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.”

On a cloudy, twilight winter day, an oil platform an be seen rising in the water.

Alaska sells eight oil and gas leases in Cook Inlet

An Anchorage-based company and a Texas-based company got bids for 21,000 acres of oil and gas tracts in Cook Inlet, the first time a company other than Hilcorp Alaska has won leases in a state sale since 2015.

Indian Affairs promised to reform tribal jails. NPR found death, neglect and disrepair

At least 19 men and women have died since 2016 in tribal detention centers overseen by the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs, including...

‘That’s the law’: Murkowski confronts BLM nominee about ANWR

Sen. Murkowski presses the nominee to head the BLM to agree that she must hold a second lease sale in the Arctic Refuge.

Park Service rangers describe troubling conduct as hundreds of climbers attempt Denali

Park Service rangers identified a number of concerns in a blog post on the Denali National Park website titled “Troubling Trends.” In the post, they cite several problems including inadequate experience, attempting to summit too quickly, and not fully appreciating the difficulty of climbing Denali.

Former Alaska Rep. LeDoux and her aide face new charges of felony voter fraud

LeDoux’s former legislative aide, Lisa Simpson, also faces two new felony charges, which could increase the pressure on her to cooperate with authorities in their efforts to convict her former boss.
A white woman in a pink coat speaks with a microphone

10 senators, including Alaska’s Murkowski, say they reached 5-year, almost $1 trillion infrastructure deal

A bipartisan group of senators is eyeing an infrastructure deal with $579 billion in new spending as negotiators try to strike a nearly $1 trillion deal on President Joe Biden’s top priority, according to those briefed on the plan.
A path leads through a dense forest.

White House moves to re-impose Roadless Rule for Tongass

The Biden administration appears poised to reinstate a rule dating back to the Clinton White House that prohibits new roads in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska.

Summer camp is back in session in Alaska, and demand is high

But holding summer camp this year isn’t without challenges: Many programs spent months writing and rewriting protocols to keep up with the evolving pandemic. And some, like Camp Fire Alaska, the state’s largest child care provider, are struggling with staffing.
A globe shows sea ice.

Pentagon ponders where to build new Ted Stevens Arctic Center. Alaska? Maybe.

The Pentagon is considering three cities for the center, named for the late Sen. Ted Stevens.
A man standing on ice holds up a long slab of baleen

With a haul of 11 whales this season, Point Hope gears up for Qaġruq festival

This weekend kicked off the Qaġruq Whaling Festival in Point Hope. Every year, people come from around the region for a three-day feast to celebrate the annual subsistence haul of the whaling season.

This year’s Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends would be $1,100 under budget compromise

This year’s permanent fund dividend would be $1,100 under a compromise budget proposal that the Legislature will vote on this week.

LISTEN: Alaska eating disorder experts see greater need for treatment, few options

That's according to recent reporting by Anchorage Daily News health reporter Annie Berman, who spoke to both providers and former patients who've battled with eating disorders in the past.
A white man with white hair sits at a desk and speaks

Credit rating agencies see improved outlook for Alaska, but note risks from budget uncertainty

As Alaska lawmakers decide what to do about the budget, one group that’s keeping an eye on the outcome are the agencies that rate the state’s ability to pay off its debts. And they say Alaska's rating is actually showing positive signs.
A large blue lake with mountains in the background

‘It’s just a very life-affirming story’: Witness describes campers helping Kenai bear attack victims

A man involved in the rescue said that two kayakers paddled 6 miles across Skilak Lake after being attacked and injured by a bear. He heard them scream for help as they pulled in.
An aerial photo of a lake

Fire crews respond in force to Loon Lake fire outside of Sterling

The Division of Forestry said it intends to fully suppress the fire and is attacking it with water drops and fire retardant. As of Monday afternoon, it had built 15 percent of a containment line around the fire’s perimeter.
A white man in a suit speaks at a podium

Bronson administration details plans for large, city-funded shelter in Anchorage

"This is a sea change,” said Mayor-elect Dave Bronson about the proposal, which for the first time would have the city pay for the construction and operations of a shelter that could house up to 1000 people.
A red arrow with the text 'vote here' and black letters saying 'polling place' are posted on a white fold out sign.

Voting rights bill seems doomed in Senate, without Murkowski on board

Lisa Murkowski is the most likely Senate Republican to be on board. She’s not.

Federal judge blocks Biden’s pause on new oil, gas leases

The Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water was blocked Tuesday by a federal judge in Louisiana, who ordered that plans be resumed for lease sales that were delayed for the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
a person in a suit speaking into a microphone

After bruising campaign, Bronson says he’s looking for common ground in Anchorage

After a fraught year and a contentious election, Anchorage mayor-elect Dave Bronson represents a return to conservative leadership in the city. A 30-year resident of Alaska who has never held elected office before, he’s described as sharp and principled by observers.
Two men stand looking at the camera behind a glass door

Anchorage government forgot to budget money for its mayoral transition. Now that’s being fixed.

Up to now, mayor-elect Dave Bronson's transition team was relying on volunteer labor and donated supplies. Members even brought in printers from home.