News

A group of tribal and government officials from King Cove are back from a week of lobbying in Washington, D.C. -- and they’ve come home with a new assignment. Download Audio

The House Finance Committee has proposed an increase in education funding of about $300 per-student over three years. Download Audio

Alaska fish are being tested for radiation contamination from Japan’s leaking Fukushima Nuclear energy plant. The power plant was damaged during an earthquake three years ago and continues to releases radioactive water into the sea. Download Audio

Year-to-year forecasts of summer Arctic Sea Ice extent aren’t reliable. That’s according to a report out from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. But A two-day workshop that starts Tuesday in Colorado will focus on ways to improve sea ice extent predictions. Download Audio

The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the globe. As temperatures increase, permafrost melts, releasing carbon dioxide, and the growing season lengthens, absorbing CO2. Download Audio

A bike share business plans to start operating in Fairbanks this summer. “Fairbikes” owner Jennifer Eskridge previewed what’s planned for the North Star Borough assembly last week. Download Audio

With salmon fishing just a few short months away, the Federal Subsistence Board will consider a special action request to limit king salmon harvest in the Kuskokwim drainage to federally qualified subsistence users. Download Audio

Alaska's Health Insurers Call Marketplace Enrollment Figures Disappointing; Feds Ask King Cove to Weigh In on Road Alternatives; Panel Proposes More Education Money, Pension Fix; Alaska Native Languages Bill Clears Final House Committee; FDA Adds Alaska Salmon Testing To Radiation Monitoring Program; Study: Forecasts For Summer Arctic Sea Ice Lack Reliability; Study Says Melting Permafrost Emitting More Carbon Than Tundra Can Offset; ‘Fairbikes’ To Open In Fairbanks; Board to Review Proposal Limiting King Salmon Fishing to Federally Qualified Subsistence Users; April Fools: Balloons Are Future Of Brown Bear Relocation Download Audio

Amid controversy over whether the non-residents can legally serve on state commissions, the Speaker of the Alaska State House is proposing a policy change that explicitly carves out an exception for the board that could oversee development of a natural gas pipeline.

The 2012 annexation of Nushagak Bay into the City of Dillingham has been overturned by the local Superior Court Judge. Download Audio

An ordinance now before the Matanuska Susitna Borough Assembly would allow the Borough to pay for advertising to influence voters in the case of state ballot propositions. The ordinance comes at a time when an upcoming state ballot is expected to put a number of controversial issues before the voters. Download Audio

The 2014 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery is over. The 48 permit holders caught the last remaining fish in this year’s harvest limit – and then some – in a wild 45-minute opener Saturday afternoon right in front of downtown Sitka. Download Audio

Monday is the deadline to sign up for health insurance and avoid a penalty under the Affordable Care Act. Insurance is available through multiple sources, from private carriers to publicly funded providers like Medicaid. But Alaska is among many states that have so far declined to expand Medicaid, and it’s created a coverage gap. Download Audio

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly has approved an up to $7.5 million line of credit for the Interior Gas Utility. The loan fund is for the borough created IGU to begin preliminary work on local gas distribution piping in anticipation of LNG being trucked to town from the North Slope via the state’s Interior Energy Project. Download Audio

Two bills dealing with Alaska Native issues got different receptions from members of the Legislature on Thursday. At least three House lawmakers were skeptical of a bill that would make 20 Alaska Native languages official state languages. About an hour later, they joined the rest of their House colleagues in voting unanimously for a bill honoring the late Rev. Walter Soboleff. Download Audio

The Katie John lawsuit over subsistence fishing rights is finally over. The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will not review a lower court’s decision to leave standing federal rules that provide a rural subsistence priority on 60% of Alaska’s inland waters. Download Audio

Landmark Subsistence Decision Stands; Judge Overturns Dillingham’s Annexation Of Nushagak Bay; Fish And Wildlife To Review Southeast Alaska Wolves; Mat-Su Considers Ordinance Allowing Borough To Pay For Ballot Proposition Ads; Herring Seiners Hit Target – And Then Some – In Quick Saturday Opener; Feeling Left Out: The Health Insurance Gap In Alaska; Fairbanks Approves Credit Line For Interior Gas Utility; Bills Addressing Alaska Native Issues Get Mixed Reception Download Audio