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.”

Syringes sit on a table with peple standing in the background out of focus

Alaska will prioritize people 65 and up for next round of COVID-19 vaccine, breaking from federal guidance

The state of Alaska is asking frontline essential workers, teachers, prisoners and others in high-risk settings to wait until those elderly Alaskans can be vaccinated first.

Rep. Young issues call for unity before swearing in Pelosi as House speaker

"I will be honest: I do not like what I see," Young said. It's time we hold hands and talk to one another."

Senate heads toward veto override vote, with both Alaska senators on board

The Senate has begun deciding whether to defy President Trump. The veto puts Republicans in a tough spot.
A woman talks on a video chat.

Protestors go to the homes of Anchorage mayor, assemblyman

A small group of people protested from their cars outside Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson’s West Anchorage home Tuesday night, the Mayor's office confirmed.

Here are the 2020 stories that drew the largest audiences online

Our site had 10.1 million users over the last year and much of that audience was drawn by reporting that helped readers navigate the changes to public life that came with the pandemic as well as unique stories about Alaska life and politics.
A drawing of a woman wearing red speaking at a podium with a stylized eagle behind her

Google taps Tlingit artist for Doodle honoring Alaska Native civil rights icon Elizabeth Peratrovich

If you need to Google something on Wednesday, you might see a familiar face.
A man pulls in a net frm a boat

Alaska salmon see record low returns, few bright spots in 2020

While Bristol Bay’s run exceeded 50 million fish for the sixth year in a row many other parts of the state were far below their forecasts.
The Seawolf logo outside of the University of Alaska Anchorage Student Union.

UAA ski team has raised funds to save itself, but uncertainty looms for hockey and gymnastics

The University of Alaska Regents gave all three sports an ultimatum in September: Raise enough money to cover two years of operating expenses, or face permanent elimination.
A satelite image with the red outline of Alaska.

Bering Sea storm could set low pressure record

The storm will likely spare the populated Aleutian Islands, but climate scientists say tracking the data is important for studying the effects of climate change.
Gwennie’s Old Alaska Restaurant is empty on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. The normally busy dining room was shut down on Monday to comply with the city's new order.

Anchorage acting mayor to ease COVID-19 restrictions beginning Friday

Bars and restaurants will be able to reopen to indoor service at 25% capacity starting New Year’s Day.
A white coast guard boat with an overlay of some details about its construction

Trump’s defense veto could sink Sitka’s Coast Guard dock

President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act has put Sitka’s plans for a new Coast Guard fast-response cutter on the rocks.

Young joins Democrats to nix Trump’s veto of defense bill

The U.S. Senate is expected to join the House, turning the bill into law. Both Alaska senators say they'll vote to override the veto, too.
A hibernating arctic squirrel

If ground squirrels can hole up for months without starving or losing muscle, why can’t we?

A new study from the University of Alaska Fairbanks uncovers how arctic ground squirrels recycle nutrients to stay healthy during their long hibernations.
Blue-green lake surrounded by mountains from the air

One man dead, another missing, in Chignik Lake boating accident

One man died and another is missing after a boat capsized in Chignik Lake Saturday afternoon, according to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers.
America's Best Value Inn and Suites

Anchorage retracts plan to buy hotel for homeless shelter

The city announced the change on Wednesday involving its plan to purchase the Americas Best Value Inn & Suites property because of the “costly repairs and mandatory upgrades” the refurbishment would entail.
A white woman in a blue fleece stands on the beach in front of some mountains

‘It shook us to the core’: Haines author Heather Lende on grief and recovery after deadly landslides

Bestselling author Heather Lende, who lives in and writes about Haines, says it may be a while before her hometown’s shattered sense of safety can heal.
Red coronaviruses float around

Statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations drop

Experts worry of a post-holiday spike in cases, but Alaska's case rates have been declining for several weeks.
A river and mountains.

Alaska’s state development corporation approved to spend up to $20M on ANWR oil leases

It’s a controversial move, and a way for the state to secure drilling rights in the coastal plain in case no one else bids on the leases.
correctional complex

Number of unsentenced Alaskans behind bars climbs under COVID-19 court, prison constraints

Jury trials remain suspended, and many people have no idea when they will get their day in court. Plus, defense attorneys say their inability to meet with clients put a damper on resolving cases through plea deals.