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.”

Tommy Tuberville

Tuberville, under pressure from Republicans over military holds, says he is reviewing options

Sen. Tommy Tuberville's changed stance comes after Sen. Dan Sullivan challenged his hundreds of promotion holds on the Senate floor last week.
white-haired man with blue shirt smiles

A co-creator of Alaska’s PFD program calls for reinstating a personal income tax

Rep. Cliff Groh wants Alaskans earning over $200,000 a year to pay a 2% income tax, with other residents asked to "chip in" $20 to fund state services.

Alaska Municipal League is helping rural communities qualify for climate change funds

Alaska communities have an opportunity to invest heavily in climate change mitigation at the local level, by targeting federal grants.
a highway

Anchorage-area commuters can expect ‘messy’ storm Wednesday

Warmer temperatures Wednesday are expected to turn snowfall into freezing rain, before falling below freezing overnight into Thursday.

PrEP prevents HIV transmission and it’s free. Why can’t some Alaskans get it?

Robin Lutz, executive director at the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, or 4-As, said the organization has been talking with people newly diagnosed with HIV. She said Alaskans face many barriers to accessing PrEP.
Marvin Roberts

Most Fairbanks Four members settle for $5M after vacated conviction

Kevin Pease, George Frese and Eugene Vent will each receive $1.59 million from the City of Fairbanks' insurer. Marvin Roberts is still suing the city.
a mountain ridge

Wastewater plan ruling for hard-rock mine near Haines appealed from both sides

Environmental groups and the Chilkat Indian Village are facing off in court against Constantine Metals over the planned mine at the Palmer Project.
hemp

Hemp growers sue Alaska agriculture officials in attempt to keep hemp products legal

Plaintiffs say millions of dollars in products are at stake and will be removed from shelves unless they win.
People wearing yellow clothing wave yellow signs.

In Alaska’s right-leaning Mat-Su, challengers aim to unseat conservative school board incumbents

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board has come under scrutiny after some recent, controversial decisions.

Why are more Alaskans in the Interior contracting HIV?

Health officials are working to better understand why Fairbanks and the Interior have seen a cluster of new HIV cases over the past two years.
a man in a suit with black glasses on at his trial in court.

Anchorage jury convicts man in second trial over 2017 triple homicide

Anthony Pisano was convicted Monday afternoon of first-degree murder in the 2017 deaths of Steven Cook, Kenneth Hartman and Daniel McCreadie.
American Indian elders

Survivors say trauma from abusive Native American boarding schools stretches across generations

The traumas inflicted by abusive Native American boarding schools are getting belated attention through a series of federal listening sessions.
a whale

How Alaska wildlife officials saved a humpback whale found ‘hogtied’ to a 300-pound crab pot

Two Southeast Alaska residents first spotted the whale on Oct. 10 off the coast of Gustavus, which is surrounded by Glacier Bay National Park.
the Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court will consider taking up Alaska union dues case no sooner than December

The U.S. Supreme Court receives hundreds of appeal requests each year, but it takes up only a relative handful.
A man with a newborn and other children.

Training child care providers in Southeast Alaska

Quality child care is in limited supply across Alaska, but especially so in rural parts of the state.
salmon in the water

Pink salmon are thriving in warmer waters, affecting other species, scientists say

A new scientific paper shows that the pink salmon population is booming in the North Pacific Ocean — and global warming is helping it happen.

Sullivan puts on the pressure but Alabama senator hasn’t loosened his grip on hundreds of blocked military promotions

The move carries some political risk for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, who opposes the same Pentagon abortion policy Tuberville is protesting.

Anchorage photo exhibit highlights Taiwanese diaspora in Alaska

Photographer Jeff Chen said he wanted to highlight the diverse experiences of those people who made Alaska their home.
a totem pole

A Chilkoot totem pole is coming home after 50 years as airline property

Staff at Delta Air Lines' museum offered last summer to repatriate the totem pole, which was carved for Delta predecessor Western Airlines in 1969.
an airliner

3 passengers sue Alaska Airlines over Horizon Air flight scare

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs have suffered from anxiety, insomnia, fear of flying and other emotional effects due to the incident.