Candidate Dunleavy said he had no plans to cut ferries, schools, university. Then Gov. Dunleavy proposed deep reductions.
Dunleavy’s shifting positions on state spending and budget cuts have left critics fuming; they argue that the governor was able to make dubious claims on the campaign trail that were never debunked by a weakened mainstream media, and that that might have changed the election's outcome.
To stay or to go? Anchor Point parents and teachers grapple with potential school closure
Students, parents and faculty on the Kenai Peninsula are coming to grips with the reality that state cuts to education may force school closures.
Southcentral residents still have until April 30 to file taxes, due to earthquake
Thousands of Alaskans affected by the earthquake that struck Southcentral Alaska Nov. 30 are eligible for an automatic extension for filing their tax returns.
Yup’ik literacy reaches new heights in spelling bee
Before it began, it already looked like it might take a while, because there were more contestants than ever in the Yup’ik Spelling Bee for Beginners. But no one thought it would take four hours to narrow the field down to the winners.
With building set for demolition, future of Juneau’s cold weather shelter unclear
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Juneau has grown in recent years, but the city is unsure if its cold weather emergency shelter will reopen next winter.
House sends budget with spending cuts to Senate, without setting PFDs
The Alaska House passed a budget on Thursday that includes $257 million in cuts to the portion of the state budget the Legislature directly controls.
What’s up with the Mat-Su, and why is it steering Alaska’s politics?
Over the last several decades, the population of the Matanuska and Susitna valleys has grown dramatically. With that boom has come political power — and the rise of a particular brand of conservatism.
Army Corps begins hearings on draft EIS for proposed Pebble Mine
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continued its series of public hearings on the proposed Pebble Mine and the project’s draft environmental review this week.
Melting ice is disrupting daily life in the Y-K Delta in the worst possible way
This spring has seen record-breaking warm temperatures across Alaska. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the Kuskokwim River is melting early — with devastating consequences.
State DHSS suspends thousands of senior benefits payments
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has suspended payments for some recipients of the state’s Senior Benefits Program due to a lack of funding.
49 Voices: John Fitka of Tuntutuliak
This week we're hearing from John Fitka in Tuntutuliak. Fitka was born in Bethel and is a subsistence hunter.
AK: Experimental tilapia skin burn treatment heals Haines dog
Veterinary medicine didn’t have solutions for severe burns in animals until a UC Davis vet was motivated by the California wildfires to pioneer a new treatment. She brought her skills to Haines to teach local vets how to use the tilapia fish skins—and help save a local dog’s life.
Ocean Rangers log potential cruise pollution, face axe by lawmakers
Over the past two years Alaska’s on-board cruise ship inspectors called Ocean Rangers have documented a pattern of potentially serious water pollution. But there’s been no apparent action by regulators, and Gov. Dunleavy’s administration wants to get rid of the program.
The role of nonprofits in Alaska
Alaska has a high number of nonprofit organizations that assist communities with a wide range of services. What could state budget cuts mean for their funding and how will it affect their ability to provide services?
End of the tusk: 2 plead guilty to stealing, cutting priceless paleontological resource for profit
In Anchorage, the case of a 10,000-year-old stolen mammoth tusk is approaching its conclusion. But the tusk itself will not be coming home to the Campbell Creek Science Center.
Senators weigh splitting permanent fund draw between state and dividends — and limiting spending
Sen. Natasha von Imhof says the combination of splitting the Alaska Permanent Fund draw and limiting spending would allow PFDs to grow over time.
Alleged head of 1488 gang moved to Washington ahead of trial
The alleged leader of a white-supremacist prison gang operating in Alaska is being sent out of state as he awaits trial.
AG Barr to visit rural Alaska
"Alaska Native women ... face unacceptably high levels of violence in very remote areas and I’ve actually scheduled a trip up to Alaska specifically to visit some of these communities,” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said at a Senate hearing.
Dunleavy says money set aside for Alaska schools is subject to veto. Lawmakers disagree.
A new fight is erupting in Juneau about spending on Alaska's public schools. It centers on whether Gov. Mike Dunleavy has the power to veto money state lawmakers set aside for schools last year, for the upcoming school year – a practice called "forward funding."
Missile defense test success accelerates arms race with Russia, China, program critic says
A prominent critic of U.S. missile defense agrees that a test of the system two weeks ago was a success. And that’s why former Assistant Secretary of Defense Philip Coyle is more concerned than ever that the system is fueling a new arms race with both Russia and China.