Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage
Rachel Waldholz covers energy and the environment for Alaska's Energy Desk, a collaboration between Alaska Public Media, KTOO in Juneau and KUCB in Unalaska. Before coming to Anchorage, she spent two years reporting for Raven Radio in Sitka. Rachel studied documentary production at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and her short film, A Confused War won several awards. Her work has appeared on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Marketplace, among other outlets.
rwaldholz (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8432 | About Rachel
The feds are finally paying to move a village, but it’s not in Alaska
Alaska villages facing rapid erosion have been trying to move for decades. But they’ve always run up against one major problem: money. Then this year, for the first time, the federal government made tens of millions of dollars available to relocate a small Native village threatened by climate change. The problem is that village is in Louisiana, not Alaska. Listen Now
Obama brought attention to threatened Arctic villages, but little funding so far
It’s been more than a year since President Barack Obama visited Alaska and became the first sitting president to travel above the Arctic Circle. The trip was designed to draw attention to climate change in the lead up to last year’s international conference in Paris. And the president went out of his way to highlight Alaska villages threatened by rapid erosion. But as Obama prepares to leave office, most of those villages find themselves no closer to a solution. Listen Now
From rotten ice to wildfires: hunting and fishing becomes complicated in a changing Alaska
Alaskans have heard stories for years about how climate change is affecting subsistence hunting and fishing. Now researchers are trying to quantify that impact– and they’re finding the biggest problem is access. Listen Now
Exxon’s Tillerson, Trump’s choice for State Dept., has history in Alaska
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his nominee for secretary of state. National attention has focused on Tillerson’s close ties to Russia, but he – and his company – also has a long history in Alaska. Listen Now
Newtok to ask Obama for federal disaster declaration
The village of Newtok plans to request a federal disaster declaration from President Barack Obama before he leaves office. The village is facing rapid erosion due to climate change, and officials say a disaster declaration may be the best chance to unlock federal funds for relocation before the existing village becomes uninhabitable. Listen Now
Interior Dept. gives Ahtna region more say in moose, caribou hunt
In its final days, the Obama administration is forging ahead with a promise to include Alaska Native tribes in the management of fish and wildlife on federal land. Listen Now
New head of Federal Subsistence Board says local voices are essential
Hydaburg Mayor Anthony Christianson has been appointed the new chair of the Federal Subsistence Board. Listen Now
Updated: Offshore leasing plan excludes Arctic
The U.S. Interior Department has announced its new five-year plan for oil and gas leasing in federal waters, and it does not include any new lease sales in the Arctic. The plan calls for one sale for northern Cook Inlet, in 2021.
Ask a Climatologist: Alaska’s “relentless” streak of warm temperatures
According to an announcement this week from the World Meteorological Organization, 2016 is on track to be the warmest year ever. If current trends continue, it would be the third straight year of record-breaking heat. Listen Now
Obama’s last chance to weigh in on Arctic drilling has industry worried, enviros hopeful
In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s upset election victory, President Barack Obama still has two months left in office to close out policy decisions and try to cement any final pieces of his legacy. One open question is offshore oil and gas leasing. Listen Now
Rapture, shock, ANWR: Alaskans react to Trump victory
Rapturous Trump supporters said they'd expected this outcome all along, while surprised Republican officials ticked off a wish list of priorities that suddenly seemed within reach.
In downtown Anchorage, election results prompt rapture and shock
While many parts of the country -- and the world -- were stunned by Donald Trump's upset win Tuesday night, there was one place in Alaska where people claimed they saw it coming all along.
Edward Itta remembered for balancing two worlds
Former North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta died Sunday in Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow. Family members said the cause was cancer. He was 71. Listen Now
State, Native Corps ask U.S. Supreme Court to enter fray over polar bear habitat
The State of Alaska and a dozen Native organizations have filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a ruling that designated vast swaths of coastal Alaska as critical habitat for polar bears.
Interior race between political veterans could shape Alaska Senate
One of the most-watched races in the state is happening in and around Fairbanks, where two longtime politicians are running in a match-up that could help decide control of the Alaska Senate. Listen Now
For Trump volunteer, Clinton presidency raises fears of ‘Last Days’
Tonight we visit the Trump campaign headquarters in Anchorage, to hear from Margie Ward. Ward is 68. Her husband, former state senator Jerry Ward, is the Alaska State Director for the Trump campaign. She's a longtime activist in Republican politics, but she says Donald Trump is the first presidential candidate she's volunteered for since Pat Buchanan's primary run in 1996.
Listen Now
For this Anchorage Republican, Johnson trumps Trump
Samuel Moore voted for Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush. But, he says, he can’t support Donald Trump. Listen Now
Ask a climatologist: Will we have a snowy winter?
Last week, Juneau saw its first snow before Fairbanks for the first time in some 70 years. With the exception of the Southern Kenai Peninsula and Southeast Alaska, the entire state is below normal for snow — from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Barrow. That’s leaving a lot of Alaskans wondering, is this a sign of what’s to come?
Supreme Court declares Dean Westlake winner of House District 40 Primary race
The Alaska Supreme Court has reinstated Dean Westlake as the winner of the Democratic primary in House District 40, which covers the North Slope and Northwest Arctic. Listen Now
District 40 primary fight heads to Alaska Supreme Court
The Alaska Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit over the Democratic primary in House District 40, which stretches from Kotzebue to Kaktovik.