MV Hubbard, delayed by Walker, begins service
Media shuffles in Alaska include the end of Alaska's oldest news blog -- SitNews
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Check in with www.mustreadalaska.com later today for more stories on the Supreme Court’s rejection of the “independent state legislature” theory, Oregon’s new law that crack down on paramilitary groups, a great column from Alex Gimarc on the Alaska Long Trail project, and more.
MV Hubbard, delayed for years by Gov. Walker, finally in service
If Democrats are wondering where to find education funding, they need to look no farther than the boondoggle brought by Gov. Bill Walker, who delayed the launch of the MV Hubbard because the union wanted staterooms. Cost to the budget? At least $16 million and years of delayed service. Waste and abuse.
Shuffling deck chairs on Titanic? FOX slides Jesse Watters into place
Will viewers return to FOX after an over 30% drop since the Tucker Carlson firing?
Peltola former chief of staff is now at DC lobby firm
Alex Ortiz, who worked for Congressman Don Young for years and was hired by Rep. Mary Peltola as chief of staff, was separated from her office with the press release in April stating that he would “be staying on in a special role with my campaign team, where he will be leading Southeast Alaska and Republican outreach.” He is now with Capitol Hill Consulting Group in D.C. Ortiz, from Ketchikan, has been in D.C. since 2006, when he began working for Sen. Ted Stevens.
Media shuffles
Ketchikan - One of the oldest news blogs in Alaska (founded 1997) has shut its doors. Seen In The News — better known as SitNews — was founded by pioneering journalist Mary Kauffman and covered Ketchikan and Prince of Wales for the most part. Mary has decided it is time to retire, focus on health, playing the piano, and projects she has wanted to do. She said she has worked for 60 years and it’s just time.
Ketchikan - Raegan Miller has been promoted to KRBD news director. Eric Stone left in May for another job in Ketchikan. Miller came to the station a year ago, funded by the Report for America nonprofit, which InfluenceWatch describes as “a joint project of Google News Lab and The GroundTruth Project, both organizations associated with the political left-of-center.”
Haines - Lex Trienen left Alaska Public Media radio reporting in Anchorage this month to take up the helm as editor of the Chilkat Valley News and give owner Kyle Clayton a break. Also joining the staff is news reporter Nakeshia Diop, who comes from the Seattle-based (with Anchorage office) Sightline Institute, which is described by InfluenceWatch as “a left-of-center think tank that advocates for environmentalist and economically progressive policies in the Pacific Northwest,” and partners with EarthJustice. It’s unclear who is underwriting her salary at the weekly newspaper.
Chinook troll fishers in Southeast Alaska to put hooks in water July 1, but how many can they catch?
With the decision from the Ninth Circuit, the 1,500 fishing families in Southeast Alaska that make their living trolling for chinook will get to fish this week. But they won’t get to catch as many this season. Here’s why.
Nightmare on Ingra Street
Mayor Dave Bronson took action on a tramp camp that has hundreds of criminals and deadbeats festering on 3rd Avenue. It’s getting some attention, now that the group called the “3rd Avenue Radicals” have put up a big fuss over their property being destroyed by druggies and vandals.
Two Alaska Native tribal groups get millions from Biden tribal grants
Money is absolutely falling from the sky from the Feds as they print more. This set of grants is to help tribal businesses.
Breaking: Over $1 billion awarded to Alaska for broadband expansion
Let’s break it down: It's 1,000 million dollars to rural Alaska. Since the road system communities are already covered, we’re really talking about spending a billion on rural and remote Alaska, for maybe 100,000 people. Alaska got the most of any state per capita of the massive broadband spend, and yet it is just about half of what would be needed to actually get every home on high-speed. This is not free money.
Peltola turns back on middle class, votes to save Biden’s penalty for good credit
Do you have good credit? Rep. Mary Peltola wants you to pay higher mortgage rates to pay for the mortgages of those with lower credit scores. Bad Mary.
‘Inaugural Nine’ graduate from Alaska Policy Forum Leadership Academy
Who were the members of the inaugural Alaska Leadership Academy? A group of Alaskans who participated in eight months of leadership programming with experts from around the country on topics ranging from crisis management, public speaking, team building, Alaska Statehood, Constitution, and on-camera media training.
Political theater: House minority wants survey for special session
A group of Democrats in the Alaska House of Representatives has asked Speaker Cathy Tilton to conduct a survey among the members of the House to determine if there is an appetite for a special session that the Legislature would call itself into in order to override some or all of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s vetoes.
Oregon voters to decide on ranked-choice voting in 2024
While Alaska voters have been working to get signatures needed to repeal ranked-choice voting in the 49th state, Oregon’s state legislators, in the closing hours of this year’s legislative session, took a step toward adopting a ranked-choice voting with the approval of House Bill 2004 on Sunday.
Question of the Week - one day left to play!
Justice Department watchdog report: Jeffrey Epstein killed himself
With help from an excessive amount of bed linens, surveillance cameras turned off, and only one guard on the cell block for an entire 24 hour period. Right.
Five years since Janus decision, 35% of Alaska public workers opt out of union dues
A look back a the landmark decision that allows people to make their own choices about whether to join a public worker union.
Amy Welch now a judge in Fairbanks
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed Amy Welch to the Fairbanks Superior Court. Welch was chosen from a list of individuals nominated by the Alaska Judicial Council and forwarded on to the governor. She will replace Judge Paul Lyle who is retiring.
Welch has lived in Alaska for nine years and has practiced law since graduating from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2013. She has a solo law practice in Fairbanks focused on criminal law, family law.
This day in history
June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed outside Paris. The treaty was one of several that officially ended the five-year Great War—World War I.
Columns
Rick Whitbeck: An inventory of the damage Biden has done to Alaska
Even before Joe Biden took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January 2021, there was clear writing on the wall for the damage his administration would do to Alaska’s energy community.
Art Chance: The six-pack license and a submersible that was doomed
If it happens in the North Atlantic, an American submarine or listening station knows about it. Despite the spin from the Biden-media, there was nothing secret.
Downing in Daily Caller: ProPublica crusade against Alito and Thomas is funded by partisans
We don’t have a lot of kind words for the organization that partners with newspapers to play politics, while posing as journalists.
Win Gruening: Juneau’s 4th of July celebrates what’s good about America
Legend has it this tradition dates to when the Treadwell Mine on Douglas Island was operating. The mine only shut down on Christmas and the Fourth of July to allow miners a chance to enjoy fireworks, so the show moved to a day earlier at midnight.
Ben Carpenter: Legislature needs to settle on fiscal solution
Carpenter calls on the Legislature to meet in special session this year specifically to address a long- term fiscal plan. “We need all hands-on deck to right this ship.”
Alaska oil: $75.66
Henry Hub gas: $2.79
Alaska North Slope Production: 462,464
Permanent Fund (principal and earnings reserve): $77,098,600,000
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