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The COVID-19 pandemic and a continued recession was tough on the Anchorage economy in 2020. Job losses permeated nearly every business sector and consumer confidence is low, but 2021 could show some improvement. This week on Addressing Alaskans we’re hearing the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation’s 2021 economic outlook. The presentation includes the AEDC’s Year-End Real-Time…

Approximately 43 separate witnesses, including the survivors, other professional mariners and officials from a number of government agencies, are scheduled to testify over the next two weeks in the sinking of the Scandies Rose. COURTESY OF BRET NEWBAKER A two-week federal inquiry into the fatal sinking of the F/V Scandies Rose — lost on New Year’s Eve…

Screenshot of Rep. Don Young at a virtual U.S. House Natural Resources Committee meeting Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Sparks flew at a Zoom meeting of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Thursday as the members discussed a rule to ban guns from the committee hearing room. Alaska Congressman Don Young, an enthusiastic champion of gun-owner…

The Norwegian Pearl tied up at Skagway’s Broadway dock in July 2017. Two more cruise ships are moored at the railroad dock in the background. (Emily Files/KHNS) The state’s economy was already struggling, but the loss of tourism dollars during the pandemic has only increased the difficulty for many Alaska businesses and individuals. No major…

Partial logo from the PBS historical and cultural exploration of the Black Church in America. In a sweeping, song-filled and emotional telling, Henry Louis Gates takes viewers through the beginnings of the Black Church in America, from its beginnings in white Christianity with influence from home countries and spiritual traditions that slaves brought with them.…

Photo courtesy of Flickr In the early 2000s, a medical school admissions officer stated that although Black women physicians were increasing in numbers, Black men were considered “unicorns” in medicine. In 1978, Black males made up a little over 3% of medical school enrollments, but in 2019 that number was even smaller. Does this disparity…

Alaska Congressman Don Young during a virtual meeting of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on February 18, 2021. (Screensho/Liz Ruskin) Stories are posted on the statewide news page. You can subscribe to Alaska Public Media’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. Friday on Alaska News Nightly: Congressman Don Young defends allowing weapons into…

Alaska House Speaker Louise Stutes, on the dais in the center, presides over the House floor session on Thursday in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau. The House organized, including naming committee members of its standing committees, during the session. (Andrew Kitchenman/KTOO and Alaska Public Media) The Alaska House of Representatives organized on Thursday, but…

Musher Dallas Seavey is returning to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race this year. The four-time champion’s success streak came to an abrupt halt in 2017 when race officials announced that several of his dogs tested positive for a prohibited pain reliever. Seavey says he did not give the drug to his dogs, and the…

Bethel Family Clinic is scheduling appointments for people to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Katie Basile/KYUK) The City of Bethel hit a pandemic milestone by marking one week with no new confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation did not announce any new cases from Feb. 11 to Feb. 18, making it the first week…

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks to reporters during her annual visit to the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, on Feb. 16, 2021. (Andrew Kitchenman/KTOO and Alaska Public Media) Stories are posted on the statewide news page. You can subscribe to Alaska Public Media’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. Wednesday on Alaska News Nightly:…

Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger addresses the Alaska Federation of Natives convention on Oct. 18, 2019 (Photo by Wesley Early, KOTZ – Kotzebue) Shortly after delivering the State of the Judiciary address on Wednesday, Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger defended Alaska’s process for picking judges — as well as the judges themselves.  State…

A voting sign at Anchorage’s Hanshew Middle School the morning of Election Day last year. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Two weeks before the November election, attack ads started showing up on Facebook targeting independent and Democratic state legislative candidates. “Calvin Schrage is no independent,” said one of the ads, referring to the independent candidate for…

Jayson Vinberg with his wife Becky and sons Eaen and Duncan in Sept. 2018. (Furio) Stories are posted on the statewide news page. You can subscribe to Alaska Public Media’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. Tuesday on Alaska News Nightly: Months after the election, a surprise contributor sheds light on Alaska’s changing election…

The Anchorage School District board room when it is empty. Photographed March 13, 2020. (Mayowa Aina/Alaska Public Media) A majority of seats — four out of seven — on the Anchorage School Board are on the municipal ballot this year. Some candidates see that as an opportunity to move the non-partisan body in a more…

Garrett Morgan was an inventor who developed a three-position traffic light, an early gas mask and built a company with his hair care products. This week on Addressing Alaskans we’re celebrating Black History Month. This episode features an hour of speakers, profiles and stories, including a virtual event hosted by the Alaska Black Caucus. Top…

Richie Diehl of Aniak is the 2021 Kuskokwim 300 Champion. Diehl is pictured here with his fiancé, Emerie Fairbanks, for his Valentine’s Day finish. February 14, 2021 in Bethel, Alaska. (Katie Basile/KYUK) Stories are posted on the statewide news page. You can subscribe to Alaska Public Media’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. Monday…

Heavy rains led to a landslide in Haines on Wednesday, December 2. (Jacob Cheeseman photo) As Alaska warms, landslides are projected to be a growing problem. What have we learned from the deadly landslides in Sitka and the more recent event in Haines? How much will research and early warning systems help communities plan for…

The downtown headquarters of the Anchorage Police Department on June 9, 2020 (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) Anchorage officials have discussed introducing body-worn cameras for police for a few years, but lack of funding has stopped the idea from moving forward. Nationwide protests following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd revived the discussion, and now…

Anchorage School District registered nurse Jennifer Perkins (right) administers the Moderna Covid-19 vaccination to retired chemistry teacher David Boyd (left). Boyd was one of 771 people who received vaccines at the ASD Education Center on Jan. 7, 2021. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Starting Thursday, a big group of Alaskans became newly eligible for COVID-19 vaccines…