Jeff was joined by Alaska Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Henderson. They discuss her background as a judge for the District Court and the Superior Court, the Judicial Council process in Alaska used to select judges, her background growing up in California and then attending Yale Law School, how she came to Alaska to clerk for the Alaska Supreme Court, what she did before she became a judge, her three judicial appointments, the different roles of Alaska's courts, and what it's like being a judge....
Mar 17, 2023•55 min•Ep. 295
Jeff was joined by Jen Nelson, director of Rural Affairs for GCI and chair of the board for the Aleut Corporation. They discuss her role at GCI, some fiber projects GCI is working on, growing up in King Cove, the long sought after road from King Cove to Cold Bay, the cost of higher education, and the benefits fiber will bring to communities in the Aleutian chain.
Mar 13, 2023•24 min•Ep. 294
Jeff was joined by Mat-Su Borough Assembly member and Vice-Mayor Rob Yundt. They discuss the good and bad of social media, his time working on the North Slope, why he left the slope to go into the building business, building in Anchorage compared to the Mat-Su Valley, why he decided to run for the Assembly, why he ran for the State House in 2020 but decided to withdraw, voting issues, the upcoming legislative session, the Permanent Fund Dividend, and his ideas about what makes an effective elect...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 293
Jeff was joined by Bob Griffin, an Alaska Airlines pilot and member of the Alaska State Board of Education. They discuss his time in the military flying the Cobra, the A-10, and the F-15, his work as an Alaska Airlines pilot, the deficit the Anchorage School District is facing and why they are proposing closing six schools, why Alaska faces so many challenges with education, how he thinks the reading bill recently passed by the Legislature will improve reading scores, some of the ways he thinks ...
Dec 24, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 292
Jeff was joined by Alaska's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink. They discuss her job as an emergency room doctor in the Mat-Su, her high approval rating during COVID, how her friend Heidi Hedberg was just been appointed Health commissioner by Governor Mike Dunleavy (R - Alaska), the importance of getting a yearly physical, the medical equipment that every business should have, the rise in overdoes deaths, how a mini stroke she had years ago led to the discovery of a heart condition, the opioid ...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 291
Jeff was joined by Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom (R - Alaska). They discuss her recent swearing in as lieutenant governor, the recounts of two legislative races, her time as a legislator and Corrections commissioner, how she came to be Governor Mike Dunleavy's (R - Alaska) running mate, the ups and downs of Alaska's budget, who she plans on choosing as the new Division of Elections director, and some of the election reform bills that will likely be introduced during session.
Dec 13, 2022•48 min•Ep. 290
Jeff was joined by Landmine contributor Jacob Hersh. They discuss how he worked as a remote correspondent for the Landmine's election coverage, how he got connected with the Landmine, his time in college in Washington state, the role of alternative media, how technology has changed society, his plans for going to law school, the war in Ukraine, and the conflict between China and Taiwan.
Dec 03, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 289
Jeff was again joined by Senator Bill Wielechowski (D - Anchorage). Note: This podcast was recorded before the Senate announced their new organization. They discuss the big turnover in the Senate next year and how that will affect the Legislature, how he has come to view things after serving 16 years in the Senate, some of the ways he's learned to maneuver in the minority, the recent proposal by the Anchorage School Board to close six schools, how there may be ulterior motives to that decision, ...
Nov 29, 2022•57 min•Ep. 288
Jeff was joined by Jonathan Helton, a policy researcher at the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii. They discuss the history of the Jones Act and Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), what exactly they both do, how they impact goods, cargo, and people traveling on ships in the United States, how Covid impacted the PVSA, their impact on Alaska and Hawaii, why there is a strong lobby to keep them in place, and why some policy makers want to change or repeal these laws.
Nov 18, 2022•33 min•Ep. 287
Jeff was joined by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Les Gara. They discuss his plans to the lead up to Election Day, how the campaign has gone, his time in the Legislature, the never ending dividend issue, his ideas for a fiscal plan, how he thinks we can improve education and homelessness, the importance of the governor having a good relationship with the Legislature, his issues with GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the issue of abortion, and what he thinks will happen on election night.
Nov 07, 2022•47 min•Ep. 286
Jeff was joined by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R - Alaska). They discuss why she doesn't do many interviews with national media, the chances of Republicans taking control of the House and Senate after the midterms, how issues like abortion, inflation, and the economy are factoring into the election, her thoughts about how her race will go, the 2024 presidential election, the problem with so many people not accepting election results, and the possibility of a gasline.
Nov 02, 2022•29 min•Ep. 285
Jeff was joined by Bill Walker and Heidi Drygas, who are running as an independent ticket for governor and lieutenant governor. They discuss the dynamics of ranked choice voting, how unlimited campaign donations are affecting the election, how Juneau is going to look next year, the ongoing pursuit of a gasline, the labor shortage in Alaska, Walker's idea to lower gas prices in Alaska, how high oil prices changed the dynamics of the last session, and their plans for the end of the campaign....
Nov 01, 2022•56 min•Ep. 284
Jeff was joined by Republican State Senate candidate Doug Massie, who is challenging Senator Mike Shower (R - Wasilla). They discuss his career in the Alaska State Troopers, why he decided to run for the State Senate, how redistricting put him in Shower's Senate district, the drama involving former DPS Commissioner Amanda Price and how she was fired for going after Massie, recent false attacks against him and how he's dealt with it, some of the issues facing Alaska, the challenges running for of...
Oct 21, 2022•56 min•Ep. 283
Jeff was joined by Alaska Miners Association Executive Director Deantha Skibinski. They discuss her wedding in the summer of 2020, the challenges of changing her name during COVID, how her mom, Marilyn Crockett, moved to Alaska and got hired by the Alaska Oil & Gas Association, her time working at the Resource Development Council and then the Alaska Miners Association, mining in Alaska, the controversy surrounding Pebble Mine, and the upcoming general election.
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 282
Jeff was joined by Representative David Eastman (R - Wasilla). They discuss the lawsuit against him challenging his qualifications to run for office based on his membership in the Oath Keepers, why he was in Washington D.C. on January 6, how his political opponents have not been able to defeat him politically, the recent decision of a judge on his case, his experiences in the Legislature since being elected in 2016, the potential implications of the lawsuit against him, the danger of people not ...
Sep 30, 2022•59 min•Ep. 281
Jeff was joined by Democratic State House candidate Andrew Gray. They discuss his podcast East Anchorage Book Club, how he ended up in Alaska the first time, why he moved to Europe, how he ended up in a professional Estonian choir, why he decided to join the military, how he ended up back in Alaska, his deployment in Kosovo, why he got involved in Anchorage politics, why he decided to run for the State House, and some of the issues facing Alaska.
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 280
Jeff was joined by Democratic State House candidate Cliff Groh. They discuss his dad's time serving in the Alaska Legislature, his time working as a legislative staffer in the 1980s, the history of the Permanent Fund Dividend, his 2018 run for the House, why he is running for the House again, how the House could end up organizing next year, and his ideas on resolving the dividend problem.
Sep 05, 2022•50 min•Ep. 279
Jeff was joined by Alaska Family Council Executive Director Jim Minnery. They discuss how he grew up in Anchorage, what motivates the online mob to go after certain people or businesses, the Supreme Court case about the baker who did not want to server a same sex couple, the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the impacts that is having on elections, the abortion issue, and the upcoming vote on the constitutional convention.
Sep 02, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 278
Jeff was joined by Democratic State House candidate David Schaff. They discuss how he ended up in Alaska, his time in Alaska in the 1960s visiting his uncle, his background as a labor attorney, why he decided to challenge incumbent Representative Laddie Shaw (R - Anchorage), how the makeup of the Legislature will look next year, the PFD issue, and some of the issues facing Alaska.
Aug 30, 2022•43 min•Ep. 277
Jeff was joined by climatologist Brian Brettschneider. They discuss how and where he earned his PhD, why he ended up in Alaska, how and why the climate is changing, natural cycles in the climate verses the human impacts on climate change, some of the ways we can mitigate the effects of climate change, the possible future effects on the world, the role technology plays, and why he has an optimistic outlook for the future.
Aug 24, 2022•47 min•Ep. 276
Jeff was again joined by Scott McMurren from Alaska Travelgram. They discuss his text message service called Airfare911, the scheduling issues many airlines are facing and how that is affecting Alaska, the non-stop flight options out of Alaska, some upcoming fall and winter airfare deals, a Holland America cruise deal for Alaskans only, and some great fares out of Southeast due to competition.
Aug 20, 2022•29 min•Ep. 275
Jeff was joined by Aaron Hamlin, the executive director for the Center for Election Science. They discuss the concept of "approval voting" compared to "ranked choice voting," some places in the United States where it has been implemented, Alaska's new election system, why so many people are questioning election systems, and what the Center for Election Science is doing to promote approval voting.
Aug 19, 2022•34 min•Ep. 274
Jeff was joined by former Anchorage bar owner and author Mike Gordon. They discuss his most recent book "Dagnabit!," how it was inspired by his old friend Ruben Gaines, how this book is different from his first book "Learning the Ropes," some of the stories that involved his bar Chilkoot Charlie's, how Anchorage has changed since over the decades, and the next book he is working on.
Aug 11, 2022•49 min•Ep. 273
Jeff was joined by Independent U.S. Senate candidate Shoshana Gungerstein. They discuss why she moved to Juneau, Alaska, her background in business, the cost of education, the impacts of inflation, how the price of oil impacts our economy, why she decided to run for the U.S. Senate, how her campaign has been going, how she plans on making it through the primary, the lack of younger people in the U.S. Senate, and why she is taking a position on a full Permanent Fund Dividend.
Aug 07, 2022•35 min•Ep. 272
Jeff was joined by Independent State House candidate Walter Featherly. They discuss how he moved to Alaska with his parents as a child, growing up in rural Alaska, attending college at St. Johns College in Sante Fe, New Mexico and then Harvard Law School, working as a lawyer in Alaska, why he is running for the Legislature, his thoughts on how the House will potentially organize next year, the PFD issue, and how he sees Alaska's future.
Aug 04, 2022•42 min•Ep. 271
Jeff was joined by Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich. They discuss the upcoming special general election for Alaska's sole House seat, why he decided to run for Congress, how his grandfather was Alaska's last congressman before Don Young prior to his plane mysteriously disappearing in 1972, his business background, the homelessness problem in Anchorage, inflation and how it's impacting working people, foreign policy issues including what is happening between China and Taiwan, and the p...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 270
Jeff was joined by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson's Chief of Staff Alexis Johnson and his Communications Director Corey Allen Young. They discuss how they were both born and raised in Anchorage, their work backgrounds, how they came to work for Mayor Bronson, the relationship between Bronson and the Anchorage Assembly, why Bronson decided to close down the Sullivan Arena as a shelter, allowing people to camp long-term at Centennial Park, why homelessness is so hard to solve, the housing shortage i...
Jul 25, 2022•50 min•Ep. 269
Jeff was joined by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. They discuss the dysfunction in the Alaska Legislature, how her fame since being John McCain's running mate in 2008 has impacted her life, being a creator on Cameo, why she decided to run for Alaska's sole U.S. House seat after former Congressman Don Young passed away, her issues with the Biden administration, why we need increased energy production in Alaska, how inflation is impacting working people, and her thoughts on her Republican oppo...
Jul 19, 2022•33 min•Ep. 268
Jeff was joined by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson. They discuss his first year in office, his contentious relationship with the Anchorage Assembly, moving on from COVID-19, the ongoing homelessness problem in Anchorage, his plans to solve it, the housing crisis in the city, and the Assembly's recent approval of an ordinance that allows them to remove the mayor.
Jul 15, 2022•24 min•Ep. 267
Jeff was joined by Republican U.S House candidate Tara Sweeney and her campaign manager Karina Waller. They discuss Al Gross' withdrawal from the special election and how the Supreme Court ruled that Sweeney would not be on the ballot, why she decided to run for the late Don Young's seat, her time working as an assistant secretary of Interior for the Trump administration, oil and gas production in Alaska, her mom's time serving in the Alaska Legislature, and how she plans on campaigning for the ...
Jul 12, 2022•38 min•Ep. 266
