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 police station

Homer students used AI to make fake nude photos of classmates, police say

Two Homer Middle School boys are accused of using artificial intelligence to create nude photos of multiple classmates.
a sign

Mat-Su school district agrees to pay $89K in book removal settlement

The suit alleged the district violated students' constitutional rights.
a car

Alaska state troopers arrest state DOT plow driver for alleged drunken driving

It's "exceedingly rare" for a plow driver to be arrested for drunken driving, two state agencies said on Friday.
a woman laughing and man standing next to her

Why Alaska’s U.S. House race is one of the most expensive in the nation

Candidates Mary Peltola and Nick Begich have raised more than $13 million, yet other groups have raised far more to influence the outcome.

Engaging voters across diverse communities | Alaska Insight

What’s the best way to educate Alaskans from the diverse neighborhoods and communities of Alaska? We discuss on this Alaska Insight.
a school in snow

Anchorage School District officials propose closing 7 elementary schools

The list of neighborhood schools that may shutter includes Bear Valley, Tudor and Baxter elementary. The school board must approve any closures.

Providence Alaska introduces telenurses, but bedside nurses protest the change

The telenurses collaborate with bedside nurses. But a nurse union at the hospital filed an unfair labor practice charge in response.
health activities

5 tips to help you reset after the time change

Daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. local time Sunday. Here's how to adjust your daytime habits to get a good night of rest.
a Coast Guard cutter

Homer’s Halloween hosts haunted Coast Guard cutter

The crew of the cutter Aspen donned masks and costumes to revive a terrifying Homer tradition for kids and adults alike.
candidates

Here’s where Trump and Harris stand on 5 issues affecting workers

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have both appealed to workers. But their stances on many labor issues remain far apart.
a man

Lingít veterans hold space for dual identities during U.S. Navy apology in Angoon

When the Navy made its long-awaited apology inside Angoon High School, a clan leader drew attention to the veterans in the room.
a hospital

Alaskans charged $5.78B for hospital stays last year, state report says

Being a newborn baby was the top reason for hospitalizations, while childbirth complications ranked third on the list, the report says.
two men in jackets and ties

Kenai jury ups troopers’ charges in K-9 arrest to first-degree assault

Jason Woodruff, 42, and Joseph Miller Jr., 49, were initially charged with misdemeanor assault in Benjamin Tikka's May arrest.
a man

Sitka fisheries advocate Tad Fujioka found dead in apparent bear mauling

A state biologist says Fujioka, 50, was likely killed by a sow brown bear that claimed a deer carcass he had cached.
a man speaking at a podium

Anchorage needs to ramp up homebuilding to keep up with demand, experts say

Anchorage needs to build 1000 new housing units each year, up from about 200 annually right now, according to mayor Suzanne LaFrance.

Six House and Senate races to watch as voters make their picks for Alaska Legislature

Democrats and independents are hoping to flip control of the Alaska House. Conservatives are vying to take the Senate.

Anchorage officials begin sheltering unhoused residents amid first major snowfall

The city’s winter sheltering plan includes a low-barrier shelter as well as 400 non-congregate shelter beds, many of which are converted hotel rooms.
John Wayne Howe

John Wayne Howe on why he’s running to represent Alaska in Congress

Howe, with the Alaskan Independence Party, is one of four candidates running for Alaska's sole U.S. House seat.
Snow hitting halloween ornaments.

Halloween storm turns Anchorage streets into ‘liquid banana peel,’ meteorologist says

A "wintry mix" of snow and rain through Friday morning will produce slick conditions for trick-or-treaters in Alaska's largest city.
a man looking at fishing gear

Pollock trawl closure sends economic ripples across Kodiak as fishermen adapt

Fishermen like Cole Hockema would normally be out on the water until early November, when the Gulf of Alaska’s pollock B season typically closes. But this fall season ended just three weeks into fishing.