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Current Topics
Authorities
say 16-year-old who had been radicalized fired a revolver at a
Colorado school, wounding two classmates before killing himself. ADN
A 16-year-old boy who had
been radicalized by an “extremist network” fired a revolver multiple
times at a suburban Denver high school, wounding two students.
Alaska's
fallen firefighters remembered in downtown Anchorage ceremony. Alaska's News Source
'It
helps us remember something that is unforgettable': Anchorage
firefighters tackle stairs in honor of 9/11 victims. Alaska's News Source
Firefighters and members of
the public came together Thursday evening to pay their respects to
all of Alaska’s firefighters who gave their lives while protecting
their communities.
Dunleavy
administration asks US Supreme Court to decide the future of
subsistence fishing in Alaska. Alaska Beacon
Under the state framework,
someone from Anchorage would have the same fishing rights on the
Kuskokwim River as someone who lives a mile away. Under the current
system, the local resident gets priority in parts of the river within
federal land.
Things That I Found Interesting
Bethel
Police say 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedules work. Some community
members disagree. KYUK
Alaska
fund raises $3.5M for public media as federal cuts begin. ADN
Alaska Public Media, the
state’s largest public station, has paused Alaska Insight, a
television news program that was broadcast across the state. Ulman
said Alaska Public Media has also cut its education programming and
is considering cutting Debate for the State, a program that features
candidate forums for statewide offices.
Arctic Issues
Just
how deadly could a parasite be to Yukon River chinook salmon? Eye on the Arctic
Zachary Liller, with the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, told CBC News there’s no method
to account for natural mortality that’s associated with disease,
especially ichthyophonus, which, under the right conditions, can
prove fatal, because of the distances the imperilled
chinook must travel to reach their spawning territory.
Orange
rivers signal toxic shift in Arctic wilderness. Phys.Org
“This is what acid
mine drainage looks like," said Tim Lyons, a
biogeochemist at the University of California, Riverside. "But
here, there's no mine. The permafrost is thawing and changing the
chemistry of the landscape."
(My comment: This
orange color was Red Dog River before the mine was developed. Now,
because of the mine, the water is clear, drinkable quality. Fish,
insects, and vegetation have reestablished in the river, because the
mine removed the naturally occurring toxic metals.”
USARC
releases "research needs for a secure and prosperous
Arctic". Arctic News
Building off the recently
announced White House Arctic research implementation plan (here), the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC)
has released a brief report (see here) that identifies future research needs in the
Arctic region to advance American security and prosperity. In
support of strengthening national security, the Commission has
identified research topics within four key sectors: military,
community, energy, and economy. These sectors inform both domestic
and foreign policy, ideally, in a mutually reinforcing manner, and
are often interlinked.
US
Coast Guard proposes new shipping route along Alaska's Arctic coast. KNBA
The route would be a
four-mile-wide corridor for ships to travel in both directions, said
Coast Guard Officer Camden Martin. It would run from the northern
edge of the Bering Strait to the U.S.-Canada maritime border, she
said.
"It would mitigate the
amount of damage to subsistence hunting and environmentally sensitive
areas," Martin said.
Security
and defence in a changing Arctic. UM News
Since establishment in
1985, researchers at the Centre
for Defence and Security Studies, have been helping Canada meet these
challenges. Over nearly four decades the Centre has advised the
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as the go to think tank for Arctic
defence research, especially on protecting Canada’s vast northern
frontier for NORAD and NATO operations.
Rivers
in the sky, Arctic warming, and what this means for the Greenland Ice
Sheet. Phys.Org
"Earth goes through
glacial cycles, and the Last Interglacial was the last time the
Arctic was warmer than present day," says Schnaubelt. "We
know that that's the direction we're headed toward, and we wanted to
see how atmospheric rivers impacted the Greenland Ice Sheet."
Boreal
plants spread into Arctic tundra. Mirage News
When shrubs and other
tree-like species expand, they trap more snow in winter and cover the
ground in summer.
(My comment: There are more
and more beaver dams moving northward. There are more than 2000
beaver dams in the Kotzebue area, where shrubs are available for dam
construction)
Brief
tuna bounty in Southeast Alaska spurs excitement about new fishing
opportunity. Alaska Beacon
He took a day off from work
when conditions were just right to search for tuna, a type of fish
suited to more southern latitudes: beautiful weather, with calm
waters and water temperatures that reach 60 degrees.
(My comment: While some deny
that climate is changing, here’s more evidence. Couple it with the
land slide risks.)
Energy
U.S.-U.K.
nuclear deals aim for sped-up work. Axios
Both countries will
fast-track reactor design checks, the British Embassy in D.C. said in
a statement. That
means if a reactor has passed safety assessments in one country, the
other can use it to support its own work to avoid
duplication. This "smarter, streamlined approach" is
hoped to speed what are now often lengthy approvals for nuclear to
around 24 months for advanced designs like Rolls-Royce's small
modular reactor (SMR), the embassy said.
Alaska
attorney general argues Chugach Electric charity program raises free
speech concerns. ADN
(My comment: You can
call Chugach, requesting OPT OUT of this program. )
Economy
Opinion:
Alaska needs to be a smart shopper for taxes. Juneau Empire
This isn’t about taxing
simply to spend more; this is about collecting enough revenue to meet
the needs of the public for schools, roads, universities, law
enforcement and every other service people expect.
New
estimate projects 50% less Alaska state revenue from proposed Willow
oil project. Alaska Beacon
According to the
department’s new estimate, Alaska’s state treasury will net $2.6 billion
from the development between 2029, when Willow is expected to begin
producing oil, and 2053, the end of its expected productive life.
That’s down 50% from $5.2 billion expected in a
2024 estimate, and from $6.3 billion forecast in a
2023 estimate.
What
does a North Slope 'renaissance' mean for Alaska's state budget? Alaska Public Media
US
women narrowed the pay gap with men by having fewer kids. Alaska Beacon
Women in the U.S.
typically earned
85% as much as men for every hour they spent working in 2024.
However, working women are faring much better than their moms and
grandmothers did 40 years ago. In the mid-1980s, women were making
only 65% as much as men for every hour of paid work. Women’s wages
have improved relative to what men earn in part because of gains
in their education and work experience, and because women have moved into higher-paying
occupations.
1
big thing: Labor supply drain. Axios
The latest sign that the
Trump administration will make it more burdensome for corporations to
rely on foreign workers came Friday. Corporations will have to
pay a $100,000 fee to apply for H-1B visas, a pathway for skilled
foreigners to join U.S. employment ranks, the president announced —
up from $2,500. Trump also directed the Labor Department to
revise pay requirements for these workers who, in some cases, are
underpaid relative to U.S. workers.
Education
Opinion:
Alaska students deserve more investment in our classrooms. ADN
“It grieves me that this
has become so common. I don’t know this man or what he was saying but
we have a 1st amendment that protects his right to speak his mind.”
Statewide
testing scores show minor growth for Alaska students. ADN
New statewide standardized
test results show minor growth in reading and math scores overall for Alaska third to ninth graders
who took the test last spring. Just over 1% more Alaska students
scored “proficient” or better this year than they did on the same
test the year before.
Trump
administration terminates University of Alaska grants for Alaska
Native, Indigenous students. Alaska Beacon
The U.S. Department of
Education has terminated grant funding for universities’ Alaska
Native and Native-Hawaiian-serving programs and support services, an
act that University of Alaska Fairbanks Chancellor Mike Sfraga said
“will have a substantial and negative impact on a large number of
Alaskans, including our Alaska Native students.”
Feds
terminate University of Alaska grant funding for Indigenous student
programs. ADN
Trump
administration suddenly cuts $3.3M grant supporting career education
in the Anchorage School District. ADN
The Anchorage School District
is set to lose $3.3 million in federal grant money intended to support career and technical
education, district leaders said Tuesday. A Monday letter from the federal Department of Education
notified the district that the money, under a federal Fostering
Diverse Schools grant program, would not be disbursed.
Bucking
national trend, University of Alaska Anchorage sees highest
enrollment increase in years. Alaska Public Media
Officials with the
University of Alaska Anchorage say they’re seeing their largest
increase in enrollment in over a decade.
Alaska
federal and state lawmakers call for reversal of Trump administration
cuts to schools and universities. ADN
Members of Alaska’s
congressional delegation are asking federal officials to reverse
funding cuts that impact Alaska schools and universities.
Depsite
early successes, Anchorage Career Academies face uncertain funding
future. ADN
Politics
Ballot
initiative organizers want to ban noncitizen voting in Alaska. It's
already prohibited. ADN
Already, Alaska statute states that to vote in Alaska, a person must
be a U.S. citizen. Reports from the Division of Elections indicate
that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare.
Alaska
Legislature moves to sue governor over executive order creating
agriculture department. ADN
The legal action is intended
to resolve a dispute between the Legislature and the governor over
whether Dunleavy can create an agriculture department by executive
order.
Alaska
lawmakers prepare to file suit against Gov. Dunleavy over executive
order. Alaska
Beacon
The leaders of the House and
Senate refused to accept the filing, saying that it was not within
the governor’s power to issue an executive order during a special
session, or to reintroduce an already-rejected order. The governor’s
office has said that lawmakers’ failure to vote down the new order
means that it will take effect and allow the executive branch to
create the cabinet-level department at the start of 2026.
(My comment: As is being done
at the Federal level, Alaska’s governor is attempting to bypass the
Legislature in enacting major policy. The establishment of a “Dept of
Agriculture” was rejected by the Legislature during regular session;
the Governor is attempting to mandate it now.)
In
letter to the Legislature, Alaska Gov. Dunleavy invites lawsuit over
new Ag Department. Alaska Beacon
Former
Alaska AG Treg Taylor asks for exemption from financial disclosure
requirements. Alaska Beacon
Ahead of an
expected run for governor, former Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor is
asking the state’s campaign finance regulator to exempt him from a
law that requires he disclose who is renting apartments in several
Anchorage buildings he owns.
Fair-courts
group argues that Dunleavy's appointment to judge-picking board is
unconstitutional. Alaska Beacon
The governor’s choice of John
W. Wood has
been challenged by lawsuits filed by Juneau resident James Forrer and
Alaskans for Fair Courts, a group devoted to the defense of the court
system as an independent, apolitical branch of government.
Opinion:
Finding a way through the darkness. ADN
Studies show that Republicans and Democrats mostly share
the same virtues, chief among them being care for others and
fairness. Also important to both parties are virtues such as loyalty,
and liberty, and many others. Holding fast to our shared principles,
along with the ever-present need for the virtues of truth and
compassion, establishes a shared set of values that we can agree on.
It opens our eyes to see each other not as political enemies, but as
fellow Alaskans, fellow Americans, fellow human beings. In my tradition,
we express this as seeing the image of God in all people — even our
adversary, and even our enemy.
(My Comment: Thank you,
Pastor Schultz. Yes.)
Health Care
Trump's
new law will limit payments to hospitals that treat low-income
patients. Alaska Beacon
Beginning in 2028, the One
Big Beautiful Bill Act will cap the payments, forcing state Medicaid
programs to reduce reimbursement rates by 10 percentage points each
year until they reach either 100% or 110% of what Medicare pays.
States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would be
capped at the lower rate.
(My comment: Add to this
reduction in reimbursement for public-funded healthcare, Alaska just
changed the rules for insurance-paid healthcare, allowing insurance
companies to lower reimbursement to clinicians to the level of
Medicare. Medicare is the lowest reimbursement; Alaska clinics can’t
stay open at that reimbursement rate and Alaska clinicians can’t live
on those low wages.)
Plaintiffs
ask court to rule that SNAP delays violate Alaskans' rights. Alaska Public Media
Saima Akhtar with the
National Center for Law and Economic Justice, an attorney for the
plaintiffs, said her team is asking the court to rule that Alaska’s
SNAP system violates
low-income Alaskans’ rights.
Alaskans
would see spike in health insurance rates if Congress lets subsidies
expire. Alaska Public Media
Unless Congress steps in
with a solution, thousands of Alaskans will lose health insurance
subsidies at the end of December and see the cost of their premiums
shoot up. For a dramatic example of what will happen, consider an
Alaska couple in their 60s who earn about $53,000 a year each. They
now pay less than 9% of their income to get two silver-level plans.
If their subsidies go away, they’d spend almost 50% of their income
to keep those insurance plans.
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