Junior runners battle heat at Seward’s 91st Mount Marathon Race on Wednesday
David Norris and Jessica Yeaton won the men’s and the women’s races today at Seward’s 91st Mt. Marathon Race. The course has been touted as one of the most difficult races in the world. Runners brave heat, slippery slopes, falling rocks and a 3,022-foot elevation gain. And it’s not just adults in their prime.
New law gives judges more discretion when setting bail
For the second time in six months, there’s a change coming in how defendants awaiting trial must post bail. As of January, most Alaskans charged with misdemeanor offenses didn’t have to post cash bail in order to be released from jail. But due to a new change in state law, this measure is being reversed.
Study examines risk to marine mammals from increased Arctic traffic
A study released this week sheds new light how vulnerable marine mammals are to increased traffic in the Arctic.
Alaska CDQ group wants Congress to count heads
The largest of the Community Development Quota groups says it's getting a raw deal. Coastal Villages Region Fund says it has the largest population and deserves a larger share of the fish.
Conoco buys BP’s stake in Alaska’s No. 2 oil field
Conoco is already the biggest oil producer in Alaska, but buying BP’s interest in Kuparuk adds to its growing presence west of Prudhoe Bay.
Yakutat sockeye fishery blindsided by historic low return
Commercial sockeye fishing in Yakutat has been closed due to historic low returns, leaving set-netters in a bind until coho and chum season later in the summer. Unlike other salmon fisheries around the Southeast, biologists never saw this coming.
On immigration, Sen. Sullivan calls for more facilities, better processing
Sen. Dan Sullivan addressed the Trump Administration’s immigration policies in Fairbanks on Sunday, emphasizing that the federal government is not currently set up to properly manage a flood of immigrants seeking asylum.
Gov. Walker asks to suspend Pebble environmental impact statement process
Gov. Bill Walker has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to suspend the Environmental Impact Statement process for the proposed Pebble Mine. Listen now
Corrections seeks alternatives to halfway houses
One approach could be based on Haven House, which serves women in Juneau, and My House, which serves homeless teens in Wasilla. Listen now
Why all eyes are on Murkowski in Supreme Court confirmation battle
This week, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced he's retiring. Now, the future direction of the U.S. Supreme Court could rest on the shoulders of Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her colleague from Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Listen now
DOD releases plan for Interior basing of F-35s
The Fairbanks-North Pole area is at the start of a mini-boom, as the region prepares for the basing of two squadrons of F-35 fighter jets at Eielson Air Force Base. Listen now
Alaska unions defiant in wake of punishing Supreme Court decision
The Janus v. AFSCME decision by the U.S. Supreme Court denies public sector unions from forcing workers to pay dues. The 5-4 ruling could affect about 10 percent of Alaska’s workforce. Listen now
First Y-K Delta tribe marches against Donlin Gold in Bethel
The mine would be built in a region where many residents practice subsistence and would be one of the biggest gold mines in the world. Listen now
Trump says King Cove road ‘almost completed’
Trump said a controversial road through the Izembek Refuge will be finished soon. It hasn't begun. Murkowski made a pitch for bipartisanship. With cameras rolling, they spent two-and-a-half minutes politely talking past each other. Listen now
Juneau Empire report finds state tsunami response system has critical flaws
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake off the coast of Alaska rattled the state in the early morning hours of January 23rd, setting into motion a series of various emergency warnings and tsunami evacuations. In the end, a destructive tsunami never materialized, but the response revealed some flaws in how Alaskans get warned about possible disasters. Listen now
During Eielson visit, Defense Secretary Mattis highlights Alaska’s strategic military role
Mattis spoke at a news conference this morning at Eielson Air Force Base, after a tour of the missile-defense facility at Fort Greely. Listen now
State one step closer to gas pipeline, but not the one the Walker administration wants
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has put out a draft of the final environmental review of the in-state gas pipeline project. Listen now
Power lunch: US senators transfixed by Bear Cam
Even U.S. senators got in on the joy of Katmai Bear Cam this week, and that's not the only Alaska delight the senators sampled from afar. Listen now
Fansler sentenced to year of probation, alcohol treatment and community service
Former Alaska state Rep. Zach Fansler pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree harassment in connection with a January incident in which he struck a woman in his hotel room. Listen now
What they mean when they say ‘immigration problem’
Lawmakers paint different pictures of what the immigration problem actually is and who the victims are. That's true even within Alaska's all-Republican delegation to Congress. Listen now