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 ship in the water

US and Russian scientists are still working together to solve salmon mysteries

Tensions continue to simmer in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the United States and Russia are still working together on at least one issue: salmon.

Russia’s war strains Arctic Council; 7 member nations call Ukraine attack ‘flagrant violation’ of council values

It’s an unprecedented development for the Arctic Council. It formed in 1996 with the idea that the Arctic should be a zone of peace and cooperation. Now, Russia's war in Europe is spilling over into the region.

People harm themselves to cope with big emotions. You can help them heal.

Self-harm is a coping mechanism and a call for help. It can also be extremely hard to talk about.
A man with two flags behind him

Gov. Dunleavy directs state to take steps to divest from Russia

Dunleavy also requested further actions from the federal government and Alaska businesses and individuals. 
A younger woman and an older woman stand behind a counter surrounded by photos and decorations

Anchorage restaurant Mexico in Alaska celebrates 50 years

81-year-old owner Maria Elena Ball changed the Mexican food game in the young state of Alaska, and she’s got no plans to retire.
A man in a fuzzy orange hoodie and a mustache kneels next to a dog, petting it

This Eagle River nurse has seen a lot of trauma this year. His Iditarod quest has helped him cope. 

Matt Paveglio will start the Iditarod after watching dozens of patients die during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also had to bury his mother.
A blue carpetted hallway leading into several rows of wooden brown desks

Alaska lawmakers back call to supply military aid to Ukraine

The measure was approved on a 34-1 vote. The lone dissenting vote came from state Rep. David Eastman, a Wasilla Republican.
A masked woman sitting at an office desk

Millions of relief dollars are finally on the way for Alaska’s child care centers

The state of Alaska received nearly $100 million last year to support the ailing child care system, but by the end of the year, the state had distributed only about 5% of it.
two husky dogs

The 2022 Iditarod starts this weekend. Here’s what to know.

The race, in some ways, is back to normal: Mushers are again dashing 1,000 miles to Nome.
Television host talks to guests via Zoom.

Mushers celebrate the 50th running of the Iditarod | Alaska Insight

The five-decade history of the Iditarod is a story filled with adventure, skill, triumph and lots of change, and it's best told by those who have experienced it, firsthand.
a dog in a snowy dog yard

Iditapod: Iditarod gets back on track

Iditapod is back for the 50th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Host Casey Grove and fellow Alaska Public Media reporters Tegan Hanlon, Lex Treinen and Jeff Chen discuss last year's pandemic-altered Iditarod, some of the mid-distance sled dog races this season, as well as COVID-19 protocols (and already a scratch/switcheroo), scary moose encounters and the heartwarming story of an unlikely Iditarod dog.

‘Out of the Wilderness’ chronicles Papa Pilgrim’s abuse, his daughter’s escape and her journey to forgiveness

The oldest of 15 Pilgrim family siblings, Elishaba Doerksen, has written a book, "Out of the Wilderness," in which she details her father's abuse and explains how she escaped from him despite being shuttered away in the wilderness near McCarthy.
people hold up signs that spell out "VOTE"

Unlimited: Floodgates are open for campaign cash in Alaska

You can now give unlimited funds to state and local candidates in Alaska.
a person in a blue jacket and a dog in the background

Alaska musher Dallas Seavey on brink of becoming Iditarod’s best ever

Win or lose, this year’s Iditarod across Alaska will be his last — at least for a while.
A man with a light blue parka holds his arms up as he stands on a sled in heavy snow. A nother man in a fur-ruffed parka sits on the sled in front of him and crowds watch on the sidelines.

Iditapod: A joyful, more normal Iditarod start

The 2022 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off Saturday in Anchorage with its usual fanfare, after not holding a ceremonial start in 2021. Alaska Public Media reporters Casey Grove, Tegan Hanlon, Lex Treinen and Jeff Chen were out in the snow with the mushers, dogs and race fans, including plenty of kids and other trailgaters.
A man in an orange parka sits on a sled next to a truck

The race is on: Iditarod teams hit the trail in Willow under clear skies

Some mushers worried about the heat for their dogs as warm temperatures heated the snow.
An aerial view of a crowd of people with snowmachines gathered in a remote spot on a frozen lake

5 survive plane crash near Iliamna

A plane carrying five adults crashed about eight miles southwest of Iliamna around 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Alaska House Finance Committee members review documents during public testimony on the committee's draft budget on March 4, 2022, in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska. Pictured are Reps. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer; Adam Wool, D-Fairbanks; Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage; Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River; Neal Foster, D-Nome; Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan; and Bart LeBon, R-Fairbanks.

Alaska House committee drafts budget with $2,500 total for PFD and energy relief check

The budget proposal unveiled on Friday by the House Finance Committee would spend over $4 billion in state funding to run state government. That’s $148 million more than Dunleavy proposed.