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.”

Reentry services after incarceration | Alaska Insight

Host Lori Townsend and her guests discuss paths to success for incarcerated Alaskans on this Alaska Insight

Unalaska cleans up fish oil spill

A forklift punctured a connex filled with fish oil in Unalaska Thursday, spilling it across a shipyard. Fish oil is considered an environmental hazard, but far less damaging than crude oil. Some of the bright orange oil flowed into a storm drain and into the ocean. Resolve Marine stopped it from spreading more by plugging the drain with gravel and dirt. Listen now
Crowds of people walk past food trucks and vendors along a city street on a summer afternoon.

Alaska tourism industry expecting another strong year, led by cruise passengers

An Alaska tourism industry advocate expects last year’s record-breaking cruise passenger numbers to repeat in 2024.
A maroon building with blue lettering that says "North Star Residential Treatment Center"

Too many Alaska children are unnecessarily institutionalized, says U.S. Department of Justice

A federal investigation found that Alaska children were forced to endure unnecessary and unduly long institutionalization in locked facilities because no alternatives exist.

Native designers blend ancient techniques with modern materials | Alaska Insight

On this Alaska Insight, host Lori Townsend is joined by Inupiaq fashion designer Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, and Angelina Roehl, from Chugachmiut's heritage preservation program, to discuss how to preserve traditional culture and designs while incorporating modern elements.
Josiah Patkotak

State Rep. Josiah Patkotak resigns after winning North Slope mayor’s race

Patkotak’s resignation opens a vacancy in the Alaska House of Representatives, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy has 30 days to nominate someone to fill the seat.
Tlingit and Haida headquarters

Tlingit and Haida, Tanana Chiefs Conference withdraw from Alaska Federation of Natives

The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska said Monday that it would withdraw from the Alaska Federation of Natives.
Mountains and ocean from a plane window

Six dead after flightseeing plane crash near Ketchikan, weather hampering recovery

Five passengers and a pilot have died in a flightseeing plane crash near Ketchikan, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
a woman holds boxes of kits

Opioid reversal drugs save lives in Alaska. But people are often skipping a crucial step

Use of the opioid reversal drug Naloxone is increasing in Alaska. Naloxone is safe and easy to administer, but public health professionals say it’s essential to get people to the emergency room after using it. In practice, though, people often aren’t calling 9-1-1. And that’s concerning to public health experts.

Russian Orthodox Bishop Nikolai ordered to take leave of absence

National leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church are ordering Alaska Bishop Nikolai Soraich to take a leave of absence, and say they will investigate...
a crew in a spacecraft

The 1st private astronaut mission to International Space Station is back on Earth

Flying back in a SpaceX capsule, they splashed down in the Atlantic off the Florida coast to close out a 17-day tour that cost them $55 million apiece.

BP leak investigation led to shutdown of 5 more wells

BP was forced to plug five at-risk wells on the North Slope after investigating an oil leak that happened this April. Listen now

Most Dunleavy budget cuts face legal, political obstacles

With most of the budget, if the Legislature decides to fund more than what the governor wants, he can use his line-item veto to remove the money. But not in the case of the school funds.

State Challenges Miller’s Write-In Suit

Photo and Story by Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage The thicket of litigation surrounding this year’s write in campaign just got a little thicker.   ...
A man holsds a reddish dog in front of a log house

After dog death and ban, Hugh Neff tunes out critics in return to Quest

It’s been three years since longtime musher Hugh Neff last competed in the Yukon Quest, but the 53-year-old said he’s as motivated as ever to race.
colorful spices in a box

A refugee-led co-op in Anchorage provides work experience, with flavor

The FIG program’s Global Spice Blends has grown in popularity, providing job opportunities and community building for recently resettled refugees.

Plane Crashes Near Merrill Field Claims Life

Steve Heimel, APRN – Anchorage A single-engine plane crashed on takeoff from Merrill Field in Anchorage yesterday and at least one died in the resulting...
Two women take a selfie, both smiling.

Alaskans we’ve lost to COVID: Teresa Maria Pope, Chida-mom

More than 800 Alaskans have died of COVID-19 since early 2020. We asked readers and listeners to tell us about the lives of some of those people and they responded. 
a man in a suit

Rep. Peltola’s party-bending chief of staff departs

Alex Ortiz was the last chief of staff for Rep. Don Young and helped cement Peltola's image as bipartisan.
a riverbank

Alaska tribes accuse Canada of human rights violations, request international hearing on mining

The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission says upstream mining in Canada violates tribes' right to a healthy environment.