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Weighing Social Security policies and politics
Congressional Democrats are pushing an ambitious plan to expand Social Security and put it on a sustained long-term footing in an effort to overturn 20 years of attempts by congressional Republicans to scale back entitlement programs like Medicare...
Long Term Care Ombudsmen - Why are they important?
Working at the office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman, I am often asked, “What exactly, do you do?” The answer is simple, we visit elders who live in assisted living homes and nursing facilities. We listen to what they have to say and work to...
African Americans face greater Alzheimer's risk
A decade ago, Rushern Baker III started seeing signs that something was wrong with his wife when she was still in her late 40s. Christa Beverly was forgetting things and losing things. It took some do...
How to behave around dogs to avoid bites
As adults we tend to think only kids need to know how to behave around dogs. But actually we all need to know how to be safe around dogs. Anchorage Animal Care and Control teaches kindergarten...
These insurgent mice were thorough
“Gary,” I said to by husband, “I think a couple moved in while we were gone, and not only had babies, but invited the whole extended family.” It was early April many years ago and we had just returned to our home in Slana after an absence of...
Klondike Mike and the piano
Klondike Mike Mahoney's return trip to Dawson in 1898 included a hike up the Chilkoot Trail with an unusual item strapped to his back: a piano. It all started when Mahoney hopped aboard the City of Se...
Michael Dante, actor to author
It's not uncommon for actors to find a second career away from the camera after spending years in front of it. In Michael Dante's case, that new vocation has been writing, beginning with his 2014...
Stolen passwords, iPad security, 5G networks
Q. Is two-factor authentication worth the effort every time I log on to an account? A. I agree that two-factor authentication is more work, but that is its most valuable feature. The extra work keeps accounts more secure. Password theft is rampant....
Preserving the historic 4th Avenue Theatre
If you’ve lived in Anchorage, you probably know the 4th Avenue Theatre. The facade, murals, and twinkling ceiling have entranced many locals since it was opened by Austin “Cap” Lathrop in 1947, an important figure in Anchorage history who also...
Vote Yes on Anchorage Bond Proposition 3
There are exciting, innovative, interesting events happening in Anchorage this spring. Voting for Proposition No. 3, an Areawide Facilities Capital Improvement Project Bond is not one of them. This bond provides ordinary, but important safety fixes...
Washington Watch: High pill prices are hard to swallow
House Democrats, Senate Republicans and the Trump administration agree on one thing – that drug prices must be lowered. Both parties are working through the ideas to reduce prescription drug costs, but the problem is finding common ground and...
This day of advocacy was decades in the making
Fifty years ago this June, LGBT elder pioneers started the fight for LGBT equality at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. In the early hours of June 28, 1969, LGBT patrons at the Stonewall Inn took a...
Memories of the 1964 Earthquake
While reading in my bedroom late in the afternoon of March 27, 1964, I suddenly felt the room swirl. I had enjoyed the day off from third-grade school work since it was Good Friday. Our family lived...
Secretary of State Seward visits Alaska, 1869
In July 1869, the steamer Active arrived in Sitka with former Secretary of State William H. Seward and his entourage on board. He had negotiated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians for a mere...
Carl Reiner says keeping busy keeps you going
Turning 97 in March, Carl Reiner shows no sign of slowing down. "I wake up with ideas!" the veteran actor, writer, director and producer said from Los Angeles. One of those ideas was to colorize...
Home automation, personal dashboards, Live Listen
Q. What is a simple way to get started with home automation? A. When it comes to home automation, simple is a relative term. Compared to a few years ago, setup is easier and prices are less expensive. But after installing a few devices in my house,...
Finding a home for all of those cookbooks
"Did all these cookbooks come from one collection?" I inquired of the lady behind the desk. Several rolling carts filled with books spilled out of the small room labeled "Friends of the Library Used...
Protecting Southeast Asian American families
In elementary school, my day started with getting breakfast from the cafeteria window, where I got to choose a cereal box along with a small carton of milk from our cafeteria lady, Angie. She had...
Uncovering Alaska's first serial killer
Between 1912 and 1915, a number of single, unattached men mysteriously disappeared in Southeast Alaska. The few law enforcement officials in the territory were baffled, but a suspect finally emerged...
A Hollywood tale of two ghost singers
India Adams and Annette Warren have a lot in common. Both now in their nineties, their career paths merged in the 50s when the pair were hired by studios to dub the singing voices of actresses as...
'Neighbor spoofing,' better phone audio, and touchscreen gloves
Q. My incoming callerID information seems less accurate lately. It works fine for numbers I already recognize, but most everything else is inaccurate. A. As someone who still receives far too many unwanted telephone calls, I feel your pain. A...
New Congress has an ambitious health care agenda, but can they accomplish anything?
When the next Congress begins its work in January, lawmakers from both parties will try to work with the Trump administration to pass vital health care legislation. But getting a political advantage...
Hunting with Dad: Moose and memories
My daughter and I were visiting Dad and Mom in Homer one weekend in early January 20 years ago when I was startled awake by the phone. The clock showed it was almost midnight when I picked up the...
This year's SAGE Table is off to a bold start
On Nov. 8, 2018, in more than 150 locations across the U.S. and the globe, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and allies gathered as part of the intergenerational LGBT...
What's new in Medicare for 2019?
Welcome to 2019! There are a number of changes in Medicare this year of which you will want to be aware. New Medicare cards The New Medicare card mail-out for Alaskans began April 1, 2018 and ended Ju...
