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Current Topics
Social Security - Americans' views of its Future. National Institute on Retirement Security
87% of Americans support Social Security and say Congress should act now to solidify Social Security
Webinar and Report
The curious case of Gov. Dunleavy's blood bank veto. ADN
Among the many line-item vetoes issued by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in his signing of Alaska’s capital budget, the half-million dollar reduction in funding for the Blood Bank of Alaska barely registers.
An expansion underway at the Alaska Native Heritage Center includes a new healing garden and a subsistence kitchen. Alaska Public Media
The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage finished up the final touches of a major renovation on Tuesday. The center now has four new exhibits, and a remodeled main building adorned with sealskin lamps, a mural modeled after porcupine quills and a custom carpet by an Alaska Native artist.
At 71, a longtime Northwest Arctic leader wins the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics sportsmanship award. ADN
With the confidence of a seasoned athlete, Reggie Joule soared above the seal blanket at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks. Sticking to his longtime blanket toss style, Joule went for a backflip, and the crowd roared in response.
(My comment: Reggie deserves the award and recognition as a great leader.)
Oil patch insider: Feige appt. trustee; Interior wants to take away more; Huber gone. Petroleum News
(My comment- Great addition to the Trust Board! Congrats to Corri and the Board!)
Stuff I Found Interesting
1 fun thing: America's favorite flavors. Axios
(My comment - Alaska? Green tea??? I want a recount of that ranked-choice voting.)
The unicycling world championships are coming to Minnesota. Axios
The International Unicycling Federation World Championship and Convention, known as Unicon, is returning to the United States for the first time in 22 years. An estimated 1,200 unicyclists hailing from places as distant as Australia and Japan will spend the next 12 days competing across six disciplines for world titles and records.
Economy
Alaska demographers predict population drop, a switch from prior forecasts. Alaska Beacon
“We’ve now had 11 straight years of negative net migration, and it’s just pushed that 30-year average down enough that our natural increase, which is just births minus deaths, can’t make up for the losses in net migration once we get about 10 years out in the projected period,”
The 401(k) rollover mistake that costs retirement savers billions. The Wall Street Journal
Workers miss out on billions in investment gains by pulling retirement savings out of the stock market after switching jobs—often without meaning to.
Fisheries
Federal appeals court appears unlikely to halt Southeast Alaska king trolling for now. Alaska Beacon
In closely watched oral arguments on July 18, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals indicated that it is unlikely to grant an environmental group’s petition for an order that could halt — at least temporarily — a valuable Southeast Alaska king salmon fishery.
Politics
Statewide Initiative would restore Alaska campaign finance limits. Alaska Public Media
The 9th Circuit’s decision in Thompson v. Hebdon struck down a $500-per-year contribution limit on Alaska legislative races, saying it restricted free speech. The court provided a road map to reconfigure campaign limits so they are adjusted for inflation, but the state Legislature didn’t do that. So, candidates today can now receive unlimited direct donations from anyone, even outside of Alaska. That happened in the 2022 governor’s race, when some wealthy donors gave more than $100,000 apiece to candidates.
The rest of the country should learn from Alaska's ranked-choice voting experiment. Seattle Times
Ranked-choice repeal measure awaits signature count after Alaska judge's ruling. Alaska Beacon
An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Friday disqualified 27 signature books filled out by Alaskans hoping to repeal Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, leaving it unclear whether the issue has enough support to advance to a November vote. The Alaska Division of Elections must recount the signature totals by Wednesday, Judge Christina Rankin said in a 95-page order analyzing allegations that signature-gatherers violated state law while gathering support for the repeal measure.
Alaska election officials to recalculate signatures for ranked vote repeal measure after court order. AP News
The new ruling Friday focused on challenges to the sponsors’ signature-collecting methods that were the subject of a recent trial. Rankin set a Wednesday deadline for the division to remove the signatures and booklets she found should be disqualified and for the division to determine if the measure still has sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Some Alaska Republican candidates pledge to withdraw if they aren't atop GOP votes in primary. Alaska Beacon
A proposed ballot measure seeks to repeal ranked choice voting. If approved by voters in November, in future elections, voters would choose only one candidate in the general election, instead of ranking multiple candidates. The state’s open primary system would also be eliminated, and political parties would be able to limit who can vote and who can run in primaries.
Do you support public safety in Alaska? You might be surprised by who doesn't. ADN
AFP (Americans for Prosperity) has a long record of advocating for defunding the police and public safety across the country, so it’s not surprising that it’s happening in Alaska, too. One of AFP’s position papers even says police officers should be exposed to personal liability lawsuits for their work as officers.
Healthcare
Tick-spread illnesses are on the rise in Canada. Are surveillance, awareness efforts keeping up? CBC News
For years, medical experts have warned a rising number of Canadians are being exposed to ticks carrying an array of dangerous pathogens. Lyme disease is the most familiar — and by far the most common — but there's growing concern about lesser-known threats as well, from various bacterial infections, to the rare Powassan virus.
(My comment: Alaskans travel a lot. Important to be aware of ticks, and even their potential movement this far north.)
Dental Health Among young Alaska children improved. Alaska Beacon
Among children 3 and younger, tooth decay prevalence is down, as is consumption of sugary beverages, while visits to dental offices for checkups are up, according to the report cited in a bulletin released by the Alaska Division of Public Health’s epidemiology section last week.
(My comment: Dental health is foundational to lifelong health. This improved dental care is great news. )
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