Alaska News Nightly - Alaska Public Media

Wasilla Republican state Rep. David Eastman is part of a far-right, anti-government militia. Also, the state is looking at why Alaska has a hard time retaining teachers. And Alaskans will soon be allowed to drive all-terrain vehicles on some public roads.

The state is preparing to roll out COVID-19 vaccines for younger kids. Also, a whistleblower in Anchorage says she was illegally fired by the mayor’s administration. And the federal subsistence board votes down a proposal to restrict trapping near trails.

Hospitals in Anchorage report good compliance with COVID vaccine mandates. Also, the state is spending a lot of money to keep its idled ferry, the Malaspina, tied up at a dock. And high schoolers in Haines turn a rundown skate park into a work of art.

State senators struggle to come to agreement on a plan for the budget and Permanent Fund Dividend. Also, Anchorage businesses adjust to the new citywide mask mandate. And Fairbanks's Lathrop High School wins its first football championship.

The Federal Aviation Administration releases recommendations to improve air safety in Alaska. Also, the Episcopal church in Alaska will investigate its history of boarding schools in the state. And Skagway says goodbye to the last cruise ship of a shortened season.

Alaska's decline in COVID-19 cases stalls. Also, former Anchorage Assembly members weigh in on the current, fraught mask debate. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begins its next review of polar bears' status under the Endangered Species Act.

After days of fraught testimony, the Anchorage Assembly passes a mask mandate. Also, rural Alaskans ask federal fisheries managers to crack down on salmon bycatch. And the first Alaska Native woman to serve as an Alaska State Trooper retires.

City and tribal leaders in Skagway agree to an archaeological study at the site of a former boarding school. Also, new affordable housing is set to open in Anchorage's Spenard neighborhood. And it's looking like another La Niña this winter.

Conservative officials pressure the state Pharmacy Board to fill Ivermectin prescriptions. Also, Anchorage's chief equity officer believes mayor Bronson fired him illegally. And a 6.9 earthquake struck near Chignik early Monday morning.

The Anchorage Assembly hears another long night of testimony over a proposed mask mandate. And Alaska legislators are in their fourth special session, with no sign of progress. Also: The University of Alaska Fairbanks is getting the famous "Into the Wild" bus ready for exhibit.

Alaska doctors say they’re worried about a difficult winter in pediatric hospital wings. Also, a Ketchikan resident discovers more racist vandalism near a school. And two birds that nested in Alaska have been tracked to the area of an oil spill off the coast of California.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she won't cross party lines to vote to increase the debt ceiling. Also, an Anchorage pastor knows he should get a COVID-19 vaccine but can't bring himself to follow through. And a mom in Petersburg gets a difficult diagnosis for herself and her daughter.

Sen. Dan Sullivan proposes a hardline approach to regulating teens' use of social media sites like Facebook. Also, a local reporter delves into the unseen deaths of the unhoused in Anchorage. And Tom Kizzia returns to McCarthy to mine stories for his latest book.

The Dunleavy administration has released few details on extensive cyberattacks on state government. Also, the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation’s top executive asks whether trustees are committed to the corporation’s independence. And a theater company in Skagway prepares for a season when tourists return.

Out-of-state healthcare workers settle into hospitals in Alaska. And Alaskans participate in a day honoring the troubled history of Indigenous boarding schools. Also: How and why some trees lose their leaves.