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Current Topics
Some species of baleen whales avoid attracting killer whales by singing too low to be heard. EurekAlert!
New research from the University of Washington finds some baleen whale species call at such deep frequencies that they’re completely undetectable by killer whales, which cannot hear sounds below 100 hertz. These tend to be the whale species that flee in the face of attack. These deep singers in the “flight” club include blue, fin, sei, Bryde’s and minke whales.
Alaska Legislature adopts resolution asking Trump to keep Denali as name of North America's tallest peak. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Legislature formally opposes Trump's renaming of Denali as Mount McKinley. Alaska Public Media
Alaska Legislature asks Trump to retain Denali's name instead of change it to Mount McKinley. Associated Press
Alaska Legislature asks Trump and federal officials to keep Denali name. Alaska Beacon
Anchorage ordinance could make parents legally responsible if child brings deadly weapon to school. Alaska's News Source
Arctic Issues
Greenland caught in resource power struggles. North of 60 Mining News
Long enduring as a land of resilient communities and Arctic majesty, the island has become the focus of global powers vying for control over rare earths, graphite, and other minerals and metals essential to clean energy, defense, and industry. Spanning over 830 million square miles (2.1 million square kilometers), Greenland is the world's largest island, yet its population of roughly 57,000 makes it one of the most sparsely inhabited places on Earth.
Economy
Federal job cuts could have an enormous impact in Alaska. Alaska Public Media
“You know, The federal government is our No. 1 industry,” said Neal Fried, a retired state labor economist. “We should be watching this really closely. And it's kind of like, I suspect, the way people in Detroit watch what's happening in the auto industry.” University of Alaska Anchorage Economics Professor Kevin Berry said federal jobs pay well, about 28% more than the average Alaska wage and essentially inject money into Alaska’s economy.
Alaska could see outsized impacts from Trump's tariffs, if they all go into effect. Alaska Public Media
Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, shares the concern, though there’s not a lot state lawmakers can do about tariffs proposed by the president. Even so, she is drafting a resolution to formally oppose the policy. She says the tariffs would increase prices on a range of goods and necessities — bad news in a state where the cost of living is already exorbitant.
Giessel also emphasized that the tariffs also threaten something else: Alaska’s long-standing relationship with its only neighbor, including as it relates to military defense. She said Canada supports the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard when Russian or Chinese aircraft threaten U.S. borders. “These are significant partnerships that are being jeopardized by the proposal of these tariffs,” Giessel added.
State claims secrecy for state salary contract, hiding big policy change from legislators. Reporting from Alaska
A more egregious action took place last week when the Dunleavy administration refused to tell legislators and the public what data it asked the salary study contractor to provide last summer.
Alaska union sues over state's failure to disclose public employee salary study. Alaska Beacon
Union sues Dunleavy administration over delays in the release of a salary study. Anchorage Daily News
Dunleavy administration manipulated wage study to keep underpaying workers, lawsuit alleges. The Alaska Memo
Union seeks court order to release $1 million buried state salary study. Reporting from Alaska
The Dunleavy administration has so far released only redacted versions of the amendment to the public, obscuring the change from the 65th to the 50th percentile as the benchmark. The union included the unredacted version of the amendment in its court filing. It did not say how it obtained the document.
Trade escalation coming today. Axios
The largest sources of U.S. steel imports are Canada, Brazil and Mexico. Canada is the largest U.S. supplier of primary aluminum metal.
Alaska's US senators sign letter demanding faster implementation of Social Security benefits expansion. Anchorage Daily News
The bill rescinded two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for recipients who also collect retirement income from state or local government pensions.
State to compensate 32,000 public sector workers in Alaska whose retirement contributions were delayed. Anchorage Daily News
The contribution delays have affected thousands of public-sector workers in the state — including those working for school districts, cities and boroughs that rely on a state-run retirement system. It has not affected employees of the Municipality of Anchorage and direct employees of the state.
Education
Four Alaska school districts named in legal challenge over use of public funds to pay for private school tuition. Anchorage Daily News
A group of Alaska parents and teachers filed a complaint Thursday naming four school districts, including the state’s two largest, in a lawsuit alleging Alaska’s publicly funded homeschooling program is being used to cover the cost of private school tuition.
Alaska college scholarship program sees increased participation after major reforms. Anchorage Daily News
Recipients of the scholarship can use it at 24 institutions in Alaska, including at the University of Alaska, community colleges and technical training centers. The measure boosted each of the performance scholarship’s three award amounts by almost 50%. The top tier increased from $4,755 to $7,000 per year.
Health Care
Why is Alaska healthcare so expensive? Alaska Public Media
PODCAST with former State Medical Officer, Anne Zink, and healthcare economist, Jim Rebitzer.
Bills aim to address prescription drug costs, pharmacy closures by regulating PBMs. The Gazette
High prescription drug costs and pharmacies going out of business, especially in rural Iowa, have once again put pharmacy benefit managers — the companies that function as intermediaries between insurance providers and drug manufacturers — under the legislative microscope.
Understanding the sings and symptoms of Alzheimer Disease-related agitation. Consultant360
In this video, Kasia Rothenberg, MD, PhD, geriatric psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, provides a robust overview of Alzheimer disease-related agitation, including detailing the difficulty in testing for Alzheimer disease-related agitation, the challenges caregivers and family members face when reporting symptoms to clinicians, the gaps in our knowledge that remain, and whether either the current FDA-approved treatment for Alzheimer disease-related agitation or other treatment options in the near future can curb the most prevalent symptoms of Alzheimer disease, particularly agitation.
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