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Current Topics
Arctic
region was permafrost-free when global temperatures were 4.5˚C higher
than today, study reveals. Phys.Org
Scientists have found
evidence that the Asian continent was free of permafrost all the way
to its northerly coast with the Arctic Ocean when Earth's average
temperature was 4.5˚C warmer than today, suggesting that the whole
Northern Hemisphere would have also been free of permafrost at the
time.
Damage
till rises from Interior Alaska fires as Parks Highway delays slow
tourist traffic. ADN
(My comment: The Governor
vetoed $26.5 million from the firefighting fund along with $10.6
million from the state emergency response fund. The Legislature
anticipated increase in wildfires this season. Sadly, Governor did
not recognize the wisdom of that.)
Tundra
fire on Alaska's North Slope among the biggest in recent years. Alaska Beacon
Fires near Fairbanks and
Healy are destroying homes and fouling the air, and cut into some
visitor-dependent businesses along the Parks Highway over the
normally busy Fourth of July weekend.
(My comment: Concerns
related to Governor’s veto of fire response funds.)
Alaska
Gov. Dunleavy's office says state has no plans to build "Bear
Alcatraz" to jail ICE detainees. Alaska Beacon
After a Fox News interview
raised the possibility of Alaska building a “Bear Alcatraz”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, the office of
Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on Tuesday that the state has no such plans.
AG
Treg Taylor says crime rates are going down in Alaska, remains
"wary" of some numbers. Alaska's News Source
While data from 2025 has
yet to be published in a comprehensive report, reports from 2023 and 2024 both support Taylor’s claims of decreasing
crime rates. The report from the Alaska Criminal Justice Data
Analysis Commission in 2024 shows that overall crime in Alaska
reduced from 30,810 arrests and citations in 2015 to 21,648 in 2023.
Things That I Found Interesting
AMATS Trail Plan, Kincaid
to Potter Marsh Connection.
Site to view the proposal and
opportunity to comment: Recreational
Trails Plan. This will be topic of discussion at the Old Seward
Oceanview Community Council meeting on Thursday evening (July 10).
TSA
tests security lines allowing airline passengers to keep their shoes
on. ADN
Travelers passing through
security in some airports will no longer have to remove their shoes,
reversing a rule that has been in effect since 2006.
Arctic Issues
US
Coast Guard Icebreaker Shipbuilding Plan Gets a $8.6B Boost. Marine Link
China and Russia have been
working together to develop Arctic shipping routes and fortify their
defenses. The United States, Canada and Finland last year
announced a trilateral partnership called the "ICE Pact" to
build a fleet of 70 to 90 ice-breaking ships over the coming decade
to "project power" into the polar region and enforce
international norms and treaties.
Economy
"Big,
Beautiful Bill" gives some seniors hefty tax break. Axios
The "big, beautiful
bill" features a new tax break for older Americans who
pay taxes on Social Security income. But there's a significant catch.
The break leaves out the poorest seniors, and the very rich ones,
too. Most seniors — 64% of them — don't pay taxes on Social Security,
according to the White House's own analysis. Those who can't afford
the taxes already don't pay. This break targets most, but not all, of
the rest.
July
Trends Magazine. Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce
Our annual cost of living
issue takes a look at inflation, which has slowed to low levels
historically after three erratic years. We also look at costs around
Alaska and how they compare to each other and the nation.
The
next IRA shoe just dropped. Axios
The memo yesterday demands
that Treasury "strictly enforce" the construction deadline
by "preventing the artificial acceleration or manipulation of
eligibility," among other provisions.
Opinion:
The key to a stronger Alaska Permanent Fund is diversification. ADN
Since the creation of the
Alaska Permanent Fund, Alaskans have demanded a conservative approach
to investing that provides long-term security and the ability to
better withstand inflationary and global economic swings. This
approach means we aren’t putting all our assets in one type of
investment but rather a diversified group of investments designed to
have the highest chance of providing regular recurring funding for
all of us today and for future generations of Alaskans.
Energy
One
holiday thing: energy since independence. Axios
An interesting diagram of
the various energy options and their uses.
USGS
report says federal lands in Alaska hold large share of undiscovered
US oil, gas. Alaska Beacon
Almost 14.5 billion barrels of oil is in Alaska,
with 14 billion of that amount on the North Slope, according to the
report. Of these estimates of natural gas on federal lands across the
nation, about 111 trillion cubic feet is believed to be in Alaska, with
almost all of that on the North Slope as well, according to the
report.
(My comment: Is this
true? Key word: “estimate”. Two years ago I called the USGS
before the Senate Resources committee related to the “17 BCF of gas”
they say is in Cook Inlet. What they said in response is that
this was an “estimate”, not a measurement. They base the number
on what has been developed from similar basins around the
world. What is present in Alaska may not be “economically
developable”. This is a key point!! My
advice: take USGS numbers with a very large helping of salt
(skepticism). The gas they may be identifying may be what’s
being released by the melting permafrost!)
Small
nuclear reactors spark renewed interest in a once-shunned energy
source. Alaska Beacon
Bolstered by $3.2 million
from a former Midland oilman, this West Texas city of 130,000 people
is helping the Lone Star State lead a national nuclear energy
resurgence.
(My comment: The photo
at top of this article is NOT what SMRs look like. Here’s an
article about NuScale, one of the reactors under development in
Wyoming. NRC
Certifies First U.S. Small Modular Reactor Design | Department of
Energy)
Alaska
nonprofit sues Trump administration over canceled grant. ADN
Launch Alaska argues in
a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Alaska
that there was no substantive explanation or justification for the
cancellation of a $5 million grant from the Office of Naval Research.
Number
of the day: -39%. Axios
(My comment: Graph of
where US oil imports come from.)
What
the big beautiful bill means for renewable energy. Talk of Alaska
Education
Trump
administration freezes millions in grants to Alaska schools. Alaska Beacon
President Donald Trump’s
administration has blocked the release of an estimated $6.2 billion
in congressionally approved education funding through U.S. Department
of Education grant programs, including what one group estimated to be
$46.4 million appropriated for Alaska schools. The pause comes as efforts to dismantle
the Department
of Education have been blocked by lower courts. The Supreme
Court is also expected to weigh in on the firing of nearly 2,000
employees at the agency.
(My comment: Governor
Dunleavy wants to dismantle Alaska’s public education system, along
with President Trump. The Governor has told the legislature to
expect these kinds of funding and policy changes from the federal
administration. So the Alaska education vetoes by the Governor
are not a surprise. The loss of after-school program funding
means many, many Alaska kids will end the school day with nowhere to
go, no adult supervision or activities, as their parents are still at
work. At the same time, if those kids qualify for Medicaid,
those parents have to prove that they are working. Imagine this
is you; what do you do? How does this build families and healthy
children to adults?)
Trump
administration pauses $6B in education programs ahead of school year. ABC News
Now
more than ever, Alaska needs civics education in our schools. ADN
We need this bill more than
ever. America’s democracy is under threat, and young people, addicted
to sound bites on social media, likely aren’t fully aware as to what
holds society together — or about the brilliant success of the
American experiment launched in July, 1776. I’d wager many adults
aren’t fully aware, either.
Politics
'Agonizing':
How Alaska's pivotal Republican senator decided to vote for Donald
Trump's bill. AP News
Murkowski has been in the
Senate for nearly 23 years, and she has taken a lot of tough votes as
a moderate Republican who often breaks with her party. So she knew
what she was doing when she managed to leverage the pressure campaign
against her into several new programs that benefit her very rural
state, including special carveouts for Medicaid and food assistance.
Opinion:
Sen. Murkowski and the art of the deal. ADN
To anyone who remembers Sen.
Stevens’ fierce advocacy for Alaska, this explanation echoes
throughout his representation of the state he built and loved. Those
outsiders criticizing her should have to explain why they didn’t
achieve the same carve-outs or sweeteners for their own states. The
explanation is obvious: those “members of Congress” don’t understand
their jobs the way Sen. Murkowski understands her job, which is to
forget politics and do what is right for Alaska.
Alaskans
divided on bargain Murkowski struck on GOP megabill. Alaska Public Media
Alaska's
US Rep. Begich: 'No doubt' before vote on big congressional budget
bill. Alaska
Beacon
Opinion:
Murkowski attempted to make the best of a losing hand for America. ADN
I’ll admit my implicit bias.
Whether or not I agree with her votes, I have always felt lucky to
have Lisa Murkowski as my senator.
Tracking
the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Process. NCSL
(My comment: H.R.1 was
a huge, far-reaching legislation. This tracker identifies key
issues in 12 subject categories including AI, Medicaid, Expedited
Permitting, and more)
Alaska
lawmakers plan rare use of subpoenas to get oil tax data. Alaska Public Media
Alaska lawmakers plan to
compel the administration of Gov. Mike Dunleavy to release data on
oil taxes through a rare use of the state Legislature’s subpoena
power. It’s the latest development in a long-running dispute between
the Legislature and Dunleavy administration over whether the state is
getting all the tax revenue it should from its most lucrative natural
resource.
SCOTUS
lets Trump launch layoffs. Axios
The unsigned order could
lead to tens of thousands of people losing their jobs, including at
State and Treasury.
Health Care
Hunger
on the rise. Axios
It's a shocking data
point for the wealthiest country in the world — and comes at a
time when the stock market is hitting record highs and President
Trump just signed a bill slashing food benefits. In May,
15.6% of adults said so, almost double the 2021 rate.
(My comment: Where is
BBCE (Broad Based Categorical Eligibility)? This system for
health and food support was legislatively passed by Rep. Mina and
myself in 2024. The Dept of Health was to enact it, after
federal authorization was granted, by this
year. But…NOTHING! This is another example of bureaucratic
incompetence.)
Gov.
Dunleavy veto of increase for Alaska child care and infant learning
funding draws concerns. Alaska Beacon
Dunleavy vetoed a proposed $1.86 million in additional
funding for child care grant programs and place-based and home-based
child care centers, citing declining state revenues. The budget
retains $5.87 million for those programs for next year.
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