In the deep: UAF mining program takes students underground

FAIRBANKS — Entering an underground mine means leaving behind the topside world, its trees and natural light, and going into a dark, dirty environment with… Continue reading

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker speaks in an interview at the Juneau Empire on Dec. 23, 2015.

Walker: Don’t spend billions arguing over millions

The following Q&A was conducted with Gov. Bill Walker on Dec. 23, 2015, at the Juneau Empire. This is part two of the interview. Part… Continue reading

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker speaks in an interview at the Juneau Empire on Dec. 23, 2015.
Icebergs rest on the frozen Mendenhall Lake near the glacier on a recent afternoon.

Photo: Glacier bergs

Icebergs rest on the frozen Mendenhall Lake near the glacier on a recent afternoon.… Continue reading

Icebergs rest on the frozen Mendenhall Lake near the glacier on a recent afternoon.

Coping with low-snow winters in Alaska takes extra effort

ANCHORAGE — When the early-season snow melted this winter and left Anchorage’s ski trails covered in ice, Lauren Fritz, a professional cross-country skier, went out… Continue reading

Dalton Highway open again after avalanche

FAIRBANKS — Dalton Highway is passable, though reduced to one lane in some areas, after an avalanche forced a closure.The Department of Transportation has been… Continue reading

Shiite cleric’s execution in Saudi Arabia exposes divisions

TEHRAN, Iran — The execution of a Shiite cleric in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia laid bare the divisions now gripping the Middle East, as protesters set… Continue reading

Israel charges 2 Jewish extremists in deadly arson

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Sunday charged two Jewish extremists in an arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents last July —… Continue reading

Mexico mayor slain a day after taking office

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Three people, including a minor, were being held Sunday in the slaying of a newly inaugurated mayor in a gang-troubled central… Continue reading

  • Jan 4, 2016
  • By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN and MARIA VERZA
  • Nation-World

Hong Kong unsettled by case of 5 missing booksellers

HONG KONG — Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers said Sunday that they will press the government for answers after a fifth employee of a publishing company… Continue reading

‘Star Wars’ passes ‘Titanic,’ ‘Jurassic World’

LOS ANGELES — “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” marched confidently into the new year, raking in an additional $88.3 million over the New Year’s weekend… Continue reading

In this photo taken May 19, 2015, meat labels are seen at a grocery store in Washington.

US repeals meat labeling law after trade rulings against it

WASHINGTON — It’s now harder to find out where your beef or pork was born, raised and slaughtered.After more than a decade of wrangling, Congress… Continue reading

In this photo taken May 19, 2015, meat labels are seen at a grocery store in Washington.
Ammon Bundy chats with a protester Saturday during a march on behalf of a Harney County ranching family in Burns, Oregon.

Militia members occupy US building in Oregon

BURNS, Ore. — The remote high desert of eastern Oregon became the latest flashpoint for anti-government sentiment as armed protesters occupied a national wildlife refuge… Continue reading

Ammon Bundy chats with a protester Saturday during a march on behalf of a Harney County ranching family in Burns, Oregon.

Around town for Sunday, Jan. 3

Adult Children of Alcoholic or Dysfunctional Families and Codependents Anonymous meeting, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Assembly Chambers, across from Marine Park.Weekly ukulele jam, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.,… Continue reading

Police blotter for Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016

This report contains information provided to the Empire from law enforcement agencies. This report includes arrest and citation information, not conviction information. Anyone listed in… Continue reading

States plan renewed debate on LGBT rights, religious freedom

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — With same-sex marriage now legal nationwide, lawmakers in numerous states are preparing for a new round of battles in 2016 over… Continue reading

Humpback whales slow to arrive in Hawaii

HONOLULU — December usually marks the start of humpback whale season in Hawaii, but experts say the animals have been slow to return this year.The… Continue reading

Family: Plane crash was a suicide

ANCHORAGE — The death of a man whose plane clipped one building before smashing into another in the heart of downtown Anchorage was a suicide,… Continue reading

Hundreds of swimmers race from the sea during the 24th annual Polar Bear Dip at the Auke Village Recreation Area on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.

Photos: Polar Bear Plunge

Hundreds of swimmers race from the sea during the 24th annual Polar Bear Dip at the Auke Village Recreation Area on Friday.… Continue reading

Hundreds of swimmers race from the sea during the 24th annual Polar Bear Dip at the Auke Village Recreation Area on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker speaks in an interview at the Juneau Empire on Dec. 23, 2015.

Walker: Alaska can ‘self-heal’

The following Q&A was conducted with Gov. Bill Walker on Dec. 23, 2015, at the Juneau Empire. This is part one of the interview. Part… Continue reading

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker speaks in an interview at the Juneau Empire on Dec. 23, 2015.

Juneau comes up just shy of precipitation record

JUNEAU — Alaska’s capital city came up just short of setting a new mark for wettest year on record.The National Weather Service says Juneau ended… Continue reading