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.”

Alaska-based vets reflect on Afghanistan, resurgence of Taliban

The withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan has been watched closely by veterans of the 20-year war, who’ve expressed a range of emotions and opinions as the Taliban have once again swept into power.
A person with glasses, a pink and blue collared shirt, and a t-shirt that reads "PROTECT TRANS KIDS" sits on the edge of a bed.

A Bethel social worker rewrites their own story as they help queer youth find peace and belonging

LGBTQ+ youth face high rates of suicide, self-harm and housing instability. But an organization in Alaska called Choosing Our Roots is helping them find safe homes.
a man holding a seafood box

Qawalangin Tribe donates food boxes in Unalaska after tough subsistence season

The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska donated $22,000 of food to tribal members on Sept. 7, in the form of 22-pound boxes of frozen sockeye salmon.
HAARP's antenna array

HAARP campaign’s projects range from Jupiter to the moon

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is operating the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program facility, or HAARP, for 13 projects this month.

Suspect admits to guilt over Facebook Live after Anchorage homicide

Suspect appears to have posted a video to social media just after the homicide at a busy intersection near downtown Anchorage.

Gov. Dunleavy postpones budget signing, signals support for two more vetoed programs

Gov. Dunleavy has reversed himself and declared support for subsidized broadband internet for rural libraries and a free service allowing online tutors for students. The governor had previously vetoed the $809,200 in funding.

Fairbanks Borough Not Commenting on Former Mayor’s Claims

Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC The Fairbanks Borough is not weighing-in on the claims of its former mayor, Jim Whitaker, that Senate candidate...

AK: Garrison Keillor’s Sitka pen pal

With a new year often comes the resolution to be well. Do good work. Keep in touch. Sound familiar? That’s the famous outro to the daily “Writer’s Almanac,” hosted by legendary writer and radio host Garrison Keillor. He visited Alaska last year on a cruise and made a pit stop in Sitka to visit a pen pal. Because it turns out, when it comes to resolutions, Keillor is good on his word. Listen now

Mine opponents ask SEC to investigate Pebble’s parent company

Two groups allege Northern Dynasty Minerals has described a massive deposit to potential investors while Pebble's permit application describes a mine barely a tenth that size.

Congress takes up reform of 19th century mining law

The U-S Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has begun a series of hearings on how to go about reforming the 1872 Mining Law...

Miller Continues to Pull Ahead After Murkowski Concedes

Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate Joe Miller pulled further ahead of incumbent Lisa Murkowski today as the Division...
Two silhouetted figures in the distance around some lakes with mountains in the background

Drilling boosters, opponents consider next steps after first Arctic refuge lease sale

Not many companies showed up to the first-ever oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But still, about a half-million acres were picked up, mostly by a state-owned corporation.
Lisa Murkowski giving a remote address

Murkowski, Peltola tell ComFish more needs to be done about ‘crisis’ levels of species decline

The lawmakers discussed the challenges faced by Alaska’s fishermen in a remote address to Kodiak’s annual commercial fishing trade show.

Murkowski: DC Not Helping Fix Economy

Senator Lisa Murkowski on Thursday gave her annual report to the state legislature,   focusing on the national economy and pointing at what she...

Two lawsuits challenge NPR-A lease sale

Environmental groups filed separate lawsuits Friday challenging the federal government’s December lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Listen now

EPA funds for Native water projects could disappear under Trump administration

The White House wants to eliminate Environmental Protection Agency funds for water projects in Alaska Native villages. That’s according to a story in the Washington Post Wednesday (March. 1). It said the Trump administration’s plans for the EPA budget also include trimming grants to states by 30 percent and eliminating climate-change initiatives. Listen now
An Alaska woman holds a possum by the back of its neck as terrified New Yorkers in a bar look on.

When a possum walked into a Brooklyn bar, Sara Fulton said, ‘I’m from Alaska. I got this.’

A viral video of Fulton, who's originally from Anchorage, shows her grab the possum by the neck and release it, safely, outside on a sidewalk.

Delta variant arrives in Y-K Delta with high percentage of breakthrough cases

Health officials continue to sound the alarm about the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country and in Alaska.

Crew of fuel plane reported fire just before fatal crash near Fairbanks

Federal officials say the two people aboard the cargo plane reported the fire moments after takeoff and requested to return to the Fairbanks airport.

Federal Highway Bill Gets Another Extension

Congress couldn't agree on re-authorizing the highway act.  It melted down in the House, which just couldn't agree to get behind efforts by House...