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.”

babies

Homelessness and other stressors linked to Alaska’s continued surge in syphilis at birth

Ten 2023 congenital syphilis cases were reported in infants “born to women who experienced complex and substantial barriers to prenatal care.”

Gov. Dunleavy’s State of the State addresses resource development, education

Gov. Mike Dunleavy implored Alaskans and lawmakers to capitalize on the state’s natural resources in his annual State of the State address Tuesday. 

Alaska Legislature takes up bill to restore pensions for public employees

A proposal to revamp the retirement system for Alaska’s state and local government employees is scheduled for debate in the state Senate this week.

Protestors rally for school funding increase outside Alaska State Capitol

Hundreds of protestors gathered in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday to call for an increase in education funding. 
a collision

Anchorage’s C Street reopens in Midtown after vehicle fatally strikes pedestrian

Police say the man was crossing outside a crosswalk Tuesday when he was struck between West Fireweed Lane and West Northern Lights Boulevard.
a white raven

Anchorage’s white raven becomes a local legend as a tracked trickster

The rare leucistic bird has its own pararazzi in Alaska's largest city, with local photographers flocking to sightings reported online.
a fire

Chevak hardware store and corporation headquarters lost in fire

Residents who live in about a dozen homes were evacuated to the local school after the Monday blaze, which partially knocked out local power.
paratroopers

Alaska’s Army division to stage major training exercise near Fort Greely

The exercise, scheduled for Feb. 8 through Feb. 22, will send military convoys to and from Fort Greely on the Parks and Richardson highways.
the State Office Building

High job vacancies in Alaska state agencies can reduce services and lead to burnout

An average of about 14% of Alaska state jobs are unfilled.
A man carries a sled full of shovels in winter.

Alaskans see bitter cold, record-breaking snow and a winter defying El Niño predictions

Temperatures neared 60 degrees below zero in the Interior, Southeast saw record-breaking snowfall, and Anchorage has had a taste of it all.
a sonar image

Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane possibly spotted in the Pacific by exploration team

The discovery could solve the mystery of Earhart's disappearance with aviator Fred Noonan over the Pacific Ocean on a 1937 flight around the globe.
a ferry ramp

Proposal to put slot machines aboard Alaska ferries gets rough first reception

Gambling would be allowed only when ships are more than three miles off Alaska’s coasts, something already allowed aboard cruise ships.
Donald Trump

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit seeking to bar Trump from Alaska election ballots

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Joshua Kindred, appointed by Donald Trump, cited technical issues with the lawsuit's filing.
a man

Demand for minerals sparks fear of mining abuses on Indigenous peoples’ lands

Demand for lithium and other rare metals is soaring. But more than half of these mineral projects are on or near the lands of Indigenous peoples.
committee hearing testimony

Bill backed by Southeast communities would tighten hunting and fishing license residency requirements

Backers of the measure say it would close a loophole that makes it difficult for state wildlife troopers to prosecute nonresidents who obtain the cheaper resident licenses.
Pete Kaiser

Pete Kaiser wins his 8th Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race title

Kaiser arrived in Bethel at 9:25 a.m. Sunday, after distancing Matthew Failor and Travis Beals in the final hours of racing in frigid temperatures.
A woman wearing a beanie and blue coat shovels her driveway.

Overnight snow dump closes Southcentral Alaska schools, sets Anchorage seasonal record

More than a foot of snow blanketed Anchorage during Sunday night's storm, with snowfall set to taper off Monday and give way to subzero cold.

Psychedelic medicine task force would lay groundwork for therapeutic use in Alaska

The task force would look at the role psychedelics could play in addressing Alaska’s mental health crisis.
mushers

The 2024 Kuskokwim 300 is expected to be cold, but it certainly won’t be the coldest

Deep in the race archives, there’s a story about a race so cold it froze a half gallon of rum.
Newtok

‘Inequitable and inefficient’: New report criticizes feds’ climate change response system

For the dozens of Alaska Native communities weighing relocation because of climate change, the path forward isn’t clear.