After 31 Years, A 'Friendship Flight' to Russia is Still Illuminating-and Full of Red Tape. In 2017, the Alaska Airmen's Association and representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration reestablished the civil air route between Provideniya and Nome, which had existed since the first "friendship flight" in 1988. The fees to travel there were recently reduced, and a group flight was organized for the summer of 2019. After surmounting a number of hurdles, from logistics and paperwork to inclement weather, the trip across the International Date Line finally took place in July. KNOM

Russian, Chinese Scientists to Study Siberian Arctic Shelf. The first Russia-China Arctic expedition will study the Siberian arctic shelf, press service of the Shirshov Ocean Studies Institute said. The expedition participants will conduct research in marine geology, topography, physical oceanography, marine chemistry and other directions, the press service said. The Russian institute and the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM) discussed the research directions during a meeting under BRICS's working group on ocean studies and polar technologies. TASS

 

Inside the Harsh Lives of Wolves Living at the Top of the World. In the blue light of an early Arctic morning, seven wolves slid across a frozen pond, yipping and squealing and chasing a chunk of ice about the size of a hockey puck. The pond was opalescent at that hour, a mirror of the universe, and the wolves also seemed otherworldly in their happiness. Back and forth across the pond they chased, four pups scrambling after the puck and three older wolves knocking them down, checking their little bodies into frozen grass at the shore. National Geographic

 

As Bristol Bay Celebrates Larger Than Average Catch, Warmer Water Could Be Affecting Salmon. Despite some of the hottest air and water temperatures on record, Bristol Bay has met this year's sockeye escapement goals - and most districts had an above-forecast catch. But as the years trend warmer, what could happen to the salmon? Alaska Public Radio