Alaska News Nightly - Alaska Public Media

Dozens of wildfires burn in Western Alaska, sending smoke across the state. Also, lodge owners fight a proposed hundred-mile road to an area with mining potential. And Alaskans have lost millions of dollars to online scammers this year.

Residents evacuate as a tundra fire continues to spread near St. Mary's. Also, tenants in Anchorage face rising rent costs. And the regional director for the federal health department says things here are just different.

Residents of St. Mary's prepare to evacuate as a tundra fire continues to burn. Also, the state prepares to distribute COVID vaccines for young children. And inflation drives up grocery bills in rural Alaska.

Fires spread in Southwest Alaska as hot, dry weather continues. As some legislators celebrate the Alaska Reads Act, others worry about rural school districts. And cruise passengers take to social media to share information on COVID outbreaks.

The state is reviewing whether it’s legal for families to use homeschool funds to pay for private school. Also, Anchorage plans to close its main homeless shelter by the end of the month. Today is Walter Harper Day, and a group wants to honor the first person to set foot atop North America's highest peak.

A special election candidate loans hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaign. Also, foster children get support in their lawsuit over the state using their social security benefits. The Anchorage Assembly wants answers from the mayor about working conditions at the library.

Alaskans are spending more at the gas pump and could be for a while. Also, Alaskan mothers ask Senator Lisa Murkowski to support gun safety legislation. And candidates running for the new Anchorage Assembly seat share why they're running.

Candidates finish filing their paperwork ahead of crowded statewide elections. After hours of public testimony, the Anchorage Assembly postpones its vote on a process to remove the mayor. A possum walks into a New York City bar, and an Alaskan carries it out.

School officials assess the damage after multiple school facilities burn in Kasigluk. One woman's effort to find care for her husband with memory loss. Alaska had one of its wettest winters on record, so why is it so hot out?

Controversy and complaints about the top library administrator in Anchorage. Also, honoring an Unangax soldier killed in World War II. And two beluga whales swim up the Kuskokwim River, all the way to Bethel.

The new strain of bird flu is detected in a fox in the Aleutian Islands. Also, a bill awaiting Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s signature could help seafood processors grow. And high school students in Petersburg travel by helicopter to study a nearby glacier.

The Anchorage School District prioritizes security upgrades after Tuesday's school shooting in Texas. Also, where candidates in the special election for U.S. House stand on abortion. And the Sitka resident behind the musical skills of one Spongebob Squarepants character.

The EPA proposes vetoing development of the Pebble Mine. As COVID case numbers rise, health officials urge older Alaskans to take extra precautions. And low Yukon River salmon runs could mean a season without subsistence salmon fishing.

The state's redistricting board must use a new map for this year's elections. Also, Alaska parents and pediatricians face the nationwide shortage of baby formula. And a new program uses artificial intelligence to identify humpback whales.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy picks a running mate for this year's election. Also, a structure fire spreads into nearby trees amid warm and windy weather in Anchorage. And a new community fridge could help address food insecurity in Anchorage.