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 sea otter pup found alone in Alaska has a new home at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium

He is Pup EL2306 — proper name to be determined — a sea otter found alone and malnourished and taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center.

Essential Air Service has friends in US Senate

Alaska is a big beneficiary of the Essential Air Service program, but Alaska’s congressional delegation isn’t the only one urging that the federal subsidy continue. Listen now

On Love, Adoption and Raising 3 Kids With FASD

Not many people wish to raise a child with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD. Diane Lohrey is no different. But when she and her husband adopted three children, all later diagnosed with an FASD, they accepted the hardships and the rewards. Download Audio

Christian, conservative groups organize to oust Supreme Court justice

A coalition of conservative and religious leaders has launched a campaign to oust an Alaska Supreme Court justice whose rulings they oppose.

Nature Conservancy Will Review Susitna Dam Studies

A worldwide environmental conservation group is becoming more involved in the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project. This summer, contractors working under the Alaska Energy Authority have been conducting 58 studies to assess the environmental impact of the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric project. Listen Now
A woman in a blue shirt feeds documents into a beige machien atop a table in an office.

Alaska’s ballot count continues, two House races shift

Democratic Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins took the lead in his race, while Liz Snyder cut Republican Rep Lance Pruitt's lead down to just 56 votes in a race that looks to be a nail-biter.

‘Uber for icebreakers’ idea gains traction

Money for a new polar icebreaker is caught up in the fight over whether to build a wall at the southern border. But there’s more than one way to break ice.

Attorney General Barr says ‘very basics of public safety are lacking in the villages’

The visit to Western Alaska continues Barr's tour of the state, meeting with public officials and Alaska Native leaders to discuss public safety, the lack of law enforcement in rural communities and how the federal government can help.

BP leak investigation led to shutdown of 5 more wells

BP was forced to plug five at-risk wells on the North Slope after investigating an oil leak that happened this April. Listen now

US House approves anti-Pebble amendment; Young votes no, defends permit process

The U.S. House voted 233-201 for an amendment that would block the Corps of Engineers from proceeding on a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine.
a seal

Environmental group plans lawsuit over 2 species of Arctic Alaska ice seals

The Center for Biological Diversity says the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to create recovery plans for ringed and bearded seals.
a house surrounded by the beginning of an approaching wave.

Dunleavy says state taking stock of damage as historic storm moves north along Alaska’s coastline

Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Saturday night that this weekend’s historic storm has impacted almost 1,000 miles of Alaska’s coastline.
sign in front of building that says: anchorage police department

More than 11,000 people’s personal information released in APD data leak

Since 2019, 11,402 people have had their birth dates and driver’s license numbers published accidentally, due to a glitch in the Anchorage Police Department records system, the department announced Wednesday.
vaping items

Alaska tobacco-control efforts get mixed reviews from American Lung Association

The state's lack of an e-cigarette tax is a problem according to the ALA, which is pushing for passage of a bill aimed at reducing youth vaping.

For Yukon-Kuskokwim elders, pandemic brings back memories of TB

Elders who have live through past pandemics shared stories about the dangers of not listening to health guidelines during pandemics.

Mandatory 24-Hour Rest Playing Into Race Strategy

Iditarod teams are making their way across the Interior region where the trail is soft, smooth and covered in snow – a far cry from the rough and rocky trail that took many mushers out of the race earlier this week. Download Audio

Permanent Fund Corp. headquarters to undergo $4 million renovation

The renovation will open up space. Some internal walls will be torn down. And the new space will let the corporation hire more workers, so more of fund is managed by corporation employees. Listen now
A black and white photo of barracks near mountains and water

Berries, wildlife and toxic land: The continuing push to clean up contamination in rural Alaska

When a string of Yup'ik elders from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, all received the same cancer diagnoses, officials initially shrugged it off as a bizarre medical mystery. But not long after, a different village reported an increase in unusual cancer symptoms as well.

Budget defers 5 jets, but Air Force general ‘excited’ for F-35s in Alaska

President Obama’s 2017 Air Force budget would slow the pace of buying F-35s, the new fighter jet slated for Eielson Air Force Base. But the Air Force chief of staff still speaks highly of the plan to keep them at the Fairbanks base.
A for sale sign in front of a white house.

Alaska’s pandemic housing boom driven by interest rates, tight inventory and shifting attitudes

The housing market’s upswing doesn’t account for thousands of Alaskans who are struggling to make ends meet.