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 man in a suit speaks in a microphone.

Alaska U.S. House candidate Begich gets Freedom Fund endorsement

Nick Begich III gained the endorsement of the House Freedom Fund. He says he's not sure he'd join the hard-right caucus if elected.
a cruise ship

Rogue waves can strike without warning. These scientists found a way to predict them.

Scientists have created a new tool that can give 5 minutes advance warning of a dangerous rogue wave in the ocean.
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.

Ballot initiative to move Alaska Legislature’s meetings clears early hurdle

After the sponsors get some official documents, they’ll have one year to collect more than 28,000 qualified signatures to put the question to voters in 2020.
A yellow rig leaves a harbor under snow-covered mountains

Shell files offshore drilling plans for Alaska’s North Slope

The company asked the state to validate its exploration plan for five years, which is expected to provide sufficient time for the company to secure a partner and analyze the area’s development potential.

Bristol Bay’s sockeye run is already the biggest on record

Bristol Bay’s 2022 sockeye run is now the biggest on record: 69.7 million fish have returned this summer.

Von Imhof to Anchorage School Board: Dunleavy ‘budget bomb’ unlikely, but expect cuts

Anchorage Republican Senator Natasha von Imhof told the Anchorage School Board Monday night that districts should expect less funding next year, but not at the level proposed by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

READ: The Mueller Report, with redactions

Attorney General William Barr has released a redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election to Congress and the public.

Report Shows Sea Ice May Recover if Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced

Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage Reducing greenhouse gas emissions could go a long way toward saving the world’s polar bears. That’s the conclusion...

Two Towns Anticipate Fresh Water Market

Ed Ronco, KCAW – Sitka & Alexandra Gutierrez, KUCB – Unalaska In rapidly expanding nations like India, Pakistan and China, disputes are heating up...

Legislative leaders aim for session end in days, not weeks

A major piece of the end-of-session talks is a bill to draw from Alaska Permanent Fund earnings to pay for state government. The conference committee on Senate Bill 26 is scheduled to meet Saturday. Listen now

Tugboat carrying over 300 gallons of oil sinks in Sitka

A tugboat with more than 300 gallons of oil aboard sank Thursday night in Sitka. Listen now

Haines Pot Grower Proposes Cannabis Exchange In Light Of New Law

In Haines, the borough assembly has decided to wait until the state finalizes legislation before taking any action on local rules on marijuana use and sales. But some residents aren’t waiting on the legislature. Download Audio
a person smiles while holding a sign that say "Forrest" on a snowy day. Others behind him wave and hold signs that say "Forrest Dunbar - Assembly - dedicated leadership"

More results are in: Most Anchorage incumbents maintain lead, school bonds now narrowly failing

The gap also widened for the only incumbent losing his race so far. Assemblyman John Weddleton is now 347 votes behind Randy Sulte.

AG Issues New Ethics Regulations

Attorney General Daniel Sullivan this week issued new regulations making mostly procedural changes to the Executive Ethics Act.  Most of the changes reflect...
a building

Supreme Court denies stay; same-sex marriages can continue in Alaska

Same-sex marriages are legal again in Alaska. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the state a stay, which would have halted the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples until the 9th Circuit Court heard the state's appeal early next year. The governor's office is continuing with the appeal. Download Audio
Skyview Middle School

Charges: Ex-Kenai borough employee took secret photos of women, girls at school pools

Soldotna man Isaac Davis, 33, was arrested for allegedly taking illicit photos and videos of a minor at the Skyview Middle School pool in Soldotna and a woman at his home.
the Northwest Arctic Borough building in Kotzebue

Internet outage closes government offices, businesses and university campus in Kotzebue

The City of Kotzebue saw a “complete outage” to all departments, with Northwest Arctic Borough officials' telephone and internet down.

Alaska tourism rates at an all-time high last summer

According to a report from the Alaska Tourism Industry Association, the state had 1,857,500 visitors last summer -- that reflects a four percent increase since the previous year and the highest amount on record. Listen now
A woman poses in a jacket outside.

Man sentenced to 75 years in prison for 1993 murder and sexual assault of Sophie Sergie at UAF

The case baffled investigators for decades, and became notorious because of the circumstances: a young woman stabbed and shot while she was visiting friends at college in Fairbanks right before finals week in April 1993.