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.”

Alaska Republicans help fuel Trump’s juggernaut. This GOP consultant thinks they’ve lost their minds.

Alaska GOP voters chose Trump by a huge margin. Art Hackney, a stalwart in Republican circles, has theory to explain it.
A man looks upset

Iditarod penalizes Dallas Seavey for ‘not sufficiently’ gutting moose he shot in defense of team

A panel of race officials handed down a two-hour penalty for the infraction, which will be added to Seavey’s mandatory 24-hour rest.
A house that's under construction.

Alaska House passes bill aimed at reducing down payment requirements for state-backed home mortgages

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation said the change would allow it to reduce the required down payment from 5% to 3%.
a woman gazes at her sled dog

Iditarod back-of-the-pack mushers and their dogs are learning on the fly

Sean Williams is a second-time rookie and says he’s doing less screaming this year, while Deke Naaktgeboren is enjoying watching his dogs start to gel.
an airliner

NTSB says Boeing is withholding key details about door plug on Alaska 737 Max 9 jet

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy told senators that Boeing has not revealed who was responsible for failing to reattach the door plug properly.
a building

Former employee of Dillingham’s Curyung Tribe accused of embezzlement

William Corbett, the Curyung Tribe's former financial manager, allegedly stole nearly $80,000 in tribal funds since late October.
a musher applies foot ointment to a dog

Iditarod dream rekindled: Wally Robinson returns to the race after nearly a quarter-century

Robinson was a rookie in 2001, finishing 40th. It was his one and only attempt, until now.
Alaska State Troopers

Troopers investigating North Pole ‘swatting’ incident

Nobody was hurt in the Feb. 22 incident, but Alaska State Troopers say fake reports of violence pose a threat to victims, their neighbors and responders.
the Alaska State Capitol

Legislative budgeters say Dunleavy’s proposed 2024 Permanent Fund dividend is a no-go

Gov. Mike Dunleavy included a $3,500 payout in his initial budget proposal, but paying it would require spending from savings.
Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley suspends her presidential campaign, but doesn’t endorse Trump

Haley made her announcement after winning only Vermont on Super Tuesday, making Donald Trump the presumptive GOP nominee.
a woman in a red plaid shirt helps out another woman in a blue coat with voting.

Alaska Republicans choose Trump over Haley by huge margins

Donald Trump won about 88% of the vote. All of Alaska's 29 delegates to the national GOP convention will be his, If preliminary result hold.
the Alaska State Capitol

With Dunleavy veto threat looming, lawmakers work toward common ground on education

Dunleavy has to sign or veto the bill by March 14, or it becomes law without his signature.
a vet looks over a dog team

An angry moose and bare ground mark a brutal first quarter for Iditarod teams

Dallas Seavey recounts his moose encounter as his team rested at the checkpoint in Nikolai, about 250 miles into the 1,000-mile race.
a sermon

Unalaska’s Muslim prayer group welcomes members from all over the world

Group prayer is integral to Muslim worship. Mostafa Hassan, originally from Cairo, restarted Unalaska's prayer group after moving to town.
a parking lot

Drones assist in Alaska’s conservation efforts

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation flies many drones, some with thermal cameras and water sampling capabilities.
Massive industrial conveyor belt and loading equipment on a dock in a cloudy harbor.

Coal loading equipment in Seward is set to be demolished, likely a permanent end to Alaska coal exports

The Seward coal loading dock has sat idle since 2016 after demand for Alaska coal exports collapsed, one sign of the global energy transition. 
a factory

FAA audit faults Boeing for ‘multiple instances’ of quality control shortcomings

The findings singled out both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems in the wake of an in-flight door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet.
a woman

2 years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Alaska’s refugee picture looks wildly different

Alaska has welcomed more than 1,000 refugees from Ukraine since the war began.
A man runs with a dog that has three legs down the street as his team prepares to run the Iditarod.

Iditarod musher Dallas Seavey shoots moose to protect his dogs, officials say

Seavey says he stopped to gut the moose, a requirement under race rules.
dancers

National experts to discuss Indigenous tourism in Sitka this spring

The annual conference started about 20 years ago, paused briefly, and then resumed as demand grew for authentic and meaningful cultural experiences.