Alaska News Nightly: November 20, 2025

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media
Host: Casey Grove
Date: November 20, 2025

Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly covers major statewide issues and community stories: Alaska's response to a Trump administration plan expanding offshore drilling, the myth of the state importing 95% of its food, a push for borough independence in Eagle River/Chugiak, delayed river freeze on the Kuskokwim, the growing role of peer support in addiction recovery, an update on a prominent murder investigation, and the upcoming film adaptation "Two Old Women" told in the Gwich’in language. The reporting explores economic, environmental, and cultural currents shaping Alaska today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. **Alaska Offshore Drilling Proposal

(00:19 – 02:55)**

• The Trump administration released a new offshore drilling plan that would lease nearly all oceans off Alaska to oil and gas companies—including controversial areas like the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, both vital for the fishing industry.
• Lawmakers and stakeholders are divided. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) criticized:

  "I just think it's incredibly reckless. I mean, we know what the seafood economy means to the state of Alaska."
  (Rep. Jared Huffman, 00:19)

• Previous Republican Alaska delegates favored some offshore leasing but opposed inclusion of the Bering Sea and Gulf.
• Historical context: Oil companies’ limited interest—Shell spent $7 billion over a decade on Arctic drilling before abandoning the effort.
• The current plan is just a draft (“first analysis”); further reviews will follow before final approval.

2. **Investigating Alaska’s Food Imports Statistic

(02:55 – 07:10)**

• The often-quoted claim that “95% of Alaska’s food is imported” is widely repeated by officials and media—including Governor Mike Dunleavy—but lacks verifiable data.
• Rachel Lord (Alaska Food Policy Council) explained:

  "I think it is a very useful thing to just note that, like, it is made up."
  (Rachel Lord, 03:47)

• Reports trace the number back to 1977 or even earlier, with no consistent units or methodology behind it.
• Mike Jones, food systems economist:

  "If we're using a number, then it's important that it definitely comes from a verifiable source."
  (Mike Jones, 04:43)

• Data challenges: Tracking actual imports and local food production is very complex. Comparing Alaska to Vermont (successful in local food tracking) is complicated by data gaps and definitions (e.g., does beer count as food?).
• The conversation emphasizes the need for improved data and a shift toward qualitative descriptions over made-up percentages.

3. **Peer Support & Addiction Recovery in Alaska

(07:10 – 21:17; main segment: 16:14 – 21:17)**

• Peer support specialists—people in recovery themselves—play a vital role in helping others overcome substance use and mental illness.
• Josh Engel of True North Recovery, on connecting with clients:

  "I personally really enjoy being able to connect with them on like a personal level of someone that has walked their path and been in their shoes."
  (Josh Engel, 17:31)

• Peer specialists assist in practical ways: texting outside office hours, helping with jobs or benefits, bridging the gap between clients and traditional care systems.
• Aaron Surma (NAMI Juneau) reflected on the difference between peer-led and professional-led recovery:

  "You're in a small room, you're making intense eye contact and... you have the expert and the person who needs help... It makes you feel like you're being judged and evaluated."
  (Aaron Surma, 18:30)

• Surma, from lived experience, stressed that “recovery isn’t just supported in small doses from paid professionals, but it can also happen on our own time in places that are comfortable to us.”
• Engel observed the transformation of his own struggles:

  "There is no way you could have convinced me 10 years ago that all of the damage and chaos that I was causing... I would be able to use any of that for good. I thought that was just going to be like a stain on my soul for the rest of my life."
  (Josh Engel, 20:14)

4. **Eagle River/Chugiak ‘Eagle Exit’ Movement

(09:37 – 13:45)**

• Residents of Chugiak-Eagle River are pushing to detach from Anchorage and form a new Chugach Regional Borough—a movement known as “Eagle Exit.”
• Catherine Margolin, Eagle Exit Chair, explained local frustration:

  "They also feel that there are a lot of decisions made that are kind of counter to what our culture and values are out there, which is a little different from Anchorage in a lot of ways."
  (Catherine Margolin, 10:28)

• After a failed petition in 2023, a new draft with refined details—government structure, school district, asset division—is under review by the Local Boundaries Commission.
• If the review proceeds, advocates will need to collect signatures from 25% of registered voters. If approved, only District 2 (Eagle River/Chugiak) voters determine the fate.
• Even if successful, a new borough is still years away:

  "My husband says three to five years. I would hope for sooner, but... we're probably looking at a few years."
  (Catherine Margolin, 13:38)

5. **Delayed Kuskokwim River Freeze & Ice Road Concerns

(14:01 – 16:14)**

• Aerial surveys show the Kuskokwim River is freezing later than usual, complicating winter travel and safety.
• Mark Leary (Bethel Search and Rescue) described cautious monitoring, noting:

  "You know, we always hold our breath during November. During November, anything can happen."
  (Mark Leary, 14:27)

• Contributing factors include lingering effects from a recent typhoon.
• Safety warnings ask locals to avoid river travel and stick to land routes until conditions stabilize.

6. **Murder Investigation Update—North Pole Fugitive

(07:23 – 09:37)**

• Alaska State Troopers intensify search for Darius Morgan, charged with first and second degree murder after a party shooting near Fairbanks.
• Sgt. Jeremy Roope highlighted law enforcement’s urgency:

  "It's a high priority crime... we've had somebody who fled, you know, they didn't turn themselves in."
  (Sgt. Jeremy Roope, 08:43)

• Bail raised to $1 million; authorities warn aiding Morgan could result in charges.

7. **Alaska Native Filmmakers Adapt "Two Old Women" in Gwich’in

(21:17 – 25:51)**

• "Two Old Women," based on Velma Wallace’s 1993 novel and Athabaskan legend, is adapted for the screen—entirely in Gwich’in, a significantly endangered language.
• Filmmaker Princess Johnson sees language as core to authenticity:

  "...there's just such a richness and a nuance and I don't think... we would actually lose a lot if it was in English. It wouldn't be as believable or... authentic."
  (Princess Johnson, 23:23)

• Producer Ta’ ay Peter added that bringing Gwich’in to the screen provides inspiration and cultural uplift:

  "Art is such a powerful medium of communication. It's inspirational. You know, it can be life-changing."
  (Ta’ ay Peter, 24:07)

• The project also integrated traditional practice workshops, engaging the community in hide tanning and other skills:

  "To me, like in its best form, filmmaking can be a form of healing. It can be a form of medicine."
  (Johnson, 25:14)

• The film will screen in Fairbanks (Dec 5) and at the Anchorage International Film Festival (Dec 13).

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 00:19 — Offshore Drilling Proposal (Casey Grove, Rep. Huffman)
• 02:55 — Food Import Statistic Myth (Rachel Lord, Mike Jones)
• 07:10 — Peer Support in Addiction Recovery (Rachel Cassandra, Josh Engel, Aaron Surma)
• 09:37 — Eagle Exit & Borough Movement (Wesley Early, Catherine Margolin)
• 14:01 — Kuskokwim River Freeze Up (Mark Leary)
• 07:23 — North Pole Murder Investigation (Tim Ellis, Sgt. Roope)
• 21:17 — "Two Old Women" Film Adaptation (Princess Johnson, Ta’ ay Peter)

Notable Quotes

• "I just think it's incredibly reckless. I mean, we know what the seafood economy means to the state of Alaska."
  (Rep. Jared Huffman on offshore drilling, 00:19)

• "I think it is a very useful thing to just note that, like, it is made up."
  (Rachel Lord on the 95% food import statistic, 03:47)

• "I personally really enjoy being able to connect with them on like a personal level..."
  (Josh Engel, True North Recovery, 17:31)

• "You're in a small room, you're making intense eye contact and... it makes you feel like you're being judged and evaluated."
  (Aaron Surma, NAMI Juneau, 18:30)

• "To me, like in its best form, filmmaking can be a form of healing. It can be a form of medicine."
  (Princess Johnson, filmmaker, 25:14)

Episode Tone & Language

The reporting is direct, communal, and compassionate. Experts and community voices speak candidly—whether debunking myths, discussing recovery, or sharing pride in cultural resilience and revitalization. The tone is factual yet empathetic, deeply rooted in the Alaskan experience.

For more stories or to listen to the full episode, visit AlaskaPublic.org.