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.”

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Evidence grows that vaccines lower the risk of getting long COVID

Being fully vaccinated seems to substantially cut the risk of later developing the persistent symptoms that characterize long COVID.
A woman wearing a white head scarf smiles at the camera.

ASD wants to increase diversity at its charter schools. Parents say transportation is a challenge.

Anchorage School District leaders say reaching out to underrepresented groups about optional programs is a priority for next year.
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Moderna wants the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 6

Moderna is hoping to get the green light to administer a pediatric, low-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to under 6 years of age.

What if we spring forward and never fall back? What permanent daylight saving time would mean for Alaska.

Alaska never got the full benefit — or paid a big price — for daylight saving time. The annoyance could soon end.
Four people stand at the front of a room for a press conference

Special election dates announced to fill Alaska’s sole seat in US House

There will be two special elections this summer to fill that vacancy: a special primary election by mail on June 11 and a special election to pick the winner on Aug. 16.
A snowy street neaer several bars

City of Nome pays $750K settlement and apologizes to woman after police mishandled her 2017 rape case

The city of Nome has settled a lawsuit with a former police dispatcher after officers mishandled her sexual assault report, her attorneys announced today. 
A Coast Guard member looks out the open door of a helicopter at a container barge surrounded by smaller vessels

Crews work to contain fuel spill after tugboat runs aground north of Sitka

The grounding ruptured one of the tug’s fuel tanks, which can hold around 13,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

Rep. Don Young to lie in state at US Capitol

A formal ceremony will be held with the Young family, which will be open to invited guests. Following the memorial service, there will be viewing open to members of Congress.
Gov. Dunleavy speaks from behind a lectern with health commissioner Adam Crum standing beside him

Governor announces official split of Alaska health and social services department

Under the change, there will be a Department of Health and a Department of Family and Community Services.
the port of anchorage in the evening

Anchorage mayor Bronson seeks to name Port of Alaska after late Congressman Young

Bronson says, considering the hundreds of millions in federal money that Young was able to secure for the Port of Alaska, an appropriate way to honor Young’s legacy in the state would be to name the port after him. 
A woman in a green jacket and a blue and white shoulder bag knocks at a door

Alaska is the only state to see a decline in median income in 5-year census survey

It was also the only state to see poverty levels stay about the same — all other states saw declines.

Don Young: The man, the myth, the malapropisms

The Alaska congressman is remembered for his bombast but had a softer side, too.
An illustration of a proposed micronuclear plant

House bill would streamline approval of small nuclear reactors in Alaska

There are no microreactors operating anywhere in the United States, but a few pilot projects are planned, including one at Eielson Air Force Base.
A section of gravel road that has slidden several feet below where it should be

Construction of a bridge across Denali Park Road landslide could start this year

Twenty-five million dollars in funding for the project comes from the federal infrastructure bill that passed late last year.

State leaders mourn the loss US Rep. Don Young: ‘Alaska’s Alaskan’

State leaders from across the political spectrum reacted with shock and sadness to the news of the death of Rep. Don Young on Friday. 
A man speaks at a podium

Alaska Congressman Don Young has died

Young, a former teacher, trapper and riverboat captain from Fort Yukon was first elected to Alaska’s sole U.S. House seat in 1973 and has held it ever since.
A building with a cement sidewalk marked as "emergency"

State fines Juneau’s Bartlett Hospital for COVID safety violations after whistleblower report

Hospital staff tipped off the state, leading investigators to find the city-owned hospital’s health and safety program inadequate. They issued more than a dozen citations.
a musher waves from the back of a sled on a snowy day

Two Iditarod mushers rescued from trail

Gerhardt Thiart and Bridgett Watkins were rescued and flown to Nome.
Students stand in a line in caps and gowns

Alaska Senate bill seeks to address low graduation rates by allowing tribes to set curriculum

Those who support Senate Bill 34 say it would lead to a drastic improvement in education for Alaska Native communities.

Black in Alaska explores life and identity | Alaska Insight

A new project called Black in Alaska seeks to present a more complete picture of the lives and professions of Black Alaskans, with the aim of creating a more equitable future. Lori Townsend speaks with advisory committee member Bernard Gatewood and André Horton, one of the series subjects.