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.”

Murkowski and Sullivan strike familiar Alaska themes in response to Russian attack on Ukraine

Alaska’s U.S. senators renew calls to advance home-state priorities in response to Russia's war.
A blond sled dog lying on top of a plywood house on a chain

Can anyone beat Dallas Seavey? Top Iditarod mushers say they’re ready to try.

The five-time champ will have to defeat numerous top teams, including his dad's, if he wants to make history this year as the winningest Iditarod musher.
Sunrise over Cook Inlet

Homer man saved after clinging to ice chunk for more than 30 minutes in Cook Inlet

Jamie Snedden, 45, of Homer, was rescued Saturday near the community of Anchor Point on the Kenai Peninsula.
A health care worker holding a syringe

Pfizer vaccine’s protection against COVID wanes quickly in kids ages 5-11, study says

In all cases, the vaccine proved to provide strong protection against becoming seriously ill.
Don Young seated and looking to his left, at the camera

Don Young floats bill that would seize Russian yachts and merchant ships

Young’s proposal wouldn’t just require the seizure of pleasure yachts — it includes Russian commercial vessels as targets for seizure.
0224 Bragaw Extension_Bragaw and Northern lights intersection trail head

UAA says it supports the controversial Bragaw-Elmore extension

The University of Alaska Anchorage reaffirmed its support for the newly-revived Bragaw extension project on Friday. Meanwhile, other big employers in the area haven’t weighed in with full support of the highly controversial road.
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Army Alaska commander pushes to normalize mental health care amid a string of soldier suicides

The Army has confirmed that 11 Alaska-based soldiers died by suicide in 2021. The deaths of another six Alaska soldiers are under investigation.
a permanent fund seal in window

Alaska lawmakers urge divestment from Russian companies

The total value of the fund, at the end of January, was about $81 billion.

Major oil companies pull out of once-promising Russia

The announcements signal that even though Western countries have not sanctioned Russian energy companies, businesses no longer see operation in Russia as a safe investment.
Miss America(Emma Broyles) chatting with students at Service High School.

At spirited Service High homecoming, Miss America Emma Broyles highlights platform of inclusivity

“People tend to see a crown and a sash and they think, ‘Oh. She’s just a pageant girl,’" said Emma Broyles. "But I think it’s really important to show the world that I have so much more to say.” 

ExxonMobil joins business exodus from Russia after decades of close ties

The move comes as the global business community increasingly is moving to isolate Moscow over the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson speaking from behind a lectern

US Supreme Court nominee could be keynote speaker at Alaska lawyers’ convention

Before her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson committed to headline the Alaska Bar Association’s annual convention. 
President Joe Biden, seen from above and behind, delivering the State of the Union address

5 takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union address

Biden's first formal State of the Union address focused on Ukraine, inflation, the coronavirus pandemic and a four-point "Unity Agenda."
An Alaska Airlines flight comes in for a landing at the Juneau International Airport.

Alaska Airlines suspends partnership with Russian airline

Alaska Airlines said Tuesday it is temporarily suspending its partnership with Russian airline S7 over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A Ravn turboprop plane on a runway with mountains behind it

Ravn Alaska takes steps to make FlyCoin a viable cryptocurrency

The regional airline is working to make its reward credits redeemable for hard currency.
A black and white photo of a man pointing to a map.

Unsettled: A podcast examining the legacy of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

Fifty years ago, U.S. Congress passed legislation that permanently terminated Alaska Natives' land claims. On its anniversary, Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News, with Indigenous leaders from around the state as guests, examine the legacy of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and its impacts on subsistence, culture and the state's economy.
A moose stands in a snowy train track with a yellow train engine behind it

Hungry, angry and aggressive moose put mushers on high alert before Iditarod

Heavy rain and snow have forced moose onto dog trails resulting in several harrowing encounters.
A woman ina helmet and parka holds two dogs around her arms

‘He wanted death to occur’: Iditarod musher Bridgett Watkins recalls harrowing moose attack

Bridgett Watkins was training near Salcha when a moose attacked her team, stomping it repeatedly.

Nic Petit taps Jeff King for last-minute takeover of his Iditarod team after positive COVID test

Four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King says he took 30 minutes to think about it and then said yes.