KFSK Midday Magazine

What to expect when lawmakers gather in Juneau for a special legislative session Aug. 2; one of Alaska's iconic mountain races had its youngest-ever winner; and Petersburg teenagers returned from a weeklong kayak camping trip this week.

State officials are still assessing the impact of the budget reconciliation bill on Alaska's Medicaid program; some Alaska school districts and advocates are suing the Trump administration; and federal shakeups are making it harder for one Petersburg nonprofit to do its work.

An appeal by the state education department could cost Alaska $80 million; Petersburg will seek state funding for a harbor float replacement project; and a look from Petersburg's 11th annual Pedal-Paddle Battle fundraiser.

An Alaska civics group says Gov. Mike Dunleavy's latest appointment to the Judicial Council violates the state Constitution; many animals were left behind at a shut-down wildlife facility near Haines; and a group of volunteers looked for signs of European green crab on Mitkof Island last week.

The federal agriculture department ended a program that was supporting farmers in Alaska; thousands of Alaskan who've applied for benefits are still stuck in state backlogs; and a look at what Petersburg's borough assembly will consider at tonight's meeting.

James Parkin, a retired school teacher and principal from Angoon, has entered the race for state governor; youth in Sitka recently wrapped up a project testing local waters for ocean acidification; and subsistence sockeye fishing on the Stikine River is off to a slow start this summer.

Trollers caught more king salmon than expected in the first opener in Southeast Alaska; a group of students set up more cameras at Anan Wildlife Observatory near Wrangell; and a group of canoers from Kake stopped by Petersburg on the way Wrangell's first totem pole raising in almost four decades.

The Sitka Music Festival wrapped up its 54th summer season with a cello presentation; retired foot and ankle surgeon Matt Heilala has entered the race to be Alaska's next governor; and the years-long legal battle between Petersburg's police chief and the borough is officially settled.

Commercial salmon fishing in the south Alaska Peninsula (Area M) last month yielded the lowest harvest in decades; Skagway officials question the legality of reindeer from a shut down wildlife center in Haines; and Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter speaks about how changes to Medicaid impact rural healthcare.

A new study suggests there's a direct link between warming waters and harmful algal blooms in the Arctic; Juneau is considering a new seasonal sales tax system; and proceeds from pie sales in Wrangell go towards a teddy bear fundraiser for people in need.