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.”

An abatement notice near a tent in the woods

Anchorage task force recommends opening supervised campsites for the homeless 

The task force also calls for community council input, buying emergency shelters and requesting that state and private landowners sponsor additional camps.
A man signs a piece of paper at a table, surrounded by men and women.

Alaska is getting into the carbon market. What does that mean for the budget – and the climate?

Lawmakers hope the sale of carbon offsets will be a new revenue source. But many of the plan’s details are yet to be determined.
side by side portraits of two women

Anchorage Assembly rejects $550K Demboski legal settlement, opts to pay out MacAlpine

Both Amy Demboski and Heather MacAlpine allege they were illegally fired by Mayor Dave Bronson's administration.
Rep. Josiah Patkotak

America’s farthest-north state representative is planning to leave the Alaska Capitol

Rep. Josiah Patkotak says he’s running to be the next mayor of the North Slope Borough in an Oct. 3 local election.
the trans-Alaska pipeline

Energy leaders in Anchorage make the case for Alaska LNG pipeline — again

U.S. officials say the proposed 800-mile pipeline, long plagued by its high cost, could be a “strategic tool” for the country.
the U.S. Capitol

What happens in Alaska if the United States defaults on its debt next month?

Social Security checks, pensions, government paychecks and many basic services could be affected, and that’s before any economic recession.
people in line at a crowded airport

A record number of Americans may fly this summer. Here’s everything you need to know.

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the busy summer air travel season and this may be the busiest ever. But some worry it could be another summer of delays and cancellations after a "pretty rocky" 2022.
a possum

Homer police take Grubby the opossum into custody

Homer police confirmed the Wednesday capture of the “wanted fugitive and somewhat local celebrity” on Facebook.
three people stand outside of a yellow van

Campsites around Midtown Anchorage park will be cleared starting June 6

It's the first major camp abatement of the year in Anchorage. Many questions remain about where and when people can set up camps with shelter space full.
a person shopping

3 ways to protect your money if the U.S. defaults on its debt

From social security payments to interest rates, a lot hinges on a debt-ceiling deal. Personal finance experts say you should prepare for a possible debt default as you would a recession.

Man charged with selling bootleg alcohol to Anchorage homeless residents

Investigators say Brandon Reed sold thousands of dollars' worth of vodka to people at the Sullivan Arena and other places frequented by the homeless.

Alaska’s heavy dependence on federal dollars could mean big impacts from debt default

Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks wrote about the potential impacts to Alaska from a debt default recently.
underwater grasses in a tundra pond, with a boardwalk

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy says court decision limiting federal regulation of wetlands aids ‘responsible development’

The U.S. Supreme Court trimmed the EPA's authority. Implications for the Pebble Mine are unclear.
two kids hold signs that call for more education funding

Alaska school officials say one-time funding boost leaves budgets unpredictable

School district leaders and many legislators were hopeful that the state's base student allocation to schools would increase significantly this year.
A panel of people in business attire.

Anchorage superintendent reflects on his first year at the helm of the state’s largest school district

Jharrett Bryantt had a tumultuous first year as the superintendent of the Anchorage School District. There was the bus driver shortage, an unprecedented string of snow days and a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. But, he noted, there were many bright spots, too.
Close-up of a nurse pushing patient on wheelchair in hospital

A bill to get nurses licensed more quickly in Alaska faces pushback from unions

There’s agreement that there’s a nurse shortage, but no consensus on what to do about it.
an opossum in a white room with on a bed of straw

Alaska’s most-wanted opossum is settling into her new home at the Alaska Zoo

Grubby arrived at the zoo in Anchorage Wednesday, and is the first opossum to live there.
a Juneau labor protest

Alaska justices rule against Dunleavy administration in long-running union-dues lawsuit

The state claimed the case was about the First Amendment; justices said the facts showed the state was hostile toward unions.
Kruzof Island

Search suspended for 4 missing people after charter boat accident near Sitka

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for four people after recovering one body from the wreck of a fishing charter near Sitka.
empty bottles in the grass

Death rate from drinking nearly doubles in Alaska over 2 years

The rate of Alaska deaths due to drinking alcohol nearly doubled from 2019 to 2021, based on state Department of Health data.