Midday Report: October 29, 2026

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The Trump administration is preparing to lift a classification on 28 million acres of federal land in Alaska that has long prevented it from being developed or transferred to new ownership. Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, the leading candidate for governor, just barely crested the important 50% mark in the latest election results the Alaska Division of Elections released Thursday. And a Selawik man faces felony drug charges after allegedly trying to bring cocaine home on a flight from Anchorage to Kotzebue.Photo: Some of the land that could lose its D-1 status touches the upper Ferebee, Chilkoot and Chilkat rivers. (Avery Ellfeldt/KHNS)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A state Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that a request by Mary Peltola's campaign for a list of absentee voters whose ballots have been rejected is "not reasonable." Alaska’s U.S. Senate race tightened slightly in the last batch of election results released Wednesday. And a single vote appears to have decided the race for Soldotna mayor.Photo: A ballot box containing absentee ballots dropped off at Anchorage City Hall is seen on Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:A group of state legislators tasked with charting the future of public school funding in Alaska is calling for further study of the subject. Democrat Mary Peltola increased her lead over Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan again Tuesday, as election officials counted more than 24,000 additional votes. And the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Council and the Sitka Assembly reviewed shared priorities and local initiatives during their semi-annual government-to-government dinner.Photo: Mary Peltola. (Kerry Tasker, PBS)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Democrat Mary Peltola increased her lead over Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan Monday, when the Alaska Division of Elections updated its count. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is in the final stages of a years-long process to overhaul the long-term plan for the Haines State Forest. And a rare viral disease has emerged in an outbreak in Anchorage that appears to be expanding, according to state health officials.Photo: The Haines State Forest.(Courtesy of Derek Poinsette)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola went to court Friday in an attempt to force the state Division of Elections to reveal information about which absentee ballots it’s rejecting. As Alaska election results continue to trickle in, there's already some optimism around the number of Indigenous voters who went to the polls on Tuesday. And an Anchorage-based publisher recently launched a magazine for Native children.Photo: Qass'uq Lexi Trainer poses with the inaugural issue of Yaaruin Kids, a kids magazine aimed at sharing Alaska Native culture, language and stories. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)

On this week's episode with host Katherine Irving, two Kodiak women are set to win races for Alaska House and Senate, a plane crashed killed one person near Kodiak, ADF&G passes a moratorium on increasing pink and chum egg takes for hatcheries, Kodiak City Council may hire a city manager next week, the USDA will offer fuel relief payments to commercial fishermen, the plan to remodel Trident Basin Seaplane Dock chugs along, and pet parents and vets alike struggle to make ends meet in Alaska.

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Alaska Public Media's Casey Grove talks to James Brooks of the Alaska Beacon about what to expect from next year's Legislature. The Trump Administration has moved to lift the ban on the Roadless Rule. What could that mean for Alaska's timber industry? And Anchorage’s police chief provided new details yesterday about the events leading up to a recent shooting.Photo: Devil's club grows in the understory of the Tongass National Forest in Juneau. (Alix Soliman/KTOO)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Petersburg has spent a considerable amount of time in the election spotlight. Alaskans appear to have voted out two judges in Tuesday’s election. And some takeaways from the election.Photo: The Alaska Judicial Council recommended against retaining District Court Judge Martin Fallon (left) and Superior Court Judge Kelly Lawson (right) in the 2026 general election. (Alaska Court System)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has a substantial lead in the race for governor. Democrat Mary Peltola has a slight lead over incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s tight U.S. Senate race. And Alaska Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III holds a strong lead in his bid for a second term in the U.S. House.Photo: Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins speaks with a reporter before voting on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 at the University of Alaska Anchorage. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Alaska Beacon)

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines:The state’s mainline ferry Columbia is delayed in Ketchikan due to a port main engine failure. Definitive results for the midterm elections might be days or weeks away. And the state of Alaska has given a contractor the green light to begin preparing for the construction of a controversial ferry terminal between Haines and Juneau.Photo: The AMHS ferry Columbia docked at the Ketchikan shipyard in 2015. (Ed Schoenfeld/Coastalaska)