Alaska News Nightly: Monday, November 17, 2025

Podcast: Alaska Public Media
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Casey Grove and Alaska Public Media Team

Overview

This episode offers a sweeping look at current affairs across the state, spanning the aftermath of the federal government shutdown for Alaskan workers, the challenges faced by storm evacuees from Western Alaska, a proposal for a new Anchorage sales tax, the controversy over the city’s electronic voting system, a high school basketball division lawsuit, the legacy of avalanche expert Wendy Wagner, and unique efforts to restore totem heritage in Ketchikan. The coverage is broad and deeply rooted in local voices, providing on-the-ground perspectives from newsmakers, residents, and officials.

Key Stories and Insights

1. Federal Workers Return After Longest US Government Shutdown

Reporter: Alex Solomon
Timestamps: 00:18 – 03:48

• Aftermath of the Shutdown:
  The 43-day shutdown disrupts numerous agencies, with workers like Don McDougal, program coordinator at the U.S. Forest Service, recounting their abrupt return and overwhelming backlog.

  • Quote (Don McDougal): "It was a text message from the supervisor...hundreds of emails to sift through." (01:27–01:52)

• Unequal Experiences:
  Federal workers express frustration over inconsistencies:

  • Some were furloughed and unpaid; others, considered essential, worked unpaid.
  • Jamie Roundtree, an agriculture specialist, details feeling "humiliated, disrespectful, unfair" after being forced to work without pay while others weren't. (03:08–03:22)
  • Workers describe chaotic returns, with some colleagues far away—including in Antarctica—unable to promptly return.
    • Quote (Eric Antrim): "People are everywhere. One of my colleagues is in Antarctica right now." (02:11)

• Financial Concerns:
  Anticipation for lump-sum back pay provides some relief, but uncertainty lingers.

  • Quote (Eric Antrim): "I should get one giant lump sum payment for, you know, three pay periods at the same time, basically." (02:32)

2. Western Alaska Storm Evacuees Face Uncertainty in Anchorage

Reporter: Ilona Knighton (with Alyona Nydin)
Timestamps: 03:49 – 08:44

• Displacement and Adjustment:
  Over 670 evacuees are staying in Anchorage hotels after storms. They struggle with loss of home, lack of familiar foods, and cramped conditions.

  • Quote (Ellie Schengen): "Moving here with our family is okay, but it's not okay. I want to go home. My girl's missing her home. My honey misses her home." (05:06)

• Daily Life Challenges:
  Families adapt through homeschooling and fast food meals, missing homecooked, native cuisine.

  • Quote (Schengen): "Fast food every day? Not us. They are used to home cooked meals all the time. They're used to the native food and stuff, what we eat." (06:09)

• Lingering Trauma and Hope:
  Evacuees speak openly about the trauma of the disaster and uncertainty over return.

  • Quote (Julia Tutuk Stone): "Everybody is traumatized, especially little kids. It's like a nightmare." (07:25)
  • The search for permanent housing is slow, with families tired of waiting but still clinging to hope for normalcy.
  • Quote (Schengen): "We're just waiting, but some of us are tired of waiting." (08:04)

3. Anchorage Mayor Proposes 3% Sales Tax Amid Fiscal Pressure

Timestamps: 08:50 – 10:48

• Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s Plan:
  Details exemptions for necessities—housing, medical services, basic groceries, child care, fuel, utilities—to soften the impact on residents.

  • Quote (Mayor LaFrance): "Those include housing, medicine and medical services, certain groceries and personal hygiene products, gasoline and diesel fuel, certain personal services including child care, utilities and sales to nonprofit organizations." (09:08)

• Competing Proposals:
  Assembly members are also considering smaller taxes (1%) and other targeted levies.

  • Debate continues over whether to impose caps or adjust exemptions.
  • Quote (LaFrance): "I think those are the right conversations we should have because we really need to figure this out. It is not going to get any easier the longer we wait." (10:31)

4. Anchorage Challenges New York Times’ Report on Electronic Voting

Reporter: Wesley Early
Timestamps: 10:48 – 14:24

• NYT Article Pushback:
  City officials criticize the article “Will People Trust Voting by Phone? Alaska is going to Find out” for mischaracterizing Anchorage's Secure Document Portal voting system.

  • Quote (Jamie Hines, Clerk): “Readers of the New York Times have been led to believe the MOA elections team has embarked on some novel unsecure agenda...The article is an egregious misrepresentation.” (11:53)

• Clarification:

  • The voting system rolled out in April 2025, not an experiment.
  • Secure portal mirrors established vote-by-email practices; strict identity and access safeguards in place.
  • Only 136 out of 60,000+ April ballots were cast electronically.
  • Plans for public outreach were in place prior to the NYT coverage.

• Voting Access Emphasis:

  • Outreach to military, traveling residents (snowbirds) is a priority.
    • Quote (Liz Edwards, Administrator): "We're trying to make it as easy as we can so that people are engaged in the process...that they can participate in their community." (13:51)

5. Lawsuit Over Boys Basketball Team Division Dismissed

Reporter: Patrick Gilchrist
Timestamps: 14:24 – 18:59

• Background:
  Monroe Catholic High School sued to move its boys basketball team to a less competitive division, arguing state regulators misapplied classification systems.

  • The court ruled the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) followed proper guidelines.

• Arguments and Frustrations:

  • Monroe’s attorney, Fleur Roberts, contends the system is unfair and was applied retroactively, disadvantaging the small private school.

    • Quote (Roberts): "It’s like saying, oh, you know, little Johnny comes to you and he says, oh, we can’t beat Monroe. What are we going to do about these Catholic schools? ... You rise to the top and they slice, slice you off." (16:39)

  • Roberts says retroactive changes are not legal:

    • Quote: "You can’t change the speed limit, you can’t change the three point line in the middle of the game." (17:18)

6. Mourning Avalanche Director and Olympian Wendy Wagner

Timestamps: 18:59 – 21:12

• Wagner’s Impact:
  Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center director Wendy Wagner passes away after a battle with cancer. Colleagues and athletes recall her immense professional contributions and personal warmth.

  • Led center’s growth as snow sports surged in popularity.
  • Quote (Graham Prediger): "Avalanche center now compared to what it was and what it looked like in 2011 is really unrecognizable. Thanks in large part to Wendy's energy." (19:44)

• Legacy:

  • Remembered as a role model and inspiration.
  • Quote (Kikkan Randall, Olympic gold medalist): "She was like a cool big sister...a veteran athlete who I looked up to quite a bit." (20:38)
  • Loved for her public service mindset.
  • Quote (Andrew Schauer): "She also had a really strong, genuine concern for other people..." (20:57)

7. Ketchikan Totem Heritage Center Restores Carved House Posts

Reporter: Hunter Morrison
Timestamps: 22:08 – 25:59

• Restoration Efforts:

  • Tlingit master carver Tommy Joseph restores three house posts (eagle, raven, killer whale) carved in the 1980s.
  • The process involves traditional techniques, conservation knowledge, and creative problem-solving.
    • Quote (Joseph): "It's time to take care of them, treat them a bit and clean them. Clean them, then treat them, and hopefully give them lots and lots of life in the future here." (23:26)

• Cultural Importance:

  • These house posts are unusual—they’re being preserved rather than left to naturally decompose, as is tradition, because they hold unique historical and communal value for the Heritage Center’s 50th anniversary.
    • Quote (Samantha Forsco, Director): "They tell the story of the totem Heritage center in a way that is not just about the totem poles inside of it." (24:11)

• Personal Touch:

  • Joseph describes each restoration as a complex puzzle, with each post’s internal condition a mystery until work begins:
    • Quote: "You got to take it all apart in order to figure out how to put it all back together again." (25:23)

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• "Humiliating, disrespectful, unfair." — Jamie Roundtree on being forced to work unpaid during the shutdown (03:18)
• "We're just waiting, but some of us are tired of waiting." — Ellie Schengen on seeking permanent housing after being displaced (08:04)
• "It's like a dream, like we're living inside a dream, but at the same time, it really happened." — Alexis Stone reflecting on flood trauma (07:34)
• "This is an egregious misrepresentation of MOA elections." — Jamie Hines responding to NYT claims about election security (11:53)
• "I think our best way forward is to adopt a sales tax." — Mayor Suzanne LaFrance on the city’s fiscal strategy (10:10)
• "Avalanche center now compared to what it was and what it looked like in 2011 is really unrecognizable. Thanks in large part to Wendy's energy." — Graham Prediger remembering Wendy Wagner (19:44)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Federal Shutdown Recovery: 00:18 – 03:48
• Storm Evacuee Struggles: 03:49 – 08:44
• Anchorage Sales Tax Proposal: 08:50 – 10:48
• Electronic Voting Controversy: 10:48 – 14:24
• Basketball Division Lawsuit: 14:24 – 18:59
• Remembering Wendy Wagner: 18:59 – 21:12
• Totem Restoration in Ketchikan: 22:08 – 25:59

This episode captures a state in flux: confronting disaster, adapting governmental and social systems, and honoring the people and stories that shape Alaska’s resilience and culture.