Talk of Alaska Alaska Public Media

Putting on a touring Broadway Musical in the Lower 48 is an expensive, complicated, and difficult process. When bringing one to Alaska though, it starts to cross the line from difficult, to logistical nightmare. However, over the last year not one, but four Broadway shows, counting hundreds among their cast and crew, came to Alaska to perform. How is it that shows like Hamilton and Six brought not just their people, but their massive, complicated sets, up to the 49th state? We answer that question and more about Broadway Alaska’s very first season on this Talk of Alaska.

Governor Mike Dunleavy is approaching the halfway mark in his second term as the 12th top government executive in Alaska. His recent veto of a bipartisan education bill and a failed override has left education funding in limbo while the legislature works on operating and capital budget plans. What does the governor think of those budgets and what would he agree to for an education spending plan? Governor Dunleavy joins us on this Talk of Alaska.

How do political campaigns know what issues resonate with the public? How do researchers learn about social and political beliefs? Often, that work is done through surveys or polling. What goes into building a poll to ensure a good reflection of differing beliefs? Well hear from people who create polls and those who use them in different campaigns, on this Talk of Alaska.

As state lawmakers begin the last two months of the session, there is a lot of work to get done. Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan education bill, but failed to override the Governor’s veto of it, and now there is growing tension around trying to pass another bill that the Governor would accept. The perennial fight over the size of the Permanent Fund Dividend has yet to be settled, as has the state's budget. What is the current tone of debate at the capitol? We talk with reporters covering the legislative session on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaskans along the railbelt have relied on Cook Inlet gas for heat and power for decades, but the wells in the Cook Inlet basin, a long reliable source of natural gas for homes and businesses, are no longer so reliable with potential shortages looming in the next few years. Why isn’t more gas being developed in Cook Inlet, what’s the potential for renewable energy replacing gas, and what will it all mean for ratepayers if gas needs to be imported? We discuss the future energy needs for Southcentral Alaskans against diminishing supply on this Talk of Alaska.

The use of Artificial Intelligence or AI has been around since the 50s, but even with rapid growth in the technology for a wide range of applications, there’s still a lot that many of us don’t understand about AI’s benefits, its potential to help businesses, as well as the risks. How can computer learning technology help streamline work and create efficiencies for small businesses and what are the red flags? We learn about a new AI business center for Alaska on this Talk of Alaska.