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.”

a server brings water to a large table of diners on the top floor deck of a busy restaurant

Big Anchorage restaurants say business is booming, but hiring struggle lingers

Anchorage restaurant owners say the crowds are a welcomed change after a slow start to the year and an even slower 2020. But a stubborn staffing shortage is making it difficult to keep up.

Shifting winds believed to play a major role in loss of arctic sea ice

A climatologist at the University of Washington says a change in wind direction may help explain the dramatic ice loss in the arctic ocean...

LISTEN: Study shows Alaska salmon are shrinking

The shrinking of chinook, sockeye, coho and chum salmon has a negative impact on the number of eggs fish lay, but smaller body sizes also mean fewer meals, fewer commercial fishing dollars and fewer nutrients transported into rivers every year.
a man

‘I think it’s wrong’: Alaska ACLU seeks accountability for state inmate deaths

At a recent fundraiser, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska again called attention to the high death rates in Alaska prisons.

BP likely to plug thirteen at-risk wells after April accident

BP thinks the accident was caused by thawing permafrost deep below the surface, which put uneven stress on the well. Eventually, the well gave out, rising several feet out of the ground and colliding with the top of the building over the well. Listen now

Obama announces global fishing enforcement, new sanctuaries

President Obama today unveiled a package of global initiatives aimed at cracking down on illegal fishing. He also announced two new marine sanctuaries, and they are not in Alaska. Download Audio

Video Collars Provide Polar Bears’ Point Of View

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey are using new video collars to get a glimpse into the daily life of polar bears. Researchers have been using radio and GPS collars since the 1980s to track polar bears' movements along the Arctic sea ice. But, that data lacks a lot of contextual and observational information that allows for a better understanding of the bears. Download Audio
Joe Gerace walks by a sign in front of building that reads "Sullivan Arena"

How we reported our story on the fabricated resume of now former Anchorage health director Joe Gerace

A joint investigation between Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen and American Public Media's Curtis Gilbert found that Joe Gerace misrepresented his military, medical and educational background to get a job leading Anchorage's health department.
A close up of a skeleton sculpture with traditional Mexican attire for Día de Muertos on an altar.

Día de los Muertos celebration offers comfort and community connection

Día de los Muertos is a Mexican and Mexican-diaspora celebration of people who have died and Anchorage is celebrating it for the 19th year.

TransCanada the only company to meet AGIA requirements

Governor Sarah Palin has named a Canadian company as her choice to build a natural gas pipeline for the state. Five different companies had...

Mayor of Pilot Station dies after falling through Yukon River ice on a snowmachine

Nicky Myers was a mayor, a deacon, a father, a grandfather, a husband, a firefighter and a search-and-rescue member.
A mother and children sit at the National Guard Armory in Bethel, AK.

People who fled the lower Yukon River tundra fires are asking when they can return home

People who left communities threatened by the East Fork Fire on the lower Yukon River are asking when they will be able to return home.

VA Secretary to Visit 49th State

Alaska can expect another high-level Washington visitor next month. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald, plans to come to the state for several days starting Aug. 11.

Ongoing Fixes Delay Arrival Of UAF’s New Arctic Research Ship

Next month marks a year since the launch of the National Science Foundation’s new Arctic research vessel Sikuliaq. The 261-foot ice class ship, to be operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, remains at dock at a shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. Download Audio

Groups Want Moratorium Lifted on Healthcare Program

Service providers and advocacy groups agree with Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) that the moratorium should be lifted. At a regular meeting today in Anchorage...
An aerial view of green farmland with a mountainous backdrop.

As Dunleavy’s budget looms, two Alaskans see diverging futures for Mat-Su

Alaskans on both sides of the budget debate weigh in on the proposal to dramatically cut state spending to pay full Permanent Fund dividends.

Anchorage Police and FBI take Wade into custody

Joshua Wade has been taken into custody by Anchorage police and the FBI after a standoff outside a south Anchorage apartment yesterday. He was...

Despite more than 50,000 lost jobs, federal relief boosted Alaska incomes during first year of pandemic

“Who would’ve predicted that in 2020, overall income to Alaskans, even on a per capita basis, increased?" state economist Neal Fried said. "And why was because of all these transfer payments that people were receiving.” 
state house

Capital budget funding fails in House vote

The Alaska House of Representatives has failed to pass funding for the capital budget for the second time this year. Minority-caucus Republicans blocked the funding on Sunday.