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.”

Walker to add crime bill to October special session

A rise in crime in Alaska has led Gov. Bill Walker to seek a bill in the special session next month that would allow more jail time for some thefts and other crimes. Listen now

What can Kodiak teach the world about renewable energy? A lot.

It's a model with lessons for remote communities from the Arctic to the equator - and for cities on the big grids of the Lower 48, from New York to Houston. Listen now

Seismic work in ANWR: Can they do that?

The Interior Department is trying to let industry into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to conduct seismic exploration on the coastal plain. Is that legal? Listen now
people talk to staffers in windows at the PFD office

PFD announcement fanfare is gone as dividends are cut in half

If the state budget didn’t lower Alaska Permanent Fund dividends this year, they would have been among the highest in state history, at more than $2,300. Instead, they will be $1,100, deposited or mailed on Oct. 5. Listen now

Transgender troops: Sullivan says let them serve

The U.S. Senate passed an annual Defense bill Monday night that includes icebreakers and more missile interceptors, which Sen. Dan Sullivan championed. The bill does nothing to block President Trump’s effort to ban transgender people from the military, a ban Sullivan opposes. Listen now

Murkowski could swing Senate for latest ACA repeal

Defenders of the Obama health care law are applying as much pressure as they can to get Sen. Murkowski to vote no on the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. All eyes were on her at the Capitol Tuesday. Listen now

Walker administration appoints climate adviser, promises new policy “soon”

Nikoosh Carlo began work this month in a newly created position: senior adviser for climate. Listen now

Interior official says Trump administration has the ‘guts’ to allow oil exploration in ANWR

A top Interior Department official said kick-starting oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, is a priority for the Trump administration. Listen now

‘Vote no’: Left takes to TV and sky to reach Murkowski

Advocates are cranking up the pressure on Sen. Murkowski to vote against the latest health care repeal. A Palmer conservative urging a "yes" vote calls Murkowski "untouchable." Listen now

Budget glitch could leave ferries without funding

One Southeast senator said that the possibility that the Alaska Marine Highway System could shut down this spring is an intentional attempt to damage the ferries. Listen now

Significant layoffs hit ADN, with more changes ahead

As it struggles to emerge from bankruptcy under new owners, the state's largest newspaper has started making deep staff cuts. Listen now

Should independents be able to run in a Democratic primary?

A Superior Court judge is weighing how to define who is allowed to run the Alaska Democratic Party primary. The party wants to allow independent candidates to run in the primary without registering as Democrats. Listen now

Gov. Walker cites uncertainty over funding in opposing ACA repeal

Walker said he has spoken several times with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose vote could help determine the bill’s fate. Listen now

AK: $15,000 and 2,000 miles later, Kotzebue High volleyball players show Sitka their skills

Alaska’s high school sports teams spend a lot of time and money on travel. But $15,000 and 2,000 miles for a single trip? That’s unusual. Earlier this month the Kotzebue Girls Volleyball team travelled to Sitka to play Mount Edgecumbe and Sitka High School. Listen now

Gov. Walker pitches 1.5 percent income tax with a limit

Administration officials have a mouthful of a name for it: the “capped hybrid head tax.” It’s a flat 1.5 percent of wages and self-employment income, with a maximum of twice the value of that year’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. Listen now

The Alaska impact of ACA repeal bill? Depends where you look

Sen. Murkowski says her position on Graham-Cassidy will hinge on data showing how Alaska would fare. Consultants' reports vary wildly, but they all show a loss. And now it's not clear senators will vote on. Listen now

Cleanup indicates Valdez spill bigger than initially thought

According to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, approximately 400 gallons of an oily water mix had been recovered from the Port of Valdez as of Saturday night.

How much could electric vehicles put the brakes on Alaska’s oil economy?

As more people move away from gasoline powered cars, the big players in the oil industry have started to pay attention -- and that includes Alaska. Listen now

Valdez spill response continues as Alyeska investigates cause

Alyeska has ruled out a mechanical failure, but isn't ready to pinpoint human error during testing as the cause of the spill. Listen now

Even with repeal bill dead, Murkowski still not a firm ‘yes’ or ‘no’

The latest Senate effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is dead after too many Republicans declared they would not support the Graham-Cassidy bill. But, as of Tuesday evening, Sen. Lisa Murkowski still was not clearly saying how she would have voted on Graham-Cassidy. Listen now