ADN Politics

A top official in Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration resigned this month after being accused of breaking election laws.

It’s a complicated saga that has unfolded over months – an investigation into the mayor’s IT director involving a challenge to this year’s city election results. 

In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball speaks with ADN reporter Emily Goodykoontz, who broke the news about the allegations in May.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

This week, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed $87 million in education funding passed by the Legislature — half of a one-time funding increase for public schools that education advocates said was badly needed. 

Almost immediately, some lawmakers were calling to override the veto. 

Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporter Iris Samuels about the likelihood of a veto override, what it would take to get there, and more.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

It took marathon negotiations behind closed doors, strained relationships between lawmakers, tens of millions in additional capital spending and a one-day special session, but this week, the Alaska Legislature managed to pass a budget.

In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Sean Maguire and Iris Samuels in Juneau for the inside story on how Alaska lawmakers got to a deal.

Note: ADN Politics is taking a break after this episode, and will return in June.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The Alaska Legislative session is entering its final days – at least, officially. 

Meanwhile, lawmakers still haven’t passed a budget, figured out the size of this year’s Permanent Fund dividend or agreed on whether to permanently increase funding for public schools. Can they? 

In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Sean Maguire and Iris Samuels, who are in Juneau tracking last-minute negotiations as they unfold. 

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Anchorage’s Sullivan Arena is entering its final days as a mass homeless shelter. 

This week, many of the people staying there were forced to leave. And for many of them, there isn’t anywhere to go. 

ADN reporters and photographers were on the ground talking to people as they made their way out of the Sullivan.

Host Elizabeth Harball speaks with ADN reporters Michelle Theriault Boots and Emily Goodykoontz to explain why this is happening and what it means for Anchorage in the months ahead.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Last week, the Daily News and ProPublica published a report that included secret recordings of a top Anchorage Library official, in which she calls Alaska Natives “woke” and “racists” and bemoans “the left’s” influence on libraries. That official is Judy Eledge — a longtime conservative stalwart in Alaska and the Anchorage Library’s deputy director under Mayor Dave Bronson. Eledge is now the subject of several lawsuits filed against the city. 

In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN and ProPublica reporter Kyle Hopkins about the reporting process and what he has learned since it was published.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

This year’s Legislative session in Juneau is in its fourth quarter, with just a month left for lawmakers to finish their work. But even with that deadline looming, some of the biggest political issues we’ve seen over the last couple months remain unresolved. We’ll talk about where things stand with the budget, a controversial education proposal and more.

In this episode, host Zachariah Hughes talks with reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire to explain where things stand, and what to expect in the weeks ahead.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

ADN Politics will return next week!

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Campaigning in this year’s Anchorage election was defined by voter fatigue with bitterness and drama in city politics. Ballots are still being counted, but so far, results show definitive leads for most candidates aligned with the current Assembly majority — a group that has consistently been at odds with conservative Mayor Dave Bronson. 

In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks with reporters about the potential factors behind those results, and what they could mean for the future of Anchorage city politics. 

Correction: An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly said Anchorage Mayor David Bronson has not said if he is running for reelection. Bronson filed for reelection in December.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The German Ambassador to the United States, Emily Haber, is in Alaska for the first time this week, while participating in the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage.

In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to Ambassador Haber about her visit, changing dynamics in the Arctic, energy development, climate change, and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is affecting those issues.

For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.

This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.