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 bear

An empty-nest mama bear just won Fat Bear Week

Like an ursine Sarah Connor, Grazer is one tough mother. She preemptively attacks huge males that might threaten her offspring.
A mirrored building.

Anchorage Assembly relaxes rules on marijuana testing

Now, most city workers will no longer be fired if they use marijuana off the clock.
a search

Wave of Western Alaska boating incidents leaves 4 dead, 2 missing

Kelly Coopchiak, 25, and Alexander Henry, 31, remain missing after the four incidents. Four other boaters are dead, with two more rescued.

Fairbanks council OKs more than doubling city’s tobacco tax to 20%

Tax advocates said the increase, approved Monday, leaves Fairbanks below Alaska's average local tobacco tax rate of 39%.
a bearded man listen from a podium to a man on a screen

Rabbis and Alaska politicians condemn attack on Israel, pledge support

About 200 people turned out for a solidarity event in Anchorage.
Cans on shelves in a grocery store

The wait for food stamps in Alaska is improving, but applicants still face long delays

Many applicants still have to wait for up to three months to receive benefits.
A view of the tipping floor from the observation deck of waste services dumping waste onto the floor.

With new Anchorage waste center, city hopes to help residents minimize trash

The transfer station is a central point for the city’s garbage trucks and residents to dump trash, but also offers opportunities to divert landfill waste.
a child

A year after Typhoon Merbok, some coastal Alaskans struggle to find subsistence foods

A massive storm in 2022 brought flood waters to this part of Alaska, and the tundra was inundated with salt water for days.
A picture of a beige building

New temporary homeless shelter in Anchorage to open by Nov. 1

The Assembly's action resolves the last major piece of the city’s winter shelter plan.
a state ferry

State ferry Tustumena is offline for repairs for up to a week

Ferries have a life expectancy of about 30 years, but the Tustumena has been in operation for almost double that time.
refugees

Gaza residents flee their homes as Israeli military threats escalate

The evacuation order from Israel affecting 1 million people faced immediate objections, including from the U.N.
Little Duncan Bay

Filming of reality show near Petersburg could interfere with subsistence hunting

The U.S. Forest Service has authorized Netflix and the BBC to shoot the second season of “Outlast” in Little Duncan Bay, southeast of Petersburg.
a family

Hooper Bay families displaced by Merbok could lose housing this month

Two of the three families who lost their homes and most of their possessions during Typhoon Merbok are still trying to find a permanent solution.

The future of Yukon River salmon | Alaska Insight

The Yukon River has been a majestic icon of power, beauty, and for generations, a sustainable source of food. Salmon reliably returned to the Yukon to provide a stable source of healthy, wild food for communities along its length. But in recent years, those reliable runs have been beleaguered by warming waters, food scarcity and disease, causing closures that have halted long standing traditions for many families. On this episode of Alaska Insight, host Lori Townsend is joined by Gabe Canfield, policy coordinator for the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association, and Holly Carroll, in-season manager for the Yukon River for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to discuss the outlook for the years to come, and the steps that can be taken to protect this vital resource.
a man speaks from a podium set up by heavy equipment

‘We are ready’: Bronson unveils revamped Anchorage snow removal plan

The mayor said if there’s another extreme snowfall event this winter, his administration will have more flexibility to get more drivers and equipment on the roads.
teens

Suicide-prevention program teaches Alaska students how to identify their own strength

Lower Kuskokwim School District students are pitting cultural and personal strengths against adversity.
a hat

2 dead after fast-moving fire destroys Wasilla home

Alaska State Troopers say Terry Mason, 73, and Emma Mason, 67, died in the late-night Saturday blaze on Wasilla's Terrell Drive.
a sign

Alaska Permanent Fund leaders may recommend constitutional amendment to fix fiscal problem

Financial returns have been less than needed to keep the fund’s spendable account full, potentially endangering the state budget.
North Link Rep speaks at the Groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, October 11, 2023 (Shiri Segal/Alaska Public Media)

New Anchorage cargo terminal could bring faster packages and industry expansion

The NorthLink Aviation facility will allow cargo carriers to unload and clear customs in Anchorage, which could grow the city’s freight business.
a man in ski gear on a snowy mountain

Girdwood skier dies in paragliding crash near Eagle River

Josh Randich, 33, was flown Sunday from the crash site near Magnificent Peak to an Anchorage hospital, where he was pronounced dead.