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 woman speaks into a microphone.

Bill would draw funds for Alaska schools from Permanent Fund earnings, along with PFD

For some lawmakers, the primary use of the Permanent Fund earnings is clear: to pay PFDs. But other lawmakers say the fund can help settle one of the state issues that it’s been debating even longer than the PFD: how to pay for public education.
A windswept road

Trucks are traveling by river from Bethel to Napaskiak, but some dangers remain

There are cars and small trucks traveling on the frozen Kuskokwim River around Bethel, but don’t call it an ice road yet.
A bird flying through a clear sky.

Tule geese took the long way south from Alaska last year as fires ripped through the west

“Tule geese are among the first migrants to come down across the Gulf of Alaska toward California,” said a wildlife biologist. “So we watch with bated breath every year to watch them come down and see what they’re doing.”
The outside of a school in the snow.

State proposes an official end to TB screening in schools

The state health department says the school screening program hasn’t turned up a single case in years. But critics of the proposal question the plan because Alaska regularly tops the list of states with the most cases of the disease.
Two girls are sitting in front of a TV that says "Molly of Denali."

‘Molly of Denali’ episodes getting translated and dubbed in the Gwich’in and Koyukon languages

The "Molly of Denali" project is just one effort of Doyon Foundation’s language revitalization program, which works to preserve the ancestral languages of the Doyon region.
A man and woman stand on a boat in a harbor.

Meet Mary Jo Lord-Wild, Elfin Cove’s volunteer weather observer for nearly 50 years

It was 1971 when Mary Jo Lord-Wild stopped off in the small Southeast Alaska community of Elfin Cove to visit a friend.
A woman with blonde hair in a black sweatshirt.

‘So much hope’: Alaskans say peer support can make recovery possible

Peer mentors can now receive certification in Alaska to provide support for people in recovery from substance use and mental health issues.
Platters of food on a table.

Alaska Native hospital patients thankful for traditional foods program that serves up seal soup, agutuk and more

Alaska Native Medical Center's Traditional Native Foods Initiative was the subject of a recent story in The New York Times by Alaska writer Victoria Petersen.
People sit around a meeting desk.

Minutes before midnight, Anchorage Assembly unanimously passes budget restoring program funding

The Assembly’s version stands in contrast to the budget proposed by Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration. Two major sticking points include the funding of school resource officers and how funds from an alcohol tax will be spent. 
An illustration shows cartoon people around a cooked turkey and pumpkin.

Welcoming family into your home for Thanksgiving? Here’s how to keep COVID out.

Intergenerational indoor gatherings, a.k.a, Thanksgiving dinner, still pose a COVID risk to older adults and the immunocompromised. Here's how to keep everyone safe.
a crowded room of people and one person testifying

Conservative Alaska lawmakers hear from constituents about ivermectin, vaccine mandates, Fauci conspiracies

About 50 speakers shared stories of losing jobs because of COVID-19 vaccine mandates or having loved ones die from COVID while being denied unproven treatments.
a person sitting at a table

70 West Point graduates call on Alaska lawmaker to resign

Dozens of West Point graduates have demanded Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman resign from office over his ties to a right-wing extremist group, saying his affiliation has betrayed the values of the U.S. Military Academy he attended.
A man in a jacket stands in a museum.

Infrared photography reveals centuries-old formline paintings on Lingít bentwood boxes

“It just basically looks like a black surface on wood, and then these amazing images are able to be pulled out of it," said Haines Sheldon Museum collections coordinator Zachary James.
Two women take a selfie, both smiling.

Alaskans we’ve lost to COVID: Teresa Maria Pope, Chida-mom

More than 800 Alaskans have died of COVID-19 since early 2020. We asked readers and listeners to tell us about the lives of some of those people and they responded. 
mailboxes under snow at night

Alaska sees early cold snap, and it’s not going away anytime soon

Newsflash: It's cold. And those frigid temperatures aren't going away anytime soon.

Biologists’ report paints bleak picture of Dunleavy’s pitch to bring Sitka black-tailed deer to Mat-Su

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed bringing Sitka black-tailed deer to the Mat-Su to provide additional hunting opportunities. But, according to a report obtained by the ADN, state biologists say the project is likely to fail.
Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski speaking to the media

Alaska man pleads not guilty to threatening Sullivan and Murkowski

Jay Allen Johnson was indicted last week on six criminal counts — including threatening to murder a U.S. official, being a felon in possession of firearms, threatening to destroy property by fire and threatening interstate communications.
A comic looking at the history of vaccines in schools.

Should schools require the COVID vaccine? Many experts say it’s too soon.

School vaccine mandates have been around for two centuries, but they've always brought pushback.
A white sign that says "medics" with a heart and blue cross painted below it, pictured in front of a road and a hospital behind it

Alaska medical board gets earful from public over unproven COVID treatments, misinformation

On Friday, the state medical board heard an hour of passionate testimony, but it was split on whether the board should take any action against medical workers who were pushing unproven information on COVID treatment.
A man stands behind and counter and in front of skis.

Supply chain bottlenecks are holding up winter gear in Anchorage

Across Anchorage, with snow covering the ground and temperatures dropping, waitlists for fat-tire bikes and skis are common. The demand for winter outdoor gear is high.