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.”

a person at a gas pump

The Federal Reserve raises interest rates by the most in over 20 years to fight inflation

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point Wednesday, in an effort to cool off demand and lower inflation. Consumer prices have been rising at the fastest pace in 40 years.
Slushy and watery roads near a gas station.

Alaska House passes bill to suspend motor fuels taxes

The bill, which passed 36-2, next goes to the Senate, with two weeks left in the legislative session.
students sit at a graduation

State Supreme Court affirms Dunleavy decision that drained fund for Alaska college scholarships

The scholarship programs remain funded through at least June 30, and the budget making its way through the Legislature has money to fund the programs in the next fiscal year.
a person holds a sign that reads "abortion is basic healthcare"

Anchorage group rallies for reproductive rights in wake of Supreme Court leak

Roughly 200 people attended the rush hour reproductive rights rally Tuesday in the wake of the release of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that suggests justices are poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A car parked waiting for a Covid test at the former Golden Lion Hotel in Anchorage

Anchorage monoclonal antibody clinic under scrutiny for political donation and patient billing

Anchorage Assembly members and others have been questioning how WEKA got the deal with the city and why it charged patients hundreds of dollars per treatment session.

Anchorage used car dealership pays thousands in restitution for shady selling tactics

The state received complaints that Anchorage Auto Mart had sold vehicles without disclosing that they lacked valid titles or had reconstructed titles.

Murkowski says if draft opinion holds, it undermines her confidence in Supreme Court

Sen. Murkowski says if a majority of justices vote to overturn Roe v. Wade it shakes her confidence in the court.
Baby birds sit in a pile under a heat lamp

Alaska’s first case of highly contagious bird flu strain confirmed in Mat-Su chickens

State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Gerlach says the Mat-Su case confirms that migrating birds have brought avian influenza to Alaska.
Demonstrators carrying signs with slogans like "abortion is health care"

Here’s what could happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned

More than 20 states have laws that could restrict or ban abortion soon after the Supreme Court overturns Roe.

‘It’s destroying our cultural mission’: Alaska Native charter school struggles after losing its building

The Alaska Native Cultural Charter School moved into the upstairs wing of Bettye Davis East High School after ventilation inspections in 2021.
An outdoor sign reads: James M. Fitzgerald United States Courthouse & Federal Buildling

Jury convicts Alaska Nazi prison gang members in grim death

The gang operated inside and outside Alaska prisons.

Mayor of Pilot Station dies after falling through Yukon River ice on a snowmachine

Nicky Myers was a mayor, a deacon, a father, a grandfather, a husband, a firefighter and a search-and-rescue member.
An aerial photo of a river delta

Alaska’s isolated wetlands could soon lose their protected status

Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency could determine how much of Alaska’s wetlands are subject to federal regulation under the Clean Water Act.

Commencement ceremonies honor University of Alaska Anchorage class of 2022

More than 1,000 students are graduating from the Anchorage campus this year.

An Anchorage mosaic highlights the importance of mental wellbeing

Talking about mental health is hard, but it’s important for anyone who is struggling to know that they’re not alone. Alaska Public Media’s Adam Nicely brings us this story of an Anchorage community project with that goal, called Mental Health Mosaics.
a person sitting at a table

Alaska House Republicans remove Eastman from caucus

Minority Leader Cathy Tilton said informal polling of her caucus’ members showed more than two-thirds agreed to Eastman’s removal.
A preschool classroom with a few children sitting at tables

The pandemic erased a decade of public preschool gains

An annual review of state-based preschool programs found big drops in enrollment and state funding in the 2020-2021 school year.

Rep. Young’s Washington office, key to his brand, still stands. For now.

The bear, the guns, the heads — they aided his reputation for fierceness. Or, as some saw it, bullying.

Gov. Dunleavy calls for higher PFD, more savings during final weeks of legislative session

“In my discussions with legislators this year, they see the urgency and the need to make sure we get a PDF that’s pretty substantial,” he said.