Top Stories

News stories, radio and TV episodes that warrant one of six spots on our homepage. The homepage is in chronological order of publication date, so stories are moved off the homepage as more are categorized “top stories.”

Alaska Insight host talks with guest on set over Zoom.

Dinosaurs once roamed the Arctic. What can they tell us about adapting to a changing climate? | Alaska Insight

Scientists are learning more about how dinosaurs adapted to the climate in Alaska. Studying what these prehistoric giants left behind may reveal clues to help better adapt to warming temperatures brought on by climate change.
A man speaks at a podium

Young’s office says it helped evacuate Alaska Native corporation employees from Afghanistan

U.S. Rep. Don Young’s office said the Alaska Republican helped evacuate from Afghanistan employees of an Alaska Native corporation but provided few details on the effort and did not immediately respond to questions seeking further details.
crowd raises hands

Conflict erupts between Bronson and Assembly on sixth night of combative mask testimony

A stark conflict between Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and Assembly leadership marked the sixth day of chaotic public testimony on a proposed mask mandate for the city.

Now you can watch as the Museum of the North readies the ‘Into the Wild’ bus for display

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has moved the “Into the Wild” bus to a UAF engineering building lab for repairs.

Native nonprofit publishes language glossary in English, Inupiaq, Yup’ik

Bering Strait regional nonprofit Kawerak has published a language glossary that provides research, science, policy and resource management terms in English, Inupiaq, St. Lawrence Island Yupik and Yup’ik. The creators hope it will help researchers better collaborate with Indigenous knowledge and culture.

Two birds migrating from Alaska represent thousands threatened by California oil spill

Two birds that nested this summer in Alaska, where they were banded with lightweight GPS trackers, are now in the area of an oil spill off the coast of California.

Faced with losing their jobs, even the most hesitant are getting vaccinated

Workplaces with vaccine mandates are seeing vaccination rates of 90% or higher. A complex mix of factors, including job security, is driving most workers to get the shots.
a medical professional swabs a driver's nostril

Amid one of the nation’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks, Anchorage officials say they’re rationing testing

A spokesman for Mayor Dave Bronson said the administration plans to ask the city Assembly for additional cash "in the near future." But for now, it's scaling back its testing contractor's hours at multiple sites around the city, with reductions totaling 108 hours a week.
a window that says Anchorage Police Department Anchorage Alaska

New draft policy for Anchorage police body cameras criticized for lack of transparency

The new draft comes almost six months after Anchorage voters approved the purchase of the cameras.

Ancient tracks lead to better understanding of how Arctic dinos lived

This summer, three scientists ventured to the foot of the Aleutian Mountain range to collect evidence that dinosaurs once roamed the southern coast of the Alaska Peninsula. They hope to reconstruct the ancient ecosystem that allowed dinosaurs to thrive here for tens of thousands of years. 
People in an assembly chamber cheering

Anchorage Assembly mask testimony has gone on as long as any in recent memory, with more to come

Thursday marks the Anchorage Assembly's sixth session scheduled for public testimony on an ordinance that would introduce a mask mandate for the city. Testimony has been heated, with people arrested at meetings and concerns about anti-Semitic behavior and homophobic remarks.
A Pacific Islander person wearing a mask and a blue shirt opening a door

For some Alaskans, getting vaccinated is a simple choice. For others, like this Anchorage pastor, it’s complicated.

William Tauanu’u knows the danger of COVID-19 and believes the vaccine is effective. But he’s also concerned by reports from friends and family about side effects of the COVID vaccine, which has led him to cancel three appointments to get the shot.
Two f-35 fighter jets are parked in front of a beige aircraft control tower

Housing and schools are obstacles for Alaska military families, leaders say

Air Force Lt. Gen. David Krumm said the Air Force isn’t allowing service members to bring their families to Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks due to a lack of housing.
costco sign

Costco contractor agrees to pay $50K to Juneau employee who was denied extra bathroom breaks

“We saw here an employee who really suffered unnecessarily,” EEOC attorney Amos Blackman told CoastAlaska.  “This refusal to accommodate additional bathroom breaks had the likelihood of impacting any number of workers.”
a very large brown bear in the water

Fat Bear Week has a champion: Meet 480 Otis

Who is the fattest bear of all? For the fourth time, the answer is 480 Otis, a brown bear who didn't let his lack of two canine teeth stop him from packing on the pounds.
a woman in a pink shirt

Delta Junction man faces charges over threatening Murkowski’s life

In a threat left in a voice message, the caller asked if the senator knew what a .50 caliber shell does to a human head, according to court records unsealed Wednesday.

Kizzia’s new book ‘Cold Mountain Path’ explores ghost town era of McCarthy

In his latest book, Cold Mountain Path, Alaska author Tom Kizzia chronicles the ghost town era of McCarthy, the tiny community nestled in the Wrangell Mountains. It’s available online and in bookstores starting Tuesday. 

COVID testing requirements will return to Alaska Capitol amid recent surge

The updated policy requires those who work in the Capitol to be tested every four days and to isolate if they test positive.
a sign posted outside a restaurant reads "we are hiring"

Alaska’s economic recovery lags behind most states

As of July, Alaska had made up less than half of COVID-related job losses.
A persons arm is seen holding a salmon

In new cybersecurity incident, Alaska seafood agency hit by ‘nefarious third party’

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, which operates separate computer systems from the state’s executive branch, discovered the activity in August, said Jeremy Woodrow, the institute’s executive director.