Attorney General Barr says ‘very basics of public safety are lacking in the villages’
The visit to Western Alaska continues Barr's tour of the state, meeting with public officials and Alaska Native leaders to discuss public safety, the lack of law enforcement in rural communities and how the federal government can help.
NTSB releases preliminary report for Metlakatla floatplane crash
The preliminary report on the fatal May 20 floatplane crash near Metlakatla was released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday.
Federal researchers open formal investigation into gray whale deaths, including Alaska’s
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday that the 70 dead whales seen this year it constitutes an "unusual mortality event."
BP and ExxonMobil commit up to $20 million to Alaska LNG
It’s the first time in years that private industry in the state has pitched in money to move the gasline project forward
As sea ice melts, fish are showing up farther north off Alaska. A federal fishing trip will investigate if they’re sticking around.
Two summers ago, federal scientists discovered something shocking: The Northern Bering Sea was teeming with cod and pollock. Those two commercially valuable species had never been found in such large huge numbers that far north.
Dunleavy calls for state budget, while senators discuss separate PFD bill
Gov. Mike Dunleavy sent a message to state workers Wednesday afternoon, saying layoff notices would go out if the Legislature hasn’t passed a budget by June 14.
‘Enough is enough’: Attorney General Barr hears from Native leaders about rural justice problems
Barr will spend four days traveling around Alaska, learning about the unique challenges rural areas, particularly villages, face.
Alaska Legislature prepares to sue governor over school funding
Lawmakers say they hope a lawsuit won’t be needed. But lawyers for the Legislature and the Dunleavy administration differ on whether a law passed last year can provide funding for next school year.
Can ‘Indian country’ powers combat violence in rural Alaska? Sullivan says he’ll discuss it with AG Barr.
U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is coming to Alaska this week. Sen. Dan Sullivan said he will focus on rural law enforcement, particularly for the more than 70 Alaska villages that have no police officers.
Trump administration appeals ruling that blocked Arctic offshore drilling
The Trump administration Tuesday appealed a federal court decision that blocked plans to re-open vast portions of Alaska's Arctic waters to oil drilling.
Bill aims to make health care coverage for school districts cheaper
House Bill 156 would allow municipalities, University of Alaska employees and school districts to opt-in to the state’s health care program.
Kake tribe urges renaming Saginaw Bay over ‘Kake War’ connection
The body of water off Kuiu Island was named for the U.S. warship that laid waste to three Tlingit villages near present-day Kake in 1869.
Kenai Peninsula rocked by early morning 5.8 quake
Southern Kenai Peninsula residents and visitors in town for Memorial Day Weekend were woken up by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake early Monday morning.
Dunleavy says second special session could happen on the road system, listing Mat-Su as an option
Governor Mike Dunleavy’s office is considering sites in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and elsewhere on the road system for a possible second special session.
A judge blocked a Trump plan for a controversial road through an Alaska wildlife refuge. Now the administration is appealing.
Lawyers for the Trump administration are appealing a decision by federal judge Sharon Gleason that blocked a land exchange that was supposed to lead to construction of a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge on the Alaska Peninsula.
As budget debate draws out, a deadline for state layoff notices approaches
It’s not clear that lawmakers will be able to resolve differences over PFDs by the June 3 deadline to provide layoff notices — or in time to avoid a state government shutdown on July 1.
As gray whales die along the West Coast, Alaska scientists look for answers beneath blubber
Researchers are trying to determine the cause of a gray whale die-off along the West Coast, including Alaska. And they're looking at whether recent warming trends in the Arctic, and reduced sea ice, has affected their prey.
Negotiations sour on tribal child welfare agreement
The agreement, which was signed in 2017 by then-Gov. Bill Walker, is being renegotiated by tribal organizations and the Dunleavy administration. The compact gives tribes more control over children’s welfare.
House bill seeks full PFD this year, with lower amounts in the future
The House bill could provide the basis for breaking the current impasse over the budget and permanent fund dividends. But it’s unclear how much support there is for the bill in the Legislature.
ANWR fight not over for Democrats in Congress
Democrats in Washington, D.C. are still hoping to block drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The latest attempt surfaced at a U.S. House committee meeting.