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 man sits behind a table covered in ivory earrings for sale.

Artisans returning to Cama-i say it’s a ‘breath of fresh air’

Not having the festival the last few years was tough on vendors, especially as the pandemic made it more difficult to get materials. The return feels like a relief.
Mature woman sleeping on bed at home

Sleeping with even a little bit of light isn’t good for your health, study shows

Just a night or two of exposure to faint light is enough to raise your pulse and increase insulin resistance — factors that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, researchers find.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks with reporters inside the Division of Election office in Anchorage

Murkowski says she’ll support Jackson for US Supreme Court

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she wants to reject the “corrosive politicization” of Supreme Court confirmation.
A young man dances seated while several dancers stand behind him on a stage.

Chefornak dancers honor loved ones at this year’s Cama-i Dance Festival

The Cama-i Dance Festival returned to Bethel last weekend after two years on hiatus due to the pandemic. For dancers from the village of Chefornak, it was a chance to finally honor loved ones lost over the last few years with neighbors from around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
a field of solar panals

It’s not too late to stave off the climate crisis, U.N. report finds. Here’s how.

The good news is that the world has solutions and technology to slow climate change. The bad news is that time is running out.
a woman in a crowd

Trump endorses Palin in bid for Alaska’s sole US House seat

This is the third time Trump has issued an endorsement in Alaska races.
A dog stands with its paws on a counter. A glass of beer sits on the counter.

Overhaul of Alaska alcohol laws makes progress in Legislature

This year, the most controversial provision has been one that limits the number of tasting rooms for breweries, distilleries and wineries. Right now, there can be one for every 3,000 residents. Under the new law, there could only be one for every 12,000.
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Efforts to ban books jumped an ‘unprecedented’ four-fold in 2021, ALA report says

The American Library Association says that this year there have been more challenges to books than they have seen since they started tracking it in 2000.
children dancing on stage

How Yup’ik dance returned to Napaskiak after a 70-year absence

Some Yup’ik dance groups are just beginning to dance together again after two years in the pandemic. The village of Napaskiak remembers a much longer period without the drums.
A tall snowy mountain, its peak peaking out through the clouds.

Utah climber fined, banned for making false rescue claim

A Utah physician was fined and banned from climbing Denali for five years after he made false claims to get himself and his friends rescued off the mountain.

Hundreds gather at Anchorage Baptist Temple to remember the late Congressman Don Young

The more than 500 attendees included Don Young’s family, plus many current and former politicians and Anchorage Baptist Temple’s religious leaders.

Anchorage residents rally for police accountability, 3 years after APD killing of Bishar Hassan

“For me, it was receiving energy from the community," said Abdira Haman, a relative of Hassan's. "I see that motivation, courage and power, that I realize that the community, they are with us all the way.”
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at the 2016 Politicon at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, June 26, 2016. (Creative Commons photo by Gage Skidmore)

Sarah Palin among 50 candidates running to fill remainder of Don Young’s term in US House

Palin joins more than 50 other people who have filed to represent Alaska in the U.S House of Representatives.

Alaska Airlines asks passengers to brace for more cancellations as pilots picket Anchorage airport

Nearly 100 pilots picketed at Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport on Friday over contract negotiations with Alaska Airlines.

How Basketball brings communities across Alaska together | Alaska Insight

Across the state, basketball serves as a healthy outlet for teens and a source of pride and socialization for communities in the winter. Lori Townsend speaks to players about the important cultural role basketball serves in rural communities in particular.
a hand singing in papers

How the most affordable student loan program failed low-income borrowers

Income-driven repayment plans were intended to help low-income student loan borrowers, and eventually cancel their debt. New documents paint a breathtaking picture of the program's failure.
A blue building with a water tower that says 'palmer'

What’s wrong with the word ‘colony’? Here’s what’s behind a Palmer festival’s name change controversy.

After the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce announced its decades-old summer festival Colony Days would be renamed the Braided River Festival, public backlash led to a reversal. Some tribal advocates of the new name say angry residents missed the point.
the tail of an Alaska Airlines plane

Alaska Airlines cancels dozens of West Coast flights as pilots picket

More than 100 Alaska Airlines flights were canceled by the airline, including 66 in Seattle, 20 in Portland, Oregon, 10 in Los Angeles and seven in San Francisco.
a person administers a vaccine to another person

Second boosters available as BA.2 omicron variant spreads

People over 50 and immunocompromised people can receive a second booster four months after their first booster. Pfizer and Moderna boosters are available for those who received a Johnson and Johnson first dose or booster.
A shopper in a supermarket dairy aisle

Food prices are going up — and at levels Americans haven’t seen in decades

As for take-out or dine-in menus, the USDA said those prices are predicted to go up between 5.5 and 6.5% for the remainder of this year.