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.”

Young Caucasian woman smiles for a portrait

Seward’s Lydia Jacoby wins gold in Tokyo Olympics

Lydia Jacoby won Alaska’s first Olympic swimming gold medal Monday night, beating the world and Olympic record holders in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke.
a walrus pup

Rescued walrus calf that was receiving cuddles as part of his care in Alaska dies

The Alaska SeaLife Center announced the Friday death of the pup, found Aug. 1 by oil field workers about 4 miles inland from the Beaufort Sea.

Study: Huge Amounts of Undiscovered Oil In Alaska Waters

The largest amount of undiscovered oil above the Arctic Circle is in Alaskan waters. That's according to a new study from the US Geological...
A square, beige heater.

Toyostoves are scarce this year. That’s bad news for keeping homes in rural Alaska warm.

Step into any home in rural Alaska and there’s a good chance that a Toyostove is what’s keeping it warm. Toyostoves are heaters that run efficiently on stove oil. But the supply of Toyostoves in Alaska is running low, and it’s yet another symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic.
a man at a table in a suit

Bill seeks to require jail time in cases similar to 2018 Justin Schneider assault

Soldotna Republican Sen. Peter Micciche, the bill sponsor, says the measure would prevent a case like that of Justin Schneider from happening again.

Walker to add crime bill to October special session

A rise in crime in Alaska has led Gov. Bill Walker to seek a bill in the special session next month that would allow more jail time for some thefts and other crimes. Listen now

A digital revolution arrives in rural Alaska, thanks to the pandemic

Rural Alaska communities have largely been left behind in the digital revolution -- until now. Akiak will be the first community in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to bring high-speed broadband internet to all its residents later this month on November 15.
A rainbow flag wavees in a blue sky

Transgender Air Force Staff Sergeant reacts to Trump’s declaration against transgender service-members

This morning the president declared that transgender individuals will no longer be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, but thousands already do. That includes service members based in Alaska. Alaska Public Media's Lori Townsend spoke with Air Force Staff Sergeant Emma Horner, who came out as transgender to her fellow military members in October. Listen now

With rain in the forecast, Ketchikan switches back to hydroelectric power

The second half of October brought enough rain for Ketchikan’s electric utility to switch off its diesel generators.

Alaska Bar sidesteps contentious Dershowitz keynote choice

The bar association cancelled this year's conference, which made the selection of the former defender of Jeffrey Epstein a moot point.
Rohit Chopra

Why a financial regulator is going after health care debt

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created after the Great Recession of 2007-09, has increasingly started policing the health care system.

More Anchorage Residents Than Ever Face Hunger

According to the Food Bank of Alaska, thousands of Anchorage residents will seek assistance from food pantries and kitchen during the course of a year. Yesterday, as part of Hunger Action Month, a panel at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce discussed the growing problem of hunger in Anchorage.
a person near avalanche debris

Unstable snowpack causes heightened avalanche risk in Turnagain Pass this winter

The reason for the uptick in human-triggered avalanches this winter: persistent weak layers in the snowpack.
A syringe next to eight little glass bottles

Alaska will get special first shipment of 35,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine as soon as next week

State officials say that the federal government is treating Alaska as a "territory" and sending its initial batch of COVID-19 vaccines all at once, instead of once a week. The vaccine will be prioritized for front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care centers like nursing homes.
caution tape around a commercial building

Anchorage officials report a second building collapse this weekend with no injuries

This is the second reported roof collapse in Anchorage in two days.

Senators Review Pentagon Report Regarding ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’

Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC Alaska’s Senators are both reviewing a Pentagon report unveiled Tuesday on the effects of repealing the law banning...

New study expands Alaska's continental shelf

Sonar data from an Arctic mapping mission aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy this past summer suggests the continental shelf off Alaska might...
A white man in a suit and glasses speaks into a microphone on a podium in front of some flags

Bronson submits lengthy records request to city clerk for information about April election

A critic called the move a ‘perpetuation of the Big Lie’ of former president Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud from 2020.
A young seal lies on the beach while people gather around to watch.

Cobalt and Admiral – two harbor seal pups rescued in Kasilof – return to Cook Inlet

Both pups were brought to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June in rough shape – emaciated and dehydrated. Cobalt even had rocks in her stomach.
the seal of a fire department

2 Anchorage New Year’s house fires leave 1 dead, 1 injured

Anchorage firefighters say two house fires over the New Year’s holiday weekend left one person dead and a second critically injured.