Fairbanks, but is from Arctic Village and has family there. “Imagine oil development in their core calving area. It’s going to … devastate our herd.” Gemmill says caribou support food security, culture, spirituality, and economy for Gwich'in people, including the future generations. “Our way of life is reliant on the caribou. So in my opinion, (President Donald) Trump’s incessant drive to drill in this area is a form of cultural genocide of the Gwich’in.” If the upcoming lease sale is successful, it could still take years for a project to break ground. Additional reporting from Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin Diné chef Justin Pioche, right, inspects ingredients as “Chopped” host Ted Allen watches during an episode from April 21, 2026. (Courtesy Food Network) “Chopped” is a Food Network show where four chefs compete in a race against time to make a three-course meal. The latest episode aired Tuesday night and featured an all-Indigenous lineup. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, a Navajo chef took the honors. From Chicago to Montana, Indian Country's top cooks vied for the “Chopped” title, but two of them repped the Southwest including Chef Ray Naranjo, who comes from the Santa Clara Pueblo just north of Santa Fe, N.M. Justin Pioche lives on the Navajo Nation. The 2023 James Beard finalist for Best Chef in the Southwest co-owns Pioche Food Group, a high-end catering company. He plans on using the $10,000 cash prize to help pay for his own brick-and-mortar restaurant. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native Aerica Calling episode Thursday, April 23, 2026 — Gathering of MCs: Native musicians compete for best bars, beats, and freestyles

On this week's episode with host Davis Hovey, we hear about a trash fire at the Kodiak Island landfill, Kodiak KINDNESS gets a surprise check from Credit Union 1, Alaska Public Media reports on the state House passing it's budget with a $1,500 PFD, KHNS reports on shipping companies like Matson increasing their rates this month, and the USDA has created an Office of Seafood to treat fishermen like farmers of the sea.

Send us Fan MailThe 12th Arctic Encounter Summit was held April 15-17, 2026 in Anchorage,Alaska at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center. Many leaders and attendees that gather year after year for the Arctic Encounter come for renewal and friendship with the common bond of all things Arctic, including discussions about climate change, scientific research, fisheries, natural resources, Arctic policy, military strategy, meting sea ice and permafrost, subsistence hunting, land usage and leadership of Indigenous youth.  After a rather tense year in Arctic Geopolitics, this year's Arctic Encounter served an even greater purpose of renewal and rebuilding trust of alliances.  For those first learning about the Arctic Encounter, it is the largest Arctic Policy event attended by Arctic leaders and Indigenous leaders, Members of Parliament and Ambassadors from nations including the United States, Canada, Greenland, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Faroe Islands, Slovenia, European Union, and Indigenous Leaders including the Inuit & Inupiat and more. Military leaders, businesses of the North, including Alaska Airlines, Davie Defense, and the University of Alaska also were part of the discussions, breakout sessions and forums. Senator Lisa Murkowski and Governor Mike Dunleavy gave featured remarks during luncheons on Thursday and Friday that added important leadership insights about the current state of affairs as well as the importance of maintaining alliances among all of the Arctic Nations. This year's challenges in the Arctic felt like a 'Summit' since the tensions, war in Iran and  a disrupted world order have greatly impacted the trust between long time allies and alliances. The moderators that played a key role in the intensive discussions held over the three days were Mike Sfraga and Libby Casey, both being as seasoned as they come. Sfraga, a former US Ambassador for Arctic Affairs, and Casey of NPR and former Washington Post and Alaska Public Media, tactfully led panels of leaders, scientists, politicians, and Indigenous leaders thru fascinating and sometimes difficult topics about the current affairs in the Arctic. Founder and CEO of the Arctic Encounter, Rachel Kallander and her team, Jackson Blackwell, Reed Davidson, and Board of Directors created a welcoming atmosphere at this year's 2026 Arctic Encounter Summit that fostered discussions,  collaboration, friendship and renewed bonds for an inclusive exceptional Arctic Policy event. https://www.arcticencounter.comI'd like to thank Rachel Kallander, Jackson Blackwell, Reed Davidson, and their incredible teamwork in putting on this year's Arctic Encounter Summit. Thank you all for listening to the Alaska Climate and Aviation Podcast. I can be reached at: ktphotowork@gmail.comAs we approach the summer of 2026, I'm happy to announce that I will be operating a scenic flight business, Visionary Adventures with my Piper Super Cub for flights over Alaska's beautiful wilderness.Katie WriterPilot/Journalist/PhotographerAlaska Climate and Aviation Podcast907/863-7669www.cubflights.comSupport the showYou can visit my website for links to other episodes and see aerial photography of South Central Alaska at:https://www.katiewritergallery.com

Photo: A cross and mural honor slain teen Emily Pike along U.S. 70 Route near Peridot on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. (Gabriel Pietrorazio) The FBI announced earlier this month that it is, once again, putting extra agents in the field to address a backlog of cold cases on tribal lands. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, this effort is part of a years-long joint initiative with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Under Operation Not Forgotten, more law enforcement personnel will be filtering through nearly a dozen FBI field offices with close ties to Indian Country. Agents are being sent to cities like Phoenix, Ariz., Billings, Mont., Albuquerque, N.M., and Denver, Colo. Kevin Smith is with the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “A lot of our state is tribal territory. Right now, we're set for 14 agents.” The FBI is handling 4,100 active Indigenous criminal cases nationwide. Smith says Arizona's share is in the hundreds – including two high-profile ones for San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike and 8-year-old Navajo Maleeka “Mollie” Boone. “Every case is unique, and every case takes the time that it takes.” The Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments last month on whether prisoners can be forcibly medicated with psychiatric drugs — without a court hearing and the right to a lawyer. In the state corrections system, Alaska Native people are incarcerated at about twice the rate of white Alaskans. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. Prisoner Mark Andrews is housed at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska. (Photo: Anne Hillman / Alaska Public Media) The Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments this month on whether prisoners can be forcibly medicated with psychiatric drugs — without a court hearing and the right to a lawyer. In the state corrections system, Alaska Native people are incarcerated at about twice the rate of white Alaskans. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought the case against the Department of Corrections (DOC) on behalf of a prisoner, Mark Andrews. He says he has been unjustly drugged with powerful psychotropic medication for most of the last seven years, without due process or access to legal counsel. The Department policy currently allows prisoners to be drugged against their will if they are gravely disabled or are in imminent risk for harming themselves or others. Doron Levine is a lawyer for the ACLU. He argued at the hearing that the policy infringes on rights protected by the state constitution. “Few things are more personal than someone’s body, and arguably, nothing is more personal than a person’s mind. It’s the locus of a person’s identity, and it’s a last refuge of freedom for people who are incarcerated.” Under department policy, prisoners have the right to hearings every six months with department staff. And they have the right to appeal the decision to a department committee. The ACLU argues that Andrews did not have sufficient access to hearings or an appeal. Justice Jennifer Henderson questioned Kimber Rogers, the attorney representing DOC. Justice Henderson says the facts seem to suggest that the prisoner was denied the rights promised in the department's policy. Justice Henderson: “How do you respond to that?” Kimber Rogers: “Your Honor, I agree that there were definitely some problems, and Mr. Andrews’ hearings, but I don’t think that that’s important.” Henderson: “There were more than some problems. There were long periods of time where there were no hearings, for example.” Rogers: “Well, Your Honor, I would dispute that actually.” The ACLU lawyer argued that there should be a hearing in a courtroom because DOC staff may be biased to protect the institution over the person, but Rogers says a hearing inside prison is the best approach. When the Supreme Court issues a ruling, the decision could apply to the approximately 22 Alaska prisoners who are being forcibly drugged. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Thursday, April 9, 2026 — Roller derby skaters don't let anyone push them around

On October 1st, 2025, 23-year-old Balin Miller stood near the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — glitter on his cheeks, orange tent packed, having just completed one of the most psychologically punishing climbs in the world. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, he had accomplished feats that made legends of the sport shake their heads in disbelief, all while living out of a beat-up silver Prius on a shoestring budget. But in the moments after his greatest triumph, something went terribly wrong. This is the story of a young man who packed more living into 23 years than most people do in a lifetime — and the single, heartbreaking oversight that ended it all. Bring tissues, and maybe don't listen to this one alone. Timestamps: 00:34 Disaster Strikes Intro 01:20 El Capitan Tragedy Setup 03:18 Baylen Alaska Origins 04:49 Prius Glitter Lifestyle 06:26 Reality Bath Solo 08:21 Denali Slavic Direct 11:18 Sea of Dreams Explained 14:02 Livestream Orange Tent 16:09 Rappel Off Rope End 17:37 Stopper Knot Theory 19:10 Aftermath And Tributes 22:13 Legacy And Lessons 25:13 Safety Reminder Outro Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ References "Balin Miller: American climber dies aged 23 while climbing El Capitan." October 3, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/03/sport/climbing-balin-miller-death-intl CBC News. "Climber Balin Miller, 23-year-old who achieved rare Banff summit, dies in fall at Yosemite's El Capitan." October 3, 2025. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/yosemite-climbing-death-miller-1.7650097 Gafni, Matthias. "Witness describes horror of streaming climber Balin Miller's fatal fall in Yosemite." San Francisco Chronicle, October 4, 2025. https://www.sfchronicle.com/outdoors/article/witness-climber-balin-miller-fall-21083821.php Early, Wesley. "Alaska climber Balin Miller dies during El Capitan summit." Alaska Public Media, October 3, 2025. https://alaskapublic.org/news/2025-10-03/alaska-climber-balin-miller-dies-during-el-capitan-summit Gripped Magazine. "Balin Miller Solos the Slovak Direct on Denali." June 16, 2025. https://gripped.com/news/balin-miller-solos-the-slovak-direct-on-denali/ Gripped Magazine. "The Reality Bath in the Rockies Repeated Solo." January 11, 2025. https://gripped.com/profiles/the-reality-bath-in-the-rockies-repeated-solo/ Gripped Magazine. "Alpinist Balin Miller Dies in a Rappel Accident in Yosemite." October 2025. https://gripped.com/news/alpinist-balin-miller-dies-in-a-rappel-accident-in-yosemite/ Walsh, Anthony. "Bold Young Alpinist Balin Miller Dies in Yosemite Fall." Climbing Magazine, October 2025. https://www.climbing.com/news/alpinist-balin-miller-dies-in-yosemite/ American Alpine Club. "A Tribute to Balin Miller." October 15, 2025. https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2025/10/15/a-tribute-to-balin-miller Twight, Mark. "The Reality Bath re-Redux." Substack, January 17, 2025. https://marktwight.substack.com/p/the-reality-bath-re-redux Explorersweb. "Denali: Slovak Direct Soloed, Season in Full Swing." June 20, 2025. https://explorersweb.com/denali-slovak-direct-soloed-season-in-full-swing/ Wikipedia contributors. "Balin Miller." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed October 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balin_Miller NBC News. "Noted climber falls to his death at Yosemite National Park's El Capitan rock formation." October 4, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/noted-climber-falls-death-yosemite-national-parks-el-capitan-rock-form-rcna235570 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Photo: Marcia Lowry outside the federal courthouse in Anchorage on September 8, 2025. She was lead attorney in the class action lawsuit against the Alaska Office of Children’s Services. (Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a federal class-action lawsuit filed against the Alaska Office of Children's Services (OCS) Tuesday. The lawsuit was brought by a national nonprofit working for foster care reforms. Attorneys for the organization alleged Alaska foster children are at risk of harm because of systemic problems that violated federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and federal child welfare protections. They pointed to high caseloads for caseworkers and an inadequate hiring and training process. About two thirds of kids in out-of-home care in the state are Alaska Native, but Gleason wrote that the attorneys did not prove that any of the foster youth represented were actually harmed. Gleason also questioned the reliability of the evidence presented. Marcia Lowry is attorney and executive director of A Better Childhood, which brought the suit. She calls the dismissal “quite disappointing”. “We did do a trial that involved a lot of evidence that, I think, was largely undisputed about how high the caseloads are in Alaska, about the lack of placement resources for children, about the failure to basically make attempts to remedy that situation.” She says a lot of children in Alaska are not getting benefits they are entitled to under federal law. Lowry says A Better Childhood is not sure yet of its next steps but is considering an appeal. “We have seen dysfunctional child welfare systems really, really change and provide good services to kids, but we have seen that only as a result of litigation.” OCS declined an interview for this story. In a written statement they said they are pleased with the court's decision and the verdict is an opportunity for the office to continue advancing its work. This story was provided by Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio) The U.S. Supreme Court last week spent two hours hearing a landmark case that could upend birthright citizenship. A 19th century ruling on the citizenry of tribal members was at the heart of the Trump administration's defense. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has this report. This was the exchange during oral arguments when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch pressed Solicitor General John Sauer, who presented the government's case. Sauer: “Yes, yes, so a tribal Indian for example gives up allegiance to…” Justice Gorsuch: “Are tribal members born today birthright citizens?” Sauer: “Uh, I think so – on our test, yes – if they're lawfully domiciled here. I have to think that through, but that's my reaction.” Gorsuch: “I'll take the yes, that's alright.” In an 1884 majority decision, the justices ruled John Elk, a Winnebago man living in Omaha, was not a U.S. citizen in spite of the 14th Amendment – codifying birthright citizenship. “My mother was probably not a United States citizen when she was born in 1923 in Oklahoma.” Bob Miller, who is Eastern Shawnee and with Arizona State University's Indian Legal Clinic, has been teaching this very precedent of Elk v. Wilkins for three decades now. “I disagree completely with the argument that that's analogous to undocumented immigrants and them having children here.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, April 6, 2026 – What the ‘conversion therapy’ court decision means for LGBTQ2+ protections

On this week's episode with host Katherine Irving, we hear about the changes in administration across schools in the Kodiak Island Borough School District, the new superintendent's contract details have been released, our partners at Alaska Public Media report on the Alaska Senate passing its version of the state supplemental budget, Sen. Gary Stevens of Kodiak's civics education bill for high schoolers could pass into law this session, and an update on the 2026 Iditarod sled dog race as mushers have completed their 24-hour layovers.

Photo: A scenic overview of the Colorado River from the Navajo Bridge near Jacob Lake. (Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has invited tribal leaders to testify on Capitol Hill today. As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, the Northeast Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act is the hearing's subject. This $5 billion deal would resolve claims for three parties, including the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe. For San Juan Southern Paiute President Carlene Yellowhair, this proposal is not just about securing precious water in the Southwest. If passed, it would also set aside 5,400 acres for a new reservation in Arizona. “We want to settle, because we want our land, our home, a place to build. We lost all of our elders. They started it and we just want to finish it.” The tribe has more than 300 members, including Vice President Johnny Lehi Jr. “You know, the land and the water, that's what we needed to become more sovereign.” Prisoner Mark Andrews is housed at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska. (Photo: Anne Hillman / Alaska Public Media) The Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments this month on whether prisoners can be forcibly medicated with psychiatric drugs — without a court hearing and the right to a lawyer. In the state corrections system, Alaska Native people are incarcerated at about twice the rate of white Alaskans. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought the case against the Department of Corrections (DOC) on behalf of a prisoner, Mark Andrews. He says he has been unjustly drugged with powerful psychotropic medication for most of the last seven years, without due process or access to legal counsel. The Department policy currently allows prisoners to be drugged against their will if they are gravely disabled or are in imminent risk for harming themselves or others. Doron Levine is a lawyer for the ACLU. He argued at the hearing that the policy infringes on rights protected by the state constitution. “Few things are more personal than someone’s body, and arguably, nothing is more personal than a person’s mind. It’s the locus of a person’s identity, and it’s a last refuge of freedom for people who are incarcerated.” Under department policy, prisoners have the right to hearings every six months with department staff. And they have the right to appeal the decision to a department committee. The ACLU argues that Andrews did not have sufficient access to hearings or an appeal. Justice Jennifer Henderson questioned Kimber Rogers, the attorney representing DOC. Justice Henderson says the facts seem to suggest that the prisoner was denied the rights promised in the department's policy. Justice Henderson: How do you respond to that? Kimber Rogers: Your Honor, I agree that there were definitely some problems, and Mr. Andrews’ hearings, but I don’t think that that’s important. JH: There were more than some problems. There were long periods of time where there were no hearings, for example. KR: Well, Your Honor, I would dispute that actually. The ACLU lawyer argued that there should be a hearing in a courtroom because DOC staff may be biased to protect the institution over the person, but Rogers says a hearing inside prison is the best approach. When the Supreme Court issues a ruling, the decision could apply to the approximately 22 Alaska prisoners who are being forcibly drugged. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) The National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) is applauding the House passage of the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act. The bill to improve access to homeownership for Native families on tribal trust land is led by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and passed last week. NAIHC executive director Rudy Soto says the bill improves coordination between the Bureau of Indian Affairs, lenders, and tribal communities, establishes timelines, and helps Native families, veterans, and tribal citizens who want to achieve homeownership. The Senate previously approved the measure and it now heads to the president's desk. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, March 11, 2024 – Michigan backs away from Boarding Schools report

In this newscast: Social service providers in Juneau say they're worried about fallout if the Juneau Assembly decides to cut city funding to some of Juneau's most critical social services; The Juneau Assembly decided Monday to sign an agreement with the federal government for a buyout of View Drive, the street hit hardest by annual glacial outburst funding; A trial date for a lawsuit between the Juneau School District and its support staff union won't be decided on for another six months; Alaska students could have a new graduation requirement in the not-too-distant-future. The Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday that would mandate a new civics course or exam for high-schoolers starting in 2027; About three dozen sled dog teams are on the thousand-mile Iditarod Trail to Nome as part of this year's race, and thousands of people around the world are following along. Some of the spectators are kids participating in the IditaRead Challenge, and as Alaska Public Media's Ava White reports, that includes Anchorage students counting each minute spent with a book as a mile on the trail.

On this week's episode with host Davis Hovey, we hear about a deckhand of the Aleutian Lady who died at sea, Alaska Public Media reports that state lawmakers are considering a boost to the base student allocation funding, the Alaska Beacon reports on a potential waiver for the $100,000 visas for teachers, the Department of Transportation is accepting comments on a proposed lease for parking lot management at the Kodiak airport, KNBA gives a recap of the Alaska Outdoor Council's gubernatorial debate, and Kodiak's new kelp nursery finished its first season growing kelp in a shipping container.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn, which is also called the Battle of the Greasy Grass or Custer's Last Stand. Ahead of commemorative events planned in late June near Crow Agency, Mont. are reports that the National Park Service (NPS) is removing signs sharing the Native perspective on the battle. Brian Bull (Nez Perce) of Buffalo's Fire reports. In late January, the Washington Post reported that President Trump ordered the removal of signage through his so-called “restoring truth and sanity to American history” directive, which pushes an ideology that the U.S. has an “unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing.” The Battle of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is on the list of sites. Wallace Bear Chum is chairman for the Northern Cheyenne Cultural Commission. Along with the Lakota Sioux and Arapaho, his tribe defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and 7th Cavalry Regiment in 1876. Bear Chum says federal officials and tribes need to discuss any changes per their government-to-government relationship. “We're still finding out what exact changes that they're going to make. And the Northern Cheyenne, it was a victory for us there. And our story's there, I mean how can you change that story? Y'know, there's no way you can do that. And what exactly are they trying to change?” The Northern Cheyenne Tribe unanimously approved a resolution last month to prevent any changes to markers, signage, and monuments that recognize Native people at Little Bighorn, a direct challenge to the Trump administration. Meanwhile, an email from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Office denies any signage has been taken down at the battlefield monument. It says parks are complying through an ongoing review process with subject-matter experts, tribal partners, and park leadership. Courtesy NPS An Alaska doctor has documented the first case of a rare and potentially risky infection from contact with a brown bear. Alaska Public Media’s Rachel Cassandra reports. The infection is known as “seal finger” and people typically get it handling seals, especially during seal hunting and processing, but in 2024, Dr. Benjamin Westley diagnosed it in a man who had cut his hand skinning a brown bear hunted on the Alaska Peninsula. He had three days of redness and painful swelling that didn't resolve with standard antibiotics. Dr. Westley says early tests “did not find anything definitive, so eventually he sent a tissue sample to a lab for more comprehensive analysis. “What was particularly shocking about this patient was he had a finger infection after skinning a brown bear that was not responding properly to antibiotics. So I sent special PCR tests, but I did not expect this bacteria.” Seal finger is not uncommon in Alaska and circumpolar regions, but Westley says this is only the second time this potentially more serious strain of the infection has been identified in the state. He diagnosed the first case too, in a patient whose finger infection had spread to his hip. “So when the report came back, I was shocked, because the first case was my own patient 10 years prior, and now it was the exact same bacteria for the second time in Alaska, but from a brown bear exposure, not from a seal exposure.” The infection is only a risk through direct or indirect animal contact. Other cases outside the state have been tied to a polar bear and a domestic cat. Scientists do not know if those animals caused seal finger because they had contact with a seal or through other means. In this case, the patient was treated at first with the wrong type of antibiotics used for bacterial infections. That allowed the infection to worsen and ultimately caused dead tissue, a damaged tendon and a bone infection. He recovered, but still has lingering finger stiffness. Seal finger is often misdiagnosed and a delay in treatment can cause serious problems, so Westley urges health care providers to consider treating patients for seal finger if they have an infection and had contact with seals, bears, or cats. That is even before getting bacterial test results. Westley says Alaskans can also protect themselves when hunting and processing seals or bears. “Try not to get injured through the skin, cut or let bacteria from an animal you’re working with into the tissue, because that can result in a manner of weird infections that can be hard for doctors to sort out.” And he says to wash your hands with soap if you get a wound. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Tuesday, March 3, 2026 — Proximity and family outreach hold promise for tribal addiction treatment

A state task force in Alaska released recommendations last month for making psychedelic therapy available, if treatments are approved at the federal level. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has the story. The Alaska state legislature established a task force in 2024 to examine psychedelic therapies, which hold a lot of promise but are still considered experimental. Jennie Armstrong is a former state representative who was on the task force. She says the group tackled questions like how to make therapy accessible and how to offer safe and culturally competent care. “The whole point of the task force was to bring up these types of questions so we’re not scratching our heads when this becomes medicalized and scrambling and being reactive, but we’re actually being proactive.” The task force did not take a stance on whether psychedelic therapies are good or bad, but recommends Alaska incorporate them as they are legalized nationally. None of the task force's recommendations are binding, but Armstrong says they are meant to guide legislators on the types of laws the state would need to offer access. Armstrong says the task force recommends incorporating a training program for therapists and healthcare providers who want to guide therapy. “Everyone needs to go through this type of training, because just being a doctor doesn’t make you qualified to facilitate this type of care.” And she says the aim is to make training accessible so a diversity of people can become certified. She says that would ensure people getting treated are a good fit with the person who guides them. Armstrong says Alaskans could benefit a lot from psychedelic therapies if they are legalized. That is because the state has such high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, and other mental illnesses. Psychedelic therapies are being studied to treat those disorders and Armstrong says some of the research is promising. “There are so many folks who, through these trials, went from being suicidal and having treatment resistant depression, unable to work, unable to function, to being in remission within months.” She says that can change how people and communities can thrive. There is a new career pathway for tribal students looking at wildland firefighting jobs. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has more on the partnership between the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Highschoolers across six BIE-run schools are participating, including Northwest High School in Shiprock, Ariz. on the Navajo Nation. Carmelia Becenti (Diné) is chief academic officer for BIE. She credits President Donald Trump's executive order on “expanding educational freedom”. “This just happened to occur organically.” They are also pitching the curriculum to colleges. Garth Fisher is with the BIA Division of Wildland Fire Management. “We are trying to somewhat steer them towards being stewards of our lands. That doesn't always happen.” Fisher says they are teaching coursework about leadership, fire suppression, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) readiness. Once done, students put their training to the test during a field day. “They get to put the gear on, how it feels. They get to look like a firefighter.” That equipment is expensive, says Becenti, which is why the BIE is buying it now. “And that way, year after year, as we recruit more students at these schools and across the bureau, you know, we have this {#[Personal Protective Equipment] PPE that we can use over and over and over.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, March 2, 2026 — Native crews help solve the growing marine trash problem

On this week's episode with host Davis Hovey, we hear about an annual joint-military exercise in the Arctic with some training taking place in Kodiak this week, Alaska Aerospace Corporation receives federal funding to update its facilities at the Kodiak Island spaceport, KUCB reports on the Board of Fisheries recent decision on Area M salmon fishing, Alaska Public Media reports on the state House's version of the budget bill, and Port Lions is replacing its water system.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees more than 12 million acres in Arizona alone. And much like the rest of the West, it has public lands making up national monuments that hold value for tribes. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, President Donald Trump's pick to run BLM pledged to respect them in his confirmation hearing this week. During his first term, President Trump shrank the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah – only for President Joe Biden to restore them and name 10 new ones. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) answered “yes” when asked about whether he was committed to honoring those sites by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), who thanked the nominee for his “great” and “short, clear, concise, and on-the-record” answer. Pearce added that “the Native Americans sometimes are overlooked from Washington and …” when Sen. Padilla interrupted with, “And not just sometimes, far too often”. Pearce then noted “We became a voice for them, and would continue to do that.” Pearce doubled down when U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) asked about Arizona's Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni, which President Biden created near the South Rim in 2023. “The Grand Canyon, it's one of the most magnificent things, frankly, in the world. So we'll do whatever we can to work with you any way that's necessary.” X̱'unei Lance Twitchell teaching pre-kindergarten students. (Courtesy Ryan Conarro) Language educators in Juneau are working to create a Master's in Teaching program for teaching Indigenous languages at the University of Alaska Southeast. It would be the first of its kind in Alaska. KTOO’s Yvonne Krumrey reports. Lingít language professor X̱'unei Lance Twitchell talked about the possible future degree program during KTOO's Juneau Afternoon. “My colleague Éedaa Heather Burge and I are collaborating to create a certificate in teaching Indigenous languages, and as we look at how our language is taught in Alaska, who teaches them, what are their qualifications? What are they permitted to do in the current school systems? And what they’re permitted to do is just not enough.” The program would be for those who want to go into teaching Alaska Native languages to all ages. There are more than 20 distinct Indigenous languages throughout the state. Twitchell said the program still has some steps ahead of it before prospective students can enroll. “This degree has to go before the Board of Regents, and so we’re very hopeful that they will see the value in it. They’ll see the need. They’ll see the demand. I think it’s maybe one of two programs that are like it, perhaps in all of North America.” Twitchell said, while Southeast Alaska Native languages have endured and continue to grow, they should still be prioritized – and with urgency – by schools and communities. “But to be able to get to that is going to take some monumental shifts in the way that we do things, which is really hard today, because one of the things that a colonial government likes to do is pretend that there’s no time, there’s no money, everything’s already spoken for.” Twitchell said this program would create more pathways for educators who can advocate for time, money, and effort to go into revitalizing Indigenous languages. He said the program would focus on the “hows” of teaching Indigenous languages: how to create schools, build programs, and what materials to use. University officials are currently reviewing the proposal. After that, it'll be up to the University of Alaska Board of Regents to decide whether to approve the program. Meda DeWitt (Tlingit) is running for governor as an independent. (Courtesy DeWitt campaign) A 17th candidate has entered the Alaska governor’s race. Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin has more. Meda DeWitt is a traditional healer, drawing on her Tlingit heritage. She teaches at the University of Alaska. She is running as an independent candidate, unaffiliated with any party. “I care about our future. I care about the way that we steward our lands and want to see a state that has a thriving ecosystem and healthy communities that can live in perpetuity.” In 2021, DeWitt chaired a campaign to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK). The petition gathered more than 60,000 signatures but fell short of the number needed for a recall election. Her campaign website lists a wide array of priorities, from cost of living to health care to the state economy. DeWitt lives in Anchorage and has family roots in Wrangell and Yakutat, as well as relatives around the state. The August 18 primary will feature a long list of gubernatorial candidates, most running with the Republican label. In the primary, voters can choose just one. The top four candidates, of any party, will advance to the November ballot. General election voters will have the option of ranking up to four candidates. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, February 27, 2026 — Native Playlist: Cary Morin and Status/Non-Status

In this newscast:  The Juneau School District is returning over $1 million earmarked for child care back to the city; The Alaska Department of Transportation has faced intense scrutiny in recent months over its plan to build a new ferry terminal between Juneau and Haines. Now, the agency is drawing fire from a panel of lawmakers charged with overseeing it; For the Alaska Survival Kit series, Alaska Public Media's Wesley Early set out to learn how Alaskans can increase their chances of finding a date and falling in love; Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Carney highlighted efforts to reduce case backlogs and asked lawmakers to fund new judges and long-delayed courthouse maintenance during the annual State of the Judiciary address today

Kachemak Bay Recovery Connection is holding an overdose awareness and Naloxone training this Friday in Homer; and for Alaska Public Media's Alaska Survival Kit series, Wesley Early set out to learn how Alaskans can increase their chances of finding a date and falling in love.

Kachemak Bay Recovery Connection is holding an overdose awareness and Naloxone training this Friday in Homer; and for Alaska Public Media's Alaska Survival Kit series, Wesley Early set out to learn how Alaskans can increase their chances of finding a date and falling in love.

On this week's episode with host Davis Hovey, we hear about the IPHC passing a decision on daily halibut bag limits to the NPFMC, Alaska Public Media reports on a bill in the Alaska Legislature to update requirements for resident hunting and fishing licenses, Alaska Public Media also has details on a new way to bring groceries to rural Alaska, and the KIBSD Board of Education puts off a decision on its FY'2027 budget until next week.

Capitalism as an economic system has been around in various forms for over a thousand years and according to our featured guest this week, it keeps evolving. Join us for a lively and challenging discussion between Ralph and Harvard history professor, Sven Beckert, as they discuss his book “Capitalism: A Global History.”Sven Beckert is the Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard University. He has written widely on the economic, social, and political history of capitalism. His book Empire of Cotton won the Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His latest book is Capitalism: A Global History.Capitalism has existed within a whole range of political systems of organizing political power. And this includes authoritarian regimes; this includes fascist regimes; and this includes also liberal democratic regimes such as Great Britain and the United States. And you see this kind of tension emerging today within the United States in which there is a kind of concern, I think, among some capital-owning elites about liberal democracy. They see that as being limiting to some of their business interests.Sven BeckertIn a way, the book tries to not make us to be just powerless cogs in a machine and not powerless cogs in the unfolding of history. But the book very much emphasizes that the particular shape that capitalism has taken at any particular moment in time has a lot to do also with questions of the state. It has a lot to do with questions of political power. It has a lot to do with questions of social contestation. And sometimes capitalism has been reshaped drastically by the actions of people with very little power. And I show that in particular when I look at the end of the slave-based plantation economy in the Americas, which is very much driven by the collective mobilization of some of the poorest and most exploited people on planet Earth—namely the enslaved workers who grow all that sugar and all that cotton or that tobacco in the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.Sven BeckertI think markets and market activities have existed in all human societies. That is not particular to capitalism. And the few efforts in world history in which people have tried to get rid of the market in its entirety have been pretty much economic disasters. So there is a place for the market. There has been a place for the market in all human societies. But in capitalism, the market takes on an importance that it didn't take on in other forms of economic life… I think it is so important to think about this, because, as I said earlier, capitalism is not natural. It's not the only form of economic life on planet Earth. Indeed, it's the opposite. It's a revolutionary departure from older forms of the organization of economic life.Sven BeckertTrump seems really concerned about impeachment because it's beyond his control. And he sees if (with inflation) the economy starts going down more, unemployment up, prices up, all these campaign promises bogus, polls going down—he fears impeachment. And I've yet to hear him say if he was impeached and removed from office, he wouldn't leave the White House—while he's defied all other federal laws, constitutional provisions, and foreign treaties.Ralph NaderNews 1/30/26* Following the murders of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renée Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis – along with the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, the abduction of 5-year-old Liam Ramos along with his father, and the arrest of an estimated 3,000 people – the Minnesota AFL-CIO called a General Strike for workers to demand ICE leave the state. This one-day general strike, staged during temperatures of -20°F, drew as many as 100,000 workers into the streets, according to Labor Notes. Participating unions included the SEIU, AFT, and the CWA, along with UNITE HERE Local 17, OPEIU Local 12, IATSE Local 13, and AFSCME Council 5, among many others. Minneapolis has been the site of major labor actions before, perhaps most famously the 1934 General Strike, and it remains a relatively union-dense hub today. It was also the locus of the 2020 George Floyd protests, which many see as a reason why the Trump administration has been so hostile towards the locals.* With the spiraling situation in Minnesota, the Trump administration has finally moved to deescalate somewhat. Per POLITICO, “DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, has…been sidelined,” and border czar Tom Homan has been dispatched to the state to take over operations there. Moreover, the Atlantic reports “Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol ‘commander at large' and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon.” While hardly an adequate response to the crisis, these moves do show that Trump sees how badly his lieutenants have bungled their mission. It remains to be seen whether this will mark the end of the high-lawlessness period of ICE activity or if the agency will simply shift its primary theater of operation.* For Minnesota Republicans meanwhile, the situation is nothing short of catastrophic. While the party's fortunes had looked promising just weeks ago, some, like Republican attorney Chris Madel, now say “National Republicans have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota.” Madel had been a candidate for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, but dropped out abruptly this week, citing national Republicans' “stated retribution on the citizens of our state,” per the Star Tribune. While the election is still 10 months away – “a lifetime in politics,” as one person quoted in the story puts it – it is hard to imagine Minnesotans forgetting about the murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti and delivering a statewide victory for Republicans for the first time since 2006.* Speaking of dropping out, the New York Times reports Eleanor Holmes Norton, the 18-term incumbent delegate representing Washington, D.C. in Congress, has filed a termination notice for her re-election campaign. Norton, a civil rights activist and law professor, was elected D.C. delegate in 1991 and earned a reputation as D.C.'s “warrior on the Hill.” Today, she is the oldest person serving in the House at 88 years old. Norton has shown signs of cognitive decline but insisted she would seek reelection and even after her campaign filed this termination paperwork Norton did not make a public statement for days, raising questions about how aware she even was of this decision – a disgraceful end to a towering career. If any silver lining is to be found, one hopes this will serve as a cautionary tale for other members of Congress not to cling to their seats to the bitter end.* In more congressional news, Axios reports, “Nearly half of the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee broke with their party's leadership in stunning fashion…by voting to hold former President Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress,” for his refusal to testify in the committee's probe related to Jeffrey Epstein. While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries whipped votes against the motion, Ranking Member Robert Garcia gave committee members permission to “vote their conscience.” With the defections, the vote to hold former President Clinton in contempt was a lopsided 34-8. Nine Democrats voted yes, eight no, and two present. On a separate vote to hold Hillary Clinton in contempt, far fewer Democrats broke ranks. In that vote, Democrats Rashida Tlaib, Summer Lee and Melanie Stansbury voted yes, Dave Min voted present, and the rest voted no. The contempt measure will now move to the House floor and Jeffries must decide whether or not to formally whip votes against the measure there. If it passes a full house vote, the Clintons could be held in jail on contempt charges until they agree to testify, as Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were during the January 6th investigation.* In more news out of D.C., legendary modern classical composer Philip Glass has pulled the world premiere of his Lincoln Symphony from the Kennedy Center in protest of the venue's takeover by Trump and his cronies. In a statement, Glass wrote “After thoughtful consideration , I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15” because the symphony is “a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center [and its current leadership] today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony.” Just days after this embarrassing fiasco, Kevin Couch, the Center's new head of artistic programming, abruptly resigned without explanation, per the Hill.* Meanwhile, in Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reports the Alaskan Independence Party – the state's third largest political party founded in the 1970s to push for Alaskan independence from the United States – has voted to dissolve itself. Ballot Access News reports that the party leaders felt that there is “little support” for Alaskan independence today and “the public doesn't even understand the party's original purpose.” Still, the party stands as one of the most successful minor parties of the twentieth century, electing Walter Hickel Governor in 1999 and electing a state legislator in 1992. It almost elected another candidate Tyler Ivanoff, in 2022; he won 48.73% of the vote. The state of Alaska will now give the roughly 19,000 members of the AIP the chance to re-register with another party, per Alaska Public Media.* In more positive independent political news, the Chicago Tribune reports Southwest Side Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez has launched an independent bid for Illinois' 4th Congressional District seat. Sigcho-Lopez, a DSA member and progressive firebrand in Chicago, is campaigning to “end tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and dramatically expand social services in housing and health care,” in Congress and is “aligned with working-class labor unions and street protesters pushing back against Trump.” This seat is currently held by stalwart progressive Jesús “Chuy” García, but he pulled an unsavory bait and switch, announcing he would “not seek reelection just hours before the party primary filing deadline, leaving no time for other hopefuls to get in the race for the suddenly vacant seat as his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, became the only candidate in the Democratic primary.” This has forced other candidates like Sigcho-Lopez to launch independent campaigns. To get on the ballot, he must collect at least 10,816 petition signatures between February 25th and May 26th.* In more state and local news, NPR reports that as the federal government withdraws from international institutions like the World Health Organizations, states are stepping into the breach. California, for example, has joined the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network, or GOARN, and other states like Illinois are poised to follow suit. States like California and Illinois, being sub-national entities, can not join the WHO as a full member, but are eligible to participate in WHO subgroups like GOARN. In a statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom said “The Trump administration's withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans…California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring.”* Finally, Axios is out with a major story on the Catholic Church emerging as a “bulwark of resistance,” to Trump's authoritarianism. This piece cites Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemning the ICE killings as “examples of the violence that represent failures in our society to respect the dignity of every human life.” This piece adds that “the three highest-ranking heads of U.S. archdioceses also recently issued a plea for ‘moral foreign policy'” in response to the lawless American military action abroad, namely in Venezuela, Cuba and Iran. Most strikingly, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the Catholic archbishop for the military's archdiocese, is quoted saying it would be “morally acceptable” for troops to disobey orders that violate their conscience. A related question of troops disobeying illegal orders has been much discussed lately, with Trump suggesting members of Congress who reminded troops of their obligation to do so should be hanged for treason. Notably, Pew data suggests 43% of Catholics in the U.S. were born outside the country or had at least one parent born outside the U.S. Reverend Tom Reese, a Jesuit priest and analyst, said the people being targeted by Trump's immigration crackdown are “the people in the pews.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

There was a hung jury in Rapid City, S.D. Wednesday in a case against Nick Tilsen, the founder and CEO of the Native-led organization NDN Collective. After three days of hearings, a mistrial was declared. Tilsen is accused of assaulting a police officer in 2022. He is facing charges for aggravated and simple assault on a law enforcement officer and obstruction of a law enforcement officer – which could lead to a sentence of up to 26 years in prison. In a statement, Tilsen said he's grateful for everyone who stood with him, adding the fight’s not over. The state has 45 days to notify the judge of intentions to retry the case. Parts of an opioid overdose reversal kit including Naloxone. The state distributed 45,000 naloxone kits in 2024, with fentanyl test strips, in an effort to reduce opioid overdose deaths. (Photo: Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) The rate of Alaskans dying from drug overdoses declined by 5% in 2024 compared to the year before, including a decline for Indigenous Alaskans, according to a recent state report. That's a welcome reduction after the state saw its highest number of overdose deaths on record in 2023. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra reports. The U.S. has seen significant declines in overdose death rates over the past two years – and now Alaska could be seeing the start of a similar reduction, according to experts. Theresa Welton is a manager for Alaska's Office of substance misuse and addiction prevention. She says the decline is good news for the state, even though the state's reduction is much smaller than the national one. “I think we’re on the right track.” And she says the decline is likely partly due to state efforts. The report notes the state distributed 45,000 naloxone kits in 2024, with fentanyl test strips. The state has mobile crisis teams in Anchorage, Mat-Su, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, and Juneau. And Alaska has expanded access to medication assisted treatment, recovery housing, and therapeutic courts. But Welton says there's more work to do and it will require a collaborative effort among the state, tribal organizations, and local communities. “Even nationally, everybody is trying to look for that magic fix to start decreasing these deaths, and I think it’s just a combination of supporting communities to address these issues at a community level and emphasizing prevention.” She says it is expensive to build treatment facilities, so increasing access to buprenorphine and other medications for substance use disorders could help prevent overdose deaths. She says Alaska struggles with having enough resources to provide treatment for substance use disorders, partly because of geography which means rural residents must travel for treatment. According to the report, fentanyl is Alaska's deadliest drug. It contributed to more than 70% of overdose deaths in 2024. But Welton says it's crucial to note that many of the overdoses with fentanyl also included one or more other substances. The U.S. Mint released its 2026 Native American $1 Coin featuring Polly Cooper. The Oneida Indian Nation says she is an Oneida heroine, recognized for bringing food and supplies to her homelands in Upstate New York to Army troops at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78. The tribe says recognizing Cooper and the tribe as allies is timely as the U.S. prepares to observe the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The coin depicts Polly Copper with General George Washington as she holds a basket of corn. Cooper stayed at the camp through the winter, and taught soldiers how to prepare corn, and cooked for them in harsh conditions to help ensure their survival. Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter says the Oneida people became “America's First Allies” on some of the bloodiest battlefields of the Revolutionary War. According to the tribe, Nation Members continue the legacy of military service, serving in every major American conflict since then. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Thursday, January 29, 2026 — The Menu: Federal food guidelines, seals and treaty rights, and buffalo for city dwellers

On this week's episode with host Davis Hovey, we hear about the Coast Guard rescuing two fishermen in Pasagshak Bay, the details of the Bycatch Reduction and Research Act in Congress, our colleagues at Alaska Public Media report on Gov. Dunleavy's plans for a seasonal sales tax, the Alaska Legislature started its latest session this week, and the Kodiak Island Borough School District is holding off on a FY'2027 budget decision until next month.

Photo: Dr. Jennifer Pierce with an Anchorage Fire Department vehicle on January 9, 2026. Pierce and the vehicle are part of a new program that will offer addiction treatment to those who overdose. (Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) Alaska is launching pilot programs in Anchorage and Juneau to offer addiction treatment in mobile care units. Emergency responders will give people medication to help them survive after an overdose. Indigenous Alaskans die of overdose at about three times the rate of white Alaskans. Alaska Public Media's health reporter Rachel Cassandra has more. Dr. Jennifer Pierce shows off a new SUV for the Anchorage fire department's pilot program. “We want people to see us as a beacon of help.” Pierce has a simple mission: to treat Anchorage residents who overdose and connect them with care afterwards. For the first time in a mobile unit in Alaska, responders can give patients the medication buprenorphine, which reduces withdrawals and can get patients on the road to recovery. “We don’t want people to fall through the cracks.” Narcan, or naloxone, is used to reverse overdoses, but it puts people into withdrawal. And research shows that offering that second medication, buprenorphine, makes it more likely patients will enter long-term recovery. But Pierce says even if people don't continue treatment, the medication reduces the risk of a second overdose in the days immediately following – a dangerous window, according to research. She hopes the program saves lives. “Even if it’s just one life. Right? We’re saving lives out there and preventing individuals, maybe from overdosing the next day or overdosing again later and dying.” Pierce visited successful programs in Texas and Washington for ideas and best practices to replicate in Alaska. Dr. Quigley Peterson says he's also seen the healing benefits of buprenorphine. He's an emergency room physician heading Juneau's mobile pilot program. He says he's confident it will do well partly because he's seen how helpful the medication can be in the emergency room. “We have something that can help engage people, that’s super safe and it’s cheap, and that it works.” He says they'll collect data over the year to see what happens to patients after they're given buprenorphine for an overdose. His hope is that it reduces emergency room visits and calls for emergency medical care. If the pilots are successful, Peterson's goal is to inspire similar programs in more communities across Alaska. Three-year-old Karson Apodaca. (Courtesy Sayetsitty Family / GoFundMe) A Navajo man was facing the tribe's criminal justice system after allegedly driving drunk and killing a three-year-old boy at a Christmas parade on the reservation. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, U.S. authorities are now stepping in to prosecute him in federal court. 67-year-old Stanley Begay Jr. was charged with vehicular manslaughter and could have faced up to a year in prison and a $500,000 fine.  Now a grand jury in Arizona is handing him three counts, including second-degree murder, stemming from the death of three-year-old Karson Apodoca. Begay was taken into federal custody by FBI agents last week. The agency's Phoenix Field Office is seeking photos and videos from that incident that can be used in the case against Begay, who has been assigned a Flagstaff attorney. Dignity of Earth and Sky is a sculpture on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River near Chamberlain, S.D. (Courtesy SDPB) Following the 2026 State of the Tribes address in South Dakota, Gov. Larry Rhoden (R-SD) met with over 50 dignitaries from eight of the state’s nine tribes. SDPB’s C.J. Keene reports. Gov. Rhoden says he left the private meeting feeling optimistic about the future of state-tribal relations. “There were things that we were palms up with them as far as some of the concerns, some of the areas we disagreed on. We agreed to disagree, and we had more conversation. As we walked out of the room, we had built a relationship, and I think that we'll continue to build on that. It was a product of open, honest conversation.” State-tribal relations effectively collapsed during the administration of former Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), who was at one point banned from every single reservation in the state. That came following tribal sovereignty disputes during the pandemic and Gov. Noem commenting that Native children “had no hope”. @nativevoiceoneRosebud Sioux Tribe President Kathleen Wooden Knife delivered South Dakota’s annual State of the Tribes address to lawmakers. The tribal leader discussed working with the state government on health care and law enforcement during her speech Wednesday, as South Dakota Searchlight's Meghan O'Brien reports in the latest edition of National Native News with Antonia Gonzales. https://www.nativenews.net/thursday-january-15-2026 Video courtesy SDPB Network♬ original sound – Native Voice One Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Monday, January 19, 2026 – Maintaining Martin Luther King, Jr's vision for civil rights

In this newscast: An atmospheric river struck Juneau over the weekend, after previous back-to-back storms buried the city in several feet of snow; The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska recently launched a new foundation; For the first time, Juneau is using a radar detection system to track avalanches that rumble down the mountain, thanks to state money freed up by the city and tribe's disaster declaration last week; Democrat Mary Peltola announced this morning that she's running for U.S. Senate, taking on Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan; Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone takes a look at the first wave of new bills for the coming legislative session

Ahead of the next legislative session this month, Arizona Democratic state lawmakers held a town hall at the end of December on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP). KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. State Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (Pascua Yaqui/D-AZ), chair of the Arizona legislature’s Indigenous Peoples Caucus, made no promises. “We will not have solutions for you today.” But she and others spent three hours listening. Reva Stewart (Diné) believes families are repeatedly asked to relive their trauma by testifying with no results. “Listening without action has become a pattern. Legislation without enforcement is not protection. Taskforce without authority or accountability are not solutions. Meetings without funding are not justice.” Roxanne Barley (Cocopah) complained that criteria changed for the state's Turquoise Alert, originally designed to notify the public of Indigenous disappearances. Of the five alerts in 2025, only one was for a Native American – a teen in Yuma. “That was the lie that we were promised, that was the hoax that we were told.” But State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie (Diné/D-AZ) explained how lawmakers negotiated and compromised. “And that is the ugly truth of politics.” Alaska state health officials are still recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns, despite a recent, controversial change in federal guidance. The virus has historically seriously impacted Alaska Native communities. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more. Hepatitis B is a virus spread through bodily fluids and from mother to baby during childbirth. Historically, Alaska has had high rates of hepatitis B, especially among Alaska Native people. In the 1970s, widespread infection led to high rates of liver cancer in Alaska Native children. State Epidemiology Chief Dr. Joe McLaughlin says screening and vaccinations have helped reduce rates of hepatitis B in the state. And McLaughlin says the vaccine is still important in Alaska, which has struggled with high rates of chronic hepatitis B. “This universal birth dosing helps to ensure every baby receives protection, regardless of their location or access to care or any follow-up challenges that they might have, this approach has definitely helped reduce disparities in hepatitis B outcomes across Alaska for decades.” Public health experts credit the vaccine with dramatically lowering the risk of developing chronic hepatitis B, serious liver diseases, and liver cancer. For over three decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all babies across the country get the vaccine at birth. Then, last month, the CDC narrowed its guidance, recommending the vaccine only for infants born to women who test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown. The guidance says women who test negative should consult with a health care provider before vaccinating their newborn, but McLaughlin emphasizes that the CDC also acknowledged that each state has to consider its own hepatitis B rates and risk factors. “Alaska, where the rates are nearly three times the national average, clearly falls into a higher-risk category as a state in general. And our data support continuing universal birth dose vaccination to protect infants in Alaska.” Health insurers have said they will continue to cover the hepatitis B vaccine. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, January 6, 2026 — The Pleiades star cluster ushers in winter story season

The next major U.S. national census is in 2030, but this year, the Census Bureau will conduct field tests to try to come up with better ways to count the most hard-to-reach populations. In Alaska, officials came up with a plan during the last census to count one of the most remote villages in that state. Alaska Public Media's Matt Faubion reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Clear skies mark the start of the new year as cold air moves across the Kenai Peninsula; Alaska Public Media health reporter Rachel Cassandra talked to one man whose experience with addiction and recovery mirrors that of so many others in the state; and for many, the New Year signals a fresh start. But for Alaskans, it also means it's time to apply for the Permanent Fund dividend.

Reporter Lois Parshley recently wrote about the Alaska gasline project for the nonprofit news outlet Grist. She told Alaska Public Media's Wesley Early that despite many backers saying the time to build the pipeline is now, there's still a lot of skepticism.

Reporter Lois Parshley recently wrote about the Alaska gasline project for the nonprofit news outlet Grist. She told Alaska Public Media's Wesley Early that despite many backers saying the time to build the pipeline is now, there's still a lot of skepticism.

A federal jury has ruled against the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City, S.D. With just one exception, Retsel Corporation and the Grand Gateway Hotel were found to have discriminated against Native Americans. South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene was in the courtroom. In total, tens of thousands of dollars of compensatory and punitive damages were awarded to the people denied service to the hotel. Additionally, that discrimination suit means NDN Collective will receive its request of $1 from Retsel. In total, Retsel is now liable for six discrimination claims connected to the events of 2022. Regarding the assault claim against Sunny Red Bear, Retsel Corporation was found l iable for Connie Uhre's assault against her. Uhre was also convicted in criminal court for the incident. For Nicholas Uhre, the current operator of the Grand Gateway Hotel, his two defamation claims against NDN Collective were thrown out by the jury. The final claim regarding an illegal nuisance was found in favor of Uhre and the hotel. That nuisance included a light projection displaying an “eviction notice” on the side of the hotel and the months-long protest that took place just off hotel property. In total, NDN Collective is ordered to pay $812 for that claim. The decision by the jury came after over nine hours of deliberation and represents an end to the three-year legal battle. Gambell is one of two Native Villages located on St. Lawrence Island, in the middle of the Bering Sea. (Photo: Walter Holt Rose / Wikimedia) Dancing and drumming are essential to Siberian Yupik culture, passed down by ancestors. Josie Ungott and Janissa Noongwook are dancers and high school students in the village of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. They talked to their teacher about what the cultural tradition was like in different generations. Noongwook: “We have Chris Petu drumming for some students in a classroom in Gambell. He's been teaching this Native dance class for over a year now.” Ungott: “Petu has been a teacher for so long. He's welcoming and kind to all of us students. He says dance was much more strict in the past.” Petu: “Only dancers to a song was if it’s that composer’s daughter or wife, those were the only ones that dance.” Noongwook: “He says he probably wouldn't have been a drummer if he had grown up in the old days because his parents weren't drummers. Petu tells us back then, women would practice dance moves. But if a dancer made a wrong move, the older women would throw a shoe at them.” Petu: “They had a big pile of shoes once a little wrong move, a woman threw at the girl.” Noongwook: “Petu tells us a sad experience about missionaries coming here last century and saying what our people couldn't do. That drumming, dancing, hunting, eating walrus, and speaking our language was evil.” Petu: “It was instilled deep in their heart that this was evil, that drums and church don’t mix.” Ungott: “Petu tells us when the younger ministers started working, they realized it wasn't evil and came and apologized. As the years went by, the traditions slowly became less strict. For about forty years now, everyone started dancing to any song.” High school students Noongwook and Ungott wrote and produced this story with help from Alaska Public Media health reporter Rachel Cassandra. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, December 23, 2025 – Lumbee Nation secures its sovereign status

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.

This week we hear about tips for feeling better during winter blues from Alaska Public Media, Kodiak gets hit with about a foot of snow, 2020 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery disaster funds are being distributed to those who were impacted including the city of Kodiak, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council sets the Bering Sea pollock quota and Gulf of Alaska ground fish quotas for next year, and the KIBSD board of education has begun the budgeting process for next school year.

Photo: Josh Engle, manager and peer support specialist at True North Recovery in Wasilla, gives out cookies as part of homeless outreach efforts in Anchorage on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. (Matt Faubion / Alaska Public Media) For people experiencing addition, it can help to talk to someone who has been through recovery themselves. Peer support specialists offer a different kind of support from therapists or psychiatrists. And in Alaska, there are state certifications for peer support roles, including a special track for Indigenous people with lived experience in recovery. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra has more on peer-to-peer care in the state. Josh Engle is bundled up on one of the first really cold days in October. He walks along a forest path to do outreach in an encampment in Anchorage. He approaches a man in a weathered coat. “How long you been out here on the streets?” “Too long. Yeah. Yeah.” Several tents and makeshift structures lean together. “You connected with any resources?” Engle is a manager and peer support specialist at True North Recovery – and one of his aims today is to help guide people into recovery. It's a path Engle knows well because he's in long-term recovery himself. Now he supports people in ways that go well beyond what a more traditional therapist or psychiatrist can do. He may text with clients outside business hours, help them find work or get connected with benefits – anything that supports them in a way that might lead to recovery. “I personally, really enjoy being able to connect with them on a personal level of someone that has walked their path.” When patients interact with workers with lived experience, research shows it can aid recovery and can reduce healthcare costs. Aaron Surma is Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Juneau, which runs training for peer support. And Surma experiences mental illness himself. He says psychiatrists and mental health professionals play an important role in supporting recovery and treatment, but there is a strong power difference. “You’re in a small room, you’re making intense eye contact, and the dynamic is that you have the expert and the person who needs help.” Surma says he was arrested multiple times during high school and was court ordered to go to Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. He says hearing peers in those groups was awesome, but things felt different when talking with his formal providers. “When I was a teenager, I was lighting stuff on fire and buying garbage bags of weed. So then to go into a small room and talk to somebody who you know, like, imagine the counselor from “South Park” who’s saying ‘Drugs are bad, Mkay?’ And it’s a million miles from what you know.” He says it's easier for peers to bridge those gaps in early recovery. Peer support specialists speak the language of addiction and mental illness and also understand the more traditional language of behavioral health professionals. Seeds of Eden, which offers addiction recovery services and community-based behavioral health services, recently received a $30,000 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation. The grant will help the organization’s work to provide sober living, peer support, care coordination, and case management, including a project to build a recovery housing facility on the Standing Rock Reservation on the South Dakota side. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe straddles the South Dakota and North Dakota border. Isaiah Keller is one of the co-founders of Seeds of Eden. He says they're already secured a home, which is being remodel to offer future services. “The house that we have been remodeling is about 90% complete. So, a small portion of the funds that were awarded will go to finish that project, that house and to make it livable and to make it functional.” Keller says Seeds of Eden was designed to help fill a gap when it comes to addiction recovery services, and he says the group realized there was a need for assistance within tribal communities. He says they've been working closely with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Native American board members, and Native advocates. “We’ve partnered with a really good ally and advocate.  And her name is Bobbi Jamerson. She’s the chairwoman of the Bear Soldier District on the South Dakota side of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. And she has been advocating and promoting recovery and community involvement. We’re at a point right now where we feel like we have some great traction and some great movement.” Keller says they would like to expand services across South Dakota and beyond. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – Mental health experts point to personal connections to maintain winter mental health

An Anchor Point man died in a rollover crash early Sunday morning on the Sterling Highway near Happy Valley; students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District start their weekend early this Friday; and Alaska Public Media health reporter Rachel Cassandra set out on a very personal journey to find a few affordable, practical ways to feel better during winter days and fend off seasonal depression.

An Anchor Point man died in a rollover crash early Sunday morning on the Sterling Highway near Happy Valley; students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District start their weekend early this Friday; and Alaska Public Media health reporter Rachel Cassandra set out on a very personal journey to find a few affordable, practical ways to feel better during winter days and fend off seasonal depression.

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.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) predicts many of the more than 2,000 people uprooted by historically damaging storms may not be able to return to their villages for more than a year and a half. In at least one village, officials say 90% of the residences are destroyed – and, as their lives are suddenly and drastically changed, the mostly Alaska Native inhabitants of the hardest-hit areas face the possibility of increasingly severe weather as the climate changes. We'll get updates on the current efforts to provide relief and assess the long-term options for the people who have always lived there. We'll also hear about how a new influx of $15 million in federal money over the next five years will help the StrongHearts Native Helpline, which provides culturally specific outreach for Native domestic violence survivors. The money comes at a time when the federal government is cutting back and eliminating staff for many other social programs. GUESTS Walter Nelson (Yup'ik), managed retreat coordinator for Village of Napakiak Lori Jump (Sault Ste. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians), CEO of StrongHearts Native Helpline Taylar Sausen, director of communications for American Red Cross of Alaska Rick Thoman, Alaska climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Eric Stone, state government reporter for Alaska Public Media

On this week's episode, we hear about a NOAA report on entangled whales in 2024, an update on the St. Herman Harbor replacement project timeline and funds, Kodiak's main park has a new Alutiiq name, Election day in Kodiak is Oct. 7 for municipal elections, and Alaska Public Media tells us about the federal government shutdown that happened after end of day Sept. 30.

On today's show, Alaska Public Media reporter Ava White joins Kimberly to make us smarter about Fat Bear Week and the issues that are top of mind for Alaskans right now. Alaska residents receive an annual check funded by the state's oil royalties. But its purchasing power is lower than ever. We'll get into it. Plus, we'll weigh in on AI live translations and a rise in Hamburger Helper sales during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here's everything we talked about today:"Meet the superfans going wild for Alaska's fattest bears" from Alaska Public Media"Alaska ignored warning signs of a budget crisis. Now it doesn't have money to fix crumbling schools" from KYUK”The 2025 Alaska Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,000” from Alaska Public Media"North Slope leaders applaud tax breaks for whalers in the GOP megabill” from KNBA"Why are restaurant chains opening beverage-focused spinoffs?" from Marketplace"AI is taking on live translations. But jobs and meaning are getting lost." from The Washington Post"Touchscreens in cars are finally on their way out. Good riddance" from Fast Company"Hamburger Helper Sales Rise as Americans Try to Stretch Their Food Dollars" from The New York TimesIt's Half-Priced Hoodie Weekend! Give $10 a month to support our journalism today, and we'll thank you with a cozy Marketplace zip-up hoodie: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

On today's show, Alaska Public Media reporter Ava White joins Kimberly to make us smarter about Fat Bear Week and the issues that are top of mind for Alaskans right now. Alaska residents receive an annual check funded by the state's oil royalties. But its purchasing power is lower than ever. We'll get into it. Plus, we'll weigh in on AI live translations and a rise in Hamburger Helper sales during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!Here's everything we talked about today:"Meet the superfans going wild for Alaska's fattest bears" from Alaska Public Media"Alaska ignored warning signs of a budget crisis. Now it doesn't have money to fix crumbling schools" from KYUK”The 2025 Alaska Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,000” from Alaska Public Media"North Slope leaders applaud tax breaks for whalers in the GOP megabill” from KNBA"Why are restaurant chains opening beverage-focused spinoffs?" from Marketplace"AI is taking on live translations. But jobs and meaning are getting lost." from The Washington Post"Touchscreens in cars are finally on their way out. Good riddance" from Fast Company"Hamburger Helper Sales Rise as Americans Try to Stretch Their Food Dollars" from The New York TimesIt's Half-Priced Hoodie Weekend! Give $10 a month to support our journalism today, and we'll thank you with a cozy Marketplace zip-up hoodie: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

Send us a textAlaska Public Media Reporter Wesley Early moved to Anchorage in 2008 and began his freshman year at Bartlett High School. He stayed in Anchorage for college earning a degree in journalism and public communications at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He started working in public radio his senior year of college and has never left. In 2019 he became the news director at KOTZ, the public radio in Kotzebue, and spent two years covering arctic climate change, subsistence,  Iñupiaq culture, and the region's response to Covid 19. Since returning to Anchorage in 2021, he has covered city government. Today we discuss the devastating impacts to public radio, particularly to rural stations, of the elimination of federal funding.

Anticipation and excitement are mounting in the US state of Alaska as Presidents Trump and Putin are due to meet in the capital Anchorage tomorrow. For the latest Liz Ruskin is Washington Correspondent with Alaska Public Media.

Send us a textNathaniel Herz is a freelance reporter who's spent over a decade working in Alaska, including stints at the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. A few years ago he started his own newsletter "Northern Journal," where he is supported by individual subscribers and grant funding to do his own projects in collaboration with various media organizations like ProPublica, the ADN, and Alaska Public Media. He also has a podcast called "Northern Journal." Nat is on the show today because he wanted to provide a counter perspective to the doom and gloom attitude present in some of my recent episodes discussing the future of media in Alaska.Articles featured in today's show:"This oil platform stopped pumping 30 years ago. Alaska still won't make the owner tear it down.""The last skipper in Ouzinkie: How Gulf of Alaska villages lost their Native fishing fleets.""How a risky state investment in seafood cost Alaskans millions and left a fishing town in crisis."Podcast episodes mentioned:"Lisa Murkowski: 'The problem with standing on principle is when your constituents get hurt'""What happens when the trans-Alaska pipeline shuts down? And who pays to remove it?"

Send us a textFormer editor of the Anchorage Daily News Pat Dougherty worked at that paper for 34 years. Born in 1950 as the eldest son of an Air Force pilot father, Pat never found a long term home till he landed in Anchorage in 1975 to take a job as a sports reporter at the Anchorage Times. Once transferring over to the ADN in 1980, he worked his way up the ranks and was the editor of the series that won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize. The ADN has won 3 Pulitzer prizes -- only three US papers have won more Pulitzers than the ADN -- but Dougherty fears that the ADN's best days are behind it -- as is true for most legacy newspapers in our country. We discuss the current media environment in Alaska including the influence of blogs like Must Read Alaska & its founder Suzanne Downing, and The Alaska Landmine and its founder Jeff Landfield, as well as other more traditional news outlets like Alaska Public Media and the Alaska Beacon. 

I can't imagine the agony of losing a child for any reason, but how does a mother cope when she learns someone murdered her daughter, and she knows terror and pain must have marked the last moments of her child's life? The book Justice for Bonnie deals with this issue. The well-written book profiles a mother's fight to learn the truth about what happened to her daughter. Kenneth Dion Anchorage Daily News Sources: To read more about Bonnie Craig and her mother's fight for justice, I highly recommend Justice for Bonnie. Holland, Magan. 5/2/2007. DNA links prison inmate to 1994 Bonnie Craig murder. Anchorage Daily News. Mann, Camille. 5/18/2011. Kenneth Dion, ex-soldier on trial for 1994 murder of Alaska coed Bonnie Craig. CBS News. l 6/15/2011. Dion Convicted of Killing Bonnie Craig 17 Years Ago. Alaska Public Media. Grove, Casey. 10/31/2011. Bonnie Craig's killer sentenced to 124 years in prison. Anchorage Daily News. _______________________ _________________________________________________ IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ________________________________   https://youtu.be/7Fv52Bf8yfY ___________________ Join the Last Frontier Club's Free Tier ______ Robin Barefield lives in the wilderness on Kodiak Island, where she and her husband own a remote lodge. She has a master's degree in fish and wildlife biology and is a wildlife-viewing and fishing guide. Robin has published six novels: Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman's Daughter, Karluk Bones, Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge, and The Ultimate Hunt. She has also published two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. She draws on her love and appreciation of the Alaska wilderness as well as her scientific background when writing. Robin invites you to join her at her website: https://robinbarefield.com, and while you are there, sign up for her free monthly newsletter about true crime in Alaska. Robin also narrates a podcast, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. You can find it at: https://murder-in-the-last-frontier.blubrry.net Subscribe to Robin's free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska. Join her on: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com Check out her books at Author Masterminds ___________________________________________________________________________________ Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club. Each month, Robin will provide one or more of the following to club members. · An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier is available only for club members. Behind-the-scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness. · Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Merchandise! Visit the Store             __________________________________________________________________________

When testifying at his trial, Teddy Kyle Smith said he thought he was shooting Enukins in self-defense when he fired his rifle at Chuck and Paul Buckel. Few believed him, but his testimony highlighted the inequalities of jury selection in rural Alaska. Sources My primary source for this article was the Audible Original production of Midnight Son by James Dommek Jr. I highly recommend this three-hour audiobook. James Dommek Jr. does a fantastic job of telling this story from the viewpoint of a Native man from northwestern Alaska. It is a first-class production and a thought-provoking story. Anderson, Ben. “Kiana man found guilty of attempted murder in remote Alaska.” November 26, 2014. Anchorage Daily News. Demer, Lisa. “Troopers hunt for resident of Kiana – Teddy K. Smith should be considered armed and dangerous.” September 11, 2012. Anchorage Daily News. Dommek, James Jr. Midnight Son. 2019. Audible Original. D'Oro, Rachel. Alaska actor arrested, charged in shooting of 2 men near Kiana.” September 20, 2012. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. D'Oro, Rachel. “Inupiaq thriller ‘On the Ice' arrives in theaters today.” February 17, 2012. Anchorage Daily News. Grove, Casey. “Appeal challenges Alaska's exclusion of village residents from juries.” May 24, 2018. Alaska Public Media. Grove, Casey. “Troopers nab Kiana shooting suspect – Teddy Smith is arrested on river without incident.” September 21, 2012. Anchorage Daily News. Hopkins, Kyle. “Movie actor from Kiana still missing after mother's death – Gun-wielding man hasn't been heard from since Friday.” September 13, 2012. Anchorage Daily News. Hopkins, Kyle. “Village locked down after two hunters shot – The shooter is still on the loose after stealing the pair's boat.” September 20, 2012. Anchorage Daily News. “In the Court of Appeals in the State of Alaska: Teddy Kyle Smith v. State of Alaska.” April 2, 2021. JUSTIA US Law. “The ‘Enukins' – Little people of NW Alaska.” n.d. Bigfoot Encounters. ______________________________________ Join the Readers and Writers Book Club for a Spring Fling Facebook Event and Explore the Haunted Harding House: April 15 - 29 Take a trip to the wilderness of Alaska--if you dare! _________________________________________________________________________ IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ________________________________     https://youtu.be/7Fv52Bf8yfY Join the Last Frontier Club's Free Tier Robin Barefield lives in the wilderness on Kodiak Island, where she and her husband own a remote lodge. She has a master's degree in fish and wildlife biology and is a wildlife-viewing and fishing guide. Robin has published six novels: Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman's Daughter, Karluk Bones, Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge, and The Ultimate Hunt. She has also published two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. She draws on her love and appreciation of the Alaska wilderness as well as her scientific background when writing. Robin invites you to join her at her website: https://robinbarefield.com, and while you are there, sign up for her free monthly newsletter about true crime in Alaska. Robin also narrates a podcast, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. You can find it at: https://murder-in-the-last-frontier.blubrry.net Subscribe to Robin's free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska. Join her on: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com Check out her books at Author Masterminds ___________________________________________________________________________________ Would you like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club. Each month, Robin will provide one or more of the following to club members.

When a shooting at a precious metals and coin shop in Anchorage left three men dead, the two survivors claimed the other one was responsible. It took six years, two trials, and more than one thousand pieces of evidence for a jury to unravel the whodunnit and decide which survivor was a murderer and which was another victim. Sources “Anchorage man gets 300-year sentence for 2017 triple murder in gold shop.” May 24, 2024. Anchorage Daily News. Andrews, Lisa Demer Laurel. “With 35 homicides in 2017, Anchorage set a disturbing record. Why? – Anchorage police say citizens shouldn't fear for their safety, even with a record number of homicides and the lowest percentage of solved homicides in at least 20 years.” December 31, 2017. Anchorage Daily News. Boots, Michelle Theriault. “Anchorage isn't a ghost town yet, But it's not the same. – In big and small ways, a pandemic has altered what Anchorage feels like to live in, from Coffee to court to riding the bus.” March 19, 2020. Anchorage Daily News. Clark, Taylor. “Man accused of triple murder in Anchorage gold store starts trial.” February 12, 2020. KTUU. Harris, David. “'It's been a long time coming': Man convicted in second trial for triple murder of friends at precious metals store.” November 7, 2023. Lawandcrime.com. Klint, Chris. “Anchorage man's fate again before a jury in Spenard triple homicide. November 2, 2023. Alaska Public Media. Klint, Chris. “Anthony Pisano sentenced to 300 years in Spenard triple homicide.” May 24, 2024. Alaska Public Media. “Suspect in killings at Alaska gold shop claims self-defense.” February 13, 2020. apnews.com. Williams, Tess. “Anchorage jury finds man guilty in gold shop triple murder.” November 7, 2023. Anchorage Daily News. Williams, Tess. “Anchorage triple homicide witness reenacts shooting during third day of testimony. – Prosecutors say 45-year-old Tony Pisano killed three men at an Anchorage gold shop in 2017.” February 20, 2020. Anchorage Daily News. Williams, Tess. “Conflicting narratives emerge on first trial over 2017 triple homicide at Spenard gold shop – An attorney for 45-year-old Anthony Pisano said the defendant shot two men in a Spenard gold shop out of self-defense and that the only surviving witness is responsible for third death.” February 12, 2020. Anchorage Daily News. Williams, Tess. “2nd trial begins in case of triple killing at Anchorage gold shop.” August 23, 2023. Anchorage Daily News. Williams, Tess. “Spenard triple homicide witness says he thought shooting was ‘horrific accident' – The only other person who witnessed the shooting at a gold shop described to jurors what happened. The defense disputes his account and says he's to blame for one of the deaths.” February 13, 2020. Anchorage Daily News. _______________________________________________ Join the Last Frontier Club's Free Tier ___________________________________________________________   The Crime is More Horrible Than You Can Imagine! _________________________________________________________________________ IF YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR NOVELS, CHECK OUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF MASSACRE AT BEAR CREEK LODGE ________________________________ Robin Barefield lives in the wilderness on Kodiak Island, where she and her husband own a remote lodge. She has a master's degree in fish and wildlife biology and is a wildlife-viewing and fishing guide. Robin has published six novels: Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman's Daughter, Karluk Bones, Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge, and The Ultimate Hunt. She has also published two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. She draws on her love and appreciation of the Alaska wilderness as well as her scientific background when writing. Robin invites you to join her at her website: https://robinbarefield.com, and while you are there, sign up for her free monthly newsletter about true crime in Alaska.