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Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin's libel claim against The New York Times
Read full article: Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin's libel claim against The New York TimesA federal judge has set an April retrial date for Sarah Palin's libel case against The New York Times, even as lawyers on both sides for the first time said they hope they can settle the case.
Takeaways from AP's reporting on challenges to voting in Alaska Native villages
Read full article: Takeaways from AP's reporting on challenges to voting in Alaska Native villagesThe right to vote is considered sacrosanct in the U.S., but it isn’t always so in the tiny, remote Native villages across Alaska.
The ability to cast a ballot isn’t always guaranteed in Alaska’s far-flung Native villages
Read full article: The ability to cast a ballot isn’t always guaranteed in Alaska’s far-flung Native villagesThe polling place in the tiny Arctic village of Kaktovik never opened when Alaska had its primary election this summer because there was no trained staff to run the precinct.
US Navy apologizes for the 1882 obliteration of a Tlingit village in Alaska
Read full article: US Navy apologizes for the 1882 obliteration of a Tlingit village in AlaskaIn 1882 the U.S. Navy shelled a southwest Alaska Tlingit village and then burned what was left of the homes, food caches and canoes.
The last in-person vote in the US will be cast on the desolate tundra of Alaska's Aleutian Islands
Read full article: The last in-person vote in the US will be cast on the desolate tundra of Alaska's Aleutian IslandsOn a desolate slab of island tundra on Alaska's Aleutian Islands, a resident of a tiny village called Adak will again become the last American to cast an in-person ballot for president.
Close call at Nashville airport came after planes were directed to same runway, probe shows
Read full article: Close call at Nashville airport came after planes were directed to same runway, probe showsInvestigators say that air traffic controllers cleared one plane to take off after telling pilots of another plane to cross the same runway in Nashville last month.
Online voting in Alaska's Fat Bear Week contest starts after an attack killed 1 contestant
Read full article: Online voting in Alaska's Fat Bear Week contest starts after an attack killed 1 contestantVoting has started in the annual Fat Bear Week contest at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Startling video shows Russian fighter jet flying within feet of US F-16 near Alaska
Read full article: Startling video shows Russian fighter jet flying within feet of US F-16 near AlaskaMilitary officials have released new video of a startling interaction between a Russian jet flying near Alaska and a U.S. plane sent to intercept it.
The chunkiest of chunks face off in Alaska's Fat Bear Week
Read full article: The chunkiest of chunks face off in Alaska's Fat Bear WeekAn Alaska national park’s annual celebration of the beefy, brown and bristly is getting underway as some of the chunkiest bears on the planet fatten up for their long winter slumber.
US troops finish deployment to remote Alaska island amid spike in Russian military activity
Read full article: US troops finish deployment to remote Alaska island amid spike in Russian military activityAbout 130 U.S. soldiers are returning to their bases after being deployed to a remote Alaska island amid a spike in Russian military activity off the western reaches of the U.S. The deployment of the 11th Airborne Division and two task forces included mobile rocket launchers and lasted about a week.
Alaska governor vetoes expanded birth control access as a judge strikes down abortion limits
Read full article: Alaska governor vetoes expanded birth control access as a judge strikes down abortion limitsAlaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed a bill to expand birth control access, while a judge struck down decades-old restrictions on who could perform abortions in the state.
Ludacris' gulp of untreated Alaska glacier melt was totally fine, scientist says
Read full article: Ludacris' gulp of untreated Alaska glacier melt was totally fine, scientist saysRapper-turned-actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges sparked concern from some social media followers recently when he knelt on an Alaska glacier, dipped an empty water bottle into a blue, pristine pool of glacier melt and drank it.
Democrats set their convention roll call to a soundtrack. Here’s how each song fits each state
Read full article: Democrats set their convention roll call to a soundtrack. Here’s how each song fits each stateThe traditional roll call at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago became a boisterous dance party, with each state’s delegation announcing their votes for presidential nominee Kamala Harris to a song befitting their state.
US Coast Guard patrol spots Russian military ship off Alaska islands
Read full article: US Coast Guard patrol spots Russian military ship off Alaska islandsOfficials say a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol south of Alaska's Aleutian Islands came across a Russian ship in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone.
Picturesque glacier releases water down a river in Alaska. More than 100 homes are damaged
Read full article: Picturesque glacier releases water down a river in Alaska. More than 100 homes are damagedAn outburst of flooding from a lake dammed by Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier damaged at least an estimated 100 homes in what has become a perennial hazard for nearby neighborhoods.
Alaska judge who resigned in disgrace didn't disclose conflicts in 23 cases, investigation finds
Read full article: Alaska judge who resigned in disgrace didn't disclose conflicts in 23 cases, investigation findsProsecutors say a federal judge in Alaska who resigned after a scathing investigation found he had engaged in inappropriate conduct with staff and attorneys did not disclose conflicts of interest in 23 criminal cases before him.
Man gets 226 years in deaths of 2 Alaska Native women. He filmed the torture of one
Read full article: Man gets 226 years in deaths of 2 Alaska Native women. He filmed the torture of oneA man who killed two Alaska Native women and was heard while videotaping the torture death of one say that in his movies “everybody always dies” was sentenced in Anchorage Friday to 226 years in prison.
Trump-appointed judge in Alaska resigns over sexual misconduct, leaving only 1 judge in state
Read full article: Trump-appointed judge in Alaska resigns over sexual misconduct, leaving only 1 judge in stateA U.S. District Court judge in Alaska has resigned and could face impeachment after a judicial panel found he had an inappropriate relationship with a law clerk and lied about it.
An Alaska tourist spot will vote whether to ban cruise ships on Saturdays to give locals a break
Read full article: An Alaska tourist spot will vote whether to ban cruise ships on Saturdays to give locals a breakEach year, a crush of tourists arrives in Alaska’s capital city on cruise ships to see wonders like the fast-diminishing Mendenhall Glacier.
Melting of Alaska's Juneau icefield accelerates, losing snow nearly 5 times faster than in the 1980s
Read full article: Melting of Alaska's Juneau icefield accelerates, losing snow nearly 5 times faster than in the 1980sA new study says the melting of Alaska’s Juneau icefield, home to more than 1,000 glaciers, is accelerating.
Baby moose trapped in a lake is saved by Alaska man and police as its worried mom watches
Read full article: Baby moose trapped in a lake is saved by Alaska man and police as its worried mom watchesAn Alaska man and two police officers have joined forces to rescue a baby moose that got stuck between a floatplane and a dock in a lake.
1 Malaysian climber dead, 1 rescued near the top of Denali, North America's tallest mountain
Read full article: 1 Malaysian climber dead, 1 rescued near the top of Denali, North America's tallest mountainOfficials say a climber from Malaysia who was stranded for three days near the top of North America’s tallest mountain has been rescued but his partner is dead.
2 climbers suffering from hypothermia await rescue off Denali, North America's tallest mountain
Read full article: 2 climbers suffering from hypothermia await rescue off Denali, North America's tallest mountainThe National Park Services says two climbers are awaiting rescue near the peak of North America’s tallest mountain a day after they and a third climber in their team requested help.
Ranked-choice voting has challenged the status quo. Its popularity will be tested in November
Read full article: Ranked-choice voting has challenged the status quo. Its popularity will be tested in NovemberAlaska’s new electoral system — with open primaries and ranked-choice voting — has been a model for voters in other states who are frustrated by political polarization and a sense that voters lack real choice at the ballot box.
Family says Alaska photographer killed in moose attack knew the risks, died doing what he loved
Read full article: Family says Alaska photographer killed in moose attack knew the risks, died doing what he lovedThe family of an Alaska man who was fatally attacked by a moose said the amateur photographer died doing what he loved.
Alaska's Indigenous teens emulate ancestors' Arctic survival skills at the Native Youth Olympics
Read full article: Alaska's Indigenous teens emulate ancestors' Arctic survival skills at the Native Youth OlympicsThe Native Youth Olympics in Anchorage, Alaska, is a three-day celebration of Indigenous culture in the form of games that mimic hunting and survival techniques that Alaska Natives in the Arctic region have relied on for thousands of years.
Pilot reported fire on fuel-laden plane and tried to return to airport before deadly Alaska crash
Read full article: Pilot reported fire on fuel-laden plane and tried to return to airport before deadly Alaska crashA federal aviation official says one of the two pilots of an airplane that was laden with fuel reported a fire on board shortly before the aircraft crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, Alaska.
South Africa man convicted in deaths of 2 Alaska Native women faces revocation of U.S. citizenship
Read full article: South Africa man convicted in deaths of 2 Alaska Native women faces revocation of U.S. citizenshipFederal prosecutors want to revoke the U.S. citizenship of a South Africa man convicted of killing two Alaska Native women for allegedly lying on his naturalization application for saying he had neither killed nor hurt anyone.
Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers say
Read full article: Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers sayThe Alaska Air National Guard flew 159 civilian search-and-rescue missions last year in the nation's largest state, often during vicious storms that prevented air ambulances from taking off.
Biden wins more delegates in Wyoming and Alaska as he heads toward Democratic nomination
Read full article: Biden wins more delegates in Wyoming and Alaska as he heads toward Democratic nominationPresident Joe Biden has nudged further ahead in the Democratic nomination for reelection by winning the party contests in Wyoming and Alaska.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Alaska and Wyoming Democratic presidential contests
Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Alaska and Wyoming Democratic presidential contestsPresident Joe Biden will face Democratic voters in a pair of nominating contests in Alaska and Wyoming that are unlikely to produce any surprises.
West Coast whale population recovers 5 years after hundreds washed up ashore
Read full article: West Coast whale population recovers 5 years after hundreds washed up ashoreFederal researchers indicate the gray whale population along the West Coast is showing signs of recovery five years after hundreds washed up dead on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington state and Alaska, as well as Canada and Mexico.
Volunteers uncover fate of thousands of Lost Alaskans sent to Oregon mental hospital a century ago
Read full article: Volunteers uncover fate of thousands of Lost Alaskans sent to Oregon mental hospital a century agoA 15-year volunteer effort is helping identify the fates of thousands of Alaskans who were shipped to a controversial psychiatric hospital in Oregon between 1904 and the 1960s.
Nevada's first big-game moose hunt will be tiny as unusual southern expansion defies climate change
Read full article: Nevada's first big-game moose hunt will be tiny as unusual southern expansion defies climate changeIt will be a very tiny big-game hunt for one of the largest animals in North America.
Alaska whaling village teen pleads not guilty to 16 felony counts in shooting that left 2 dead
Read full article: Alaska whaling village teen pleads not guilty to 16 felony counts in shooting that left 2 deadA 16-year-old teen charged as an adult in the shooting deaths of two people in the northwest Alaska whaling village of Point Hope had not guilty pleas entered for him Friday by his public defender.
Alaska's Iditarod dogs get neon visibility harnesses after 5 were fatally hit while training
Read full article: Alaska's Iditarod dogs get neon visibility harnesses after 5 were fatally hit while trainingThe Iditarod, the annual sled dog race celebrating Alaska’s official state sport, got underway Saturday with a new emphasis on safety after five dogs died and eight were injured in collisions with snowmobiles while training.
Shooting stuns indigenous whaling village on Alaska's desolate North Slope
Read full article: Shooting stuns indigenous whaling village on Alaska's desolate North SlopeA shooting that left two dead and two others severely wounded has stunned a tiny Alaska Native whaling village above the Arctic Circle, where parents were told they could keep their children home from school Tuesday to hug them.
Man found guilty of murder in Alaska Native woman's killing that was captured on stolen memory card
Read full article: Man found guilty of murder in Alaska Native woman's killing that was captured on stolen memory cardA man who recorded the violent death of an Alaska Native woman on his cellphone was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in her death and that of another Alaska Native woman.
A high cost of living and lack of a pension strain teachers in Alaska. Would bonuses help keep them?
Read full article: A high cost of living and lack of a pension strain teachers in Alaska. Would bonuses help keep them?Debate over school funding is dominating the Alaska Legislature as districts faces teacher shortages and in some cases multimillion-dollar deficits.
Prosecutor: Man accused of killing 2 Alaska Native women recorded images of both victims
Read full article: Prosecutor: Man accused of killing 2 Alaska Native women recorded images of both victimsA man accused of murdering two Alaska Native women recorded images of both of his victims, and the break in the case came when a third woman stole the man’s phone and provided police with photos and videos of one of the killings.
A woman stole a memory card from a truck. The gruesome footage is now key to an Alaska murder trial
Read full article: A woman stole a memory card from a truck. The gruesome footage is now key to an Alaska murder trialThe double murder trial of a man accused of killing two Alaska Native women is set to begin more than four years after a woman turned in a stolen digital memory card that authorities say contained gruesome recordings of one of the killings.
It's so cold and snowy in Alaska that fuel oil is thickening and roofs are collapsing
Read full article: It's so cold and snowy in Alaska that fuel oil is thickening and roofs are collapsingMuch of Alaska has plunged into a deep freeze, with temperatures colder than minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in recent days in some places.
Alaska Airlines cancels flights on certain Boeing planes through Saturday for mandatory inspections
Read full article: Alaska Airlines cancels flights on certain Boeing planes through Saturday for mandatory inspectionsAlaska Airlines is canceling all flights on Boeing 737 Max 9 planes until Saturday while it waits for new instructions on how to inspect and fix the planes.
Supreme Court denies Alaska's bid to revive the copper and gold Pebble Mine proposal blocked by EPA
Read full article: Supreme Court denies Alaska's bid to revive the copper and gold Pebble Mine proposal blocked by EPAThe Supreme Court has rejected Alaska’s bid to revive a proposed copper and gold mine that was blocked by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Federal officials order grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners after plane suffers a blowout
Read full article: Federal officials order grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners after plane suffers a blowoutFederal officials have ordered the immediate grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners until they are inspected after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.
A lithium-ion battery fire in a cargo ship's hold is out after several days of burning
Read full article: A lithium-ion battery fire in a cargo ship's hold is out after several days of burningThe U.S. Coast Guard says a lithium-ion battery fire on a cargo ship is out after days of burning off the coast of Alaska.
Death of last surviving Alaskan taken by Japan during WWII rekindles memories of forgotten battle
Read full article: Death of last surviving Alaskan taken by Japan during WWII rekindles memories of forgotten battleGregory Golodoff, the last survivor among 41 residents imprisoned in Japan after Japanese troops captured the remote Alaska island of Attu during World War II, has died.
A sea otter pup found alone in Alaska has a new home at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium
Read full article: A sea otter pup found alone in Alaska has a new home at Chicago's Shedd AquariumA northern sea otter who was found alone and malnourished in the remote Alaska town of Seldovia in October has a new home in Chicago.
Alaska landslide survivor says force of impact threw her around 'like a piece of weightless popcorn'
Read full article: Alaska landslide survivor says force of impact threw her around 'like a piece of weightless popcorn'A survivor of the deadly landslide in Alaska last week says the force of the impact threw her around like a "piece of weightless popcorn."
Girl, 11, confirmed as fourth victim of Alaska landslide, two people still missing
Read full article: Girl, 11, confirmed as fourth victim of Alaska landslide, two people still missingAuthorities have recovered the body of an 11-year-old girl from a landslide that smashed into homes in an Alaska fishing village days ago.
A landslide in Alaska has devastated one family, killing three members and leaving two kids missing
Read full article: A landslide in Alaska has devastated one family, killing three members and leaving two kids missingAuthorities have identified those missing or killed in an Alaska landslide this week as five family members and their neighbor, a commercial fisherman who made a longshot bid for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House last year.
Worsening warming is hurting people in all regions, US climate assessment shows
Read full article: Worsening warming is hurting people in all regions, US climate assessment showsA massive new federal government report says revved-up climate change now permeates Americans’ daily lives with harms that are already far-reaching and worsening across every region of the United States.
Deer struggling in cold Alaskan waters saved by wildlife troopers who give them a lift in their boat
Read full article: Deer struggling in cold Alaskan waters saved by wildlife troopers who give them a lift in their boatTwo Alaska Wildlife Troopers wound up playing the role of rescuers last week while boating to Ketchikan in southeast Alaska's famed Inside Passage.
Don't mess with this mama bear: Grazer easily wins popular Fat Bear Contest at Alaska national park
Read full article: Don't mess with this mama bear: Grazer easily wins popular Fat Bear Contest at Alaska national parkWhen it comes to packing on the pounds to survive an Alaska winter, this year’s undisputed champ is Grazer.
Bears raid a Krispy Kreme doughnut van making deliveries on an Alaska military base
Read full article: Bears raid a Krispy Kreme doughnut van making deliveries on an Alaska military baseTwo bears have raided a Krispy Kreme doughnut van that was stopped outside a convenience store on an Alaska military base.
Anchorage scrambles to find enough housing for the homeless before the Alaska winter sets in
Read full article: Anchorage scrambles to find enough housing for the homeless before the Alaska winter sets inAnchorage Mayor Dave Bronson gained national attention this summer when he proposed buying one-way airfare out of Alaska’s largest city for anyone without housing who wanted to leave.
Broadway fundraiser for Biden to star Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Read full article: Broadway fundraiser for Biden to star Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban and Lin-Manuel MirandaBroadway royalty will be out in force Monday when stars like Sara Bareilles, Cynthia Erivo, Josh Groban, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt perform at a fundraiser for President Joe Biden.
Water hookups come to Alaska Yup'ik village, and residents are thrilled to ditch their honey buckets
Read full article: Water hookups come to Alaska Yup'ik village, and residents are thrilled to ditch their honey bucketsThe arrival of indoor plumbing in an Alaska village is a godsend for residents who can now turn on a tap for their drinking water or start a machine to do their laundry.
Alaska fishers fear another bleak season as crab populations dwindle in warming waters
Read full article: Alaska fishers fear another bleak season as crab populations dwindle in warming watersCrab fishermen in Alaska have been scrambling to stay afloat after two years of the Bering Sea fishery being closed or severely curtailed due to plummeting crab numbers.
EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay
Read full article: EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol BayThe nation’s top environmental official said he fully supports his agency’s decision to block a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska’s salmon-rich Bristol Bay, even as the state of Alaska has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn that action.
Alaska report details 280 missing Indigenous people, including whether disappearances are suspicious
Read full article: Alaska report details 280 missing Indigenous people, including whether disappearances are suspiciousLaw enforcement in Alaska has prepared a first-of-its-kind report detailing missing Alaska Natives and American Indians.
Off Alaska coast, research crew peers down, down, down to map deep and remote ocean
Read full article: Off Alaska coast, research crew peers down, down, down to map deep and remote oceanA research vessel motoring off the coast of Alaska is exploring the mounds and craters of the sea floor to surface new knowledge about life in some of the world's deepest and most remote waters.
Rescued walrus calf that was receiving cuddles as part of his care in Alaska dies
Read full article: Rescued walrus calf that was receiving cuddles as part of his care in Alaska diesA walrus calf found alone and miles from the ocean on Alaska’s North Slope last week and who received cuddles as part of his care after being rescued has died.
After a glacial dam outburst destroyed homes in Alaska, a look at the risks of melting ice masses
Read full article: After a glacial dam outburst destroyed homes in Alaska, a look at the risks of melting ice massesResidents in Alaska’s capital city have lived with periodic glacial dam outbursts for more than a decade.
Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe
Read full article: Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globeThe destruction that resulted from a glacial dam bursting in Alaska's capital highlights the danger such flooding poses around the world.
Glacial dam outburst in Alaska’s capital erodes riverbanks, destroys at least 2 buildings
Read full article: Glacial dam outburst in Alaska’s capital erodes riverbanks, destroys at least 2 buildingsRaging waters from a weekend outburst of water from a glacier-dammed lake destroyed at least two buildings and damaged several others as floodwaters are now receding in Alaska’s capital city of Juneau.
At least 2 buildings destroyed in flooding in Alaska's capital from glacial lake water release
Read full article: At least 2 buildings destroyed in flooding in Alaska's capital from glacial lake water releaseOfficials in Alaska say at least two buildings have been destroyed and residents of others have been evacuated after flooding caused by a release of water from a glacial lake.
Crammed with tourists, Alaska's capital wonders what will happen as its magnificent glacier recedes
Read full article: Crammed with tourists, Alaska's capital wonders what will happen as its magnificent glacier recedesA record number of cruise passengers are expected this year in Alaska's capital, drawn by wonders such as the long-retreating Mendenhall Glacier.
Anchorage homeless face cold and bears. A plan to offer one-way airfare out reveals a bigger crisis
Read full article: Anchorage homeless face cold and bears. A plan to offer one-way airfare out reveals a bigger crisisA proposal by the mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, to fly homeless people to warmer climates or other Alaska cities underscores the homeless crisis affecting the state's largest city, and the very unique dangers faced by the unsheltered in an extreme environment.
Permafrost expert and military pilot among 4 killed in a helicopter crash on Alaska's North Slope
Read full article: Permafrost expert and military pilot among 4 killed in a helicopter crash on Alaska's North SlopeFriends and family are remembering the three passengers and pilot killed when a helicopter crashed on Alaska's remote North Slope late last week.
Alaska man inadvertently films his own drowning on a glacial lake with helmet GoPro, officials say
Read full article: Alaska man inadvertently films his own drowning on a glacial lake with helmet GoPro, officials sayAuthorities say an Alaska man inadvertently filmed his own drowning on a glacial lake with a GoPro camera mounted on his helmet.
Alaska volcano's week-long eruption eases after spewing another massive ash cloud
Read full article: Alaska volcano's week-long eruption eases after spewing another massive ash cloudAn ongoing eruption of a remote volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands produced an ash cloud so large Tuesday that warnings were sent to pilots about potentially dangerous conditions.
Earthquake off the Alaska coast triggers brief tsunami advisory, sending some residents to shelters
Read full article: Earthquake off the Alaska coast triggers brief tsunami advisory, sending some residents to sheltersA 7.2 magnitude earthquake triggered a brief tsunami advisory for southern Alaska, but the advisory was cancelled about an hour later.
Alaska volcano spews ash cloud high enough to draw weather service warning for pilots
Read full article: Alaska volcano spews ash cloud high enough to draw weather service warning for pilotsAn erupting volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands sent up a cloud of ash Friday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an inflight warning to pilots.
ConocoPhillips faces potential $914,000 fine over Alaska gas blowout, leak
Read full article: ConocoPhillips faces potential $914,000 fine over Alaska gas blowout, leakConocoPhillips Alaska faces a potential $914,000 fine over what a state regulatory agency called a “shallow underground blowout” of a well that released natural gas at the company’s Alpine field on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope last year.
Cruising to Nome: The first U.S. deep water port for the Arctic to host cruise ships, military
Read full article: Cruising to Nome: The first U.S. deep water port for the Arctic to host cruise ships, militaryClimate change is opening up the Arctic, and a $600 million-plus expansion will make Nome on Alaska's western coast the nation’s first deep-water Arctic port.
Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industry
Read full article: Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industryCharter fishing industry experts in southeast Alaska say they're eager to learn the cause of a tragedy that left five people dead or lost at sea.
Family's Alaska fishing trip becomes nightmare with 3 dead and search over for 2 more
Read full article: Family's Alaska fishing trip becomes nightmare with 3 dead and search over for 2 moreAn Alaska fishing adventure became a nightmare for a family of eight when the wreckage of one of the two boats they’d chartered over the Memorial Day weekend was found partially submerged off an island.