Health Insurance Marketplace Launches In Alaska
Alaska's federally run health insurance marketplace officially launched on Oct. 1 as part of the Affordable Care Act. Starting Jan. 1, most people in the country will be required to have insurance and the Marketplace will allow them to shop for insurance and qualify for subsidies to help pay for it. Large amounts of website traffic and other glitches has made it impossible to sign up for insurance on the site so far today, but community advocates for the law are urging patience.
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Marine Weather Forecasts Remain Available
Many Alaskans live their lives by the weather. But how will the government shutdown affect the organizations that provide weather information to the state?
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Can A College Freshman Force State Action On Climate Change?
In Barrow at the top of the world, receding sea ice is reshaping life. University of Alaska Fairbanks freshman Nelson Kanuk thinks the state is obligated to combat atmospheric climate change. He argues the atmosphere is a public trust to be preserved for future generations, like clean water or navigable waterways.
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Cruise Season Short Of Million-Passenger Mark
This year’s Alaska cruise-ship season has ended. Close to a million passengers sailed through Southeast this summer, with many traveling on to points north and west.
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Alaska Red Cross Gets Mobile Response Unit
The Red Cross of Alaska unveiled a new Mobile Emergency Response Communications Center at their headquarters in Anchorage Tuesday afternoon.
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The Art of James Gurney: Part 2
James Gurney’s famed Dinotopia series, enchanting adventures juxtaposing mythical creatures and humans against fantasy backgrounds, morphed into his how-to book, Imaginative Realism.
Imaginative Realism’s sequel is Gurney’s Color and Light. Written in a convenient cookbook style, he imparts artistic elements, rules-of-the-road, that take painters on a journey, becoming keener observers while perfecting their artistic endeavors.
Read more. Senate Challengers Side With House Republicans In Shutdown Showdown
A shutdown of federal government was triggered Monday night, after House Republicans tried to use a funding resolution to stop implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Alaska's two senators came out against the tactic, and both let a clean resolution without the health care rider move forward. But what would the Republican Senate candidates who are challenging Begich have done if they had been in office instead?
State Braces For Government Shutdown
In just a few hours, we’ll find out whether the federal government will stay open. For days, Congress has struggled to pass a budget, because a bloc of Republicans want to cut out funding for the Affordable Care Act. If Congress doesn’t reach a resolution, it’ll be the first shutdown in nearly 20 years. APRN’s Alexandra Gutierrez explains what that means for Alaskans, laying out the five biggest impacts.
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Groups Work To Educate Alaskans On Health Insurance Marketplace
On October 1st, the federal government will launch its health insurance marketplace in Alaska. Several groups in the state are starting to get the word out about how residents can sign up for health plans under the law.
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YKHC Lays Off Workers, Cuts Programs
Sequestration federal funding cuts are across the board unless an exemption is made by Congress. The Indian Health Service has not been exempted and non-profit corporations all over the state, like the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation based in Bethel, are feeling the hit.
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Alaska Tsunami Warning Center Gets New Name
This is the last day that the tsunami warning center in Palmer, Alaska will be the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. Tomorrow, Oct. 1, the center’s new name will be the national Tsunami Warning Center.
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Changes Coming Tuesday To Marine Weather Forecasts For Southwest Alaska
Also tomorrow, the National Weather Service is rolling out some significant changes to the marine weather forecasts.
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Hotel Impossible Wraps Up Filming At Alaskan Hotel
Travel Channel’s reality show Hotel Impossible wrapped up filming at Juneau’s famed Alaskan Hotel this weekend. KTOO’s Lisa Phu caught up with the show’s host and designer during their third day of shooting and has this story.
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Adventurer Publishes ‘Northern Exposures’ Book
Jonathan Waterman has traveled with camera and pencil from the top of Denali to the coastline of the Canadian Arctic chronicling more than three decades of adventures. His latest book, Northern Exposures is out from the University of Alaska Press. It’s a compilation of some of his previously published stories and many never before-seen photographs.
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Hands-on Discovery in Portage Valley
Today we’re going to school outside. Douglas Causey is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and most days he’s teaching in a classroom like every other teacher.
But, the one he’s teaching today couldn’t be more different. This classroom is in Portage Valley. And the homework? Catching fish.
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I Am The Pipe Cleaner Master
Creating up to 50,000 artistic pieces a year, Kenneth Williams can shape pipe cleaners into just about anything.
In addition to his business at Anchorage's Sears Mall, Kenneth also creates intricate stop-motion animation films. His unwavering dedication to his craft, along with his kind-hearted personality makes Kenneth an inspiration to anyone who meets him.
http://youtu.be/-_YgGnhhEw0
Land Use Issues Mark Mat Su Borough District Two Race
A political upstart is challenging a Matanuska Susitna Borough Assembly incumbent in Tuesday's election. The District Two race highlights the clash between newcomers who want to keep things rural, and old timers who favor an industrial future.
Denali Commission’s Inspector General Advocates For Dissolving Organization
The federal co chair of Alaska's Denali Commission was taken by surprise early this morning when a Washington Post reporter called for reaction to a letter sent to Congress that advocated for dissolving the commission. It was surprising because the letter came from an employee, Mike Marsh- the commission's Inspector General. I spoke with commission co-chair Joel Niemeyer is his office in downtown Anchorage this afternoon. He said Marsh's letter is damaging to the organization.
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Newly-Enforced FAA Policies Cause Problems For Alaska Airports
Alaska occasionally gets caught in federal rules that may work in Ohio, but not in Ozinkie. One such national policy that has been confounding airport managers and pilots may be close to at least a temporary fix for Alaska.
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Oil, Gas Exploration May Increase In Chukchi Sea
More areas of the Chukchi Sea may open up for oil and gas exploration in 2016, but the decision has not been made yet. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is calling for comments on a proposed lease sale in the area. But this time they are doing things differently.
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