President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders in his first few days in office. Some have been celebrated, some caused confusion and some left federal employees uncertain about their future. One order really struck a chord with Alaskans: the executive order that changed the name of North America’s highest peak back to Mount McKinley from its Koyukon Athabascan name, Denali. We asked what you thought and heard from more than 700 Alaskans! Did you weigh in? We discuss the importance of place names and why they matter on this Talk of Alaska.

As a disruptive climate contributes to more damaging storms, floods and wildfires, how prepared are you to make it through an emergency?

How does carbon sequestration technology work, and what are its potential applications in Alaska? We discuss carbon capture, use, and storage on this Talk of Alaska.

Former President Jimmy Carter’s death has Alaskans reflecting on how he shaped the state. The Alaska conservation law Carter signed doubled the size of America’s National Park System. It vastly expanded wildlife refuges, among other set-asides. Many Alaskans were angry, saying the 1980 law locked up land, but it also gave Alaskans certain access rights that are unique in federal land management. We discuss Carter's legacy of conservation, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaska’s oil and gas sector has long been in decline. From a peak of oil production in the 80s, more than 2 million barrels per day, to a 75% drop to under 500,000 today. With some projects in development now and a new extraction friendly administration headed to the white house, will Alaska’s fossil fuel sector boom again? Or will the world’s move toward renewables change industry development plans here? We discuss the future of Alaska’s energy industry on Talk of Alaska.

Connecting Alaskans, from Utqiaġvik to Juneau, hear festive greetings, well wishes and sentiments from those who call Alaska home. With listeners all over the state, and even in the Lower 48 and Hawaii, this show is the perfect opportunity to send love to friends and family, no matter where they may be.

As the temperatures outside drop, the temptation to curl up next to the fireplace with a good book only grows. A memorable novel can take us out of the dark and cold and transport us somewhere entirely new. So what do bookstore owners and librarians say are the best new reads? And what role do these gathering places play in the larger community? We discuss reading recommendations for the colder seasons on this Talk of Alaska.

A safe, stable and supportive home is important for helping young people start life off on solid emotional ground, but sudden tragedies, accidents, illness and dysfunction can lead to children needing foster care. It can be hard to find nurturing adults to provide care, especially for kids who need intensive, therapeutic care. A new campaign seeks to raise awareness and recruit new foster care families. We learn more on this Talk of Alaska.

Alaska's darkest season is a great time of year to see new movies and documentaries with family and friends. The Anchorage International Film Festival gets underway on Friday, December 6, and features a packed schedule of documentaries, short films, comedy, animation and discussions with filmmakers. It will be a week filled with creative and thoughtful content from both Alaska filmmakers and international selections. We hear from filmmakers and the festival directors on this Talk of Alaska.

Whales hold a deep and an outsized role in Alaska’s culture. The huge sea mammals are a centuries long mainstay of steady protein for Alaska Native communities and they invoke mystique and power for many Alaskans. A dead fin whale that washed up near Anchorage is bringing hundreds of spectators to the beach. What is the whale teaching biologists about the health of Alaska’s whale populations and by extension the health of oceans? We’ll learn more on this Talk of Alaska