Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
Alaska tribes join with Lower 48 allies to seek protections from impacts of Canadian mines
The tribes are seeking protective action under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, the framework for resolving disputes over shared waters.
Syphilis cases in Alaska continue to climb, compounding the state’s STD challenges
Syphilis cases increased dramatically last year in Alaska, which has had some of the nation’s highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in recent years.
In new bipartisan Alaska Senate majority of 17, members vow compromise and consensus
All nine elected Democrats and eight of the 11 elected Republicans have joined what the incoming Senate President Gary Stevens calls "a very healthy majority."
State, North Slope Borough file lawsuit seeking to remove ringed seals’ threatened listing
The agency’s threatened listing for Alaska’s population of ringed seals was granted in 2012.
Study tracks Arctic animals’ exposure to disease better known in Interior Alaska: tularemia
A wide variety of Arctic animals including polar bears are being exposed to a tick-borne pathogen normally associated with rabbits and hares, a newly published study said.
Dead bowheads in Beaufort and Chukchi point to increased killer whale presence in Arctic
There are new signs that killer whales, which are swimming farther north and spending more of the year in Arctic waters, are increasingly preying on Alaska’s bowhead whales.
Last year’s seabird bycatch toll was lower than average, but so was fishing effort, report says
Bycatch, the incidental catch of untargeted species in commercial fisheries, is not just about salmon or crab. Seabirds are also caught and killed unintentionally in fishing gear.
Western Arctic Caribou Herd decline continues, bringing population to a third of peak size
One of the world’s biggest caribou herds is continuing a long-term population slide, according to new numbers released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Monitors headed to certain Alaska polling sites to ensure compliance with federal laws
The U.S. Department of Justice will have monitors on duty at polling places in four Alaska areas to help ensure compliance with various federal laws protecting voters.
Ranked choice voting likely to be important in North Anchorage House race
In a district holding Government Hill, JBER and part of Muldoon — and known for low voter turnout — two Democrats are challenging a Republican incumbent.
Election in West Anchorage could be key to control of Alaska state Senate
Two veteran lawmakers running against each other have much in common but one big difference: their views on the value of bipartisanship.
Angst over youth outmigration emerges in Alaska campaign rhetoric and debates
University funding, career prospects and lifestyle amenities are factors cited as important to young Alaskans pondering their futures.
In Republican Mat-Su, voters are choosing between different conservatives
The tight race between Sen. Mike Shower and challenger Doug Massie is focusing on effectiveness and implications for the state’s only booming region.
First decade of Alaska’s dental therapy program shows successes in Yukon-Kuskokwim region
A new study shows positive results from 10 years of an Alaska program allowing professionals other than dentists to provide general care in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Study tracks reductions in time and space for ice roads in the Arctic, including Alaska
A new study from scientists at Nanjing University in China has quantified shrinking annual times and areas for using ice roads across the Arctic, including Alaska.
Bycatch task force considers new rules, more research to protect Alaska fish intercepted at sea
As salmon runs falter and western Alaska villagers suffer, some worry that measures will be too incremental and slow to provide meaningful help.
Gubernatorial candidates spar over gas pipeline, fiscal plans at Anchorage debate
The event, hosted by the RDC, was the first to feature all four candidates in one place — including Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Charlie Pierce, who have appeared less frequently.
White House Arctic strategy puts new emphasis on national defense, Russia
A new Arctic strategy released Friday acknowledges some big changes in the region over the past decade – the rise of military threats posed by Russia, the largest Arctic nation.
Redistricting pits two Anchorage House Democrats with similar policy views against each other
The choice between incumbents Harriet Drummond and Zack Fields, now in a tight race, may come down to more subtle differences in style.
Typhoon Merbok spotlights Alaska’s need for science and climate-resilient infrastructure
With intense storms expected to increase, experts want more data to support flood forecasts and infrastructure investments that keep communities out of harm’s way.