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.”

U.S. House Dean Don Young swears in Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Alaska's lone congressman had a ceremonial role in a major transition that happened Thursday in Washington D.C.

Public health data shows 13 percent rise in Alaska suicides

New report comes beside a study documenting the presence of drugs and alcohol in incidents of self-harm.

Murkowski aims to revive public lands bill, despite objection

One of Sen. Lisa Murkowski's first priorities of the year is to pass a 680-page public lands bill. Murkowski nearly passed it last month but was thwarted by a single senator.

Coast Guard personnel to receive Dec. 31 paychecks despite government shutdown

According to an update posted on Coast Guard All Hands, the official blog for Coast Guard workers, meeting payroll in January “will require a fiscal 2019 appropriation, a continuing resolution, or passage of an alternative measure.”

Government shutdown, if it continues, could cost Alaska’s lucrative Bering Sea fisheries

Even if the shutdown persists, the federal government will still open the Bering Sea fisheries as scheduled. But the government requires inspections of things like scales and monitoring equipment. Those inspections won’t happen until the government reopens.

State gasline corporation to miss key deadline with Chinese partners

Alaska Gasline Development Corporation is pushing for a six-month extension on negotiations with three Chinese partners interested in the Alaska LNG project.

Cruise industry’s victory over Juneau has implications for other port communities

This year’s record cruise ship season brought in $21.6 million in state passenger fees that will be mostly shared with coastal communities. But the cruise industry’s recent victory in a lawsuit against Juneau has implications on how port communities can spend their share.

Large home explosion scatters debris across Sterling Highway

The Sterling Highway remained closed until the early morning hours Friday, blocking access to and from Homer.

Fed fisheries will open in spite of shutdown, but details hazy

The partial federal government shutdown has left some Alaska fishermen and others wondering whether federal fisheries set to start in January will open on time. The National Marine Fisheries Service has been affected by the shutdown and many employees aren’t there to answer phones, leaving some with more questions than answers.

33 Jesuit priests named in report on abuse claims in Alaska

More than a hundred priests who worked in western states are named in a document from Jesuit West Province, along with details of abuse claims made against them.

Price tag for 7.0 earthquake: $76M. So far.

The figure represents just a partial accounting, with more information still being collected ahead of a formal request by the state for federal relief money.

Magnitude 4.9 aftershock rattles Southcentral

A magnitude 4.9 aftershock struck near Anchorage at 5:21 a.m Thursday.

DC police: Driver handled ringing phone as bus struck Skagway mayor and her mother

Gerard Derrick James, 45, was arrested Thursday, according to the D.C. Metropolitan Police. They say video footage shows James picked up his ringing cell phone just before impact.

Juneau fluoride study confirms old science, but doesn’t sway opponents

New research shows higher cavity procedure rates among Juneau children on Medicaid compared to when the city fluoridated its tap water.

Effects of government shutdown not as severe as in the past

For a number of reasons, the effects of this shutdown are more subtle than in the past.

Two former Jesuit officials resign from Gonzaga University after revelations about abusive priests

Two priests in high-level positions at Gonzaga University resigned today. Both previously held leadership roles in the Jesuits’ Oregon Province while it sent Jesuits accused of sexual abuse to live in a home on campus.

Coastal House lawmakers push for bipartisan coalition

Ten state lawmakers — including two moderate Republicans — say they won’t aid Republicans in taking control of Alaska’s narrowly divided House of Representatives.

New Alaska wildlife managers could revive old fights over federal protections, bear- and wolf-killing

Dunleavy’s administration is likely to shift the complex dynamics between the different entities and interests involved in Alaska’s fish and wildlife politics – from the state and federal governments to tribes, hunting organizations and fishing groups.

Purchase finalized: PenAir now officially a part of Ravn Air Group

The air carrier that long served as Bristol Bay and the Aleutian-Pribilof regions' primary service to Anchorage is now a part of Ravn Air Group.

What does the Dunleavy administration mean for the proposed Pebble Mine?

Officially, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is not taking a position on the mine, unlike his predecessor, Gov. Bill Walker, who opposed it. But the new governor is already making moves that have encouraged the mine’s backers and worried its opponents.