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.”

two men side by side

Can Gara or Walker unseat Dunleavy in the race for Alaska governor? Analysts say both have a tough, but possible road to victory.

In a ranked-choice election, the two progressive gubernatorial candidates are relying on each other’s second-place votes to win.
a man with a plane and coolers

High-end coolers wash up on Alaska beaches after Washington cargo spill

Consumer goods from coolers to bike helmets have been washing up on Gulf of Alaska beaches, after a cargo ship spilled 109 shipping containers off Washington last year.
a woman in a windbreaker

Y-K Delta leaders celebrate Peltola’s congressional victory

Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta leaders are hailing congresswoman-elect Mary Peltola's rural knowledge and aptitude for consensus-building.
a woman stands among a happy crowd of supporters at a small airport

Congresswoman-elect Peltola lands in Bethel before heading to Washington D.C.

“I am so excited that we have actually elected a U.S. representative who is from here and she’s a woman," said Kathy Hanson.

Interior Department changes the names of 26 places in Alaska that contained a racist term for Native women

The 26 place names are among 650 nationwide that will be revised, following a November order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Closeup of a child using an ulu to clean a salmon.

With the salmon collapse on the Yukon River, families are losing a vital food source and way of life

During the second year of a sudden salmon collapse on the Yukon River, residents of traditional villages are facing food insecurity and a loss of culture.
A television host, two female guests and one zoom guest sit at a desk in a tv studio.

What’s behind the crash in Yukon salmon? Fishery experts discuss factors behind the closures

For thousands of years, Alaska Native people have depended on strong salmon runs to sustain their diets and their culture, but that reliable source of protein is in jeopardy.
a park service employee stands in front of a glacier

Alaska park managers are preparing for the loss of some of the state’s most iconic attractions: glaciers

At Kenai Fjords National Park and elsewhere, areas long known for their up-close glacier views are expected to be drastically different in the future.
an illustration of a person walking in the rain with an umbrella and rainboots

So you haven’t caught COVID yet. Does that mean you’re a superdodger?

A new study suggests that, yes, there are superdodgers. But explaining why they've been able to avoid the virus is a bit complicated.
two people hug inside

Mary Peltola visits friends, family and supporters in Bethel ahead of her historic swearing-in

Peltola on Tuesday will become the first Alaska Native person to serve in Congress and the first woman to hold Alaska's sole U.S. House seat.
woman stands outside of capitol

Tomorrow, she becomes Alaska’s Congresswoman. Today, she has a lot to do.

Peltola is drawing an unusual amount of national media attention as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, and even more because of her special election win over Sarah Palin, a former Alaska governor endorsed by Donald Trump.
a man in a suit walks while another man in a suit holds a microphone near him

Exxon Valdez Capt. Joseph Hazelwood dies at 75

The Exxon Valdez grounded on Alaska’s Bligh Reef on March 24, 1989, spewing nearly 11 million gallons of oil into the rich fishing waters of Prince William Sound.
A woman in a polka-dot shirt hides a rock under a bush.

How an Anchorage woman is spreading awareness of FASD by painting rocks

Karen Lomack hopes her outreach helps inform people of how alcohol can affect pregnancy, and reduce the negative stigma of those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
a man in uniform with Girl Scout cookies

Joe Gerace’s lies went way beyond Anchorage. Multiple government agencies investigate how they were duped.

The former Anchorage health director deceived not just the city but also a state commission, the Alaska State Defense Force and the state health department. Now they’re investigating how it happened.
a man in a suit

Peltola’s D.C. hires include Young’s former chief of staff

Alex Ortiz, who was Congressman Don Young’s last chief of staff, will also work in that role for congresswoman-elect Mary Peltola.
a man in a suit gives a talk at a microphone.

Kenai Peninsula Borough says employee made ‘credible’ harassment claims against Pierce

The borough disclosed the new information regarding departing mayor Charlie Pierce at a special meeting Sunday, but stopped short of releasing specifics about the allegations.
a coast guard helicopter at night

Dillingham hunter survives bear mauling up the Nushagak River

John Casteel was medevaced to Anchorage with deep leg and arm wounds after he was mauled by a bear during a Friday hunting trip near Dillingham.
a man and a woman at a podium

Judge: Alaska elections officials must enforce disloyalty clause

An Anchorage Superior Court judge ruled that the Alaska Division of Elections has a duty to determine whether a candidate for public office is ineligible for disloyalty.
two men in a workshop

Carvers across Southeast Alaska are working on totem poles that will line Juneau’s waterfront

The Sealaska Heritage Institute has invited master carvers from around Southeast Alaska to create 10 totem poles, which should start going up along Juneau’s waterfront next year.