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 family

Make-A-Wish sends Shishmaref boy’s family to Disney World

Ten-year-old Owen Ningeulook suffers from aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that results in low red blood cell counts.
boats

Kuskokwim River search continues for missing ATV rider near Bethel

Troopers say another rider traveling behind the man Friday reported seeing tracks leading into a hole through ice on the frozen river.
a city council

Inspired by Anchorage, Palmer to weigh new process to oust mayor, council members

The rule would allow the council to remove the mayor or council members for “violations of public trust."
a poster

Sexually transmitted infections top Alaska’s annual disease list, reflecting high rates

Alaska has some of the nation's highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the state's annual infectious disease report.
A man waving a sign.

Election update: Begich declares victory, margin for ranked choice repeal now under 900 votes

“Alaskans have spoken,” Begich said. “It will be the honor of a lifetime to have the opportunity to serve as your voice in Congress.”
two people walk outside near a camp

‘One person at a time’: Anchorage’s new HOPE team aims to boost outreach to the city’s homeless population

The team pairs an Anchorage Police Department officer and a social worker, and works to connect homeless people with resources and assistance.
a woman

Memories, stories and family heirlooms make the final move from Newtok

The Newtok Village Council has decommissioned the village, deeming it too unsafe to live in.
a tree on a truck

Ketchikan sends off the first Capitol Christmas Tree to come from the Tongass

The tree made a pit stop in Ketchikan as it began the long journey to Washington, D.C., drawing a huge crowd of onlookers.
Pilot Station

Former Pilot Station mayor pleads guilty to felony election interference

Arthur Heckman Sr. admitted Thursday to concealing municipal ballots and directing officials to not hold an election.
a man at a podium

Trump picks North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department

Burgum ran in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. He then became a vocal supporter of Preesident-elect Donald Trump and was shortlisted for the GOP vice presidential nomination.
A police car marked as Anchorage Police.

Man dies in early-morning Muldoon shooting

Police say the man was found shot in a vehicle early Friday off Muldoon Road. Medics tried to save his life but declared him dead.
activists

Trump wants to ‘Drill, baby, drill.’ What does that mean for climate concerns?

President-elect Donald Trump wants to increase oil and gas production and roll back the Inflation Reduction Act.
A man in a plaid blue and orange shirt stands outside.

Meet the new head of the UA Center for Economic Development

Jared Reynolds says the state’s biggest economic challenges are infrastructure and a lack of affordable housing.

Former Alaska tribal health care executive quietly resolves criminal case

Kevin Gottlieb and two other dentists agreed to plead no contest to a misdemeanor count of medical assistance fraud.
people with fiber on a vessel

Underwater internet fiber cables bring Bethel a step closer to faster, cheaper internet

After more than two years of planning, branching underwater internet cables have reached their resting place on the seafloor between Dillingham and the mouth of the Kuskokwim River.
a barn on a frosty morning

Traffic and access concerns loom over gravel pit proposed for a historic Mat-Su dairy site

The new 153-acres gravel pit would sit on Havemeister Dairy property off the busy Bogard and Engstrom roads.
birds fly by a mountain

Biden administration gives support to controversial land trade in Alaska wildlife refuge

A land swap would allow for a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge that supporters say King Cove needs; opponents say it would be ecologically ruinous.
yogurt on a shelf

Fed up with high prices? Here’s where things stand with inflation.

Inflation remains substantially lower than it did during its 2022 peak — but Americans are still frustrated with high prices.

Trump’s pick for attorney general isn’t a ‘serious candidate,’ Murkowski says

A spotlight will be on Lisa Murkowski as a GOP senator who could block Trump's agenda. The Gaetz nomination offers a preview.