Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Public Media
Nathaniel Herz is an Anchorage-based journalist. He's been a reporter in Alaska for a decade, and is currently reporting for Alaska Public Media. Find more of his work by subscribing to his newsletter, Northern Journal, at natherz.substack.com. Reach him at natherz@gmail.com.
Alaska attorney general says borough’s bid to seize Ravn’s assets is “counterproductive” and “void”
Attorney General Kevin Clarkson says the North Slope Borough's order seizing RavnAir Group's property is “counterproductive” and complicating the company's ongoing bankruptcy proceedings and could jeopardize investment to help establish substitute service and pay money owed to company employees that were laid off.
Meet the team of Alaskans trying to trace and contain every case of COVID-19
To slow the spread of COVID-19 in Alaska, a team of public health workers tries to track down and monitor all the "close contacts" of each patient. They've sought help from a Hmong translator and even used a grocery store receipt to find two customers who could have been exposed while waiting in line.
Will the oil price crash disrupt the BP-Hilcorp deal? Alaska state regulators want to know.
Hilcorp’s finances and its ability to afford the $5.6 billion purchase from BP have become an increasing area of focus for those following the deal amid a historic crash in the price of oil last month.
Uncertainty for villages and towns across Alaska as the largest rural carrier, Ravn, grounds almost all of its fleet
Ravn's announcement reverberated through rural communities across the entire state, as residents wondered about how villages would ensure their flow of people, mail, goods and medical supplies amid the pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic is devastating Alaska’s budget, and it could cost you your PFD
The Legislature approved a budget last weekend that’s predicted to drain 70 percent of the cash left in the state's primary savings account. And things will be even worse without a substantial increase in the price of oil.
Hear how Alaskans are coping with coronavirus on our new podcast, Alaska Interrupted
In Alaska Interrupted, we hope to share the stories of regular people and offer listeners a measure of solidarity during a tough, lonely time.
Resident of 90-bed Fairbanks center for seniors and rehab tests positive for COVID-19
Foundation Health Partners, which operates the 90-bed Denali Center, said it believes the resident caught the disease from a staff member who also tested positive. After learning of the resident's positive test Friday and consulting with state epidemiologists, the center tested every resident and staff member for COVID-19.
Coronavirus fears fuel assault on Bering Sea fishing boat, federal prosecutors charge
Maurice Young was a housekeeper and galley assistant on the 235-foot SeaFreeze America. A day before the assault, the victim -- a processor on the ship -- criticized Young “for serving food without gloves,” prosecutors said in a court filing.
Anchorage officials: We need your COVID-19 protective gear, including homemade masks, ‘immediately’
Anchorage officials are again asking people, businesses and medical providers to donate protective equipment "immediately," including homemade masks.
Despite community donations so far, Anchorage continues to face a shortage of personal protective equipment, the city says.
Alaska health officials still want you to go outside. Just keep your distance and no snot rockets.
“I don’t think there should be any risk, as long as people are adhering to the social distancing,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, the state epidemiologist. "It’s really important that people stay healthy and stay fit."
State proposes $100 million loan guarantee program as hundreds of Alaska businesses seek approval for out-of-state workers
Some 600 business entities have filed plans with the state outlining how they'll safely bring out-of-state workers into Alaska to support "critical infrastructure" amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday.
Alaska leaders have taken drastic measures to slow the coronavirus. The ‘$1 million question’ is whether they’re enough.
As the coronavirus inflicts huge damage on the state and national economy, there’s increasing discussion about how far public health mandates should go, and how long they can be sustained. At the same time, doctors and some community leaders are pushing even more aggressive social distancing measures, and limits on travel.
Anchorage mayor joins calls for travel restrictions as questions of authority linger
Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said he’s waiting to hear from city attorneys about whether he has the authority to adopt such restrictions himself, when it comes to the state-run Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
Some Alaskans still struggling to access coronavirus testing, even if providers think they might have it
Mitchel Howell had trouble breathing. Then he woke up with a sore throat, and then he came down with a fever.
He says his medical provider told him he was a "suspected confirmed” case of the coronavirus. But then Howell was sent home without a test.
Dunleavy has signed an emergency declaration due to ‘slow-moving storm’ of coronavirus spread
Anticipating that the coronavirus will spread to Alaska, the governor signed an emergency disaster declaration Wednesday to free up additional resources to help fight the virus
LISTEN: This Anchorage resident’s elderly parents were stuck on the coronavirus cruise
Imagine this: Your parents are in their 80s. They both have chronic health conditions. And they're stuck on a cruise ship with people who have the coronavirus -- and they can't get off. For Anchorage resident Erin Jackson, that was reality.
If you need to be tested for coronavirus in Alaska, it’s likely free
Here's a little bit of good news about coronavirus in Alaska: If you need to be tested, it's likely free.
Amid national crunch, Alaska’s coronavirus test supply is adequate, officials say
There's a national testing crunch right now for the coronavirus as the number of cases rise, with Vice President Mike Pence acknowledging that there aren't enough to meet demand
Alaska Supreme Court chief justice recuses himself from Gov. Dunleavy’s recall case
Chief Justice Joel Bolger said he has made "public statements that could suggest a strong disagreement with the governor's conduct on some very fundamental issues affecting the judicial branch, conduct that forms part of the basis for the recall petition under consideration."
Alaska state rep wants to name new icebreaker ‘Polar Bear’
An Alaska state representative wants the federal government to name one of its new polar icebreakers the Polar Bear.