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Current Topics
Alaska Senate votes to curb high interest rates and fees for payday loan lenders. Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate passed legislation on Thursday that would significantly cap the interest rates and fees payday lenders can charge for loans of $25,000 or less
First 30 miles of Denali Park Road opening Friday to private vehicles. Anchorage Daily News
Feds lift pause on over a million in funding for rural Alaska federal emergency radio warning upgrades. Alaska's News Source
After expressing public safety concerns, nine rural Alaska public radio stations are now back on track to receive federal grants to pay over a million dollars in emergency warning system upgrades, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a funding hold had been lifted.
Grandson of Alaska flag designer Benny Benson to accept honorary doctorate on his behalf. Alaska's News Source
May 2, 1927 – Alaska adopted Territorial (later to become State) Flag design by teenager, Benny Benson. Benny was a young, 7th grade Alaska Native boy, living at the Jesse Lee Home, an orphanage. The Territory of Alaska had a flag design contest for students, and Benny entered his flag design. Today, this beloved flag, the simplest of all the state flags, flies over the largest, most beautiful, most abundantly endowed state in our country. The Alaska State Flag is a tribute to our indigenous First Alaskans.
“Benny was such an amazing role model for Alaska Natives,” Michael iqyax̂ Livingston said. “And this was in the 1920s when racism was just blatant, in your face, against Alaska Natives. There were signs up that said, ‘No dogs allowed, no Natives allowed.’ And it was in that kind of environment that Benny won the Alaska flag contest.”
Benson received a $1,000 scholarship and a watch for his design, which features the North Star and the Big Dipper on a blue background. Benny eventually moved to Kodiak, where he worked as an airplane mechanic.
Addicted to subtitles you don't really need? Netflix hears you. Anchorage Daily News
Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX's Starlinks. Anchorage Daily News
Amazon’s first batch of internet satellites rocketed into orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX’s thousands of Starlinks.
(My comment: Amazon and Netflix are two of the internet sales companies, based in another state, doing robust business in Alaska but not responsible for any corporate income tax associated with the Alaska sales. Other states have implemented internet corporate sales taxes. SB 113 Alaska State Legislature would implement this tax, bringing $20-65 million in revenue to Alaska.)
Between vows against taxes and using savings, the 2025 PFD and Alaska state services are in a vise. Alaska Beacon
As an alternative to cutting the dividend and services, the Legislature could unlock the Constitutional Budget Reserve, a $2.8 billion savings account. Lawmakers are already planning to do so in order to cover a $200 million shortfall in the current year’s budget.
(My comment: Should we spend from the small savings account to pay for operating expenses?)
Deadline for studded tire changeovers in Anchorage and much of Southcentral is Thursday. Anchorage Daily News
The deadline for removing studded snow tires from vehicles in most communities in Southcentral Alaska is Thursday. Under Alaska state law, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with studded tires from May 1-Sept. 15 on paved roads north of 60 degrees north latitude.
(My comment: These studded tires destroy our roads and are not necessary in vast majority of cases. The new studless winter tires are as effective and don’t destroy the roads.)
Arctic Issues
Norway is on a 100-day mission to test military limits in the Arctic. Bloomberg
The Norwegian expedition comes as Europe is grappling with the reality of its defense capabilities, especially in light of the Trump administration’s shift in attitude when it comes to supporting Western European allies.
Economy
Uncertainty and impacts from Trump's shifting tariffs hit small businesses in Anchorage. Anchorage Daily News
What was once one of Anchorage’s largest child care facilities — Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center — permanently shuttered its last location. It’s the latest sign of a mounting child care crisis in which services have become increasingly unaffordable for providers to offer and for families to pay for, with advocates calling for greater federal or state subsidies.
Opinion: I own a 'Made in Alaska' company. This trade war is a disaster. Anchorage Daily News
Some believe that the high tariffs recently put in place by the United States will be a godsend for Made in USA product-based small businesses like ours. The trade war, we are told, is being fought on our behalf. This could not be further from the truth.
How tariff policies are affecting Alaskan business. Alaska Public Media
U.S. Tariffs are taxes that are paid by companies importing products. They are not paid by foreign countries. The Trump administration wants tariffs to bring revenue and manufacturing jobs. Alaskan businesses are heavily dependent on outside supplies that now cost more, squeezing already tight profit margins. We hear about how businesses are coping with the added expense on this Alaska Insight.
How tariffs can cause a recession. Axios
That's the message of a new 40-page slide deck from Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok, entitled "The Voluntary Trade Reset Recession," the probability of which he now puts at 90%.
'Incredibly damaging': Yukon premier urges Alaskans to speak out against Trump's trade war. Alaska Public Media
“We’re seeing just this absolute desolation of the U.S. markets because of a decision that really never had to be made,” Pillai said in a recent interview with KHNS. “We think there’s other ways to strengthen both the U.S. and Canadian economy to make sure there’s more jobs in manufacturing back in North America.”
How the government spends money. Axios
It shows that most of what the government spends money on boils down to payments directly to Americans (Social Security, most prominently), directly paying medical bills or helping people buy health insurance.
Top economic fear. Axios
NBC News surveyed nearly 20,000 adults earlier this month and asked which economic issue mattered to them most. Inflation beat any other issue by more than a two-to-one margin.
Opinion: Alaska doesn't have a spending or revenue problem. It has an expectations problem. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska doesn’t have a spending problem or a revenue problem; it has an expectations problem — unreasonable expectations that have solidified into concrete over the years. Too many Alaskans — particularly too many elected officials — expect that someone else, someday, may need to pay taxes or accept a smaller dividend or cut programs, but not them. Too many believe that more oil taxes alone can solve the problem.
Opinion: Merging Alaska Permanent Fund accounts would fix a major flaw draining Alaska's savings and its future. Anchorage Daily News
The ERA is being drawn down faster than it can be replenished. In years of market volatility or lower realized returns, this pressure becomes even more acute. And because the ERA is fully spendable with a simple majority vote, it’s vulnerable to political pressure. The temptation to overdraw is always there.
100 days of Trump's impact on the U.S. Dollar. Axios
Amid the tariff drama, the dollar has fallen nearly 10% in President Trump's first 100 days, the steepest drop for a new presidency in this century. The start of the second Trump administration has upended America's economic standing in the world.
Weeks of trade ripples threaten long disruption. Axios
The U.S. economy is at risk of repeating pandemic-era scenes of empty shelves and shortages of popular goods. And while the solution last time was "stop the virus," this time it might be even more complicated, because the problem stacks erratic policy on top of fragile supply chains.
(My comment: this is exactly why I am so skeptical about an Alaska gasline - the steel and other materials needed are going to be unavailable and off-the-chart expensive.)
Energy
The United States operates the world's largest nuclear power plant fleet. U.S Energy Information Administration
In 2024, U.S. utilities operated 94 nuclear reactors with a total net generating capacity of nearly 97 gigawatts (GW), the largest commercial nuclear power generation fleet in the world. The next three countries with the largest programs were France with 57 units (63.0 GW), China with 57 units (55.3 GW), and Russia with 36 units (28.6 GW). Nuclear power continues to account for 19% of U.S. power sector electricity generation.
Seoul mulls joint review of Alaska LNG project with Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam. The Korea Economic Daily
“It is clear that the project isn’t feasible with Korea’s participation alone,” a senior official at Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Because of its high costs and the time required for construction, Alaska LNG has been viewed as a long shot. For years, major energy companies and officials in Korea and Japan rebuffed requests from Alaska delegations to participate, stalling the project’s decades-long efforts. ExxonMobil walked away from the project a decade ago after conducting its own review.
Trump administration planning Alaska summit to discuss LNG pipeline, reports say. Alaska Public Media Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage, said that the trans-Alaska pipeline was completed in 1977 at a cost of $8 billion. He said that the gas pipeline is expected to cost 37% more than TAPS, but that inflation has increased prices more than five-fold over the past 48 years. Fields asked how that cost estimate for the gas pipeline could be “plausible.” As for South Korea, the country plans to “prudently” review the project as it considers becoming part of it, according to reports from Korean news outlets that quoted Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun. The review will include an on-site inspection in Alaska, the reports said. The reports from the Times and Reuters say federal officials hope to use the summit to announce commitments from Japan and South Korea to purchase gas from the project. Trade talks with Japan and South Korea are underway, and Japan has floated increasing LNG imports as an element of a potential trade deal. But the Korean industry minister told Reuters he was not aware of any plans to announce a commitment from South Korea.
South Korea and other Asian countries plan visits to the state as they eye Alaska LNG project. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska agency boosting gas line asks skeptical Legislature to consider investing up to $800M. Anchorage Daily News
Education
Alaska Senate committee proposes $700 per-student school funding formula increase, following veto. Alaska Beacon
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee amended a bill related to regulating cell phones in schools by adding a $700 increase to the base student allocation, core of the K-12 per-student funding formula. The amended version of House Bill 57 remains in committee, which means it could be further amended to include policy changes advocated by the governor. It could also be advanced to a vote of the full Senate without further changes. Policy differences between Dunleavy and legislators have repeatedly derailed efforts to permanently increase Alaska public school funding.
Anchorage School district officials say window for reversing teacher layoffs is closing. Alaska Public Media
How West Virginia is addressing a spike in kid's behavioral issues. Governing
Schools are struggling with emotional and behavioral issues among young children affected by the pandemic and opioid epidemic. A new policy in West Virginia gives teachers a process for removing persistently disruptive or violent elementary school students from their classrooms. The students would get behavioral interventions or, if problems continue, be removed longer term and placed into an alternative education setting. Putting the policy into action requires more alternative education offerings and counselors than many West Virginian schools or counties currently have, raising questions on how it will work.
How religious public schools went from a long shot to the Supreme Court. Anchorage Daily News
The nation’s highest court will hear oral arguments Wednesday over the constitutionality of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School - a blockbuster case that could remake bedrock constitutional principles.
Alaska Legislature poised to approve 'compromise' education bill this week with $700 per-student funding boost. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Senate passes compromise bill including $700 school funding boost with broad support. Alaska Public Media
After governor's veto, Alaska Senate approves smaller education funding boost. Alaska Beacon
School administrators have said that a $1,000 BSA increase would be critical for school districts facing substantial deficits. Districts report that without a substantial funding increase, they will need to cut hundreds of teacher positions and popular programs. But at a cost of over $250 million per year, many lawmakers have said a $1,000 BSA boost would be unaffordable with the state facing a dire fiscal outlook. The Alaska Legislature is poised to pass a compromise education measure on Wednesday with a $700 boost to the Base Student Allocation, the state’s per-student funding formula.
Alaska education commissioner urges superintendents to back Gov. Dunleavy's school policies or risk funding veto. Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Education Commissioner Deena Bishop on Monday sent a letter to school superintendents, urging them to advocate for Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s education priorities or risk seeing school funding vetoed.
Politics
Trump's first 100 days: Steamrolling government, strong-arming allies and igniting trade wars. Anchorage Daily News
His actions target the architecture of the New Deal and the Great Society, but they hardly stop there. He is also rewriting the Reagan Republican orthodoxy of free trade and strong international alliances. All of it is in service of fundamentally altering the role of government in American life and the U.S. place in the world.
Trump to The Atlantic: "I'm having a lot of fun". Axios
“The first time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys," President Trump told The Atlantic's Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer and Jeffrey Goldberg in the Oval Office. "And the second time, I run the country and the world." In an earlier phone conversation, the president said: "I'm having a lot of fun, considering what I do ... You know, what I do is such serious stuff."
Investors have little safe haven. Axios
"Investors stopped treating the dollar as a flight to safety currency and started treating it as a risk currency, a risk asset," adds Steven Kamin, a former Federal Reserve economist now at the American Enterprise Institute. "That goes for Treasuries, too," says Kamin, who recently wrote an article in the Financial.
Tariffs imperil America's status as world investment magnet. Axios
President Trump's trade policies have made the economic backdrop more erratic and businesses are hitting pause, with new questions about whether executives can make a multiyear bet on America.
With lawmakers' help, Alaska political donation limits could come before 2026 election. Alaska Beacon
On Monday, the House voted 22-18 to approve House Bill 16, which mirrors the language of a ballot measure slated to go before voters in 2026. If the Legislature approves a substantially similar bill, it would allow limits for the 2026 election and remove the upcoming initiative from the ballot.
Health Care
Opinion: What Medicaid cuts would mean for Alaskans with disabilities. Anchorage Daily News
The massive cuts to federal Medicaid funding that Congress is discussing—$880 billion over ten years—are not just alarming. They’re potentially deadly.
Tobacco use in Alaska continues to decline, though rates still above US averages. Alaska Beacon
However, about one in four Alaska adults used tobacco or nicotine products in 2023, the report said. That rate has remained constant over several years.
Exclusive: Where nursing homes rely on Medicaid most. Axios
Nationally, an average of about 56% of nursing home patients were covered by Medicaid in 2022, the most recent year of available data. About 32% is paid privately and nearly 12% is covered by Medicare. Alaska and Mississippi facilities both have about 73% of patients on Medicaid.
Alaska releases online tool to compare costs for health care procedures and treatments. Alaska Public Media
The Alaska Division of Insurance launched a tool this month to help Alaskans better understand the costs of common health care procedures. The new database, the Alaska Health Payment Utilization Database (HPUD), will compare costs for Medicaid and Medicare, Premera, and Moda. Moda and Premera are the two biggest private insurance providers in the state. Lori Wing-Heier, who directs the state division of insurance, said she hopes Alaskans use the database to better examine their health care charges.
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