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Current Topics
Alaskans' losses to online fraud have almost doubled, FBI says. Alaska Public Media
Alaskans lost nearly double the amount of money to internet scams last year compared to 2022, according to crime reports to federal authorities. The increase outpaces the national jump in money lost to cybercrime as a rising tide of online fraud affects the Last Frontier.
TikTok's addictive algorithm. Axios
A study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that new TikTok accounts were shown self-harm and eating disorder content within minutes of scrolling. Suicide-related videos popped up within 2.6 minutes. Eating disorder content popped up in 8 minutes.
Northern lights slash a surprising amount of winter energy bills. Here's why. ADN
Using electricity consumption data from the 1990s to today, they found the geomagnetic activity highly correlated with energy consumption. The close connection was impressive to the authors and other experts.
Anchorage is about a foot shy of breaking winter snowfall record. Alaska Public Media
Anchorage set several daily and monthly snowfall records this winter, with more than 10 feet of snow dropping on town. But it doesn’t look likely the city will break its all-time record of 134.5 inches of total snowfall for the season.
Chugach Electric begins transmission line rebuild between Indian and Girdwood. Alaska's News Source
Chugach Electric has resumed a large transmission line rebuild project south of Anchorage along the 12 miles of highway between Indian and Girdwood. On Monday, Chugach Electric updated the Girdwood Board of Supervisors on the project’s various construction activities and schedule, as well as possible delays to look out for.
Economy
Union members are wealthier. Axios
There's a massive wealth gap between workers in unions and nonunionized workers across education levels.
When it comes to state investments, do PFDs provide enough return? ADN
Clearly, the PFD provides important assistance to low-income households, but in many ways, it is driving our state into the economic ditch. Without the PFD program, the Permanent Fund could be grown to fully fund our schools and government services. Thoughtful, intelligent Alaskans can think of a better way to help low-income households than the PFD program.
(My comment: I agree.)
Legislature will be short of money to meet all needs, senators warn. Frontiersman
Already there are more requests on the table than money available to meet them, it appears. That’s one problem. Another is just the time-crunch in passing bills as the Legislature nears its end game.
BlackRock's solution to the retirement crisis. Axios
"The shift from defined benefit to defined contribution has been, for most people, a shift from financial certainty to financial uncertainty." Absent collective action that includes the government, that shift to uncertainty and worry is only going to get worse.
$2,272 vs. $1,360 PFD debate develops as lawmakers draft operating budgets. Alaska's News Source
The surplus the House majority is banking on could quickly disappear. Stedman cited the $40 million Internet school funding bill that just passed, the $23.5 million senior benefits legislation that passed the Senate and other legislation that may pass before the end of the session.
Education
The education bill failed. Now what? ADN
Now the future of state education funding for Alaska schools this year is murky, at best.
Alaska education group prepares to sue state over school funding. Alaska Public Media
An Alaska nonprofit is preparing to sue the state for inadequately funding public schools after the Legislature failed to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of the bipartisan education bill.
To attract more teachers, lawmaker proposes repealing Alaska law that caps compensation for out-of-state experience. Alaska Beacon
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka, herself a former teacher, proposed House Bill 230, which would eliminate the cap on experience-based compensation from state law. She said the cap is a potential barrier to attracting talent to the state. For example, an experienced teacher with a master’s degree can only be compensated for up to eight years of previous teaching experience — even if the district is willing to pay more.
Factoring in cost of living, Alaska teacher salaries not competitive compared to national average, UAA study finds. ADN
Alaska teachers are paid below the national average once their salaries adjusted for the high cost of living in Alaska, said Matthew Berman, a professor of economics at UAA and one of two authors of the study published last month.
With hope fading for additional state education funding, Alaska's rural school districts prepare to make difficult cuts. ADN
Rural school administrators said this week that they’re preparing to make significant cuts after the Alaska Legislature’s failure to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of a $200 million education bill.
Governor expected to sign school internet funding bill. Alaska's News Source
With a sense of urgency to pass a school internet speed funding bill before a looming federal deadline, Gov. Mike Dunleavy expressed support after a majority of Senators joined the House in passing the bill Monday.
Fisheries
Trident Seafoods in process of closing sales on three plants. The Cordova Times
Trident Seafoods said in a statement on its website on March 8 that the privately owned seafood processing company is in the final stages of closing deals on those three plants.
Politics
Alaska senators consider constitutional amendment easing some veto override votes. Alaska Beacon
If that amendment had been in place on Monday, it wouldn’t have changed the Alaska Legislature’s failure to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s decision to veto a multipart education bill, but Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks and chair of the State Affairs Committee, said the amendment “sort of got legs because of what happened with the governor’s veto.”
AIDEA refuses to say who approved AIDEA plan for vast expansion of AIDEA's ability to act without legislative approval. Dermot Cole Reporting from Alaska
The Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority refuses to say who approved its plan to ask the Legislature for a major expansion in its powers.
Alaska delegation secures funding for commercial icebreaker. Lisa Murkowski
The United States currently has only one operational heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, and one medium icebreaker, the Healy, while Russia has 55 icebreakers and they are building more. By 2025, China, which has no sovereignty over any Arctic waters, is set to surpass the United States’ icebreaker fleet.
Healthcare
Alaska House votes to remove some obstacles for birth control prescriptions. Alaska Beacon
Members of the Alaska House of Representatives voted to allow Alaska women to receive 12 months’ worth of birth control at a time from pharmacies.
Kids are dying inside. Axios
The suicide rate for kids between 10 and 14 tripled between 2007 and 2021. The share of high school girls who seriously considered attempting suicide jumped from 19% in 2011 to 30% in 2021.
The kids are not alright. Axios
Depression has hit teens much harder than adults in the smartphone era, according to National Survey on Drug Use and Health data.
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