So We Asked

Rebecca Palsha

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Join award-winning journalist Rebecca Palsha for raw, revealing conversations with Alaska's most compelling characters - newsmakers, rebels, experts, and everyday people with extraordinary stories. From breaking news to life-changing advice, mental health to chasing your best life… we all want answers, So We Asked.

1d ago

"They'll have to drag me out"

He's been waking up Anchorage for decades — and says they'll have to drag him out. In this episode of So We Asked, Rebecca sits down with local radio legend Bob Lester for a candid conversation about 46 years in the business, from cutting grass at a farm radio station as a 13-year-old to becoming one of Alaska's most familiar voices. Bob opens up about the freedom of not caring what people think, why local radio still matters in an age of AI, and the moments that made his career.

25 min
Jun 17

Obama, eggs Benedict and a restaurant empire

So We Asked is back with a raw, revealing conversation with Anchorage restaurateur Laile Fairbairn about building a breakfast institution from scratch—and the hard lessons that came with it. She opens up about taking the leap, surviving razor-thin margins, and why creating places where people “go for connection” keeps her coming back for more.

28 min
Jun 10

Beyond the Beige: the craft of finding beauty in Anchorage

In this episode of So We Asked, Ivy Spohnholz, born-and-raised in Alaska, shares the winding path of two decades in nonprofits to seven years in the Legislature—and why she "jumped off" to become an entrepreneur. Now the new owner of downtown Anchorage's Cabin Fever, Ivy talks about the makers behind Alaska's products—from kelp snacks and chili crisp to beaders, quilters, and ivory carvers—and why everyday art can change how a city feels.

28 min
Jun 2

An insider's look into an Alaska newsroom, but the author swears it's fiction

A former Alaska TV journalist, David Bernknopf, is turning his Anchorage newsroom years into a novel—and it's part love letter, part culture shock. In this interview, the author of Two Years on Another Planet explains why Alaska felt "like another planet," how the book blends real moments into fictional characters, and what he misses most. Bernknopf also gets candid about the hardest story to cover—homelessness in subzero temperatures—and why the struggle for answers, accountability, and basic human dignity still sticks with them long after leaving the state.

32 min
May 26

Tear Gas and Kindness: ICE Protests, Viral Humanity and a Reporter's View

A former Alaska's News Source reporter takes us inside the front lines of the ICE protests in Minnesota—where community tension, shifting narratives, and raw moments unfold in real time. From being tear-gassed on scene to an unforgettable act of kindness from a local restaurant owner, Samie Solina shares what she saw, what stayed with her, and why local journalism matters more than ever.

27 min
May 20

Bring Your Own Jar: How Blue Market Is Rewriting Grocery Shopping in Alaska

We step inside Blue Market—Anchorage’s zero-waste, refill-style grocery store—seven years into its “seven-year stretch.” The owners break down their core mission of sustainability, community, and transparency, and explain how refill shopping really works (yes, you can bring that old plastic container). From rebuilding local food habits to the realities of Alaska supply chains, shipping costs, and keeping local producers in business, it’s an honest conversation about what it takes to make lower-waste living practical—and why the future of grocery shopping might look a lot more like the past. We had questions...so we asked.

24 min
May 13

Plant Alaska: Native Gardens, Pollinators, and What Actually Grows Here

Step into Alaska Native Plant Month with a conversation that’ll change the way you see what’s growing all around you. Native plant advocate Elizabeth Bluemink breaks down what “native” really means (and why a "weed” is basically a matter of opinion), then shares surprisingly practical ways to bring Alaska’s wild beauty into your own yard. We had questions...so we asked.

26 min
May 11

Shot at the Door, Back in the Ring: Alton “Dreadz” Prince on Survival & Bare-Knuckle Fighting

He’d been shot four times. In this raw conversation, MMA fighter and coach Alton “Dreadz” Prince walks us through the moment everything changed at the Gaslight, the shock of watching the video afterward, and the quieter aftermath: nerve pain, PTSD in crowds, and getting back to his kids. Then comes the part you don’t expect—six weeks later, he’s back fighting, chasing history in bare-knuckle MMA, driven by faith and a refusal to be defined by what happened to him.

27 min

8 Episodes

Join award-winning journalist Rebecca Palsha for raw, revealing conversations with Alaska's most compelling characters - newsmakers, rebels, experts, and everyday people with extraordinary stories. From breaking news to life-changing advice, mental health to chasing your best life… we all want answers, So We Asked.

Creator

Rebecca Palsha
Years Active

2K
Episodes

8
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Alaska's News Source
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So We Asked