US Senate passes marine debris bill
A bill targeting plastic waste in the ocean and other marine debris cleared the U.S. Senate last week. Sen. Dan Sullivan sponsored it, with support from right and left. Listen now
Fish and Game to shut down Southeast commercial and sport king fishing
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game is shutting down all commercial and sport fishing for king salmon in Southeast Alaska. Listen now
Drue Pearce appointed to US pipeline safety agency
A former Alaska Senate president has a new job in the Trump administration. Drue Pearce is now the deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Listen now
Trump administration signals it could open more of the Arctic to drilling
The Bureau of Land Management announced Monday that it will consider allowing oil development in parts of the National Petroleum Reserve on Alaska's North Slope that are currently protected. Listen now
Witness hearings start Monday in F/V Destination investigation
Starting Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard is holding two weeks of public hearings as part of its investigation into the sinking of the F/V Destination. Listen now
PenAir files for bankruptcy protection as CEO promises to refocus on Alaska routes
The largest air carrier in southwest Alaska has filed for bankruptcy protection. Listen now
State budget cuts hitting Interior’s main public media company
KUAC, which brings public radio and television programming to Fairbanks, the Interior, and communities across rural Alaska, is scaling back its operations. Listen now
State lets Conoco expand North Slope unit, but with conditions
The state is trying to speed up development of oil fields on the North Slope by putting pressure on ConocoPhillips to explore a new area. Listen now
U.S. senators: Same state, same party, not same page
While Sen. Murkowski was in the national spotlight for defying her party on health care, Sen. Sullivan, stuck to the party line and attracted little attention. The two senators vote opposite each other more than most Republican pairs from the same state. Listen now
AK: Southeast researchers are keeping up with the humpbacks
When animals are removed from the Endangered Species List, who keeps tabs on them? Often, the work of monitoring populations falls on volunteers. Listen now
Lt. Gov. Mallott says he and Gov. Walker will run for re-election
Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott said Wednesday that he and Gov. Bill Walker will run for re-election next year. He also said they’ll run together. Even for incumbents, that may be an uphill fight. Listen now
Climate change may have driven gray whale up Kuskowkim
Climate change may be responsible for pushing Alaska’s Gray Whales up into estuaries and rivers like the Kuskokwim. Listen now
Zinke tweets beer pic showing he’s A-OK with Murkowski
If harsh words were spoken, Sen. Lisa Murkowski appears to have patched things up with Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke. Zinke tweeted a picture of himself and Murkowski having beers together, two Alaskan Brewing Company pale ales. Listen now
Closed process on capital budget draws criticism
In five and a half hours on July 27, the two chambers met, formed a conference committee and passed the $1.4 billion capital budget. Listen now
Ask a Climatologist: August is Alaska’s rainiest month
August is the rainiest month in Alaska. But how rainy? That depends on where you live. Listen now
Premera says ACA premiums to drop 22%
Finally, a bit of good news about Alaska's health care marketplace: Premera says premiums on the government-run exchange will decrease in 2018 by 22 percent. This is despite uncertainty about what the Trump administration might do as it administers Barack Obama's signature health care law. The rate could drop further still. Listen now
With cut after cut, state food safety inspections stretch years apart
Outside of Anchorage, the state's Food Safety and Sanitation Program is responsible for inspecting restaurants, pools, spas, tattoo parlors, food processors and other facilities. But after several years of state budget cuts, fewer inspectors are paying fewer visits -- especially to rural Alaska. Listen now
State Sen. Gary Stevens files to run for lieutenant governor
Longtime Kodiak resident Republican state Sen. Gary Stevens will run for lieutenant governor in 2018. Listen now
Revenue commissioner resigns to serve ministry
Randall Hoffbeck announced Tuesday he’s resigning as Commissioner of Revenue on Aug. 17, in order to return to the ministry. Listen now
Gray whale harvest on the Kuskokwim stirs up controversy
In Southwest Alaska, a tired crew of volunteers on Saturday night, dragged a large whale’s carcass onto shore near Napaskiak’s airport. The whale was grey, bloody and barnacled, and the men who set to work butchering it said it was at least 37-feet long. Residents are still distributing its blubber and meat, saying it will feed families throughout the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta for months. Listen now