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In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:State officials are investigating the death of a 37-year-old man found unresponsive on Sunday in his locked Anchorage jail cell. Sen. Lisa Murkowski broke from other Republicans on the firing last month of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control. And former Alaska attorney general Treg Taylor filed to join the 2026 race for governor Wednesday.Photo: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on an Alaska tour in August. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:An unusually warm August and early September near Sitka has attracted an unusual fish to the area - tuna. A U.S. House hearing Tuesday on energy in Alaska was largely a tale of two Alaskas. And six years ago, a man tossed a message in a bottle on a patch of sea ice near Utqiagvik. This spring, it was finally found – thousands of miles away.Photo: Jared Nelson, left, and Adam Olson, with albacore tuna caught off the Sitka coast on Sept. 7. (Photo by Rebecca Olson)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Alaskans can expect a La Niña climate pattern this winter. Former Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor is asking the Alaska Public Offices Commission to exempt him from disclosing who is renting his apartments. And Unangax̂ dance is having something of a renaissance in the Aleutians.Photo: Unangax̂ dancers. (Lucy Bagley, KUCB

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it will cut millions in federal grants for its Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions program. Scientists studying killer whales in Alaska are uncovering long-term impacts of a warmer ocean. And Native advocacy organizations say plans to reorganize U.S. Department of Agriculture could harm tribal food security programs.Photo: Killer whale. (AZ Animals)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:A man shot by Sand Point police last week was arraigned in Anchorage Thursday. Juneau has a cat problem. And the founder of the influential conservative blog Must Read Alaska says she resigned this week.Photo: Duke Ogata. (Alaska's News Source)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:U.S. Antimony Corporation says it's begun to recover antimony from old deposits at a historic mine near Ester Dome. Efforts to make part of the Kenai Spur Highway safer kicked off Tuesday. And the union that represents support staff at the Juneau School District is suing the district over its afterschool child care program.Photo: State and local officials break ground on a Kenai Spur Highway safety project on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/KDLL)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:The Northwest Arctic saw record breaking rainfall in August, which led to flooding, erosion and high water throughout the region. It's getting harder for Alaskans to afford a place to live, whether that means buying a house or renting. And one man has been getting generations of people in Ketchikan to sing sea shanties for over 30 years.Photo: Sea shanty poster for the Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:One question hangs over Alaska's 2026 governor's race: what will Peltola do? In rural Alaska, there are a growing number of cases that involve young teens who are sexually exploited online. And Alaska students' test scores improved modestly last school year. Photo: Mary Peltola

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:A Kenai superior court judge declined to dismiss the state's case against a former Alaska State Trooper facing a felony assault charge. It's been about two weeks since the post office in Nikiski closed abruptly. And layer by layer, a new home in Nome is taking shape. Once complete, it'll become the first occupied 3D printed house in Alaska.Photo: X-Hab 3D's Lead of Systems Engineering, Sven Bilén, evaluates a segment of concrete printed by the company's MX3DP model printer.

This week we hear about an oil spill near the Kitoi Bay Hatchery, a small earthquake near Kodiak, elevated levels of harmful algal blooms, Alaska Aerospace is looking to expand its presence along the Aleutian Chain, and Kodiak's landfill is filling up.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:An Alaska Native group seeking the names of Indigenous people murdered in the state ran into a roadblock this summer when the Alaska Department of Public Safety rejected their request. Two Sitka community gardens have received grant funding to support their development. And students' in Napakiak have a brand new school.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Ships could pose a risk to seabirds migrating through Alaska's waters. The U.S. House voted along party lines yesterday to repeal a land use plan covering 13 million acres in Alaska. And researchers continue to investigate a massive landslide and tsunami that hit a fjord last month.Photo: A bird storm strikes the R/V Tiĝlax̂ near Kasatochi Island in 2003. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Williams/USFWS)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Contractors broke ground in Sitka last week on the final piece of a two-decade project seeking more affordable housing. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has named Stephen J. Cox to be Alaska's next attorney general. And Federal data shows that a subset of cruise ships violate pollution standards in Alaska hundreds of times every year. Photo: Contractors pour the concrete foundation for the first of three duplexes in the Sitka Land Trust. (KCAW/McKenney)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:The Juneau School District Board of Education is fast tracking a move to restore universal free breakfast for K-12 students. An Alaska-based environmental organization is restoring the landscape by constructing man-made beaver dams. And a haunting crime story and an Alaska Native legend are at the center of a new documentary that will premiere on Hulu next month.Photo: Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve ecology technician Spencer Johnson points to a man-made beaver dam on the southern Kenai Peninsula. The dam's goal is to extend wetland habitat important to spawning salmon.(Hunter Morrison/KDLL)

This week we hear about the latest rocket launch from the Kodiak Island spaceport, a "plus-up" underway at Coast Guard Base Kodiak, more than 50 dead shearwaters found near Kodiak beaches, brown bears are wreaking havoc at the landfill, the Alutiiq Museum's annual meeting, and KIBSD school district staff prepare for the new school year.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Gov. Mike Dunleavy has named Stephen J. Cox to be Alaska's next attorney general. Skagway is inching toward building a dock that Canadian mining companies could use to once again export ore from the local port. And “The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn.”Photo: Ben Vaughn.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:An F-35 fighter jet crashed at Eielson Air Force Base back in January because water-contaminated hydraulic fluid caused an ice buildup in the plane's landing gear. And scientists are trying to figure out an early warning system for earthquakes, but it will cost money.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:A former south peninsula firefighter is suing the Kenai Peninsula Borough and her former boss. And a group of Mertarvik students got to travel to New York City to share the impact of climate change on kids. Photo: Mertarvik students and Province Town students play basketball in Brooklyn, New York on June 6, 2025. (Gabby Salgado/KYUK)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:People in Fairbanks are expressing concern about federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city. Two Anchorage residents face federal charges alleging they used a Spenard hotel to distribute illegal drugs. And Unalaska's primary clinic is the first level 5 trauma center in the state.Photo: A sign outside of the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, where Fairbanks resident Atcharee Buntow is currently detained. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Anchorage could soon join other communities in the state that allow people to smoke marijuana at licensed cafes. A researcher has designed a program meant to help small communities make big energy decisions. And the federal government is in the process of rewriting the rules for how it issues federal contracts, including those with Alaska Native Organizations.Photo: Good Titrations operates one of the few on-site consumption cannabis cafés in the United States.

This week we hear about Alaska State Troopers putting down a Kodiak brown bear, Aleutian terns rebounding, we have a list of candidates for municipal elections this fall, construction on the island by the U.S. Navy, and Alaska Marine Lines will no longer ship electric vehicle.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Advocates say it's finally time to connect Alaska's largest city to communities to its north using commuter rail. Petersburg's waste water line is broken, and no one knows for how long. And a kitten cafe!Photo: An Alaska Railroad passenger excursion train at Spencer.

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Providing healthcare in rural communities can come with a lot of unique challenges. Mt Spurr is no longer expected to erupt in the near future. And the Juneau Assembly voted to kill a proposed ordinance that would have made it easier for police officers to arrest campers in public spaces.Photo: Mt. Spurr.

n today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:The Alaska House and Senate met yesterday in Juneau but adjourned in less than a minute. Interior mushroom enthusiasts enjoyed a rich morel harvest. And Alaska Marine Lines will no longer ship electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles to Alaska or Hawaii.Photo: A plateful of Morchella tomentosa, one of Alaska's most common morels. Photo credit Adam McCrae

In today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Democrat Tom Begich has announced a run for Governor. A man seeking asylum in Anchorage was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. And adding kelp to the concrete recipe.

On today's Midday Report with host Brian Venua:Access to Kodiak's Fossil Beach is restricted today. Protests of the meeting between Trump and Putin were held around Alaska. And Ravn will no longer be flying in Alaska.Photo: A Ravn Alaska plane at Unalaska's Tom Madsen Airport. (Photo by Theo Greenly/KUCB)

This week we hear some details about the a potential project for temporary housing at the Kodiak Island spaceport, the Coast Guard has commissioned its second new cutter homeported in Kodiak, the service intercepts Chinese vessel in the Bering Sea, the Coast Guard's Healy is back in Kodiak for now, the Asian Grocery store celebrates 30 years in Kodiak, and the police department has new Tasers.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Sitka's restaurant owners looking to score beer and wine licenses will have to wait– at least for now. After the water receded from this week's all-time record-breaking glacial outburst flood, Mendenhall Valley residents spent yesterday taking stock of the damage. And Fairbanksans packed a bridge downtown to protest President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Investments for aviation safety were included in the budget reconciliation bill. Floodwaters from Juneau's glacial outburst are receding. And Sitka's long-awaited marine haulout is one step closer to opening. Photo: The assembly voted 5-1 in favor of the operating agreement with Highmark Marine, with member Scott Saline opposed. (KCAW/Woolsey)

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Juneau's glacial outburst flood reached a record-breaking crest of 16.65 feet at about 8:00 a.m. today. A historic petroglyph on a Wrangell beach was destroyed by vandalism. And advocates are trying to change the formula for federal homelessness funding for Anchorage.Photo: (Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service) A meter stick laid alongside the damaged petroglyph rock shows the size of the stone.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A massive tsunami ripped through a fjord popular with sightseers south of Juneau early Sunday morning. The Coast Guard has officially commissioned its latest icebreaker. And Alaska has finally regained the jobs it lost during the pandemic.Photo: The Coast Guard Cutter Storis.

In today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:White supremacist activity in Alaska has dramatically increased this year. President Donald Trump says he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday in Alaska. And hunters from the North Slope community of Point Lay will collaborate with a University of Alaska Fairbanks anthropologist from Russia this summer, to document traditional knowledge about walruses.

This week we hear about Mayor Branson not running for reelection, the federal government released education funds for both Kodiak College and the archipelago's public schools, the Alutiiq Museum found its oldest artifacts from the island yet, and the inaugural adult sobriety camp on Afognak Island.

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