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Current Topics
The ripple effects of NOAA cuts. Axios
Eight days after layoffs began at NOAA, the real-world effects of downsizing the world's premier weather and climate agency are coming into focus. The agency is wrestling with gaps in its ability to warn people of life-threatening extreme weather events, from tornadoes to hurricanes.
Your daylight saving time hacks. Axios
The brain has a master clock that's set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. Morning light resets the rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness. Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge, and the cycle gets out of sync. Plus the circadian clock affects more than sleep: It also influences heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and metabolism.
Like clockwork, we 'spring forward' to Daylight Saving Time this weekend. NCSL
One notable development this year was in North Dakota, where the House passed a measure (HB1259), 55-37, that would permanently adopt standard time by exempting the state from daylight saving time, as allowed by the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966. As of Monday, the bill was pending in the Senate State and Local Government Committee. Rep. Desiree Morton (R) says testimony supporting the bill cited widely reported adverse health effects of changing clocks twice a year. “These changes can take several weeks to adjust to and often put parents and kids into a sleep debt, causing mental and physical fatigue, especially the parents,” Morton told the North Dakota Monitor.
Alarmed air traffic controllers. Axios
Some air traffic controllers are worried about safety, staffing and more amid the Trump administration's purge of federal workers. Aviation safety has been in the spotlight since January's tragic midair collision near DCA, with some travelers afraid that flying is suddenly more dangerous, despite contrary data.
Exploring the Greenland shark's secret to extreme longevity. PHYS.org
Greenland sharks are thought to have lifespans that can reach 400 years.
Numerous Alaska projects worth over $1B remain uncertain weeks after Trump order froze funds, consumer advocacy group reports. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska projects that were selected to receive more than $1 billion in federal funds remain in a state of uncertainty after President Donald Trump froze funding in January for two major Biden-era bills, a consumer advocacy group, businesses and other entities said on Tuesday.
Arctic Issues
Feds boost spending on northern military hubs to $2.67B. Eye on the Arctic
The Canadian federal government is significantly increasing the amount of money it’s spending to build a network of northern military hubs from $218 million to $2.67 billion.
(My comment: US needs to be doing this also.)
Trump is Ship Man. Axios
The U.S. built thousands of cargo ships during World Wars I and II, according to a 2023 congressional report. "In the 1970s, U.S. shipyards were building about 5% of the world's tonnage, equating to 15-25 new ships per year. In the 1980s, this fell to around five ships per year, which is the current rate of U.S. shipbuilding."
Getting points on the board: A playbook for near-term improvements to the competitiveness of American shipbuilding starting with polar icebreakers. Wilson Center
The US is being outcompeted by China in the maritime domain. PRC-based shipyards booked 75% of new commercial orders for ships last year, and China’s market-distorting behavior in ports, shipyards, and on the high seas could shape a near-term future where Beijing effectively wields control over seaborne trade as a tool of economic coercion around the world. The US government has an opportunity to revitalize American shipbuilding, and strengthen the global competitiveness of American shipbuilders, through initiatives like ICE Pact, which focuses on the development of polar-capable icebreakers as a test-bed for shipbuilding policy innovation.
Canada awards dual polar icebreaker contracts as Arctic competition heats up. gCaptain
The contracts come as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Arctic, where Russia and China have increased their cooperation in military activities and shipping routes.
Economy
Alaska senators unveil oil tax increases as part of revenue measures to address growing deficit. Anchorage Daily News
The Legislature’s oil and gas analyst in 2023 said a previous tax hike proposal would likely have limited impacts on current or planned projects. But there could be downside risk on major new developments, according to an analysis by GaffneyCline. “We’ll see if that still holds true,” said Anchorage Republican Sen. Cathy Giessel, chair of the Senate Resources Committee. Giessel said another analysis would be needed on the economic impacts of the proposed tax changes. But she also stressed the dire fiscal outlook facing legislators. “It’s a huge challenge we’ve talked about — the approaching fiscal cliff. Well, now we’re standing at the edge,” she said.
Alaska senate leaders propose reducing oil tax credits as deficits loom. Alaska Public Media
One controversial bill would reduce a state North Slope oil production tax credit by $3 per barrel. It would also prevent oil producers from claiming more in production tax credits than they spend on capital investment in a given year.
Food and cash assistance for needy Alaskans caught up in ongoing backlog amid staffing shortage. Anchorage Daily News
The state has blamed the delay on numerous factors, including outdated technology, a 2021 cybersecurity attack, and “intractable staffing shortages.” But state officials have not acknowledged that the beginning of the application processing backlog coincided with a 2021 decision by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to cut nearly a quarter of state positions responsible for processing the applications and permanently close several offices where Alaskans were able to apply for benefits in-person, replacing them with a by-phone and online process that has left thousands of Alaskans frustrated and unable to get timely information about their applications.
How American CEOs are reacting to Trump tariffs. Axios
Automotive industry leaders were among the first to voice concerns. Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley said the tariffs will create"costs and chaos." Executives from Best Buy, Costco, Hasbro, Mattel, Target, and Walmart warned consumers that price hikes are likely. Small-business owners are also speaking out, per the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "As we speak, we are printing out new price tags," said Franco Salerno, co-owner of Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo in Pennsylvania.
(My comment: The impact on Alaska would be huge. I summarize that in SJR 9.)
After Trump threat, British Columbia leader says province will impose tolls on Alaska-bound commerce. Alaska Beacon
British Columbia Premier David Eby said Thursday that he intends to introduce legislation that would place tolls on commercial trucks traveling from the Lower 48 to Alaska via his province.
National Weather Service loses 10% of Alaska staff, hampering forecasting around the world. Alaska Public Media
Resignations and firings have resulted in the loss of at least 23 Weather Service employees across Alaska, according to a source affiliated with a union for National Weather Service employees. The person, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, noted the job losses came when the agency is already severely understaffed.
Fired federal workers in Alaska speak out about chaos of losing jobs, housing, research and more. Alaska Beacon
Kitty Sopow is one, fired from her job with the National Weather Service based in Nome. She was given warning of her impending termination — a complete surprise after more than four years with the agency. The next day, a Bering Air plane carrying 10 people went missing.
Permanent Fund leaders again call to restructure fund as spendable cash dwindles. Alaska Public Media
There’s a nearly 50-50 chance that the Alaska Permanent Fund won’t have enough spendable money to pay dividends and the state’s bills at least once over the next decade — unless lawmakers change the structure of the fund to function more like a university endowment.
Fisheries
Scientists witnessed a 'Humpback Palooza' in the Arctic. Local hunters worry about what that could mean for subsistence. Alaska Public Media
Catching salmon in the North Slope village of Kaktovik was unheard of not too long ago. But resident Robert Thompson says some fishermen now see salmon more regularly. About five years ago, he caught a dozen salmon – a small but noticeable number.
Energy
Trump touted a 'gigantic' new Alaska pipeline in his address to Congress. Here's what we know about it. Alaska Public Media
And it's still unclear who exactly might pay to build the project. Its hefty price tag has long stalled efforts to move work along. Current estimates put the project cost at $44 billion. A study commissioned by state lawmakers last year puts the price tag at about $11 billion for the pipeline alone. Tim Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, said Trump’s comment about trillions from Japan and Korea could refer to future purchases of liquefied natural gas from Alaska. But he confirmed there are no purchase agreements now.
King Cove applauds Trump's order to build Izembek road. Alaska Public Media
Boosting Alaska’s energy sector was a priority among President Donald Trump’s executive orders on his first day back in office. The list of projects he supported included opening drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and reinstating support for the Ambler Road. But one item seemed out of place among the energy projects: a road from King Cove to Cold Bay’s all-weather airport.
Legislature has bills on S corps taxes, production credits, AGDC. Petroleum News
The Alaska Legislature is considering bills related to the oil and gas industry, including a bill requiring that corporate income taxes be paid by companies not organized as C corporations, a bill reducing production tax credits and a bill requiring that the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. include a lateral to Fairbanks.
ORPC moving ahead with East Foreland tidal project in inlet. Petroleum News
Tidal energy company Ocean Renewable Power Co. provided information about its American Tidal Energy Project, a project to test the potential to obtain electrical power from the strong tidal currents in Cook Inlet. ORPC analyst Eva White said that the company sees the project as a first step to developing a standalone commercially viable tidal energy market in the Cook Inlet region.
Trump says South Korea wants to invest in the Alaska gas pipeline. Does it?. Anchorage Daily News
"But there’s a good chance that by then, demand for gas in South Korea will have fallen alongside the broader push to decarbonize, which will lead to oversupply and depressed prices,” he said. “The dominant view among analysts here is that frankly it’s going to be very difficult to make the pipeline commercially viable — unless the U.S. or Alaska bring radically attractive terms to the table.”
CERAWeek: Super Bowl of energy events unfolds on oil's home turf. Axios
The exclusive, $10,000-per-head event is many things: big-name onstage interviews with CEOs and Cabinet heads, closed-door government-industry huddles, sideline dealmaking, and more. And while CEOs of oil giants take center stage today, the conference is far wider, spanning power, finance, mining, and a clean tech wing with startups galore. But execs are worried about Trump's whiplashing trade policies and their effect on demand and project costs. (How overtly they're willing to complain is another question.). "There's going to be a lot of discussion about tariffs and trade and supply chains," Yergin said.
Arizona's 3 big power utilities looking to build a new nuclear plant. AZCentral
A small nuclear reactor can generate up to roughly 300 megawatts, the utilities said, compared to 1,400 megawatts for the Palo Verde Generating Station. Each megawatt of electricity provides enough power for around 160 Arizona homes.
Wind energy company moves ahead with Alaska projects despite Trump's move to block the industry. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Renewables has proposed wind projects that would provide a chunk of power along the Alaska Railbelt, reducing demand for natural gas from Cook Inlet that’s set to run short starting in 2027, likely leading to costly imports.
Trump wants Korea to invest in the Alaska LNG project - will it happen?. The Chosun Daily
When ExxonMobil and other energy giants pulled back from the project in 2016, global energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie called the Alaska project “one of the least competitive energy projects in the world.” Jung Yong-heon, a former professor at Ajou University, said, “With Alaska’s harsh climate limiting construction to only half of the year and the state’s high corporate tax rates, profitability will be hard to achieve.” Korea’s Industry Minister said the government recently agreed to establish a working-level group to discuss the project, though it is too early to determine whether Korea will participate.
Education
Nearly 2 decades after Alaska school asked state to fund repair, its building is about to collapse. Alaska Beacon
Every year for the past 19 years, the local school district has asked the state for money to help repair a leaky roof. But again and again, the state said no. Over time, water ran down into the building, causing the supporting beams to rot. A windowpane cracked under pressure as heavy snow and ice built up on the roof each winter. Eventually, an entire wall started to buckle, leaving a gaping hole in the exterior siding.
Funding for homeschool programs lacks accountability, due to absence of state standards. Alaska Beacon
"Imagine a school of nearly 23,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with thousands of teachers. There are no licensing requirements for any of the teachers who work at this school, and families who send their children are given state funding to attend. There are no curricular requirements, and they can spend the money on virtually anything they want. There is an expectation that all students are learning core subjects and skills in reading, writing, and math, but there is no way to determine if this is actually happening for each student, and there are no requirements to assess any educational outcomes.
Opinion: I'm a retired teacher. The first step to fixing Alaska schools i reducing class sizes. Anchorage Daily News
The more students there are in the room, the more likely that there will be behavioral problems that interfere with either the teacher’s ability to present material and work individually with students, and/or the students’ ability to focus on what’s being presented. The frustration and stress the teacher experiences when the lack of decorum affects their ability to reach all of the students they want to leads to early burnout and the willingness to see if it would be easier to work with students somewhere else. Yes, larger class sizes limit teachers’ ability to provide individual help, but just as importantly, behavior problems — often overlooked in funding debates — can significantly impact student achievement and teacher retention.
Anchorage School Board passes cellphone restrictions. Alaska Public Media
The policy prohibits use of portable electronic devices for the entire school day for elementary and middle school students and allows high schoolers to use their phones during passing periods and lunch only.
Alaska House lawmakers tweak education bill ahead of final vote expected Wednesday. Alaska Public Media
Along with the funding, the new bill would create an incentive program for school districts, paying districts $450 for each young student who reads at grade level or demonstrates improvement. Supporters say the incentive program would help districts achieve the goals of the landmark Alaska Reads Act, which Dunleavy proposed.
Politics
Canada's Carney jabs at Trump after winning race to replace Trudeau as PM. Axios
"These are dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust," Carney said yesterday, in reference to U.S. tariffs, after the 59-year-old won 86% of the vote to be elected Liberal Party leader. "Donald Trump is trying to weaken our economy," he said.
Trumps secret power protection plan. Axios
The creation of a cash-flush political operation that has raked in around a half-billion dollars — about the same amount the GOP's House and Senate campaign arms spent during the entirety of the last midterm campaign. It's unheard of for a president not running for reelection to raise that kind of money. But the cash is just one piece of a bigger power play that's arguably the most powerful, well-funded political apparatus ever. The day after Election Day, Trump — at a time most presidents-elect are scrambling to get their transitions rolling — started calling major donors to start building an enforcement machine for his agenda.
Education Department is cutting nearly half its workforce as Trump vows to wind the agency down. Anchorage Daily News
The Education Department plans to lay off over 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees as part of a reorganization that’s seen as a prelude to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency.
NOAA will cut another 1,000 jobs, officials say. Anchorage Daily News
The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one more than 1,000 — at the nation’s weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.
Health Care
Republicans must cut Medicaid or Medicare to achieve their budget goals, CBO finds. Anchorage Daily News
Republicans in Congress cannot reach their goal of cutting at least $1.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on taxes and immigration unless they cut Medicaid or Medicare benefits, lawmakers’ nonpartisan bookkeeper reported.
Idaho bans local mask mandates meant to combat disease. Governing
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill that bans government and school mask mandates to combat infectious diseases. Little signed House Bill 32 into law after the Idaho Legislature passed the bill. The bill takes effect immediately through an emergency clause. The law prevents the state, cities, counties, school districts, public health districts and government officials in Idaho from mandating that an individual wear a mask or face covering to prevent or slow the spread of an infectious or contagious disease.
Decrease in federal share of Nebraska Medicaid costs increases state budget shortfall. Nebraska Examiner
The federal government is again planning to decrease the percentage of state Medicaid costs it will cover for Nebraska, leaving state lawmakers on the hook for an additional $90.3 million this budgeting cycle. State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, announced the revision Thursday, one day after legislative staff found the overlooked Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) revisions from January.
(My Comment: Nebraska isn’t the only state concerned about Federal reductions in Medicaid funding. This would significantly affect Alaska; so far, we are seeing reduced reimbursement to pharmacists.)
State denies Alaska Regional's third bid for freestanding South Anchorage ER. Anchorage Daily News
The denial letter, signed by state Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg, also stated that the hospital’s application failed to show how the new facility would provide the appropriate level of care to people experiencing acute illness, severe injury or life-threatening conditions.
(My comment: By way of history – the Certificate of Need policy is supposed to prevent oversupply of healthcare services. 50-State Scan of State Certificate-of-Need Programs - NASHP In Alaska, the CON law allows one person (the Commissioner of the Department of Health) to determine if a hospital or health system has demonstrated community need. Only 35 states continue to employ some form of CON restriction on healthcare services in their states. Many people feel this represents a restraint of trade; many people feel that the “fiscal law” of supply and demand determines what services are needed and at what cost.)
Opinion: Protecting Medicaid's promise for Alaskans with disabilities. Anchorage Daily News
Medicaid cuts won’t save money — they’ll shift costs to states, forcing our state to make impossible choices about crucial and life-saving programs and services at a time when our state budget is already stretched to meet multiple demands.
AI failed to detect critical health conditions. Axios
AI systems designed to predict the likelihood of a hospitalized patient dying largely aren't detecting worsening health conditions, a new study found. Machine learning models trained exclusively on existing patient data didn't recognize about 66% of injuries that could lead to patient death in the hospital.
How major cuts to Medicaid could be 'catastrophic,' even for Alaskans with private insurance. Alaska Public Media
Congress is contemplating huge cuts to Medicaid, the government-funded health insurance program that covers nearly 40% of Alaskans. If federal funding is substantially reduced, many Alaskans could lose their insurance and the strain would be felt throughout the health care system, potentially reducing services and raising costs for Alaskans with other types of insurance, too.
How major cuts to Medicaid could be 'catastrophic,' even for Alaskans with private insurance. Alaska Public Media
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