KMXT News

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Hundreds of people gathered in Wrangell at the end of July to help raise five new totem poles. A company that owns a controversial mining exploration effort outside Haines says work will continue at the site – despite plans to sell some or all of the project. And an Interior Gas Utility plans to truck in gas from the North Slope.Photo: A large group of close to 300 people raise the Kadashan Totem on July 19, 2025 in Wrangell's Totem Park. (photo courtesy of Brian Hockenstein)

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:in Alaska, experts say changes in Medicaid coverage will look very different in Alaska. It's a bit of a mystery where some birds go when they leave Alaska for the winter. And Salmonfest also showcases Alaska Native culture.Photo: Michael Franti & Spearhead perform at Salmonfest in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cancelled half a billion dollars for vaccine development using mRNA technology. Salmonfest aims at a less trashy future. And Governor Dunleavy has ordered an efficiency review of state agencies and grants.Photo: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke to reporters at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium on Aug. 5, 2025, the same day he canceled nearly $500 million for mRNA vaccine development. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:What just happened at Saturday's Special Session of the Alaska Legislature? Is Senator Murkowski thinking about running for Governor? And what do very deep boreholes have to do with coal fired powerplants?Photo: House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, a Dillingham independent, speaks alongside Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, during a news conference at the Alaska State Capitol following two successful veto override votes on August 2, 2025. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska lawmakers on Saturday voted to override Governor Mike Dunleavy's veto of state funding for public schools. And they refused to accept an executive order from him seeking to create a state agriculture department. They also overrode his veto of a bill intended to bolster the authority of the legislative auditor. Photo: Suzanne Cohen holds a sign in the rain outside the Alaska State Capitol on Friday, Aug. 1 calling on lawmakers to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of more than $50 million in public school funding. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The impending glacial outburst flood in Juneau's Mendenhall Valley is raising tensions. Legislators are planning to arrive soon in Juneau for the special session. Educators and education advocates are hopeful that legislators will vote Saturday to override Governor Mike Dunleavy's education funding veto. Photo: On August 6, 2024, an outburst flood from the Mendenhall Glacier caused major flooding in the Mendenhall Glacier Basin. Multiple homes and roads are inundated. Courtesy photo/Alaska National Guar

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:More than 700 participants, including leaders from the circumpolar North, are gathering this week at Arctic Encounter. Alaska's Senators have different ways to vet federal judges. And cell phones are now banned in Anchorage School District classrooms.Photo: Participants at Arctic Encounter

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has announced his policy priorities for the Alaska State Legislature when they reconvene for a special session. Senator Murkowski continues to buck the party with regard to controversial nominations. And Unalaska was mistakenly evacuated after the recent earthquake in Russia.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Trump administration wants to eliminate the Denali Commission. Wildfires have calmed down around Fairbanks thanks to cooler, wetter weather that moved in over the last few weeks. And an audit of the state's foster care system gives it a failing grade. Photo: Smoke from the Bear Creek Fire seen from the Parks Highway on Sunday, June 22, 2025. Courtesy of Sierra Early

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The federal government will be releasing billions of dollars in education funding that it withheld at the end of June. A man was mauled by a bear near the South Fork of Eagle River Saturday morning. And The Alaska Department of Natural Resources on Monday reaffirmed its denial an underwater gold mine near Nome.Photo: A rock formation is seen at the edge of Safety Sound east of Nome. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

This week we hear about the expanding infrastructure to monitor vessels traveling in Alaska's Arctic waters, the Kodiak Police Department has nowhere to store more impounded vehicles, pet boarding facilities and pet hotels can now operate in more zoning districts within the Borough, Starlink had a global outage for a couple hours Thursday that affected Kodiak residents, and an Alaska Airlines plane was grounded after running over deer on the Kodiak runway.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Lawmakers are planning to gather in Juneau in just over a week for a special legislative session called by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. After a fatal shooting at a downtown bar, Anchorage police say they're adding more officers to the area. And for over 50 years, one Nome business has operated the old fashioned way.Photo: The proprietors of Builders Industrial Supply of Nome.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Golden Valley Electric Association is racing to use federal funds before they dry up. Rural Alaska communities will get money to fix tank farms, thanks to the Denali Commission. And the state does not know what effect the Big Beautiful Bill will have on Medicaid in Alaska.Photo: A tank farm in Elim.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska's former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola is suing the owners of the aircraft that her late husband was piloting at the time of his death. A coalition of schools and advocacy groups is suing the Trump administration over its decision to withhold some $6.8 billion in federal education funds. And the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is appealing a federal decision that could cost the state $80 million.Photo: Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola Jr.

This week we hear a recap of the tsunami warning and later all clear in Kodiak and the Alaska Peninsula, Congress voted to cut public media funding, the state government has struggled to keep up with Alaskans applying for government benefits, and inside Kodiak's sole operational kelp hatchery.Support KMXT by becoming a member - click here.KMXT.org #kmxt #kodiak

This week we hear about the vacant position for the director of engineering and facilities at the Kodiak Island Borough, the City of Kodiak approved an agreement with a new city manager, the federal government has frozen more than a million in grants that would fund KIBSD programs, NOAA has multiple research vessels conducting surveys this month, ADF&G raises catch limits for sockeye in Kodiak area rivers and some of the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers participate in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C.Click here for links to articles.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A fire burned through the public safety building and city jail in the Western Alaska coastal community of Chevak. Samoans and other Pacific Islanders gather in an Anchorage park all summer long to play their distinct form of cricket. And a pilot and three passengers were seriously injured this weekend in a floatplane crash in Katmai National Park. Photo: Teammates run past each other on a concrete pitch to score a point after one hit the ball during a kirikiti match at Jefferson Park on Beacon Hill in Seattle. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Smokey conditions persist in the interior as numerous fires continue to burn. A pilot and three passengers were seriously injured this weekend in a floatplane crash in Katmai National Park. And Alaska lawmakers plan to compel the administration of Gov. Mike Dunleavy to release data on oil taxes. Photo: Smoke from the Bear Creek Fire seen from the Parks Highway. Courtesy of Sierra Early

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Representative Begich has no reservations about his vote for the budget bill. Skagway has a trapeze. And not everyone is thrillled about the new musher in the Iditarod.Photo: Katia Aryeh works with local trapeze student Anika Thole, age 10. (Melinda Munson/KHNS)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The U.S. Department of Education is withholding nearly $7 billion in education funding for programs that range from migrant education to English language instruction and gifted education. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is now asking roughly half of the Alaska state House not to show up for the first five days of the special session he called. And reactions to Sen. Murkowski's Big Beautiful Vote.Photo: U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Barrasso of Wyoming, both Republicans, center, walk into the Senate chamber on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

This week we hear about more than half a million dollars in federal grant money slated for Kodiak College is frozen, the Alutiiq Museum's archaeology team has pieced together a historical timeline for Shuyak Island, the City approved its FY26 budget, the borough is on the hook for a quarter million dollars for school bond debt, and another dead whale washed up on Surfer's Beach.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Gov. Mike Dunleavy is calling lawmakers back to Juneau for a special session next month. A wildlife facility outside Haines that's popular with tourists has come under scrutiny over concerns related to animal care and public safety. And U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan says he's pitching the Alaska LNG Project to the U.S. Department of Defense for potential investment.Photo: The entrance to the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center, pictured above on June 27, 2025. (Avery Ellfeldt/KHNS)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Non-teaching staff across the University of Alaska system are working to form a union. An atmospheric research facility near the Interior community of Gakona has been a magnet for conspiracy theories for decades. And the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in springtime can feel like a bit of a bird super-highway.

On this week's Talk of the Rock, host Jared Griffin discusses this weekend's Renaissance Faire with organizers.

This week with host Davis Hovey, we hear about how Gov. Dunleavy's line item vetoes to education funding will impact Kodiak's school district, the city council has selected a new city manager as negotiations continue, a recap of the inaugural Kodiak Mountain Series and a report from our colleagues at Alaska Public Media about the latest on how portions of the "big, beautiful bill" will impact Alaskans.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski spoke out Wednesday against President Trump's plan to claw back $9.4 billion Congress appropriated for public broadcasting and global health programs. The Bear Creek Fire near Healy is one of the largest and most destructive fires in the state this summer. And military helicopters have been spotted buzzing communities across western Alaska this week.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Cold and rainy weather has slowed wildfires raging in Interior Alaska since late last week. Advocates say proposed changes to the SNAP food assistance program under the the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would create food insecurity in Alaska. And businesses are in the dark about new regulations, shortly before they become law.Photo: The Himalaya Fire near Fairbanks on June 22, 2025. (Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Coalition for Education Equity is preparing to sue the state over what it says is inadequate funding for public schools in Alaska. Around 50 people marched to South Peninsula Hospital in Homer this week to protest proposed federal cuts to Medicaid. And wildfires continue to spread across the interior.Photo: Marchers proceed with signs and American flags waving during a rally in support of Medicaid and South Peninsula Hospital on Wednesday, June 18.(Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Questions are being asked about dozens of immigration detainees in an Anchorage jail. More than 900 cyclists are set to participate this weekend in an annual cross-border race that starts in Canada and ends in Haines. And Senator Lisa Murkowski has a book out.A solo rider crests the summit during a previous Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay. Jillian Rogers/KHNS

This week we hear about Alaska students being part of a mass panic at the National Speech and Debate Association's tournament, Harbormaster Dave Johnson's charges were dismissed by the state, a Kodiak dog has parvovirus, the Griffin Memorial Hospital could be used for museum storage, state land is for sale on Kupreanof Strait for the first time, and Kodiak was part of the "No Kings Day" protests on June 14.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Anchorage city officials began clearing the two largest homeless encampments on Tuesday. A section of the Republican megabill pending in the U.S. Senate would require the government to sell some of the public land in Alaska and 10 other states, to build housing. And Skagway is a small town but it celebrates Pride month in a big way.Photo: Brian Vaughn urged Anchorage police on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, to not clear the encampments. ( Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A section of the Republican megabill pending in the U.S. Senate would require the government to sell some of the public land in Alaska and 10 other states, to build housing.Transportation officials say $600M in federal funding is at risk due to unmet state grant match requirements. And a new federal report says the group overseeing the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline System needs to update its operations.Photo: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline along the Dalton Highway near Atigun Pass in September, 2021. ( Alena Naiden)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:This year's fire season roared to life last week with Red Flag warnings in effect around the state. An eagle made an unexpected visit to a Petersburg home earlier this month. And Pilgrim Hot Springs is growing!Photo: Smoke rising from the Riley Fire in Denali National Park & Preserve, June 30, 2024. Paul Ollig, NPS

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Smoke from blazes in Canada poured over the Canadian border into eastern Alaska this weekend. Researchers say for the first time, they've linked seal deaths in the Bering Sea to the same toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. And the National Weather Service issued its first-ever heat advisory for Alaska last week.Photo: Smoke from wildfires in Canada descended on Skagway, Klukwan and Haines over the weekend, resulting in hazy skies and poor air quality. (Avery Ellfeldt/KHNS)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska state lawmakers introduced a bill on the last day of the legislative session that would ban mining projects in the Bristol Bay watershed – including the controversial Pebble Mine. The national theme was “No Kings” for protests held nationwide Saturday and some of the Alaska protesters added a seafood exception. And why is Juneau the state capitol?

This week we hear about a dead gray whale washed up near Surfer Beach, the Kodiak Island Borough will lower its mill rate, young fishermen went through a new training program, a Kodiak fisherman went to D.C. to testify in front of lawmakers about illegal fishing, and Chiniak has a new resort.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska's public schools likely won't get all the money lawmakers approved in a bipartisan vote last month. As President Donald Trump orders the U.S. military into Los Angeles hundreds of Alaskans are preparing to join pro-democracy rallies planned for Saturday. And the U.S. House has passed President Trump's rescission request, taking back $9.4 billion from foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A group of state lawmakers is set to meet this summer and fall to continue working on ways to improve Alaska's public schools. Alaskan advocates are descending on Washington DC. And the Air Force has announced plans to develop a microreactor on Eielson Air Force Base.Photo: F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks. (From Eielson Air Force Base)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska's U.S. Senators are split over President Trump's decision to send Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests there. Officials with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and Alaska Aerospace Corporation announced a wide-ranging agreement Tuesday. And a Korean F-16 fighter plane crashed on takeoff from Eielson Air Force Base late Tuesday afternoon.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:An Alaska Railroad locomotive leaked about 900 gallons of diesel fuel after it derailed in an area north of Talkeetna. Investigators are still looking into what caused a fatal helicopter crash on the North Slope last week. And the Alaska Department of Corrections has taken in 40 people detained outside of the state by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Photo: The Alaska Railroad provides freight and passenger operations on a 470-mile main line between Seward and Fairbanks.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Nome residents gathered to protest proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Graphite mining in Alaska could be one step closer. And the Alaska Board of Education unanimously approved new reading standards for Alaska Native languages.Photo: Nome residents John Bioff, Bob Lewis and Hannah Anderson protesting at Anvil City Square. (Wali Rana photo)

This week we hear about the Coast Guard cutter Earl Cunningham arrives in Kodiak, a Kodiak crabber illegally transported Tanners, Harbormaster Dave Johnson is arrested for assault, North Star elementary school teachers look ahead to next year as they clean out their building, the City Council denies Brechan Construction's proposal to buy land on Near Island, and two finalists for the city manager job are set to visit Kodiak later this month.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The largest timber companies in Southeast Alaska are suing the federal government to get access to more old-growth timber. Senator Murkowski is ambivalent about the "Big Beautiful Bill." And the state school board elicited a firestorm of public comment on a proposal to limit how municipalities can contribute to their school districts.Photo: Tongass trees. (Photo by Katie Anastas/KTOO)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: The Coast Guard is responding to a cargo ship that caught fire near Adak yesterday. Two people died in a helicopter crash on the North Slope near Deadhorse on Wednesday. And three officials from the Trump administration visited the beginning of the Trans-Alaska oil Pipeline on Monday.Photo: The distressed freighter Morning Midas. Smoke is still coming from the vessel. (US Coast Guard)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The State Board of Education is considering a regulation change that would further limit how much money local governments can give to school districts. The Juneau Assembly is mulling over a plan to implement a ranked choice voting system for local elections beginning next year. And the City of Hoonah's chief of police submitted his resignation on Friday, but he was fired instead.

A discussion about the future of childcare in Kodiak.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:An energy company plans to build an ammonia plant in Adak. The Trump administration plans to lift environmental protections on roughly half of the National Petroleum Reserve. And new app mapping wildfire risk in Bristol Bay is just in time for what officials warn could be a dangerous fire season.Photo: Adak. (Aleut Corporation)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A trio of high level Trump administration officials are touring Alaska this week, looking for ways to "unleash Alaska's resource potential." Volunteers say they recovered the remains of three people missing since their boat capsized in Kachemak Bay last summer. And a skater explores Alaska.

This week we hear about the Alutiiq Museum reopened, Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center has a few openings, there's a new fishermen crew training course, half of Kodiak's rural school seniors were in Ouzinkie, the Kodiak Island Borough upped how much it funds education, and we look at bills Kodiak's state legislators worked on.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski is emphasizing her support for Alaska's Ukrainian refugees. In the Anchorage School District, a recently-introduced curriculum for young students learning to read is working, but funding is in question. And Immigration officials detained an Anchorage man originally from Peru last week, according to his wife.Photo: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks with Tetyana Robbins in Delta Junction on May 29, 2025. (Shelby Herbert/KUAC)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Scientists and hunters have been counting bowhead whales passing by Utqiagvik for the past two months. Senator Lisa Murkowski is concerned about implications for Alaskans of cuts to SNAP benefits and medicaid. State lawmakers have passed bills designed to help pull the struggling Alaska seafood industry out of its tailspin.Photo: Bowhead whale. (Vicki Beaver)