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.”

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

Preventing human trafficking of homeless youth by building connections

Young people who are homeless in Alaska are at high risk for human trafficking, but there are ways to prevent the problem. Listen now

AK: New book of poetry explores indigenous thought

Juneau poet Ishmael Hope has released his new book of poetry titled “Rock Piles Along the Eddy. KTOO’s Scott Burton spoke with Hope and brings us this preview of the new collection two years in the making. Listen now
An oil rig in the water in the distancee

Cook Inlet oil and gas lease sales set for June

The federal government this week announced it’s holding an oil and gas lease sale for over a million acres in Cook Inlet this June. Listen now

State House, Senate call for each other to give ground, Walker hopes for compromise

Talk on the first day of the legislative special session focused on whether the House and Senate can compromise on a plan to balance the state’s budget in the future. Listen now

$50 million budget cut latest indicator of waning support for state gasline project

The head of Alaska’s Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) is in China this week, working to attract buyers and woo investors into supporting a state-run LNG export project. Meanwhile, political support in Alaska for the ambitious project is waning. Listen now

Uber, Lyft could be back in Alaska by June

The state House and Senate have both passed bills that allow Transportation Network Companies to operate, which means the controversial businesses could open up shop in Alaska as early as June. Listen now

Interior nominee sees ‘clean slate’ on land in trust

Tribes that want to place land in federal trust are still waiting to see how the Trump administration will treat their applications. The nominee for deputy Interior secretary suggests history won't be any guide. Listen now

Special session to begin Thursday after lawmakers fail to compromise

Gov. Bill Walker called the Alaska Legislature into a special session starting Thursday.

Young OK with special counsel, rues ‘media hype’

Alaska Congress Don Young says it's fine with him that the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to investigate Russia's role in the 2016 election. "This is all media hype," Young said. Listen now

Legislature approves all but one of Walker’s cabinet picks

The Alaska Legislature approved 101 of Governor Bill Walker’s appointments yesterday – and voted down one. The only rejection was of Fairbanks resident Drew Phoenix. Listen now

After stern state letter and a loss, lone Anchorage pot club closes

From the beginning there were disputes over the Pot Luck Event's legality. The final straw was a cease-and-desist order from state regulators, and the passing of the club's founder, just days apart. Listen now

Sullivan calls for White House ‘discipline’; Murkowski mulls special prosecutor

Both of Alaska's U.S. senators say they're concerned by reports that President Trump shared classified intelligence with top Russian officials in the Oval Office. Sen. Sullivan said it would help if the president stops the morning Tweets and focuses on the goals that got him elected. Listen now

Sullivan discusses broad spectrum of topics with statewide listeners on Talk of Alaska

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan spoke on Talk of Alaska Tuesday morning about a broad range of topics, from national news stories in the headlines to regional issues facing the state. Listen now

Senate sends oil tax credit overhaul back to the House

With the end of session looming, Alaska’s Senate passed its version of an oil tax credit reform bill on Monday. Listen now

Less sea ice means shorter hunting season for polar bears and scientists

Scientists travel into the Arctic every year to study polar bears. It helps them estimate the population. But this year, they had to cut that research short. Melting sea ice is making the task a lot more difficult. Listen now

In first townhall in Interior Alaska, crowd engages with Sullivan

Senator Dan Sullivan said he’s looking forward to being briefed on the firing of FBI Chief James Comey this week. Sullivan said the Assistant Attorney General will talk with the entire Senate. Sullivan’s remarks were made at his first Town Hall meeting in interior Alaska Friday. Listen now

Time pressure makes special session likely

The Alaska Legislature is scheduled to end its session Wednesday, under a deadline set by the Alaska Constitution. But that doesn’t mean its work is over. Listen now

DJs discuss the sound of the Arctic at NxN festival

On the tail of the Arctic Council meeting in Fairbanks last week, the Anchorage Museum hosted a multi-day series of events focused on the high north, including artists, academics and policy-makers. Listen now

Alaska tourism rates at an all-time high last summer

According to a report from the Alaska Tourism Industry Association, the state had 1,857,500 visitors last summer -- that reflects a four percent increase since the previous year and the highest amount on record. Listen now