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.”

This weekend, Ryan Zinke makes inaugural Alaska visit as Interior Secretary

Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke is visiting Alaska this weekend. Listen now

AK: Fire investigators train to determine how blazes begin

When a fire breaks out, it’s not always obvious how it started. Not only could the entire structure be wiped out, but items that started the fire could be partially destroyed or altered beyond recognition. That’s the job of the fire investigator: interview witnesses and find clues at the scene that would help them determine how the fire started. Listen now

Per diems driving special session costs

The cost to taxpayers of going past the 90-day legislative session set by state law is roughly $1 million – and rising. Listen now

House and Senate disagree on much, but agree on using computer model

Many things divide the Alaska Senate and the House about the future of the state’s budget. One thing that can unite them is the numbers they use to determine how big of a hole in the budget they have to fill. Listen now

Young joins Afghanistan war skeptics in Congress

Rep. Don Young wants to know why Americans are still fighting in Afghanistan. He has co-sponsored a bill that would end funding for the war in a year, unless the president and Congress affirm the need for it. Listen now

Many GCI customers will see internet bills go up

Many customers of Alaska telecommunications company GCI will see the cost of their internet service increase next month. Listen now

220 Anchorage teachers receive layoff notices

Two-hundred-twenty teachers in the Anchorage School District on Wednesday received layoff notices. The pink slips were issued as legislators contend with a $2.5 billion budget deficit, leaving education funding levels for the coming year uncertain. Listen now
A redish brick building

No legislative action on special session’s seventh day

There were no committee meetings and only technical floor sessions in the Capitol on Wednesday, the seventh day of the Alaska Legislature’s 30-day special session. Listen now

He’s back: Former Gov. Murkowski pitches Alaska-Canada rail link (again)

Frank Murkowski is again pitching a rail link between Canada and Alaska, an old idea the former senator and governor worked on when he was in office. Listen now

Sea lion feeding hot spots have reliable, not necessarily abundant, food

New research could help wildlife managers better protect declining Steller sea lion populations. The study looks at why sea lions zero in on specific hunting hotspots. Listen now

JPD sends Capitol slap case to Office of Special Prosecutions

The Office of Special Prosecutions now has the case in which a state senator is accused of slapping an Alaska Dispatch News reporter in the state Capitol. Listen now

For the sake of the herring egg harvest, Sitka Tribe calls for smaller fishery

A decades-old debate is gaining traction over the stability of Sitka’s herring population. Listen now

3 things for Alaskans to know about Trump’s budget

President Trump is proposing to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. He's also proposing cuts that will fall hard, particularly on rural Alaska. Listen now

Cape Greig walrus are back, ADF&G plans changed fishery boundary again

Last year thousands of Pacific walrus unexpectedly showed up at Cape Greig north of Ugashik Bay, delighting sightseers but complicating fishing and shipping in the busy fishing district. When they left in the fall, biologists were not sure if they would be back the following summer or not. Listen now

Ask a Climatologist: The early arrival of ‘peak summer’ in Alaska

If you imagine a chart, 'peak summer' is the top of the annual temperature curve or the warmest part of the year. In Interior Alaska, that peak happens much earlier than most of the rest of the country. Listen now

House passes bill intended to curb opioid overdose deaths

The House passed a bill Monday intended to reduce the number of deaths from overdoses of prescription opioids. Listen now

Progressives make voices heard at Sullivan town hall

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan held a town hall meeting in Anchorage Saturday. The event drew hundreds of left-leaning constituents and they were not quiet. Listen now
An oil platform in ocean

Hilcorp will assess Cook Inlet gas line after “permanent” fix

Hilcorp operation managers were in Kenai Friday to speak at an Alliance luncheon. Cook Inlet Offshore Operations Manager Stan Golis updated the pro-oil industry group on recent oil and gas leaks. Listen now

Rally urges lawmakers to preserve state education funding

More than 100 people, many clad in rain jackets, braved a cool, overcast Saturday morning, and gathered in midtown Anchorage's Cuddy Midtown Park, urging lawmakers to support public education funding. The senate is proposing a $65 million cut to education, while the house wants a slight increase. Listen now

Police Memorial Day in Fairbanks pays tribute to last year’s fallen officer

Today is Police Memorial Day, and a ceremony to remember law enforcement officers in the state who have died in the line of duty, was held in Fairbanks this morning. Listen now