In the Alaska village where ANWR is the backyard, many see drilling as an opportunity
Many of the Alaska Native residents of Kaktovik, the one small village inside the refuge, see oil development as an opportunity -- though some remain deeply skeptical.
Warm ocean water leads to heavy rain in Alaska
It's been unusually wet across a large section of the state this summer. Listen now
S&P warns further downgrades may be on horizon
Standard & Poor's downgraded Alaska's credit rating Tuesday after months of warnings to shore up the state budget. With plunging oil prices wreaking havoc on the state's budget, the agency knocked the state down a notch from the top AAA rating it has held for the last four years.
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Permanent Fund managers to look for in-state investment opportunities
It sets a goal of increasing the amount of the Permanent Fund assets invested in-state to at least 5 percent in five years. Listen now
There’s a new fight over Bering Sea black cod. Warming water may be to blame.
Small-boat fishermen who catch black cod are sounding alarms about increasing numbers of black cod that are being caught accidentally, as bycatch, by larger Seattle-based trawlers that fish in the Bering Sea.
As the Bering Sea warms, this skipper is chasing pollock to new places
“Across the board, everybody has a story about something that they haven’t seen before,” said Dan Martin, a 53-year-old captain of a Bering Sea pollock trawler. We took a fishing trip with Martin to find out what he’s experiencing as the Bering Sea heats up.
Gov’s plan aims to reshape state’s relationship with oil
Governor Bill Walker says the state must change how it does business: he argues it's time for Alaska to tap its enormous savings accounts.
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Ask a Climatologist: Will May gloom bring summer doom?
May weather can't tell us much about what the rest of the summer will hold in Southcentral Alaska. Listen now
PFD cuts could mean big ripples in Alaska economy
Lawmakers facing a mammoth budget deficit are weighing cuts to the PFD. Experts say that will have ripple effects throughout the economy. Meanwhile, as Alaska considers scaling back the dividend, the rest of the world is warming to the idea. Download Audio
Scientists map shifting migration around Alaska mountains, using GPS-equipped eagles
When golden eagles migrate to and from Alaska each year, they have to navigate around the 16,000-foot peaks of the Wrangell Mountains. A new study examines how the weather affects their route.
State wants public input on how to spend Volkswagen settlement money
The $8 million could go towards investments in electric vehicle infrastructure or upgrades to diesel-powered transportation. Listen now
Draft Walker climate policy urges Alaska to transition away from fossil fuels
The first recommendations from Gov. Bill Walker’s climate task force run the gamut — from putting a price on carbon to supporting a more diversified economy and improving how climate change is taught in schools. Listen now
Donlin is confident as it navigates the complicated permitting process
Donlin Gold is advancing through the permitting process for its proposed mine in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and already has two state permits in hand. Listen now
Goldman Sachs, in Arctic drilling tiff with Alaska governor, hires veteran Juneau lobbyist
In response to Goldman's announcement that it would not finance oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska's governor suggested he could cut off the millions of dollars a year that the state pays the Wall Street firm. Now Goldman is playing defense: Last week, it hired a lobbyist, Wendy Chamberlain, to represent its interests in the state.
Wildfires and warming could transform Alaska’s forests, making leafy trees dominant over evergreens, study says
If wildfire frequency and temperature rise in Alaska like the paper’s authors expect, broadleaf trees like birch and aspen could become dominant, taking over from evergreens like spruce, which are better adapted to cold weather and scarce nutrients.
Trump administration downsizes NPR-A lease sale after little interest last year
At its annual oil and gas lease sale, the Bureau of Land Management will offer 254 tracts for bid. Last year, the Trump administration put 900 tracts up for bid. Listen now
State Economist says global spike in oil prices not likely to affect price forecast
In Alaska, North Slope crude rose to more than $63 a barrel by Monday. Listen now
Why a Papua New Guinea company is taking over one of Alaska’s biggest oil fields
An oil project in the Arctic may seem like an odd leap for a company from an island nation in the South Pacific. But in a recent interview, the newly-minted president of Oil Search Alaska, Keiran Wulff, said the company is serious about its new venture. Listen now
NOAA panel considers Alaska and Arctic mapping priorities
NOAA’s Hydrographic Services Review Panel heard from fishermen, barge operators, private mapping companies about Alaska’s priorities. Listen now
Decades-old federal policy placed Newtok in the path of climate change
Some advocates say it’s largely because of federal policy that some of these villages are so vulnerable to climate change in the first place. Listen now