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.”

Fauske resigns as president of state gas line corporation

Dan Fauske has resigned as president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation. It follows other recent changes at the corporation, which is responsible for Alaska's share of the proposed $45 to $65 billion project to bring natural gas from the North Slope.

Chugach tree fulfills holiday destiny on Capitol lawn

A 74-foot tree cut from the Chugach National Forest near Seward nearly a month ago arrived at the U.S. Capitol today. It’s the first time the Capitol Christmas tree has come from the 49th state, and it had an entourage. Download Audio

Skipjack tuna, other warm-water fish turn up in Alaska

It’s unclear whether a developing El Niño in the equatorial Pacific is partially responsible for this year’s wayward skipjack. Download Audio

Totem pole returns to Southeast after 84-year journey

A Tlingit totem pole has returned to Prince of Wales Island after a more than 5,000-mile odyssey to Hollywood, Honolulu and back home.

FDA OK’s engineered salmon; lawmakers seek mandatory labels

It’s the announcement the Alaskan salmon industry has long feared: The FDA approved an application for genetically engineered salmon, declaring the product as safe to eat as natural salmon. Critics, including Alaska’s congressional delegation, are considering their next steps. Download Audio

Necropsy elucidates cause of Katmai brown bear death

A lab has identified a possible cause of death for one of the two brown bears that died in front of the high-traffic bear cams in Katmai National Park last month. Download Audio

Alaskan serves up her own brand of backcountry grub

Growing up in Bird Creek, Heather Kelly learned all about the challenges associated with carrying your own food into the backcountry. After studying sports nutrition Outside, Heather returned to Alaska to launch her own line of dehydrated backpacking food. She recently held a local tasting event as a fundraiser aimed at expanding her business.

FDA approves genetically engineered salmon

In a blow to Alaska’s salmon industry, the Food and Drug Administration announced this morning it has approved genetically modified salmon, finding it is as safe to eat as natural salmon. It's the first GM animal approved for human consumption in this country.

Sitkans gather for edible celebration at Wild Foods Potluck

Every year, the Sitka Conservation Society hosts a Wild Foods Potluck. It’s an edible celebration of all that can be picked, plucked, hunted, fished, grown, and gathered in Sitka. This year, over 150 people attended and brought dishes. Download Audio

Congressional delegation says no to Syrian refugees

Alaska’s congressman and U.S. senators are among the chorus of political leaders calling on President Obama to suspend his plan to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees. Download Audio

Moccasins take over social media for ‘Rock Your Mocs’ 2015

November is Native American Heritage Month, and people across the world are celebrating on social media with an online event called Rock Your Mocs.

Walker sacks DOC commissioner after scathing report

An investigation into the state's Department of Corrections finds numerous problems that have contributed to dozens of recent deaths within Alaska's prisons and jails. Download Audio

Railroad hopes Congress fixes expensive math gaffe

The Alaska Railroad has a lot riding on a highway bill pending in Congress. The railroad CEO says he hopes it will fix a technical mistake in a 2012 law that has shortchanged the Railroad $3 million a year. Download Audio

Haines distillery finds its niche with tasting room, bang-up cocktails

The Port Chilkoot Distillery was brewing hooch before it opened a tasting room -- and one of its owners was influential in convincing the state to let distilleries do so. A year after their tasting room opened, it's become a community hub... where cocktails pack a uniquely Alaska punch.

No suspects in West Juneau double murder

The Juneau Police Department is treating two deaths discovered in a West Juneau condo on Sunday afternoon as a double murder -- with no suspects.

Proposed min. student rule could close schools in Nome, Diomede

To receive state funding, Alaska schools must have a minimum of 10 students. A new proposal could raise the minimum to 20, or even 25 students, in an effort to slash state spending. If passed, the legislation could close around 60 schools statewide, including several in western Alaska.

Walker’s appointee for top DC job: No one

Last month, Gov. Bill Walker fired the director of his Washington, D.C. office and two associate directors, giving them 30 days notice. At the time, Walker’s spokeswoman said a new appointment was imminent. Now, though, Walker says he’s decided to leave the top job in D.C. empty. Download Audio

Juneau artist Crystal Worl honored at VP Biden’s house

Juneau artist Crystal Worl was one of five Native artists from around the country to show their work at Vice President Joe Biden’s house last month. Worl was commissioned to design a print for the U.S. State Department’s Arts in Embassies program. Download Audio

‘My Degeneration,’ Peter Dunlap-Shohl illustrates Parkinson’s

If you read the Anchorage Daily News from the early '80s to 2008, you will remember the work of cartoonist and graphic artist Peter Dunlap-Shohl. And if you've been wondering what he's been up to since he left the ADN, it's a story of daunting health challenges, admirable determination and a new book. Download Audio

With suitcases full of salmon, Ketchikan couple heads to Oman

A Southeast Alaska commercial fishing couple is headed to Oman, on the southern Arabian Peninsula. They’re taking about a hundred pounds of frozen wild Alaska salmon with them on a diplomatic trip to share American culture, Alaska seafood and small business management techniques.