Anchorage volunteer lobbyist fights for public education

The word 'lobbyist' is often paired with 'fat-cat'. But here in Alaska, it's not just the paid lobbyists who...
A teacher in a gray sweater leans over to assist a student wearing a black shirt in an elementary school classroom.

Anchorage school communities grapple with potential closures

Birchwood ABC is one of Anchorage School District's top performing schools, but it's also one of six schools the district may close due to a budget deficit.

Alaskan farmers get creative with growing food sustainably

https://youtu.be/7fOPc3vhtb0 The definition of farming has expanded over time from soil-only planting and harvesting to include farmers that harvest from the sea. Along the coast,...

How are Alaska malls and small businesses affected by COVID-19 shutdowns? | Alaska Insight

As Alaska moves through phases of reopening its economy, retail stores in Anchorage have been open for more than three weeks now....
Three young Chinese men hold a fish in front of an Alaskan Cannery

Cannery workers document the Chinese history of Alaska’s fishing industry

Chinese immigrants arrived before statehood and helped grow Alaska's wild salmon industry into the international, multi-billion-dollar economy that it is today.
a house with an ATV parked out front in snowy and windy conditions

Home is home: finding a way to stay amid a housing shortage in rural Alaska

Overcrowding is a perennial problem in rural Alaska, but the Covid-19 pandemic has made living with it harder. Cramped conditions offer little space to work from home, conduct virtual schooling, or quarantine, and put many multigenerational households at increased risk of infection. Tackling the problem isn’t easy, but, as Erin McKinstry reports for Alaska Public Media, federal COVID funds are offering some relief in the Bering Straits Region.

ANWR on hold: Decades-long uncertainty over Arctic refuge drilling continues

When Joe Biden took office, he immediately slammed the brakes on oil drilling in the Arctic refuge. So how did we get here? And, what’s next?

Explained: What are PFAS compounds and how can they affect human health?

Found in various items from firefighting foam to household cleaning products and even food containers, PFAS are persistent "forever...
A burning piece of cardboard is placed into a large furnace

New biomass furnace saves money and fossil fuel in Ambler, Alaska

The installation of a biomass furnace system in Ambler, a rural village off the road system, is set to save the community more than $50,000 a year.

An Anchorage mosaic highlights the importance of mental wellbeing

Talking about mental health is hard, but it’s important for anyone who is struggling to know that they’re not alone. Alaska Public Media’s Adam Nicely brings us this story of an Anchorage community project with that goal, called Mental Health Mosaics.
Houses in dirty brown water

Haines residents are still recovering from last year’s landslides

https://youtu.be/dz5KxQ9hflc The human toll from climate change effects in Alaska are real. The small community of Haines in Southeast Alaska experienced a deadly landslide late...
Outside of the Alaska State Capitol

An update on Alaska’s legislative session

As with many recent sessions, discussions largely center on the state’s finances, while a number of social issues have come up as well.

A traditional Unangax̂ boat sails for the first time in over 200 years

https://youtu.be/_Ka9-tBUweg It’s been about 200 years since Russian colonizers demolished the last remaining examples of large Unangax̂ boats called a niĝilax̂. The wooden framed boats...
Dr. Elizabeth Bates runs through protocol with a YKHC employee at the COVID-19 drive-thru test site in Bethel.

How Bethel and other rural Alaska villages are preparing for COVID-19 | Alaska Insight

With the first case of COVID-19 confirmed in Southwest Alaska, state and tribal health officials are working to provide adequate supplies for...

With knowledge of his ancestors, young leader looks to ANCSA’s future

Aaron Tolen has tribal and ANCSA regional corporation affiliations across the state. He aims to balance a modern education with the values and traditions of his people, so he can continue to feel grounded in his culture and also experience success in a contemporary way.
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.

New report shines light on Alaska’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

https://youtu.be/XYizUj2PrYk Alaska Native women experience disproportionate levels of violence, but it’s difficult to know exactly how bad the problem is. Mistrust of the legal system...

In Tanana, Alaska, ‘a way of life’ comes to a bittersweet close

The team narrowly missed the state title, and it will be years before the village sees another team step onto a court.
sign wrote in foreign language

Escaping conflict abroad, arrivals in Alaska seek stability and opportunity

https://youtu.be/bItA0ChP5yw War and political upheaval are driving a major increase in the number of refugees and other immigrants arriving in Alaska from overseas. Whatever the...