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When you think of Buffalo Soldiers, does Alaska come to mind? Probably not. But the African American units formed in the 19th century before the US military was de-segregated are a part of Alaska’s history – specifically, Skagway’s history – during the days of the Klondike Gold Rush.

In the most recent issue of The New Yorker, Alaska writer and longtime former ADN reporter Tom Kizzia looks back at the debate over offshore drilling in North Slope communities. Kizzia visited Point Hope to report on how climate change is affecting the region’s twin pillars: oil development and subsistence hunting.

A large crowd of Anchorage residents gathered in a popular park that recently saw a double murder to question the mayor and police chief about crime.

A series of predator hunting restrictions for national wildlife refuges in Alaska took effect on Tuesday.That same day, Governor Bill Walker revealed that the state is organizing a lawsuit against the federal government to resist the new rules.And Alaska’s congressional delegation is looking for ways to reverse the changes as well.

The state approved its first licenses for commercial cannabis businesses Thursday, a major step for prospective retailers hoping to open shop before year's end. Officially, the state's first shop to be approved was Fairbanks' Frozen Budz. The first for Anchorage is called Enlighten Alaska, located in Spenard.

The outcome of the disputed primary contest between Representative Benjamin Nageak and Dean Westlake is uncertain. Whoever wins, it may unsettle what’s been a unique tradition in Alaskan politics.Democratic legislators have a long history of joining Republican-led legislative majorities.

APD says the KingFish cell tower imitator was used only around a dozen times, and discontinued more than a year ago.Listen now

A man at the Wildwood Correctional Complex died by apparent suicide Tuesday afternoon, though his death is still under investigation.Listen now According to a State Trooper dispatch, 30-year-old Walter Shade of Soldotna was arrested and sent to Wildwood Pre-Trial Facility on September 1 for stealing $3,000 worth of tires from a store earlier this summer.

When foster youth are admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Alaska against their will, they can stay there for up to 30 days without judicial review. Two tribes are arguing that's too long. The Office of Children's services says a judge shouldn't have to sign off at all on keeping kids at North Star Hospital. The court battle has lasted over two years, and a judge will hear more oral arguments later this month. Listen now

A Skagway shop owner was found not guilty of misrepresenting Native produced art in federal court on Friday. Listen now

Tuesday marked the 200th day in a row of above normal temperatures for Alaska. Even in a string of unusually warm years for the state, that's a remarkable run. Listen now Brian Brettschneider is a climatologist in Anchorage who closely tracks Alaska climate data and trends. Alaska's Energy Desk is checking in with him regularly as part of a new segment, Ask A Climatologist. Brettschneider says the daily average statewide temperature is based on an index of 25 cities across Alaska.

Cannabis industry supporters want the courts to demand the Mat-Su Borough remove a voter initiative from the October Borough ballot.Listen now

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that most humpback whales will come off the endangered species list. And that means some whales that spend time in Alaska. Listen now

A shake-up this afternoon in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race: Fairbanks attorney Joe Miller announces he will challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski after all. Listen now

The magazine Marie Claire sent a team of journalists and fashionistas to the Mendenhall Glacier in the summer. The story that appeared in its September issue is called On Thin Ice: Can the Fashion Industry Help Save the Planet? But as first reported in the Juneau Empire, the magazine got a couple of key things wrong. Listen now

From underneath the roads to inside our homes, insulation is everywhere in Alaska. But traditional foam board is energy intensive to produce and often ends up as plastic litter in oceans and waterways. A group of researchers at the University of Alaska Anchorage are working to develop an environmentally friendly alternative. Listen now

A new report shows more fish are moving to Arctic waters. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management teamed up to create the inventory, which describes more than 100 species of fish found in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas — including 20 species new to the region.

Members of the One People Canoe Society will travel this week from Alaska to North Dakota to paddle in protest over a controversial pipeline. Listen now

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has released a report listing 15 water systems in Alaska that contain lead levels above the federal limit, and the City of Seldovia is among them.