He’s running: Walker aims to be Alaska’s governor again
Former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has announced that he's running for governor again.
Without safety net of mandates, Anchorage’s overtaxed, understaffed hospitals brace for more patients
As Alaska hospitals near capacity, health care experts say they're not sure the latest COVID surge will peak quickly, as it did in other countries. They point out that thousands of unvaccinated Alaska children are returning to classrooms this week — many in school districts where masks are optional.
Scientists say even moderate COVID restrictions can slow the spread of the virus — if they’re timely
Mask mandates and other interventions can help stop a surge, even where vaccination rates are low, say scientists who've reviewed states' data. When the measures start and how long they last matters.
Alaska Legislature meets for 3rd special session amid uncertainty over PFDs, budget gap
The House has adjourned until Wednesday. The Senate adjourned until Thursday.
Alaska’s share of fatal, small commercial plane crashes growing relative to rest of U.S.
A fatal plane crash near Ketchikan this month has renewed concerns about the number of fatal, small commercial aircraft accidents in Alaska, which, according to an investigation by member station KUCB and ProPublica, is growing relative to the rest of the country.
‘Devastating’: Murkowski saddened by Afghanistan withdrawal
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says the U.S. couldn’t stay in Afghanistan forever, but she calls the result of the withdrawal "just devastating.”
Rare polar bear sighting causes a stir in Kotzebue
Locals in Kotzebue showed a mix of excitement and concern over the weekend in response to reports that a rare polar bear was spotted in the area.
Anchorage’s new police chief wants department to refocus
Anchorage Police Chief Kenneth McCoy says law enforcement has made progress combating crime in Alaska's largest city, but he says there are also some continuing problems he'd like to see addressed and some ways he thinks the department can refocus.
Amid shelter debate, these Anchorage campers say they’re staying outside
As city officials negotiate how to build up the city's shelter capacity, many Anchorage residents cite reasons like claustrophobia, trauma, or ability to run their own businesses as reasons for not wanting to be in mass shelter.
Majority of Alaska students will start the school year under universal mask policies
A comparison of mask policies from school districts around the state show the majority of districts, urban and rural, have implemented universal mask policies for the start of the school year.
Here’s what’s on the agenda for the Alaska Legislature’s third special session
The special session starts on Monday.
When Yukon River chum stocks collapsed, donated fish came in from Bristol Bay
The Yukon River has seen its worst summer chum salmon run on record, and its third-worst chinook run.
Why is Bristol Bay’s sockeye run breaking records while other areas struggle?
In the past decade, Bristol Bay has seen consistently large salmon runs and continues to break records. But some other Alaska fisheries are experiencing historically low runs, a trend that worries scientists, fishery managers and communities. What keeps Bristol Bay booming as other areas struggle?
Earthquake may have triggered sunken fishing vessel to spill diesel off Kodiak Island, officials say
A shipwreck from decades ago has begun leaking diesel fuel off Kodiak Island. State officials suspect last month’s massive earthquake may be to blame.
Canada to require air, train and cruise ship travelers to be vaccinated
The Canadian government will soon require all air travelers and passengers on interprovincial trains to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
1st live Asian giant ‘murder hornet’ of 2021 spotted in Washington state
Entomologists confirm the report of the world's largest hornet — a worrisome invasive species that originates from East Asia and Japan — by a person in a rural area near the Canadian border.
Amid recall effort, lingering budget problems and pandemic, Alaska Gov. Dunleavy will seek re-election
Dunleavy disclosed his bid in an interview Thursday with Alaska Public Media. In it, he reflected on the challenges and lessons from his first term, and offered his outlook on the pandemic, Alaska’s budget problems and other issues facing the state.
Cruise ships returned to Southeast Alaska, but don’t call it a comeback
The year before the pandemic, Alaska set record numbers for cruise ship tourism. This year, it’s estimated Juneau will see about 10% of its usual cruise traffic.
Mendenhall Glacier’s retreat is exposing new land. The Forest Service doesn’t want it to be mined.
In 1952, the Forest Service took the land around the Mendenhall Glacier off the table for mining. Now there’s a strip of land exposed by the shrinking glacier.
Census figures show Mat-Su gained most new residents
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough north of Anchorage gained the most people in the last decade, according to U.S. Census data released Thursday.