News

All news stories, regardless of topic (local, statewide + national news stories, as well as Talk of Alaska, Alaska News Nightly, Alaska Insight, Alaska Economic Report). Some news stories may also have other categories marked, which will also put them on a subpage. Not all news stories will fall into a subpage.

a portrait of a man in glasses

Biden nominates Alaska scientist as nation’s first Arctic ambassador

Mike Sfraga is the chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
a group of people play pickleball outside

Pickleball could be part of Juneau’s new commitment to better serve its older population

Last week, Juneau joined a program that commits to making the city more livable for seniors.
a person launches a big white balloon

Airborne ‘low speed clutter’ not National Weather Service’s fault

The U.S. military started tracking more airborne objects it calls "low speed clutter" after shooting down a Chinese balloon. Weather forecasters know how to stay out of the way.
a statute outside

Alaskans will no longer need college degrees for most state jobs

Future job postings will list relevant experience that can substitute for college degrees when reasonable, according to Gov. Mike Dunleavy's order.
Governor Dunleavy peeks through a door with a man in a suit in the foreground

Alaska joins lawsuit that would take the abortion pill off the market

The pill would be taken off the market if the judge sides with the plaintiffs.
a man outside with a sign that says Micciche Borough Mayor

Micciche has commanding lead in Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor’s race

Peter Micciche previously served as mayor of the City of Soldotna and was most recently president of the Alaska State Senate.

Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, February 14, 2023

North Slope groups make the case for the Willow drilling project as the Biden administration considers approving it. Also, Alaskan scientists are still cut off from Russian colleagues, and research is suffering. And chickpea water as a cookie ingredient? Cooks experiment with egg substitutes.
An aerial view of one of the exploration pads and wells that ConocoPhillips drilled during the 2018 exploration season at its Willow prospect.

Biden administration can’t have it both ways by shrinking Willow project, Murkowski warns

Alaska’s U.S. senators say half measures won’t suffice as they push for ConocoPhillips’ drilling proposal in the western Arctic.
a woman holding a pillow near her face

Teen girls and LGBTQ+ youth plagued by violence and trauma, survey says

Nearly one in three girls reported seriously considering suicide in the past year – a 60% rise from a decade ago, according to the CDC survey data.

Talk of Alaska: Cultivating Healthy Relationships

So much of our human experience is shaped by the people around us, especially by the people we love, or that we think we love, or that maybe love us? Relationships of all kinds can be complicated, even if they are healthy. During this Talk of Alaska, we’re exploring what it looks like to have a healthy relationship with someone, romantic or otherwise, and how it can improve our lives.
a group of children outside of a building

Juneau preschoolers ask legislators to ‘have a heart’ for kids this session

The cards featured photos of the kids at school, with construction paper hearts and handwritten signatures.
William Wells, about to launch a weather balloon on St. Paul Island, Alaska. (KUCB/John Ryan photo)

Alaska weather balloons are key in predicting snow’s fluffiness

As weather watchers will tell you, the snow's fluffiness matters, and predicting it depends on weather balloons.
a building with a sign that says Kenai Police Department

Kenai man turns himself in after strangling friend in local hotel, charges say

A Kenai man faces murder charges after confessing to killing a Sterling woman in a local hotel, according to the Kenai Police Department. Thirty-year-old Nicolas...
sailors recover balloon

Still no answers on mysterious object shot down off Alaska’s north coast

The White House says recovery efforts for debris from all four objects shot down continued Monday.
bouquets of red roses

20,000 roses, inflation and night terrors: the life of a florist on Valentine’s Day

It's the biggest day of the year for the $8 billion global flower industry, but it's not all that profitable. Why? Blame the roses.
a group of people sit around a table in a meeting room

Alaska legislators begin drilling into governor’s underground-carbon plan

State lawmakers need to hire new independent advisers because their usual firm was plucked by Gov. Dunleavy’s administration.
sailors recover balloon

Alaska News Nightly: Monday, February 13, 2023

Sen. Dan Sullivan asks for more transparency from the White House on the object shot down off Alaska's coast. Also, more Alaskans are having their food stamp benefits restored, but the long backlog continues. And lawmakers welcome valentines from kids, with a message on the education budget.
a man at a white house podium

U.S. defends decision to shoot down 3 unidentified objects

The weeks-long succession of objects has puzzled American officials and stirred curiosity around the world.