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 sign says "Kenai Fjords National Park"

Visitors to Alaska’s national parklands pumped $2.3B into the state’s economy, report says

Tourism to national parks in Alaska has rebounded from pre-pandemic levels after three years of lower numbers.
a plane wing

Investigators to examine wreckage of fatal plane crash near McGrath

The pilot, 58-year-old Cary Foster, was very familiar with the area where the crash occurred, investigators say.
images of a backpack on a fence

Here’s what we know about the suspect in Trump’s apparent attempted assassination

Ryan Wesley Routh's digital footprint paints a picture of a disillusioned former Trump voter who took up an impassioned defense of Ukraine.
Alaska Public Media reporters Liz Ruskin and Eric Stone speak with host Lori Townsend at a desk.

Voters share their top priorities ahead of November | Alaska Insight

Alaska Public Media reporters are engaging with voters across the state to hear about the issues that matter to them.
a building

New supportive housing opens for elders experiencing homelessness in Anchorage

The supportive housing complex is a collaboration between Providence Alaska, Southcentral Foundation and other community partners.

Alaska’s U.S. Attorney under scrutiny in disgraced federal judge’s sex scandal

S. Lane Tucker, who was overseeing the prosecutors involved in the scandal, was also seeking a federal judgeship for herself.
ASD Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt speaking during a school board meeting on June 4, 2024.

Anchorage School District to release multi-year school closure plan next month

School administrators say fewer schools are needed due to declining student enrollment.
farmers in a field

Climate change makes farming easier in Alaska. Indigenous growers hope to lead the way.

A new training program aims to help Alaska Native communities grow more of their own food.
the Alaska Supreme Court

Alaska Supreme Court rejects Democrats’ attempt to remove candidate from U.S. House ballot

Eric Hafner will appear on the ballot alongside Democrat Mary Peltola, Republican Nick Begich and the Alaskan Independence Party’s John Wayne Howe.
Blue police lights.

Woman fatally struck by SUV. She is the 4th pedestrian killed in Anchorage this week.

The woman was hit Friday while crossing Minnesota Drive in Spenard.
a destroyed house

String of fatal landslides forces Southeast Alaska to reckon with risk

The string of recent deadly slides is changing the way people look at their surroundings and plan for the future in a changing climate.
tents

Inside Graphite One: A look at Alaska’s largest graphite deposit

During a tour of the project's camp near Nome, officials discussed their plans to extract a key element in making electric vehicles.
tourists

Sitka tourism documentary ‘Cruise Boom’ to debut on PBS

A documentary examining the impact of cruise tourism's explosive growth in Sitka will debut this weekend on national television.
an empty Ravn alaska counter

Ravn pulled out of the Aleutians in August. Here’s how residents are coping.

Regional airline Ravn Alaska announced recently it was stopping service to the Aleutian Islands. That means there are limited options for travel in the region.
a case file

Alaska Supreme Court considers legal challenge to imprisoned out-of-state Democrat’s U.S. House run

A lower court dismissed the Alaska Democratic Party's lawsuit on Tuesday, but the party was granted an emergency appeal.
three people stand next to giant vats of water

How a California county got PFAS out of its drinking water

Water utilities across the country will have to comply with EPA limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water by 2029. Orange County got a head start.
A woman wearing a purple shirt and pink glasses.

Anchorage community activists vent and try to find consensus on policing reforms

At a community meeting, there was collective interest in civilian police oversight and funding for special mental health crisis teams.
a grocery store

Inflation falls to its lowest level in more than 3 years. Here’s what that means.

Consumer prices in August were up 2.5% from a year ago — the smallest annual increase since February 2021.
a building

Alaska is facing its highest rates of whooping cough in more than a decade

Rates of whooping cough have reached epidemic levels in Alaska, according to the state epidemiologist.
a voting station

Anchorage judge rules that imprisoned Democrat will remain on Alaska’s U.S. House ballot

The decision, which will be appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, said Eric Hafner is qualified to run but not to take office.