KMXT News

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)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Plans by the Native Village of Kotzebue to sell wind power to its local electric cooperative are on hold after the federal government slashed its grants. A Dillingham resident is trying to supply fresh greens to the region. And about 70 Southeast Alaska high school students traveled to Wrangell last month to attend Art Fest.Photo: Southeast students at Art Fest's mosiac stained glass workshop on April 25, 2025. (Colette Czarnecki/KSTK)

This week we have a special edition of the show. KMXT presents: Mabuhay sa Alaska, a five part feature series exploring Alaska schools recruiting teachers from the Philippines.We look at what recruiting is like, meet teachers looking to come here, learn how some already in Kodiak are navigating their new lives, learn some history about Filipino immigration, and question if hiring teachers from the Philippines leads to a brain drain.Text: https://www.kmxt.org/kmxt-special-series-mabuhay-sa-alaska

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: Conservation groups and a Tribal government have sued to overturn a permit to develop a site important to endangered whales. An unvaccinated Anchorage youth tested positive for measles May 21, according to the Anchorage Health Department. And Drue Pearce, a former president of the Alaska Senate, has taken a new job in the U.S. Interior Department.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Trump administration is attempting to alter long standing regulations that seek to protect endangered species habitat. Senator Gary Stevens is retiring. And The US House has passed a spending bill, barely.Photo: Gary Stevens speaks on the Senate floor. (Wikipedia)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A novel new internet system could have the potential to revolutionize internet access in rural Alaska. The Legislative session is over. And Delta Junction's Ukrainian immigrants hope for a legal means to remain in the United States.Photo: A row of white, bulbous receivers at Pacific Dataport's Nome Gateway near the Port of Nome. (Ben Townsend)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska lawmakers have finished this year's business at the state capitol in Juneau. Alaska lawmakers overrode Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of a high-profile education bill Tuesday morning. And the Juneau Assembly passed an ordinance on Monday mandating that the Police release body camera footage within 30 days of a shooting.

This week we hear about harmful algal blooms around Kodiak, the City Council picked its next clerk, halibut populations are at some of the lowest levels in a century, the Alaska Legislature is winding down its 2025 session, Ouzinkie is declared tsunami ready, and Kodiak Middle School's Kaci Martin, Jasper Ignacio, Neal Skonberg, Ryker Christiansen, and Cole Martin give us a preview of CrabFest. That story is featured in KMXT's Weekly Wrap thanks to a collaboration between KMS' journalism class and KMXT News staff.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska officials who help resettle immigrants say they re facing a lot of uncertainty amid the Trump administration s crackdown on legal and illegal immigration. A third Republican candidate has joined the 2026 campaign for Alaska governor. And contractors are nearing completion of a fourth missile field at Fort Greely that will increase the number of interceptor missile silos there to 62.Photo: A Ground-Based Interceptor, designed to destroy incoming ICBMs, is lowered into its silo at the missile defense complex at Fort Greely, July 22, 2004. (Wikipedia)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska has a shortage of residential programs for people experiencing mental health crises. The Trump administration has started cancelling grants to tribal libraries across And Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he's ordering a freeze on most state hiring, out-of-state travel and new regulations as oil prices tumble.Photo: The Klukwan Library has reduced its hours from 35 to four and cancelled all future events amid federal funding cuts. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Katzeek)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A Sterling woman recently placed first in a duathlon in Hawaii. The next season of the PBS KIDS show “Molly of Denali” will be the last for the foreseeable future. And an exhibit on Native boarding schools will officially open at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Gov. Mike Dunleavy is once again threatening to veto a compromise bill legislators hammered out to boost funding for the state's public schools. The Indigenous language of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands is at risk of aging out. And Alaskans sound off about President Trumps first 100 days.Photo: Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters during a news conference on April 17, 2025. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Alaska Senate approved its version of the state budget yesterday. Libraries in Alaska may no longer be able to request books from out of state, or mail books and other media to Alaskans who don't live near a library. And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that it will defund a program that catalogs sea ice data.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Monday was Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. The Alaska House is scheduled to vote today on a change to corporate income taxes that could raise millions of dollars for the state. Anchorage officials are moving forward with a plan to free up space at the landfill by burning trash, and harnessing that power into electricity for the city.Photo: The facade of the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau on May 22, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Former Fairbanks Republican state Sen. Click Bishop filed a letter of intent to run for governor. Republicans in the U.S. House are trying to clear hurdles for Alaska oil drilling and mining with a bill that's written to thwart environmental lawsuits. And a successful program in Anchorage to get homeless people into into housing lacks the housing it needs.Photo: Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, at left, and former state Sen. Click Bishop, at right, have each filed letters of intent signaling they will run for governor in 2026.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska's oldest ferry is too expensive to fix. Alaska has been leading the nation in employment growth since late 2022, mainly due to federal funding. And a proposal that would create and fund tribally run public schools inched closer to reality on Thursday.Photo: AMHS Ferry Matanuska. (Alaska Marine Highway System)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Petersburg's police chief is suing his employer, the borough. Funding for child advocacy centers is in doubt. And low oil prices could hinder plans to ramp up production.Photo: This 2019 aerial photo provided by ConocoPhillips shows an exploratory drilling camp at the proposed site of the Willow oil project on Alaska's North Slope. (ConocoPhillips via AP)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Benny Benson, the designer of Alaska's state flag, has been recognized with a posthumous, honorary doctorate. A new Alaska law requires all businesses that sell alcohol to post a warning that drinking alcohol can cause breast and colon cancers. And Alaska's public schools might get a long-sought increase in state funding this year.Photo: A young Benny Benson.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski says Congress needs to reclaim the power of tariff authority from President Donald Trump. A Homer pilot and passenger died Monday in a plane crash near Nanwalek. And the Kuskokwim River is breaking up far quicker than normal.Photo: Kuskokwim River breakup is seen at the mouth of the Holitna River, a short distance upriver from the community of Sleetmute on April 26, 2025. (Angela Hayden)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Native Youth Olympic Games wrapped up in Anchorage on Saturday. The Alaska Senate has passed a bill that would substantially boost long-term funding for public schools. And the Trump administration is reversing the termination of international student records.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Trump administration is planning an Alaska summit with leaders from Japan and South Korea in early June. Scientists say the Trump administration's planned cuts would devastate climate research in Alaska. And Ketchikan band Dude Mtn headlined shows at the Alaska Folk Festival, and set records.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: A recent University of Alaska graduate is suing the federal government after his foreign student status was revoked by the Trump administration. The Alaska Senate is planning to vote soon on a new education funding bill, even as Gov. Dunleavy says he opposes it. And Canada is affirming the importance of cross-border relationships – while also pushing back against Trump's global trade war.Photo: Jean Kashikov, a recent University of Alaska graduate, is one of four UA students who have had their foreign student records terminated in recent weeks by the Trump administration. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:At the University of Alaska Southeast they are trying to balance upholding the university's values with maintaining federal funding. After the Governor's veto, what next for school funding? And REAL ID could be a real problem for rural residents.Photo: Alaska REAL ID. (AK DMV)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: Alaska lawmakers failed to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of a $1,000 boost to basic per-student funding for public schools. In Juneau, babies can start learning to swim as young as six months. And the Alaska Supreme Court's says that the state can confiscate a Fairbanks pilot's plane for attempting to transport a six pack to a dry village.Photo: Swim instructor Katie McKeown blows bubble with students at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center pool in Juneau on April 19, 2025. (Photo by Jamie Diep/KTOO)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Protesters visited Alaska Congressman Nick Begich's Anchorage office Monday to object to a plan he voted for that would cut Medicaid. Some federal workers in Juneau were fired again this month after the Supreme Court declined to reverse the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce. And Alaska's Governor has ruffled feathers in China.Photo: Caregivers and other supporters of Medicaid gather on April 21, 2025 in the lobby of Congressman Nick Begich's Anchorage office. (Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed a smaller funding and policy package for schools than the bill he vetoed. In the same week the Port of Nome took a potential $10 million hit in state funding, leaders from across the country met to discuss the future of the western Alaska hub. And short-term tenants on land designated for Sitka's new public boatyard are going to have to vacate by the end of the summer.Photo: An aerial view of the Port of Nome. (File/KNOM)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a closely watched education funding bill yesterday. Police say a kicked-out car window led to a man's fatal shooting Wednesday night in South Anchorage. And an eruption at Mount Spurr, the closest volcano to Alaska's population centers, is now less likely, researchers say.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: Arctic research has not been spared as President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk seek to slash what they see as unnecessary government spending. The Alaska House has passed a budget. And the future of a federal program that supports rural Alaska schools remains grim.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she's worried new U.S. tariffs will damage some of Alaska's biggest industries, especially commercial fishing. International students in Alaska on education visas are among hundreds nationwide facing removal, as the Trump administration's immigration crackdown continues. And tensions over a levee that's taking shape in backyards along Juneau's Mendenhall River have come to a head. Photo: HESCO flood barriers line the Mendenhall River on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: Sen. Lisa Murkowski is urging Alaskans to speak out against changes the Trump administration is bringing to their lives and the government they've relied on. The Alaska Legislature passed a bill Friday that would boost per-student education funding by $1,000. And federal investigators have issued a final report on the crash of a commercial cargo plane near Fairbanks last year.Photo: The Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, pictured May 6, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The first cruise ship of the 2025 tourism season, the Norwegian Bliss, is set to arrive in downtown Juneau this afternoon. An Anchorage police officer's home was searched last week by fellow officers and the FBI, as police seek a missing man last seen nearby. And well-known Alaska Native leader Willie Hensley is the subject of a new documentary.Photo: Willie Hensley, a former Alaska congressman and an Arctic Native rights advocate, briefs Alaskan Command leadership as part of ALCOM's Arctic Speaker Series at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2022. (Senior Airman Emily Farnsworth)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Microplastics appear to be ubiquitous in spotted seals harvested in Alaska's most remote waters. The Kenai Peninsula's biggest electric utility trying to save a massive solar farm project after uncertainty over federal solar investment tax credits threw it into limbo. And Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance says her administration's goal is building 10,000 homes in 10 years.Photo: Spotted seals have ingested microplastics consistently since at least 2012.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:If countries want to keep the Trump administration from imposing tariffs on their exports to the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggests they invest in Alaska's Liquified Natural Gas project. The Alaska Legislature's quest to pass a viable state budget for this year isn't getting any easier. And two Alaska State Troopers facing assault charges over alleged conduct during their arrest of the wrong man in Kenai last year won't go to trial until next February.Photo: The facade of the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau on May 22, 2024. ( Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Alaska Permanent Fund suffered a multibillion-dollar loss during last week's stock market crash. A jury is deliberating on whether a 24-year-old Unalaska man is guilty of two felony charges for his involvement in the deaths of two teen girls in a 2019 car crash. And Alaska Head Start programs are reeling after the regional federal office was suddenly closed last week. Photo: Students swing on a playground at Meadow Lakes Head Start in Wasilla, Alaska. It closed in 2024 due to funding and staffing challenges. (Image by Lela Seiler, courtesy of CCS Early Learning)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Job growth is flat across most of Alaska, but the Arctic saw a big spike last year. The state of Alaska has charged 10 U.S. nationals in the small community of Whittier with voter misconduct and perjury. And Hand's Off protesters rallied around he state.Photo: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs alongside the Dalton Highway near the Toolik Field Station in the North Slope Borough on June 9, 2017. (Rashah McChesney/Alaska's Energy Desk)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Interior Alaskans responded to a call for a national day of protest on Saturday. The dance group from the Cup'ik community of Chevak brings a special flair to the annual Cama'i Dance Festival in Bethel. And the Trump administration is dismantling a federal office that funds programs for seniors and people with disabilities across Alaska.Photo: People protesting President Donald Trump's process for restructuring the federal government line the sidewalk on one block of Cushman Street. The protest covered several blocks in front of Fairbanks City Hall. (Robyne/KUAC)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska's two U.S. senators split Wednesday on a vote against President Donald Trump's economic tariffs against Canada. A high-priority bill that would substantially boost education funding took another step forward in the state Legislature this week. And Alaskans used to pay the highest rent in the nation, but new state data show that cost has stabilized.Photo: Susan Collins (left) and Lisa Murkowski (right) were two of the four Republicans who backed legislation to block tariffs on Canada. (Reuters)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion have gradually disappeared from University of Alaska webpages. A group of education leaders from tribal organizations spoke at a U.S. Senate hearing against the dissolution of the federal Department of Education. And Bethel's unofficial loudest event of the year is the "Heart of the Drums."Photo: Drummer Panuk Benjamin Agimuk co-leads the crowd during Heart of the Drums. (Ryan Cotter/KYUK )

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Kobuk 440 — one of the last sled dog races of the season — begins on Thursday. Many of the weather buoys floating in the waters off Alaska are out of service. And Senator Sullivan uses confirmation hearings to make political points.Photo: NOAA weather buoys. (National Data Buoy Center)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska's U.S. Senators have co-sponsored a resolution to keep the U.S. Postal Service as an independent agency and not privatize it. Alaskans fear an executive order signed by President Trump might disenfranchise voters in rural Alaska Native communities. And the pilot recently rescued off of a small plane in an icy, Kenai Peninsula lake may face disciplinary consequences, and be responsible for cleaning up the wreck.Photo: A small plane was spotted Monday morning after it crashed on Tustumena Lake. ( Image courtesy of Dale Eicher)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Caregivers in Homer gathered last week to support state legislation to increase oversight of in-home care services and attempt to boost caregivers' wages and benefits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to $43 million dollars in federal grants that support public health programs in Alaska. And airport workers in Fairbanks are preparing for a possible eruption of Mt Spurr.Photo: Fairbanks International Airport terminal entrance. (Quintin_Soloviev)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Sitka Assembly has invited a Kodiak-based company to run its new publicly-owned marine haulout – over the strenuous objections of many in the local fleet and marine services industry. State lawmakers are now more than halfway through their four-month legislative session, and time is ticking away. And U.S. House Republicans put the top executives of NPR and PBS on the hot seat Wednesday. Photo: Work began on Sitka's marine haul out as soon as the necessary government permits were secured in late November. The facility is scheduled to be operational next spring. (KCAW/Woolsey)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A murder and subsequent wrongful conviction case in Fairbanks is finally coming to an end. The $44 billion Alaska LNG Project picked up a letter of intent last Thursday from Taiwan's state-owned CPC Corporation. And for many tribes in rural areas, cuts by the Trump administration could make food security even tougher.Photo: The Fairbanks Four (left to right): Marvin Roberts, Eugene Vent, Kevin Pease and George Frese at an event celebrating their exoneration in December 2015. (April Monroe)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:People living in the northern part of the state will have a chance to watch rockets soar through aurora-lit night skies for the next couple weeks. Friday was World Glacier Day. And the Alaska House of Representatives says it recognizes Canada's right to govern itself and opposes efforts to restrict cross-border trade.Photo: A NASA technician works on the payload of an AWESOME rocket. (UAF)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The University of Alaska is rolling back its Diversity, Equity, and Incusion programs, in compliance with recent executive orders signed by President Donald Trump. A report that highlighted the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous people was removed from several federal websites last month. And President Trump's cuts to the federal government have repercussions for the National Weather Service.Photo: Weather Service Forecast for Kodiak, 2024

On this today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher says electric vehicles could benefit rural communities that are off the road system. A rockslide near Ketchikan has blocked the island's main road. And Sen. Dan Sullivan enthusiastically embraced President Trump and many of his policies during his annual address to the Alaska Legislature.Photo: Thursday's Wolfe Point landslide near Ketchikan seen from above. (Jason Baldwin/KPU)