Alaska News Nightly: December 10, 2025

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media

Host: Casey Grove
Air Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode covers significant statewide issues:

• Governor Dunleavy's plans for Alaska's fiscal crisis and budget
• The abrupt closure of Anchorage childcare programs
• Relief and recovery efforts following the Matanuska Susitna windstorm
• Legal updates in a high-profile Juneau sexual assault trial
• Highlights from the Pacific Marine Expo with a focus on Alaska’s fisheries
• Ongoing recovery in Western Alaska post-typhoon
• Environmental initiatives in Juneau schools
• Community efforts at growing fruit in the Kodiak Archipelago

Throughout, the hosts and reporters maintain a tone of thoughtful concern and pragmatic optimism about the challenges Alaskans face.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Governor Dunleavy to Introduce State Fiscal Plan

Timestamps: 00:06–03:47
Speakers: Governor Mike Dunleavy, Casey Grove, Eric Stone

• Governor Dunleavy announced plans to introduce a new fiscal plan before the legislative session, aiming to address Alaska’s enduring financial crisis.
• He noted that the coming years will require tough decisions:

  "Next three, four, five years are going to be tough. We're going to have to make some tough decisions and that's why we will roll out in a fiscal plan solutions for the next five years." – Governor Dunleavy [01:07]

• Oil price volatility and structural deficits continue to challenge the state, with previous cost-cutting and use of permanent fund earnings failing to close the gap.
• Dunleavy is optimistic about future revenue from new oil/gas development and pipeline projects:

  "...with increased oil in the pipeline, your permanent fund corpus growing, the gas line... should deliver anywhere between 700 to a billion, 700 million to a billion dollars a year, I think the next five years." – Governor Dunleavy [01:39]

• He declined to share specifics or whether a sales tax may be included:

  "You're just going to have to wait a couple more weeks and we'll have that entire fiscal plan laid out so you guys can take a look at it and people in Alaska take a look at it." – Governor Dunleavy [02:39]

• Dunleavy’s past attempts for long-term fiscal reform have struggled amid legislative divisions; his proposed budget will be unveiled by December 15.

2. Anchorage Childcare Crisis Intensifies After Boys and Girls Clubs Closure

Timestamps: 03:47–08:44
Speakers: Casey Grove, Wesley Early, Susan Anderson (President, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska), Trevor Storrs (Alaska Children’s Trust), Stephanie Bergland (Thread, AK childcare referral)

• Two Anchorage after-school childcare programs will close on December 24, ending all Boys and Girls Clubs programs statewide and putting over 100 children and staff at risk.
• Financial difficulties—including delayed reimbursements, rising costs, and a decline in donations—led to this closure:

  "The pressures have been accumulating over multiple years and... resulted in a financial gap that we can't close." – Susan Anderson [04:22]

• The loss exacerbates an existing childcare shortage, with Anchorage already having lost a quarter of its providers in recent years.
• Anderson highlighted the fundamental problems of affordability:

  "One of the challenges about child care is you cannot charge families and caregivers the actual cost of what it costs to run childcare." – Susan Anderson [05:57]

• Thread Alaska is helping families and displaced staff find alternatives, though there are few open spaces, especially for infants.
• Advocates call for systemic change and increased funding, including possible city-level taxation and implementation of recommendations from the statewide childcare commission:

  "It's really just a small pour in a very large bucket..." – Trevor Storrs [07:22]
  "...there has been some progress, but it's just not fast enough or enough at this moment." – Susan Anderson [07:48]

• Boys & Girls Clubs will shrink to minimal operations, aiming to preserve a foundation for eventual rebuilding.

3. Matanuska-Susitna Disaster Declaration and Recovery

Timestamps: 08:56–10:19
Speaker: Casey Grove

• Governor Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration after a major windstorm in the Mat-Su Borough.
• The declaration will enable grants for home repair, temporary housing, and storm recovery.
• An American Red Cross shelter closed after power was largely restored; officials warn of further brief outages as cleanup continues.

4. Legal Update: Juneau Chiropractor Sexual Assault Case

Timestamps: 10:25–12:40
Speakers: Casey Grove, Nico Ambrose (public defender), Kristen Tendi (state prosecutor)

• The retrial for Jeffrey Fultz, a chiropractor accused by 14 former patients of sexual assault during medical care, is delayed as his new defense team seeks more preparation time.
• Ambrose, the new public defender, notes the complexity and recent trial proceedings:

  "There are just so many things in this case that need to be dealt with before we can say we're ready for trial." – Nico Ambrose [11:29]

• The prosecutor argues for a speedier process to avoid further delays.
• Judge Larry Wilford sets the next hearing for February 11.

5. Pacific Marine Expo Spotlights Alaska’s Fishing Industry

Timestamps: 12:40–17:30
Speakers: Margaret Sutherland (reporter), Liz Sparks (Alaska Net), Leilani Dunn (Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Corporation), Luke Peterson (Bristol Bay Fishermen Association)

• At Seattle’s Pacific Marine Expo, industry optimism is strong following a better fishing season; Bristol Bay’s booth saw increased attendance.
• Tariffs on Japanese netting are a concern, likely increasing fishermen’s costs:

  "...these fishermen have come off of a couple hard years, right? And so the price of their fish has not gone up relative to the cost that they have incurred." – Liz Sparks [14:44–14:57]

• Persistent attention is paid to market value and marketing for Bristol Bay salmon to maintain revenue:

  "We have a really solid and healthy demand and it was a good harvest year. What we're really wanting to do... is to continue that momentum." – Leilani Dunn [15:38]

• The community remains engaged with regulatory discussions and Board of Fisheries proposals.
• Educational opportunities abound at the Expo, including vessel safety and transitioning to electric infrastructure.

6. Typhoon Ha Long Relief Fund Update in Western Alaska

Timestamps: 17:30–19:07
Speaker: Casey Grove

• The Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund has distributed $3.3 million after Typhoon Ha Long, with funds supporting:
  • Temporary housing, home repairs
  • Emergency supplies, subsistence equipment
  • Youth well-being programs and support for displaced students.
• Fundraising and support efforts continue.

7. Juneau School Composting Initiative

Timestamps: 19:07–22:03
Speakers: Jamie Deep (reporter), students (Talia Headings, Mabelle Boss, Aria Gribbin)

• Thunder Mountain Middle School’s environmental club “Ocean Guardians” conducted a waste audit, involving students in sorting and composting food waste.
• Students were surprised by the prevalence of plastic over food:

  "There's more plastic than actual food. I was thinking there's going to be more food..." – Talia Headings [20:11]

• They composted over 300 lbs of waste, diverting significant trash from landfills as part of a city-wide effort.
• Change met resistance, but participation grew after students experienced the process.

8. Fruit Tree Cultivation on Kodiak Island

Timestamps: 22:03–25:21
Speakers: Davis Hovey (reporter), Joe Kewen (Port Lyons assistant farm manager), Max Lyons (Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute)

• Communities in the Kodiak Archipelago are experimenting with fruit tree farming in greenhouses, importing cherry and apple trees, and learning best practices.
• Max Lyons explains the long-term vision:

  "Fruit production is definitely at least for trees... we really always say for the next generation, you know, so trees are something, they live for a long time, they take a while to grow and start producing..." – Max Lyons [24:17]

• Fruit trees are seen as an investment in future food security, with apple orchards recently planted in multiple communities.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Budget and PFD:
  "We are determined to help solve this long standing issue of how do you deal with balancing the budget and not just on the backs of the PFD or the CBR..."
  – Governor Dunleavy [03:04]

• Childcare Affordability:
  "You cannot charge families and caregivers the actual cost of what it costs to run childcare."
  – Susan Anderson [05:57]

• Market Resilience in Fisheries:
  "We're trying really hard to keep [costs] down... these fishermen have come off of a couple hard years, right?"
  – Liz Sparks [14:44]

• Environmental Education:
  "It's a bit gross, but it's also kind of fun."
  – Aria Gribbin, student [21:47]

• Long-Term Community Farming:
  "Fruit production is... for the next generation... trees are something, they live for a long time, they take a while to grow and start producing."
  – Max Lyons [24:17]

Additional Context

Throughout the episode, there is a focus on community resilience amid economic and environmental challenges. The episode provides a window into how statewide decisions and local initiatives — in budgeting, fisheries, childcare, and environmental stewardship — intersect with daily life across Alaska.

Listen to the full episode and more stories at alaskapublic.org.