Top Stories

A trip to the coast usually means you’re going to see sea stars, but a mysterious disease is killing them along the West Coast. There had been a few reports of sick sea stars in Alaska, but recently in Sitka, the first mass die offs in the state were detected. Scientists in Sitka are tracking the progress. Download Audio

A banner advertising drink specials alongside the AFN logo attracted attention on Thursday, when it was hung up at McGinley’s Pub in sight of the convention entrance. Download Audio

Late last week, U.S. Senate Candidate Dan Sullivan took his campaign to Bethel. The challenger to Senator Mark Begich, who, if successful, may be the Senator that tilts the power balance in the Senate from Democratic to Republican. Download Audio

The 40-odd residents of False Pass have waited years to find out if their turbulent seas could ever be used as a source of energy. And they may finally have an answer -- and a path to renewable power. Download Audio

It seems to be fairly universal that everyone is growing weary of the constant barrage of attack ads. To help us lighten the mood a bit as we race to the November 4th finish line, KSKA’s Dave Waldron found a way to bring levity to the attack. Download Audio

Same-sex marriages are legal again in Alaska. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the state a stay, which would have halted the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples until the 9th Circuit Court heard the state's appeal early next year. The governor's office is continuing with the appeal. Download Audio

Residents from the coastal village of Kongiginak, in Southwest Alaska, rallied against nature to clear the way for a barge, carrying a load of heating fuel and gasoline earlier this week. Freeze-up has already started along the coast. Download Audio

Conducting research at sea in Arctic, ice-filled conditions is a tricky endeavor, requiring a host of high-tech gear. But, on the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ new, ice-capable research vessel Sikuliaq, at least one piece of equipment dates back generations. Download Audio

After a federal judge decided Sunday that Alaska's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, the State of Alaska started accepting applications for gay marriages this morning. But the state's Attorney General is asking for a stay on that legal decision, which would put a hold on actually issuing any licenses. Download Audio

Everett Semone of Shageluk was arraigned on murder charges at the Bethel court this afternoon. He is accused of killing his parents with an ax in the village of Shageluk earlier this week. Download Audio

Legos—the small, colorful plastic blocks—have grown into the most common place toy in the world, with more than 5.2 million manufactured every hour. And they are not purely for toy-stores and playroom carpets anymore. A new exhibit at the Anchorage Museum focuses on Lego fine arts, and how the building blocks fit in with Alaska's own artistic traditions. Download Audio:

People here in Alaska and in much of this part of the Northern Hemisphere will get a chance tonight to see a total lunar eclipse, weather permitting. It’ll be another appearance of the so-called “Blood Moon.” Download Audio:

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen has traveled to some of the most remote regions of the globe to document the effects of climate change. He has plunged into icy water and floated on sea ice to photograph sea mammals that rarely encounter humans. Nicklen worked as a biologist in Alaska before becoming a professional photographer. He says his love of the Arctic developed as a kid, growing up in a tiny arctic village on Baffin Island in Canada. Download Audio

Author Seth Kantner has published his first children's book. Pup & Pokey tells the story of a wolf pup and a young porcupine that strike up an unusual friendship. Kantner chose first time illustrator Beth Hill to bring the characters to life. Hill worked out of her home in the village of Kokhanok on a tight deadline, producing oil paintings that took two weeks to dry for each illustration. Download Audio: 

Alaska writers and naturalists Richard Nelson and Hank Lentfer are nearing the end of a two-year project recording the "Voices of Glacier Bay." The project is a collaboration between Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, University of Alaska Southeast and Cornell University, which houses the world’s largest collection of natural sounds. Nelson and Lentfer hope to change how others experience the world through a dimension beyond what we can see. They want us to listen and listen closely. Download Audio:

Four people were safely evacuated from a drilling platform in Cook Inlet that caught fire Thursday morning. Download Audio

Federal health officials announced today that the first case of Ebola has been diagnosed in the U.S. in Texas. The patient, who traveled from Liberia, is being treated in isolation at a hospital in Dallas. Public health officials in Alaska are prepared to respond if Ebola arrives in the state. Download Audio: