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.”

Man in a suit in front of a desk mic

Alaska’s US senators want to thwart Biden’s anti-oil policies. Here’s what they’re trying.

Order by executive order, President Biden is frustrating Alaska's U.S. senators. But what can they do?
Two people carry a large box into a walk-in freezer.

Biden administration’s shift to equity over speed could bring more clarity to Alaska vaccine response

Two weeks into the Biden administration, the emphasis has shifted to equity instead of speed.
Black smoke biillows from the skeleton of a building in a snowy parea

3 weeks later, Tuluksak is without running water or disaster relief

It’s been three weeks since a fire destroyed Tuluksak’s only source of drinking water. Since then, the village has been living on donations of bottled water from...
View of a man descending from a helicopter on to a mountain

Haines man mauled by bear while backcountry snowboarding

The man’s current condition is not known, however, Coast Guard personnel say he was responsive and talking during the rescue.
A woman wearing scrubs and a face mask receives a shot from a man in scrubs and a mask.

LISTEN: Alaska’s top doctor says misinformation hurts vaccination effort

In part, Dr. Anne Zink is responding to a report this week by the conservative blog Alaska Watchman under the headline, "At least five Alaskans died and 111 suffered adverse reactions after COVID vaccines."
Scattered blueish sea ice in water

More Indigenous knowledge needed to navigate ‘new Arctic,’ scientists say

A letter signed by over 200 scientists asks for more Indigenous input on the National Science Foundation's flagship initiative on Arctic warming.
A white man in an officers uniform speaks at a podium

Anchorage police report declining violent crime and property crime in 2020

Police Chief Justin Doll said he’s hopeful the department’s anti-violent crime initiatives are having a positive impact.
A mostly empty hospital hallway

How many Alaskans died from COVID-19? ‘Excess death’ count sheds some light

A new report found 529 excess deaths, more than twice as many as the 255 deaths Alaska doctors have determined the coronavirus disease caused in 2020. But it's not clear what caused them.

Congressman Young votes against ejecting Rep. Greene from committees

Alaska Rep. Don Young, like most Republicans, voted to keep a controversial Georgia congresswoman on her committees.
An empty conference room

As Anchorage students return to classrooms, COVID risk and learning loss top list of concerns

While relatively few COVID-19 tests have come back positive, the latest grade data shows an increase in failing marks.
A large cruise ship with a white cabin and a blue hull

Canada bans cruise ships for a year, taking another Southeast Alaska tourism season off the table

This order effectively shuts down Alaska’s 2021 cruise season.
A whoman in a dark green jacket smiles in front of a glass window

Indigenous advocate Colleen Echohawk’s journey from rural Alaska to Seattle Mayor’s race

Echohawk, a Pawnee Indian, was raised in Delta Junction and showed an early interest in Alaska Native issues.

Three killed in avalanche on Bear Mountain near Chugiak while ascending a technical route

Alaska State Troopers are warning of avalanche danger around Bear Mountain in Chugiak, after three people were reportedly killed in a slide there this week.
woman in foreground sits at mic.

Anchorage attorney Landreth selected for U.S. Interior post

The Biden administration has chosen Natalie Landreth to be deputy solicitor for lands. She's devoted her career to Native rights. Her Chickasaw ancestors were forcibly removed from their land.
Six pairs of mittens lined up on the table with unique patterns

Bernie Sanders got memed at the Inauguration. Now it’s mitten madness.

Memes of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wearing upcycled wool mittens at the presidential inauguration presented a business opportunity for some Alaskan artisans.
a raging creek behind a parking lot

As planet warms, researchers project more ‘extreme’ rainfall in Southeast and Western Alaska

Rising temperatures are also forcing researchers to reconsider just how much rain a storm can drop.
A mostly empty hospital hallway

Seventeen COVID-19 deaths reported after death certificate review

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services identified 17 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday through a death certificate review process. None of the deaths, primarily older Alaska residents, were recent.

While Murkowski and GOP moderates pitch smaller COVID bill, Democrats go their own way

"You might be able to get there with only 51 votes. But you can't shortcut this process," Murkowski says.
Two peopple in black jckets embracec in the woods, while about a dozen onlookers look on. There is a white cross on the side

‘It’s everybody’s history’: Bill would protect Unangax̂ cemetery at Funter Bay internment camp

The cemetery holds the graves of Unangan people who died during World War II after the U.S. government forcibly removed them from the Pribilof Islands took them to the Southeast rainforest with only one bag apiece and no hunting or fishing gear.
Packages of disposable face masks for sale at a grocery store.

Yes, in some cases, two face masks are better than one, Alaska health experts say

Even though there has been just one confirmed case of a new, more infectious COVID-19 variant in Alaska, health officials say now is the time to upgrade your single-layer cloth mask.