Gov. Dunleavy is poised to sign a bill that will put millions of dollars into a fast-tracked solution to fix the state’s months-long backlog. But advocates and insiders say the emergency funding doesn’t go far enough — and the biggest problems are going unaddressed.
Claire Stremple
Alaska News Reporter
I believe every Alaskan has a right to timely information about their health and health systems, and their natural environment and its management. My goal is to report thoughtful stories that inform, inspire and quench the curiosity of listeners across the state.
Newscast — Tuesday, March 28, 2023
In this news update: The state will test its tsunami alert system on Wednesday; Three candidates vie for the superintendent position with Juneau School District; Beluga whales are in precipitous decline at Cook Inlet; There were 20 pregnancy-associated deaths in Alaska in 2021—more than any other year in the previous decade.
State experts call Alaska’s maternal mortality rate ‘a call to arms’
In 2021, Alaska reported its highest number of pregnancy-associated deaths in the last decade — more than double the most recent five-year average.
State tracks a bump in Alaska homicides over the last five years
Five hundred and thirty-two Alaskans were killed from 2011-2020 — most with guns. Homicides by firearm increased substantially in most regions in Alaska over the course of the study.
Alaska senator’s fight to regulate ‘forever chemicals’ gets a boost from new federal standards
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first-ever national limit on PFAS compounds in drinking water that have been linked to cancer, liver damage and high cholesterol on Tuesday.
Juneau’s wastewater has four times as much COVID as the national average
This weekend marks the third anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the global pandemic — and Juneau’s wastewater is awash with COVID.
Newscast — Tuesday, March 7, 2023
In this newscast: Twenty Alaska legislators urged Walgreens leadership to reconsider its decision not to sell the abortion drug mifepristone after pressure from the state’s Attorney General; Juneau’s School district asked the Assembly for $2.5 million to pay off debts and expenses ahead of the next fiscal year; Emergency provisions were flown into Kodiak last…
Alaska legislators say state Attorney General overstepped with Walgreens letter over abortion pill
Nearly two dozen members of the Alaska House and Senate signed on to the letter and enclosed a copy of the state’s constitution, encouraging Walgreens CEO Rosalind Taylor to review it.
Newscast — Monday, March 6, 2023
In this newscast: A sunken tugboat in Juneau reveals a costly problem as the state’s fleet ages; The Iditarod trail sled dog race started this weekend with fanfare — and fewer mushers than ever; Longtime Interior musher Jacques Philip was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident last week.
Department behind Alaska’s food stamp backlog will soon be processing 260k Medicaid reapplications
In April, the state’s Division of Public Assistance will begin the year-long process of reviewing every Medicaid recipient in the state.