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.”

Environmentalists Gather in DC to Protest Arctic Drilling

Environmentalists gathered today outside the Interior Department in Washington DC to deliver a message: don’t drill in the Arctic Ocean or Bristol Bay....
a person sits in a makeshift studio next to a mic in a bedroom

Recovering out loud: How one Alaskan created a podcast to support his sobriety and help others too

Through podcasting, music and story sharing, Ralph Sara is working to make people see that recovery from addiction is possible.

Exxon Valdez claim payments starting within a week

A federal judge in Anchorage today ordered the distribution of the first round of payments from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill punitive damages case. Jay...

Hoonah Policemen Killed; Suspect Barricaded Inside Home

Casey Kelly, KTOO - Juneau and Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska - Juneau The waiting continued in Hoonah, where a 45-year-old man barricaded himself inside his home...
a hotshot crew

Denali National Park closure continues as Outside wildfire crews arrive

Firefighters made progress Monday against the Riley Fire, but passenger trains to the park have been canceled and power in the area remains out.

Don Young: The man, the myth, the malapropisms

The Alaska congressman is remembered for his bombast but had a softer side, too.

Senator David Wilson says he’s not running for Lt. Governor, he filed by accident

On Wednesday, State Senator David Wilson filed a letter of intent to run for lieutenant governor. Later the same day, he amended that filing, saying he is not running. Listen now

Obama Does Seward

President Obama is flying to Dillingham and Kotzebue today. The White House says he’ll announce a new role for the Denali Commission in helping Alaska communities respond to climate-change impacts. Yesterday, Mother Nature indulged him with stunning fall weather in Seward. Download Audio:
A photo of mountains and the sky.

Senators reintroduce bill that would grant land to Alaska Native communities in Southeast

The bill would grant just over 23,000 acres of land that’s now national forest to each of the five new corporations.
an alaska state ferry

Alaska ferry system goes back to flat rates this winter

The Alaska Marine Highway System will put a winter pause on dynamic pricing, which increased ferry fares up to 50 percent based on capacity.

Redoubt volcano still rumbling, but so far no eruption

Redoubt volcano is continuing its grumpy behavior. Located 50 miles west of Kenai and 100 miles Southwest of Anchorage, Redoubt has been very active...

Legislators react to governor's gasline decision

The governor gave the legislature a lot to look at during the upcoming special session next month, and they're already talking about it. Dave Donaldson,...

Randall Hones Classic Technique in Preparation for Olympics

Anchorage cross-country skier Kikkan Randall just missed the podium in her first International race of the season. She placed fourth in the five kilometer skate...
signs on a door

Anchorage mayor loosens pandemic restrictions, plus adds incentive to get vaccinated

Embedded in the new emergency order is an incentive to get a COVID-19 vaccine: once 70% of eligible Anchorage residents are vaccinated, the restrictions become merely an “advisory” instead of law.
woman in striped jacket

Peltola floats bipartisanship as way out of House speaker morass but GOP still stalled by infighting

Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola said she doesn’t see a solution until Republicans reach across the aisle to elect the next speaker.
an oil and gas platform in the water

This oil platform stopped pumping 30 years ago. Alaska still won’t make the owner tear it down.

Owners can put off the costly process of tearing down the platforms using a strategy one critic calls “delay, deny and diddle around.” And in Alaska, the state has let them do it — for decades.

Parnell Announces Cruise Tax Plan

Governor Sean Parnell announced terms of his cruise legislation on Thursday. The bill includes a corporate income tax credit for cruise lines contributing...

Medicaid cuts, while aimed at access, still raise concerns

As Gov. Mike Dunleavy seeks to close a $1.6 billion budget gap, the administration looked to Medicaid, where it could cut a lot of costs: $249 million.

Delta is surging. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe

But if you're already vaccinated, how worried should you be? What new precautions are called for? Here's what to know about the fast-spreading variant and how to stay safe and protect others.