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.”

Governor Palin calls for special October session on petroleum tax

Governor Palin today said she will call a special legislative session beginning October 18th to deal with changes to the oil and gas tax...

Could Minneapolis-style collapses affect Alaska's spans?

Yesterday the Federal Highway Administration advised state transportation departments to begin conducting inspections of bridges similar to the collapsed Interstate 35-W bridge in Minneapolis....

Two Fort Richardson paratroopers die in Iraq

The Army says two Fort Richardson paratroopers were killed Tuesday in Iraq. They were assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry...

Stevens, Murkowski and Young sign on to new ethics rules, with quibbles

The U.S. Senate today gave final Congressional approval to new ethics rules for federal lawmakers and more stringent controls on lobbyists and fundraising. The...

Governor Palin to call for special session on oil profits tax

Tomorrow Governor Palin will announce her plans for calling a special legislative session this fall on action needed to deal with the Petroleum Profits...

Pebble Mine ownership goes 50-50; may push project to final development

The much-debated Pebble Mine project near Iliamna just received a huge infusion of capital from mining giant Anglo American, the third-largest mining company in...

Proposed healthcare coverage expansion for children up for debate

Legislation to expand the federal program that provides funding for Denali KidCare was before the U.S. House and Senate today. The House passed a...

Water projects funding may be drained by Bush veto

A long-delayed authorization for federally-funded water projects around the country is on the verge of clearing Congress -- but the Bush Administration is threatening...

Unregulated international fishing activity frustrating Stevens

During a Commerce Department oversight hearing today, Senator Ted Stevens asked Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez about combating International Unregulated, Unreported (IUU) fisheries. Stevens says...

Watchdogs: Drop Stevens from committees now; Senators: Let investigation proceed

A day after federal law officers searched Senator Ted Stevens Girdwood home, Senate colleagues urged caution before jumping to conclusions that he's caught up...

Republican House leader Boehner declines to take action against Don Young

Meanwhile, as conjecture and suspicion swirls around the latest Stevens news, Don Young's legal troubles drew comments from Republican Minority Leader John Boehner. Boehner...

Coastal erosion in northern Alaska's NPR-A doubled in last 50 years

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed a new study of coastal erosion in the Northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The...

FBI and IRS search Ted Stevens' Girdwood home

Agents from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service are searching the Girdwood home of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. The search was confirmed this...

Democrat Jake Metcalfe announces his run for U.S. House

There's another challenger taking aim at Congressman Don Young in next year's elections. Jake Metcalfe has stepped aside as chairman of the Alaska Democratic...

Fire in Yukon Flats village of Beaver takes out power plant

State agencies are helping the village of Beaver following a fire that destroyed the community's power plant. The State's Emergency Communications Center at Ft....

Scientists watching walrus movements as sea ice recedes

Biologists in Anchorage are getting a daily look at how walrus in the Chukchi Sea are responding to rapidly retreating sea ice. Walrus, especially...

Alaska suspects merger by Japanese seafood processors is anticompetitive

The State of Alaska is opening its own antitrust investigation into a proposed merger of two Japanese seafood companies with major processing operations in...

Murkowski sells back Kenai River land to short circuit ethics concerns

Over the past week, Senator Lisa Murkowski's Kenai River land deal with long-time friend and political supporter Bob Penney has brought her a firestorm...

Alaska Democrats start campaign against Don Young online

The Alaska Democratic Party has begun a full campaign against Don Young's re-election next year. Party leaders showcased a new website today called dropdon.com...

Murkowski says she's giving up Kenai land to end ethics controversy

Senator Lisa Murkowski is trying to put a stop to the political flak she has gotten for buying Kenai riverfront property from family friend...