The Must Read Alaska Show

In this episode, the conversation centered on the launch of Thomas More Classical School in Anchorage, set to open in 2026. The guest, Headmaster Sarah Spaulding, explained the school’s mission to bring classical education to Alaska and described how the model emphasizes forming both intellect and character.

The discussion highlighted what sets classical education apart: its grounding in the seven liberal arts, its reliance on teac...

Thought the teachers union was your only option? Think again. In this Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter is joined by Kenai teacher Kim Bates, Anchorage teacher Aimee Sims, and Garry Sigle, Central Region Director for the Association of American Educators (AAE), to unpack what AAE is, who it serves, and how it stacks up against NEA-Alaska.

If you’ve never heard of AAE, you’re not alone. While NEA-Alaska dues can run over $1,...

Is Alaska’s grand jury still the people’s tool for oversight, or has it become another lever of government control? In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter presses Attorney General Treg Taylor on the Supreme Court’s controversial move to make him the “gatekeeper” for public access to grand juries.

Taylor defends new procedures, acknowledges constitutional concerns, and reveals why he intends to be a “poor g...

Alaska State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Shelley Hughes joins Ben Carpenter to share her remarkable journey from rural Alaska in the ’70s to the state legislature. She outlines her vision for fiscal reform, energy development, and protecting the PFD, while drawing on decades of experience across Alaska’s regions. Known for working across party lines without compromising her conservative principles, Hughes offers a grassroot...

In this eye-opening episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter sits down with forensic journalist and author David Ignell for a deep dive into the constitutional role of grand juries in Alaska—and how that role is being undermined by the Department of Law and the judiciary.

At the heart of their conversation is the case of former Ketchikan Police Chief Jeffrey Walls, who was targeted with felony charges by three diffe...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show podcast, host Ben Carpenter sits down with Adam Hendrix, Anchorage native and world-renowned poker professional, to unpack his extraordinary journey to a sixth-place finish at the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event—netting him a $1.9 million prize and recognition as Alaska’s all-time top tournament earner.

Adam shares the intense mental and physical preparation behind the nine-day tou...

In this compelling episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter sits down with Phil Izon, the driving force behind the effort to repeal ranked choice voting (RCV) in Alaska during the 2024 election. Izon recounts the intensive grassroots campaign that gathered far more than the required signatures across 33 of Alaska’s 40 House districts, relying entirely on volunteers and innovative technology—without the use of paid s...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter sits down with Lynn McCabe and Mikaela Emswiler, of the Repeal Now initiative, to explore the close, contentious fight to roll back ranked choice voting in Alaska. Together, they share firsthand accounts of signature-gathering on the ground, the fierce lawfare tactics deployed by outside interests, and the surprising challenges volunteers face—from strict chain-of-cus...

In this in-depth episode, host Ben Carpenter tackles the long-anticipated and often controversial Alaska LNG pipeline project—offering listeners an insider’s look at recent developments and reasons for renewed optimism. Drawing from his attendance at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, Carpenter presents a compelling overview of a conversation between Governor Mike Dunleavy and Brendan Duvall, CEO of Glenfarne, the private co...

In this episode, Must Read Alaska Show host Ben Carpenter delivers a robust, real-time debrief from the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, hosted by Governor Mike Dunleavy in Anchorage. Carpenter walks the audience through the key takeaways, the tone of the event, and the overarching vision shared by political and industry leaders, particularly from the Trump administration, about Alaska’s pivotal role in national energy policy,...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter welcomes Bernadette Wilson of Repeal Now Alaska to discuss the second effort to overturn Alaska’s ranked choice voting (RCV) system. They begin by defining RCV—how it replaced traditional closed primaries with an open “jungle primary” advancing the top four candidates and then allowing voters to rank their top four choices in a multi-round count—and critiquing its com...

In this engaging episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, Congressman Nick Begich takes center stage to discuss the whirlwind first 100 days of the new Congress, offering a deep dive into the priorities shaping Alaska and the nation. Begich highlights the unprecedented pace of legislative action under Republican leadership, focusing on key achievements like the Lake and Riley Act, which strengthens immigration enforcement and empowers...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter and guest Randy Ruaro focus on the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s (AIDEA) landmark court win in Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority v. Department of Interior, which declared the Biden administration’s cancellation of oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) illegal, reinstating AIDEA’s leases and opening the...

In this exciting episode of the "Must Read Alaska Show" podcast, host Ben Carpenter dives deep into Alaska's pension debate with Ryan Frost and Mariana Trujillo from the Reason Foundation. They break down the major issues surrounding Senate Bill 78 (SB 78), which proposes returning Alaska’s public pension system to a costly defined benefit plan.

The discussion kicks off with a fast-paced explanation of the differences between defin...

In this episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter—former legislator and combat veteran—moderates a deep dive into Alaska’s long-standing fiscal challenges with guests Senator Mike Shower and Representative Kevin McCabe. The conversation revolves around the state’s structural budget deficit, the volatility of oil revenues, and the erosion of the original intent behind the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). Together, the l...

In this episode of The Must Read Alaska Show, host Ben Carpenter welcomes Alaska State Representative Will Stapp for an in-depth discussion on the pressing financial and legislative issues facing the state. At the heart of the conversation is House Bill 69, a controversial proposal to significantly increase education funding—without a clear plan to pay for it. Rep. Stapp explains the political maneuvering surrounding the bill, the ...