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Carl Benson, born in Minneapolis in 1927, took this self-portrait of himself in Greenland when he was 28. Photo by Carl Benson

Opinion

Carl Benson embodied the far North

Carl Benson’s last winter on Earth featured 32 consecutive days during which temperatures in his chosen town did…

A University of Alaska Fairbanks skater takes the ice against Long Island University in February 2024. Photo courtesy Leif Van Cise

Opinion

The physics of skating and slap shots

When two NHL hockey players collide, their pads and muscles can absorb enough energy to power a 100-watt…

Alaska’s natural gas pipeline would largely follow the route of the existing trans-Alaska oil pipeline, pictured here, from the North Slope. Near Fairbanks, the gas line would split off toward Anchorage, while the oil pipeline continues to the Prince William Sound community of Valdez. (Photo by David Houseknecht/United States Geological Survey)

Opinion

Opinion: Alaskans must proceed with caution on gasline legislation

Alaskans have watched a parade of natural gas pipeline proposals come and go, as in go nowhere. They…

Pam Groves of the University of Alaska Fairbanks looks at bones of ancient creatures she has gathered over the years from northern rivers. The remains here include musk oxen, steppe bison and mammoth. Photo by Ned Rozell

Opinion

What killed the world’s giants?

Most of the large animals that have walked the surface of Earth are no longer here. Why?

Jim Jansen and Joe Schiernhorn are co-chairs of the Keep Alaska Competitive Coalition. Photo courtesy of Keep Alaska Competitive

Opinion

Opinion: Alaska’s winning formula

Alaska is experiencing an energy renaissance, thanks to a stable fiscal framework that gives businesses and investors the…

Four members of the Riley Creek wolf pack, including the matriarch, “Riley,” dig a moose carcass frozen from creek ice in May 2016. National Park Service trail camera photo

Opinion

The Riley Creek pack’s sole survivor

As I was driving down the highway one spring day eight years ago, I saw a shaggy, gray-black…

UAF seismologist Carl Tape, age 9, stands outside on his family’s Fairbanks deck at minus 50 degrees F on Jan. 23, 1989. “Carl was ahead of his time,” said Rick Thoman. “Now people pose in front of the UAF sign.” Photo courtesy Walt Tape

Opinion

Fuzzy memories of a real Alaska cold snap

More than 35 years have ticked away since I turned my pickup left onto a North Pole road…

James Havens of Anchorage painted this image of a woolly mammoth that illustrated a cover of Science magazine in which appeared the work of UAF’s Matthew Wooller and his colleagues. Photo provided by Ned Rozell

Opinion

A whale of a mammoth tale

Matthew Wooller couldn’t believe his ears after a California researcher rang his cellphone recently.

Commercial fishing and recreational vessels are docked in the Homer harbor on Oct. 23, 2025. The commercial fishing industry endured a series of challenges over the year, some of them imposed by the new Trump administration. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska fisheries in 2025: turmoil, economic and environmental challenges and some bright spots

NOAA cuts, economic headwinds and invasive species pose problems, but there was some recovery in crab stocks and…

Cook Inlet near Clam Gulch is seen on Oct. 23, 2025. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

News

Disputed oil lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet upheld in new Trump administration decision

After completing a court-ordered environmental study, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said no changes are needed for…

Voting booths are filled at the Kenai No. 2 precinct, the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Point of View: Alaskans, don’t be duped by the Citizens Voter initiative

A signature drive is underway for a ballot measure officially titled the United States Citizens Voter Act. Supporters…

The Johnson Tract is a privately owned parcel with a worker camp and airstrip, surrounded by the vast Lake Clark National Park. Contango Ore, the mining company developing the prospect, announced a merger this week with a Canadian firm. (Max Graham/Northern Journal)

News

Alaska mining company pushing Cook Inlet, Hatcher Pass projects will merge with Canadian firm

Contango Ore helped build Alaska’s newest major mine. Its merger with and Dolly Varden Silver comes amid a…

Artifacts from the Pratt Museum's permanent collection are on display alongside the Homer High School Alaska History class's temporary exhibit at the museum on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)

News

Homer High students showcase Alaska history exhibit at museum

The exhibit was put on by the Pratt Museum and members of the HHS Alaska history class, using…