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.”

Pebble shows first glance at its new mine plans

Early Thursday morning in Anchorage Pebble CEO Tom Collier began the rollout of Pebble Mine’s new design. The company is focusing on a much smaller footprint in the Pebble West deposit only. Listen now

ANWR advances with GOP budget

The U.S. House has passed a budget plan that could open the door to drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Listen now

Climate change roundtable puts Alaska contradictions on full display

Representatives from the oil and gas and mining industries joined environmentalists and local community leaders to spitball solutions. Listen now
A map of Alaska, outlining the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

ANWR takes tiny step down rocky Senate road

You know how members of Congress sometimes try to pass legislation by attaching it to a fast-moving bill everyone loves? That's not the case here. ANWR is controversial, and the budget plan it's hitching a ride on isn't entirely popular, either. Listen now

Walker doubles down on opposing Pebble Mine

Tomorrow, Pebble Limited Partnership CEO Tom Collier is expected to publicly outline a plan for the proposed Pebble Mine project for the first time. But in an interview today, Governor Bill Walker said he's against the controversial mine. Listen now

Amid expansion, Anchorage Police announce new strategy to fight violent crime

As property and violent crime continue to increase in Anchorage, the city's police department is internally reorganizing to better respond. Listen now

Spring Creek staff acted illegally in 2013 incident, Ombudsman finds

The state's ombudsman's office says staff at Spring Creek Correctional Center violated the law in 2013 when they stripped 12 inmates and locked them naked in cold cells without clothing, blankets, or mattresses for up to 12 hours. The ombudsman made recommendations to rectify the situation in a report released last week. Listen now

Bristol Bay braces for long awaited Pebble Mine plans

This week, Pebble Limited Partnership is expected to publicly unveil the outline for a plan to mine the copper and gold deposit northwest of Iliamna. Listen now

Alaskans among victims of Las Vegas shooting rampage

At least two Alaskans are dead, and another is wounded, after a gunman's rampage at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. Many other residents were at the event and fled to safety, sending messages back to family overnight and into Monday. Listen now

How Trump’s tax plan would affect Alaskans

If President Trump's tax agenda goes into effect, taxes for people of all income groups would go down next year, on average. But only a few Alaskans would get the big tax breaks. Listen now

Walker says tax is needed to pay for services

Gov. Bill Walker and his top aides tried to make the case for enacting a new tax to a group of business and political leaders Friday. Listen now

AK: Juneau business showcases diverse artists’ work in postcard contest

Kindred Post, a post office, gift shop and gathering space in downtown Juneau held a recent art contest. The prize? 10 winners will now get their art printed on the shop’s postcards. The selections came from around the state, and from a purposely diverse group of artists. Listen now

Next election may delay plan to fund state government

Candidates have been announcing plans for governor, lieutenant governor and the Legislature since July. And they’re taking positions that could make a budget deal more difficult. Listen now

Japanese naval band drums for Anchorage middle-schoolers

In a first, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force brought its prestigious band to perform for Anchorage students. Listen now

Enviros sound the alarm on ANWR

Environmentalists are warning that the Republican plan to cut taxes could include a move that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Listen now

With an Anchorage audience, look into whale’s death begins

The extraordinary sight of a 30-foot long dead humpback whale that washed up on a beach area in Anchorage has drawn dozens of onlookers to gawk at its carcass. Among them Tuesday were veterinarians working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Listen now

Even with repeal bill dead, Murkowski still not a firm ‘yes’ or ‘no’

The latest Senate effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is dead after too many Republicans declared they would not support the Graham-Cassidy bill. But, as of Tuesday evening, Sen. Lisa Murkowski still was not clearly saying how she would have voted on Graham-Cassidy. Listen now

Valdez spill response continues as Alyeska investigates cause

Alyeska has ruled out a mechanical failure, but isn't ready to pinpoint human error during testing as the cause of the spill. Listen now

How much could electric vehicles put the brakes on Alaska’s oil economy?

As more people move away from gasoline powered cars, the big players in the oil industry have started to pay attention -- and that includes Alaska. Listen now

Cleanup indicates Valdez spill bigger than initially thought

According to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, approximately 400 gallons of an oily water mix had been recovered from the Port of Valdez as of Saturday night.