Algerian man Imane Khelif has beat Italy’s Angela Carini in a welterweight round of Olympic women’s boxing and will advance. It took just 46 seconds for Carini, of Naples, Italy, to give up the match after taking a couple of heavy blows to her head.
The International Olympics Committee has decided to allow men who have X and Y chromosomes to box women. On Friday, a male boxer from Taiwan will be pitted against a woman from Uzbekistan. Yu-Ting will box in the Women’s 57kg division on Aug. 2, 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. His opponent is Sitora Turdibekova, a woman.
After the less-than-a-minute match, Carini was clearly traumatized, and was seen crying in the boxing ring.
Khelif will fight again on Saturday against an as-of-yet undetermined opponent.
Chalk it up to wardrobe failure: Fletch Fletcher, a language arts teacher at Dimond High School in Anchorage, made social media this week, with his name and physique featured in the “Libs of TikTok” channel on X/Twitter.
In a video apparently shot by a student, a teacher wearing a dress appears to have his hardened penis tenting out of the fabric, right at eye level where a student under his watch is working on a computer. The distance between the erection and the student’s hand is mere inches. That teacher is identified as Fletcher, although not verified by Must Read Alaska as such.
Meet Fletch Fletcher. A male teacher at @ASDschools who now identifies as nonbinary. He likes to wear tight dresses to school so his bulge sticks out. I’m told he also wears very tight pants and it makes the students extremely uncomfortable.
According to the Libs of TikTok account, Fletcher also wears tight pants that show his bulge and make students uncomfortable.
Students of Dimond High School who are familiar with the situation may contact Must Read Alaska in the comment section below and ask that their names be kept private if they have information that is pertinent to this report.
It’s a balloon, or it’s not a balloon. It was the size of a car. But we’re not sure what size of car. If the Pentagon knows what it shot down over the Arctic Ocean, it’s not saying. At this point, it’s still in the category of an unidentified flying “object” that was north of Prudhoe Bay until taken down by an F-22 out of Elmendorf.
The Department of Defense did give at least a few more details about the nature of the mission, which took place this morning over the Arctic, while it was still dark in northern Alaska. As revealed by Must Read Alaska earlier on Friday, the military had detected the object on Feb. 9, and determined it was unmanned. A jet from Anchorage to Red Dog Mine was rerouted toward Nome to avoid the item on Thursday.
“The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. President Joe Biden ordered Northern Command to shoot down the object. Civilian airliners typically fly between 40,000 and 45,000 feet.
The object, whatever it was, fell onto sea ice off the coast of Alaska and U.S. Northern Command has begun recovery operations, Ryder said.
“U.S. Northern Command’s Alaska Command coordinated the operation with assistance from the Alaska Air National Guard, Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” he said.
The object was about the size of a small car, the general said, and does not resemble in any way the Chinese surveillance balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina earlier this week. “We have no further details about the object at this time, including any description of its capabilities, purpose or origin,” he said.
Two F-22s flying out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, took down the object. The one missile shot was an AIM-9X Sidewinder. “We have HC-130, HH-60 and CH-47 aircraft participating in that recovery,” the press secretary said.
The shoot-down of a China spy balloon six days earlier has drawn criticism from many observers, who note that the White House didn’t acknowledge the spy balloon until it was photographed and reported by a newspaper in Billings, Montana. Only then did the Biden Administration admit it knew about the balloon, and it has changed stories about the timing and nature of its decisions ever since.
The Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday passed ordinances opposed by residents across the city and also objected to by operators of homeless shelters and facilities.
The first ordinance expands the zoning for homeless shelters into areas called B-3 business districts. Most of the B-3 areas are in Midtown Anchorage. Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel of Midtown was the sponsor of the ordinance that will bring more crime and social problems to Midtown neighborhoods.
Zaletel is the subject of a recall effort that is now underway.
The B-3 district in Anchorage “is intended for primarily for general commercial uses in commercial centers and area exposed to heavy traffic. These commercial uses are intended to be located on arterials, or within commercial centers of town, and to be provided with adequate public services and facilities,” according to the Municipality, but the zone butts up against residential neighborhoods. The purpose of the ordinance is to spread out the homeless problem to reduce its impacts on the downtown district and make other neighborhoods share the burden.
The second ordinance is going to require homeless shelters to be licensed by the municipality by 2023. This ordinance was objected to by faith-based organizations who say that the Assembly, run by a leftist majority, is trying to force women’s shelters to admit transgendered individuals.
The Biden Administration’s head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of “impending doom” from a resurgence of Covid-19 and appealed to governors and mayors to reinstate mask mandates. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, welled up with tears as she ask America to “hold on a little while longer” and continue wearing masks.
“I am asking you to just hold on a little longer, to get vaccinated when you can, so that all of those people that we all love will still be here when this pandemic ends,” Walensky said. The nation has “reason for hope. But right now, I’m scared.”
“Please, this is not politics — reinstate the mandate,” President Joe Biden said. “The failure to take this virus seriously is precisely what got us into this mess in the first place.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, on Twitter, said no, he would not be implementing a statewide mask mandate.
“No thanks, @POTUS – you can keep your mask mandate. We’ll keep doing it the #Alaska way: trust the people & let them live their lives,” Dunleavy wrote.
To date, 31 percent of Alaskans have received at least one dose of a vaccine against Covid. Over 21 percent of Alaskans are fully immunized. Anchorage has a mask mandate that has been in place for almost a year but the state has never had a one-size-fits-all mandate.
Must Read Alaska updates relating to the COVID-19 coronavirus will be included on this running post, where you can see updates throughout the days and nights ahead. Check back for updates.
10:30 am, 04/03/2020: The Carlson Center in Fairbanks has been converted into an overflow field hospital, in the event that the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital reaches capacity. Close to 100 cots have been set up, while Fairbanks and North Pole have reported a total of 42 COVID-19 cases to date, most not needing hospitalization.
10 pm, 04/03/2020: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center survey results released on Friday show 92% of small employers said they are negatively impacted by the pandemic, up from 76% saying the same just 10 days prior. The survey was taken March 30 among a random sample of 300,000 members of the small business organization.
The survey showed continued decline in the small business sector since the NFIB’s previous similar survey, which was conducted on March 20.
The NFIB on Friday stated, “The severity of the outbreak and regulatory measures that cities and states are taking to control it are having a devastating impact on small businesses.”
10 pm, 04/02/2020: The Department of State says that due to public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, it is only able to offer passport service for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (e.g. parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc) that require you to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 days).
The State Department advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel at this time due to the global impact of COVID-19. Many areas throughout the world are now experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and taking action that may limit traveler mobility, including quarantines and border restrictions. Even countries, jurisdictions, or areas where cases have not been reported may restrict travel without notice.
3 pm, 04/02/2020: The Alaska Railroad passenger service will be postponed to July, rather than its originally scheduled start date of May 8.
Usually, the summer train season starts with the arrival of cruise ships in Seward and Whittier, where passengers disembark and travel by train to Anchorage and north to Denali and Fairbanks.
Aurora Winter Train is suspended through the end of the 2019-2020 winter season
Coastal Classic Train has daily scheduled service may begin July 1
Northbound service for the Denali Star Train is may begin July 1, with daily bi-directional service starting July 2
Glacier Discovery Train returns July 3
Hurricane Turn Train: operates April 2, May 7, and June 4. Standard Thursday-Monday service begins July 2, 2020
10 am, 04/02/2020: From Flowingdata.com comes this handy toilet paper calculator to help you gauge how many weeks you can go before you’ll need to start scouting for toilet paper again:
In short, if you’re a household of two, using 8 sheets per wipe, and wiping 8 times a day, you’ll need about seven rolls to last you two weeks, according to the calculator, which you can adjust according to number of people, number of wipes, and number of squares used. Other variables are noted in the analysis.
8 am, 04/02/2020: Costco announced this week it changed its guest policy to deal with the influx of panic shoppers. As a temporary measure, the warehouse store will allow members one guest per membership card. Previously, members could bring up to two guests with them. The company is trying to limit the number of people in the warehouse to create the social distancing suggested by the CDC.
1:30 pm, 04/01/2020: Attorney General Kevin G. Clarkson filed a complaint against Juan Lyle Aune, alleging that Aune profited from the spread of COVID-19 by purchasing thousands of N95 respirators from Alaska stores, and then reselling the respirators on Amazon and eBay for unconscionably high prices. The complaint asks the court to impose a separate $25,000 fine for every such sale Aune made.
“Price gouging is simply unacceptable,” said Clarkson. “The Department of Law is fully committed to taking action against those who would engage in unscrupulous behavior to profit off of COVID-19.”
According to the complaint, Aune purchased respirators from several Alaska stores, including Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Spenard Builder’s Supply. On one trip to Lowe’s, Aune purchased the store’s entire supply of 3M N95 Respirators – a total of 293 20-packs. According to the complaint, Aune told a Lowe’s employee that he was “flipping” the masks for a profit of about $50 per box.
The complaint alleges that Aune generally purchased 20-packs of N95 respirators for $17 to $23 in local stores, before reselling the 20-packs on Amazon for an average price of $89.25. Aune also sold 20-packs of N95 respirators on eBay for as much as $89.99.
Alaskans are encouraged to report price gouging, scams, and deceptive trade practices related to COVID-19 to the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit at [email protected] or calling at 907-269-5200 or 1-888-576-2529.
9:30 pm, 03/31/2020: Alaska Municipal League has a running list of links to dozens of communities and their current health mandates, including travel bans to and from villages. The link is here.
9 pm, 03/31/2020: The Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center closed public beaches, parks, and playgrounds on Monday.
10 am, 03/31/2020: 88 percent of Americans have experienced changes to their lives since COVID-19 hit the U.S., according to new Pew Research Center data. Twelve percent report their lives have remained relatively unchanged. According to the research, 51 percent of Democrats say their life has changed in a major way, compared to 38 percent of Republicans.
Republicans are reporting less psychological distress: 17 percent of Republicans report “high distress” compared to 30 percent of Democrats.
2 pm, 03/30/2020: The Municipality of Anchorage is setting up an emergency medical care center in the Alaska Airlines Center, located across from Providence Hospital on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. The facility may be able to care for COVID-19 patients who are not needing critical care, but do require some medical care. The facility, usually used for basketball games, has been covered with cots in anticipation of a surge of patients, according to the Emergency Operations Center, now operating out of the Loussac Library. Anchorage, including JBER, Eagle River, Chugiak, and Girdwood, has at least 59 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus.
2:45 pm, 03/29/2020: The “Quick Test” is coming. The number of tests that have been performed in the United States for COVID-19 now exceed 894,000 Americans. Starting April 2, Abbott Labs will be manufacturing 50,000 new test kits a day that give quicker answers. The Abbott “point-of-care” test has received FDA approval and will be available to urgent care clinics next week. It gives a positive result in five minutes and a negative result in 13 minutes.
2:30 pm, 03/29/2020: President Trump said that Cigna and Humana will be waiving the copays on insurance for costs associated with the coronavirus.
2:15 pm, 03/29/2020: President Trump today extended the current federal guidelines on social distancing to April 30. He said the peak for the contagion COVID-19 and death from the virus is expected to come in two weeks from now.
7 am, 03/28/2020: Anchorage has a shortage of personal protective equipment and medical supplies. The following are needed immediately and Anchorage Emergency Operations is asking for donations: – Non-contact medical grade thermometers, Please see picture attached Universal Transport Media (for guidance see: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Labs/Documents/LaboratoryTests.pdf#page=23) – Nitrile exam gloves (no latex gloves) – N95 masks – Surgical masks – Medical gowns – Face shields which protect eyes Open and expired PPE are acceptable for donation. Used PPE is not being accepted. Homemade cloth masks for use by Anchorage Fire Department that are made to the following specifications:
Recommended materials include a single layer of tightly-woven material, such as a dish/tea towel or bed sheets/antimicrobial pillowcases.
The materials used must be able to be washed/dried on high heat.
Please wash your hands and keep your area clean when making the masks.
When completed, please bundle masks in packs of 25 or less in a sealed zip lock bag and drop off at the donation center.
Do not make masks if you have any respiratory illness symptoms.
Masks will be laundered by AFD before use.
Open and expired PPE are acceptable for donation, however used PPE is not being accepted.
Please take donations to: CrossFit Alaska 9191 Old Seward Highway Entrance faces Scooter Ave Hours of donation: 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM 7 days a week.
6:45 am, 03/28/2020: Late Friday night, President Donald Trump authorized Defense Secretary Mark Esper to order units and individual members in the National Guard and Reserves, as well as “certain Individual Ready Reserve members,” to active duty, the Pentagon announced. The troops will assist with response to the Wuhan coronavirus.
“The Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, are authorized to order to active duty not to exceed 24 consecutive months, such units, and individual members of the Ready Reserve under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned, not to exceed 1,000,000 members on active duty at any one time, as the Secretary of Defense and, with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, the Secretary of Homeland Security consider necessary. The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as applicable, will ensure appropriate consultation is undertaken with relevant state officials with respect to the utilization of National Guard Reserve Component units activated under this authority.”
7:15 pm, 03/27/2020: In Ketchikan, the inter-island ferry that operates to Prince of Wales Island will implement a four-day-per-week schedule starting March 28.
The ferry will run Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Passenger service will be limited to essential travel, which means those returning home or traveling for critical medical care, or those transporting essential goods and services. The number of passengers on board has been reduced by 75 percent to allow appropriate space between passengers. More information can be found at the ferry system’s link.
6 pm, 03/27/2020: Alaska is the No. 3 state for the number of citizens tested per capita, said Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer. New York is No. 1 in testing.
1 pm, 03/27/2020: Mayor Ethan Berkowitz of Anchorage extended the “hunker down” order through at least April 14, but said that date should not be considered a “hard end.” Orders could continue for a while, he said at a press conference today. Berkowitz said property taxes would be delayed for at least a month, and there will be no utility shut-offs for a month. In addition, any state or federal assistance that people receive will not be garnished for municipal fees or taxes due.
Building permit fees will be reduced by 25 percent, he said, and other fees will be either reduced or rebated, since many permitted businesses like restaurants and bars are not operating.
10 am, 03/27/2020: A Navy hospital ship has arrived in Los Angeles to help with the overflow from hospitals. The USNS Mercy has 1,000 beds and will treat non-coronavirus patients, freeing up local hospitals to focus on the surge of COVID-19 patients
9:30 pm, 03/26/2020: North Pole Mayor Mike Welch was tested Thursday for COVID-19 at Tanana Valley Clinic after experiencing symptoms and being asked to come in for the swab test.
7:30 pm, 03/26/2020: Alaska Medicaid will allow 68-day fills on medications that would normally be limited to 34 days. With the allowed accumulation, this permits a patient to be able to have approximately 10 weeks of medication on-hand. If a specific patient condition warrants, individual exceptions for a day’s supply beyond 68-days can be requested of the pharmacist.
6:32 pm, 03/26/2020: More that 2,400 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Alaska, said Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum. That is less than one percent of Alaskans, but a quick uptick in testing since the first case diagnosed in Alaska just 14 days ago.
5:44 pm, 03/26/2020: KUOW, public broadcasting in Seattle, has decided to stop airing the president’s press conferences on COVID-19 because the station feels they are not factual.
At the same time, President Trump’s approval rating among voters has started to climb in recent days, with the survey site fivethirtyeight.com saying his approval is now over 45 percent.
12:15 pm, 03/26/2020: At least 81,321 people in the U.S. are known to have been infected with the coronavirus, more cases than China, Italy or any other country has seen, according to data gathered by The New York Times.
11:45 am, 03/26/2020: The Port of Seattle has delayed the Alaska cruise season indefinitely.
11 am, 03/26/2020: The second phase of the congressional relief package that passed the Senate will bring $1.5 billion to the State of Alaska. It will also deliver rapid relief to small businesses, and expand unemployment. It will send a surge of resources to medical professions, said Sen. Dan Sullivan. It must be approved by the House.
7:28 am, 03/26/2020: State officials have corrected information about how many are hospitalized in Alaska due to COVID-19. The correct number as of March 25, 2020 is 3.
11:30 pm, 03/25/2020:Mayor Ethan Berkowitz of Anchorage has said the city will not enforce the mandatory 10-cent fee per paper bag that the city requires merchants charge their customers. However, he did not say merchants may issue single-use plastic bags for merchandise and groceries.
10:40 pm, 03/25/2020: A second employee of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This individual is included in the current count of 59 in Alaska who have been stricken with the virus.
10:35 pm, 03/25/2020: Royal Caribbean has extended the suspension of its cruises through May 12. “Because of announced port closures, we expect to return to service for Alaska, Canada and New England sailings July 1, 2020,” the company said. Norwegian Cruise Line is cutting pay and moving to a four-day work week for most staff.
3 pm, 03/25/2020:The current case count in Alaska is 44. An employee of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital has tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. Another Fairbanks person, a patient of the Tanana Chiefs Conference’s Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center, has also tested positive. l
3 pm, 03/25/2020: Jake Metcalfe, the executive director of the largest state employee union in Alaska, is seeking an injunction against the Dunleavy Administration to force all nonessential state employees to work from home for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. He also wants the court to mandate staggered work hours and social distancing rules for all state employees.
The Alaska State Employees Association represents 7,500 state and municipal employees across the state.
10 am, 03/25/2030: The United States is the world’s third-most infected country by the Wuhan coronavirus. To date, the top three are:
81,661 China
74,386 Italy
60,115 US
5:15 pm, 03/24/2020: The Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan have been postponed by the International Olympics Committee, for about a year.
3:45 pm, 03/24/2020: The U.S. Department of Education has stopped collections of federal student loans that are in default.
3:33 pm, 03/24/2020: First COVID-19 hospitalization is in Juneau at Bartlett Memorial Hospital. This is the second case in Juneau and the person is in the critical care unit. The person had been traveling in Washington State and Portland, Oregon, both known hot spots.
Meanwhile, the case count is up to 39 in Alaska, with two more having been identified in Ketchikan. This brings the total of positive cases in Ketchikan to eight. These two individuals, upon experiencing symptoms of illness, self-quarantined and sought testing through the Creekside Family Medical Clinic. The testing was processed by a private lab. The two do not have a history of recent travel, so these are considered community transmission cases.
8:45 am, 03/24/2020: Alaska Airlines will eliminate 200 flights per day through March 31. This is a 15 percent reduction of its normal flights. The airline is parking 30 jets from its fleet of 230 aircraft. Flights to Hawaii will be extremely limited and the airline will stop flying to Costa Rica, although for now it will keep its Mexico and Canada routes.
8:30 am, 03/24/2020: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a shelter-in-place order Monday evening, something he had been pressured to do for several days. Washingtonians are not to leave their homes except for critical tasks in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
7:46 pm, 03/23/2020: Three Bears market has instituted a ban on the use of personal multi-use shopping bags.
“Our grocery store workers are on the front lines of COVID-19, working tirelessly to keep our community fed. With identified community transmission, we ask that shoppers keep their reusable bags at home given the potential risk to Three Bears customers and employees,” the store notified shoppers, effective at all locations immediately. The stores are located in Wasilla, Palmer, and Kenai.
3:15 pm, 03/23/2020: First National Bank stock price went through large price swings today on the stock market before ending sharply lower.
The current stock price is $176, having recovered from its low of $125 at the close of trading. It appears some entity that owns stock in the bank may have dumped the stock this afternoon.
9 am, 03/23/2020: AlaskaUSA Federal Credit Union has temporarily closed several branches and curtailed operates at others:
Branches temporarily closed:
36th Ave
Abbott
N. Eagle River
Juneau St
W. Dimond
W. Northern Lights
N. Pole
W. Fairbanks
Parks Hwy
Vintage Park
Branches with drive-up and appointment services open Monday – Friday, 11 am to 6 pm:
C St
DeBarr
Dimond
Eagle River
East DeBarr
Huffman
JBER
Northern Lights
W. Abbott
Airport Way
Steese Hwy
Homer
Kenai
Soldotna
Palmer
Wasilla
W. Parks Hwy
Glacier Hwy
In-Store Branches open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11 am to 6 pm:
Bethel
Ketchikan
Kodiak
8 am, 03/23/2020: PeaceHealth Medical clinics are closed Monday and Tuesday in Ketchikan after two caregivers who work there tested positive for COVID-19. The medical center is one of the largest employers in Ketchikan.
11:15 pm, 03/22/2020: FEMA has set up a rumor control web page pertaining to COVID-19, available at this link.
11 pm, 03/22/2020: Juneau has cancelled its Fourth of July parade. The Fourth of July parade is the biggest community event of the year.
10:30 pm, 03/22/2020:Anchorage Office of Emergency Management reminded residents that the Hunker Down order is in effect in Anchorage as of 10 pm Sunday.
Emergency Order EO-03 directs Anchorage residents and businesses to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the chance of Anchorage hospitals becoming overwhelmed and unable to treat those who need urgent medical care, the department wrote.
When left unchecked, this virus spreads exponentially. Some models show that without an order to hunker down, hospitals could become overwhelmed within weeks. The predictions of these models are borne out by what is happening in other communities that waited too long to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Hunker Down order mandates that non-critical businesses close their premises, and that residents stay home as much as possible.
“Non-critical businesses encompass any business that is not specifically exempted as a critical business. This includes (but is not limited to): shoe stores, hair salons and barber shops, nail salons, clothing stores, makeup stores, jewelry stores, car dealerships (service and parts may remain open), tattoo parlors, acupuncture, art studios, and sporting goods stores, in-home housekeeping services, babysitting (except to provide support for critical workers). This is in addition to the closure of gyms, movie theaters, indoor recreation centers, bowling alleys, and nightclubs that were closed.
“Non-critical businesses must close their premises; it is not acceptable to simply transform to a curbside or delivery business as that still places too many workers and customers in harm’s way for a non-critical purpose.
“The emergency order includes a list of critical businesses that can continue to operate while implementing social distancing techniques to the maximum extent possible—including switching to curbside or delivery service.
“The critical business list includes health care operations, grocery stores, convenience stores, maintenance and operations of critical infrastructure, first responders, criminal justice personnel, critical government functions, defense and national security-related operations, food cultivation, social services, journalism, gas stations, banks and other financial institutions, hardware stores, plumbers, electricians, mailing and shipping services, laundromats, educational institutions for the purpose of distance learning, restaurants (for takeout and delivery only), transportation services, hotels, childcare facilities (to serve workers in critical jobs only), and some legal and accounting services. For a full list, refer to the emergency order. These businesses should incorporate remote working whenever possible and adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines including maintaining six feet between people.”
9:15 pm – 03/22/2020: Anchorage police will begin wearing personal protective gear — things like masks and nitrile gloves — when physically interacting with the public. This doesn’t necessarily mean that COVID-19 is presenting the situation, but that police are protecting themselves from unnecessary exposure. Also, dispatchers and officers will be asking people questions related to COVID-19 exposure to help prevent exposure.
All community engagement activities and events, such as the ride-a-long program, Coffee with a Cop, public appearance requests and more, have been suspended until further notice. The APD front lobby at its headquarters is closed.
8:30 pm – 03/22/2020: The Seattle Times did not print its Sunday edition today due to the restrictions and general conditions caused by the COVID-19 virus. The newspaper was founded in 1891 and has been operated by the Blethen family since 1896. A note from the publisher advised:
5:30 pm – 03/22/2020: Sitka has been given a “hunker down in place” strong recommendation, issued by the Sitka Emergency Unified Command. Sitkans are asked to stay home in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. If residents need to shop for groceries, they may do so if they do not believe they have been exposed to the virus. Work from home as much as possible. Non-essential businesses are urged, but not required to close for 14 days. Those picking up or dropping off at the airport are urged to use curbside, and not go inside the airport. Anyone traveling into Sitka must quarantine in accordance with DHSS mandates.
4 pm – 03/22/2020: The current count of COVID-19 cases in Alaska is 22.
3:38 pm – 03/22/2020: An update on donating blood to the Blood Bank of Alaska. Please call 907-222-5600 to schedule an appointment. The staff will schedule you in.
11:06 am – 03/22/2020: Homeless men in Anchorage are being moved into the Sullivan Arena, while homeless women are being moved into the Ben Boeke Ice Arena next door. They are being given sleeping pads that are spaced six feet apart.
10:30 am – 03/22/2020: The current count of COVID-19 cases in Alaska is 21.
10 am – 03/22/2020: Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced on Sunday, adding “he is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.”
11 pm – 03/21/2020: Gov. Mike Dunleavy has launched a web page devoted to the work of the Economic Stabilization Team.
The page contains links for Small Business Administration loans, unemployment insurance, home mortgage assistance, and other resources that will be added as details are firmed. Share this page with those who may need help.
9:50 pm – 03-21/2020: Senior citizens in the Mat-Su Valley are getting some needed support from the Santa Cop and Heroes program, which applied for and received a $50,000 grant from Southcentral Health Foundation to provide 400 food kits to seniors 60 and older in the valley. Contact them at this link and get on the list for a food drop if you are running low of food, have no family support, and you meet the age qualifications.
8:30 pm – 03/21/2020: New testing protocols for Alaska have been put in place by the Department of Health and Social Services, in response to a shortage of equipment.
Testing supplies are running low. Until the shortage is resolved, health care providers are now prioritizing testing to specific groups. Health care providers do not need to call the Alaska Section of Epidemiology to approve testing, but those patients who are asymptomatic may not be tested. Here is what the testing technicians are being advised:
Patients who have a clinically compatible illness (e.g., fever, cough, or shortness of breath) AND at least one of the following criteria should be considered for testing:
12 pm – 03/21/2020: North Star Borough Mayor Bryce Ward announced an emergency declaration on Friday. The declaration will help with the procurement of aid and assistance from State and federal agencies when they become available. The borough is home to nearly 100,000 Alaskans and encompasses Eielson Air Force Base, Salcha, Fox, Two Rivers, and Chena Hot Springs.
11:30 am – 03/21/2020: Kenai Borough offices are closed to the public. Borough employees will still conduct government business under modified work schedules during regular business hours Monday – Friday. Those who can, will work from home, while others will come to work and practice the recommended guidance to ensure safe workspaces. You can also find contact information by department at www.kpb.us.
The Central Peninsula Landfill and transfer sites will continue to remain open to the public. Steps have been put in place for staff and the public’s protection. Please follow directional signage and staff instructions.
Dispatch and Fire/EMS will maintain operations; however, public will not be allowed to enter these facilities. First responders are following guidance specific to call outs. Nikiski Fire Service Area will continue their potable water service to residents with modifications.
Kenai Borough residents are asked to use the drop box located by the main front doors of the Borough Administrative Building (BAB) to deposit payments or department-specific documents, or mail delivery:
Kenai Peninsula Borough Attn: Department Name 144 N. Binkley Street Soldotna AK 99669
8 am – 03/21/2020: Anchorage medical community is experiencing a shortage of personal protective equipment such as nitrile gloves, face masks and medical gowns. They are asking providers and businesses to donate. Due to global demand, there is no definitive shipping date for more these items. The national demand for PPE and Alaska’s distance from suppliers, avoiding PPE shortages in Anchorage will require stretching existing supplies as long as possible. The following is needed immediately:
Nitrile exam gloves (no latex gloves)
N95 masks
Surgical masks
Medical gowns
Face shields that protect eyes
Please take Personal Protective Equipment to:
CrossFit Alaska 9191 Old Seward Highway Entrance faces Scooter Ave
Hours of donation: 9 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week. For questions, email [email protected] or call 907-343-4019
4:30 pm – 03/20/2020:The City and Borough of Juneau implemented voluntary temperature checks for travelers arriving at the Juneau International Airport. Passengers with a temperature of 100.4 F will be advised to contact a medical provider and to self-quarantine.
4:15 pm – 03/20/2020: A shortage of testing swabs has led Anchorage Office of Emergency Management to ask doctors to donate swabs, or the current Anchorage supply will be exhausted on Sunday. Due to global demand, there is no definitive shipping date for more swabs.
The following swabs are needed immediately: Nasopharyngeal swab with synthetic tip (ex. Dacron, Nylon, Polyester), with non-wooden shaft. NP swab should have sterile tube containing 2-3ml viral transport media (VTM) Please take swabs to: Drive Thru COVID19 Testing Site 4115 Lake Otis Parkway
Please use the back entrance/ employee parking lot (behind the tan and brown building). Hours of donation: 9:00 AM- 7:00 PM 7 days a week.
3:30 pm – 03/20/2020: Must Read Alaskahas learned that Mayor Ethan Berkowitz will order all Anchorage residents to shelter in place beginning this evening.
3:25 pm – 03/20/2020: An employee of the office of the Vice President has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement.
“This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the Vice President tested positive for the Coronavirus,” wrote Pence Press Secretary Katie Miller. “Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual. Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines.”
11 am – 03/20/2020: President Donald Trump said the U.S. Department of Education will not require standardized testing for students in elementary through high school for the current school year.
10 am – 03/20/2020:The Anchorage Health Department and satellite locations have limited services to phone and appointments only, effective March 19.
Many services and benefits will be available via telephone or limited to in-person appointments; no in-person business or services will be available without an appointment. The contact numbers for the resources are:
• Community Health Nursing: 343-4799 • Aging and Disability Resource Center: 343-7770 • Women, Infants and Children: 343-4668 • Child Care Licensing: 343-4758 • Environmental Health (Food and Air): 343-4200 • Community Safety and Development: 343-4822 • Main Number: 343-6718
9:42 am – 03/20/2020:
How many cases? 255,729 worldwide. Known in Alaska: 12. Every person typically infects two others.
– Did it start in a Wuhan lab? The coronavirus may have originated in a government laboratory 300 yards from the Wuhan fish market where the authorities say the outbreak started, the Daily Mailreports.
– California is sheltering in place: 40 million Californians have been ordered to stay home indefinitely, only going out for essential jobs, errands, and solitary exercise, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. He warned the public that the patients who are contracting the coronavirus — 1,000 now in the Golden State — may soon overwhelm the state medical facilities.
– New York going into lockdown: Gov. Cuomo is shutting down all non-essential businesses across the state, leaving just grocery stores, pharmacies, and other essential operations open. He is banning all non-solitary outside activity, like outdoor basketball games and other team sports and he is requiring all non-essential government and private-sector employees to work from home, starting Sunday.
– President Trump has closed almost all traffic but commercial trucks at the southern border with Mexico.
– The Trump Administration has postponed the IRS income tax deadline to July 15.
10:15 pm – 03/19/2020:The U.S. Supreme Court has closed its building to the public and postponed its March argument session, which was to begin March 23.
10 pm – 03/19/2020:Funerals and weddings are among the events now banned in Washington State, as the epicenter of the coronavirus tries to get a handle on social distancing.
10 pm – 03/19/2020: Alaska Public Offices Commission is closed to walk-in traffic until further notice. APOC offices will remain staffed and will continue to serve the public and respond through alternative forms of contact including post mail, email, fax, and telephone, during its normal business hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
9:45 pm – 03/19/2020: Although the Blood Bank of Alaska is in need of blood, it’s asking for a voluntary 28-day deferral for anyone who has traveled out of state and to foreign countries in the last five weeks, and a 28-day deferral for donations for all travel out of state.
2:50 pm – 03/19/2020: An active-duty Airman has tested positive for COVID-19 on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The member recently returned from overseas travel and is following public health protocols while self-quarantined at his or her off-base residence.
JBER officials have ordered Health Protection Condition Bravo and are continually monitoring the situation while working closely with local, state and federal agencies.
12:50 pm – 03/19/2020: Anchorage Police Department has closed its front counter at its headquarters due to a significant drop in public visits. As a result, APD has put together resources to helping the public online and/or via the phone.
During this time, the traffic citations will be handled via paying by phone at 907-786-2429.
Subject line should be your last name and citation number. Attach these necessary documents, as appropriate:
Proof of insurance- Photo: must show you had insurance at the time the ticket was issued.
Proof of Registration- Photo: must show documents of registration from the DMV and photo of license plate with the new sticker on your vehicle.
Headlight/Taillight- Photo: must show vehicle with lights on and license plate visible.
Window Tint- Two Photos: must show entire driver side door of vehicle and include photo from front of vehicle showing license plate.
Proof of Driver’s License- Call 786-8600, ext 2.
11:30 am – 03/19/2020 – Simon Malls, owner of the Fifth Avenue Mall in Anchorage, has closed all of its malls across the nation until March 29.
“The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees is of paramount importance and we are taking this step to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” the company wrote.
8:40 am – 03/19/2020: The U.S. State Department will announce a Level Four travel advisory instructing all Americans abroad to return home or to shelter in place because of the global threat of the coronavirus. This is its most stringent warning. Just four days ago, the department raised the travel advisory to Level 3, with strong recommendations. Under Level Four, Americans will be strongly advised not to travel abroad.
8:40 am – 03/19/2020: The U.S. embassies in Mexico have suspended routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services starting March 18, 2020, and until further notice. The U.S. Embassy and consulates will continue to provide essential consular services to U.S. citizens in Mexico as well as emergency visa services. The closure will effect the seasonal labor supply for American farms and fisheries.
11:32 pm – 03/18/2020: Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau has instituted screening for patients and visitors for symptoms of COVID-19, along with travel history and possible exposure to the virus. Families, staff, and departments in the hospital are restricting access and enforcing visitor control policy, including:
For hospitalized patients:
Limit one visitor on the units at any time.
No visitors are allowed in the Hospital from 8 p.m. – 6 a.m. overnight, unless accompanying a newly admitted patient or a maternity patient.
No visitors under age 16.
Visitation rules may be more restricted on units and floors with patients who have reduced immune systems or special populations.
Exceptions: End of life” situations, minor patients (≤18 years old) may have two visitors but this is limited to only parents or guardians, and individuals with significant physical disabilities are limited to one support person in addition to a visitor.
11:25 pm – 03/18/2020: Homer Mayor Ken Castner declared an official emergency in response to COVID-19 in Alaska and in support of COVID-9 prevention measures being implemented throughout the Borough and the State. The declaration will be effective for seven days, and then may extend if the City Council ratifies it at its meeting on March 23. The declaration creates a unified command structure with local responder agencies and South Peninsula Hospital.
4 pm – 03/18/2020: The known positive cases in Alaska increased by three on Wednesday, increasing it the total to nine. Two of the new cases are in Anchorage, one is in the Seward area. All three are travel related, with one coming from Europe, and the other two from the Lower 48.
3:30 pm – 03/18/2020: The first member of Congress to test positive for the coronavirus is Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican who represents southwestern Miami-Dade County.
2 pm – 03/18/2020:Alyeska Resort has closed the ski area for the remainder of the season. closing its ski area for the remainder of the winter season. “As of today, March 18, 2020, all Alyeska Resort mountain operations, including lifts, aerial tramway, rentals, Mountain Learning Center and restaurants will be closed. Our decision to close the resort was not easily made but we feel these measures are necessary out of concern for the health and safety of our community, guests, employees, and the surrounding communities of Southcentral Alaska,” the management wrote on Facebook.
2 pm – 03/18/2020: Canada and the United States have restricted non-essential travel across the border. Both countries say supply chains will not be impacted, but travelers going north and south for recreational or tourism purposes will be turned back. key supplies will still flow between the two nations. President Donald Trump posted a note on Twitter this morning.
12 pm – 03/18/2020: The U.S. Census has suspended field operations for at least two weeks. The Census Bureau is asking everyone to respond online at 2020Census.gov. Door-knockers will not be utilized for now. The Census will continue to accept online, phone and mail responses.
9 am – 03/18/2020:Pikka, the oil prospect hope for the Alaska economy, has been deferred by Oil Search until prices improve. Oil is in the low 20s today.
8:45 am – 03/18/2020:Seattle area is running out of masks, leading volunteers to start making them by hand for hospitals.
A group of volunteers at Providence St. Joseph Health on Tuesday started sewing surgical masks and constructing face shields with marine-grade vinyl, strips of foam, elastic bands, and double-stick tape.
8 am – 03/18/2020: Blood Bank of Alaska is low on O negative and O positive blood donors and need continual blood donations of all blood types in order to meet the need for blood in Anchorage and throughout Alaska. To meet current blood needs, 700 donations are needed in the coming weeks.
The Blood Bank of Alaska is taking donations by appointment only in order to ensure the safety of donors and staff. To donate call 907-222-5630 or visit www.bloodbankofalaska.org to make an appointment
9:25 pm – 03/17/2020: Amazon has suspended receiving nonessentials such as TVs and toys in its warehouses so it can focus on stocking household staples and medical supplies. The crush of orders forced the decision as Americans are avoiding stores and placing orders online for everyday goods.
8:25 pm – 03/17/2020: A Canadian government official told The Seattle Times on Tuesday that Canada and the US are working on announcing a mutual ban on non-essential travel between the two countries.
8:25 pm – 03/17/2020: Hospital systems in Seattle are reporting two dozen hospital workers have been infected with the coronavirus, putting a strain on the medical infrastructure at the heart of the outbreak in the U.S.
7:20 pm – 03/17/2020: The State of Alaska is closing all bars and restaurants statewide on Wednesday at 5 pm, except for take-out food or deliveries, as well as other closing facilities, such as bowling alleys, by order of the chief medical officer.
The Department of Health and Social Services is also suspending all long-term services and supports that occur in “congregate settings,” including senior centers, adult day services, and any site-based day habilitation or supported employment activities where individuals gather together.
5:40 pm – 03/17/2020: The Port of Alaska remains open and the shippers are on a normal shipping schedule. COVID-19 has not disrupted the arrival of goods to Alaska, according to a news release from the Municipality.
“Food and supplies are at normal levels in Anchorage, and demand is currently high, creating empty store shelves. More goods are on the way, however delays of about one week in restocking shelves may happen due to the time it will take from time of order to stocking shelves in Anchorage and Alaska. The Municipality encourages residents to be patient as store shelves are restocked.”
5:20 pm – 03/17/2020: The State Department of Health and Social Services has issued guidelines for parents whose children attend day care centers:
The department, per CDC recommendation, is advising that child care facilities stay open if they safely can do so. Health officials do not want children to be cared for by elders, because people aged greater than 60 years are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Employers are encouraged to talk to their workforce. We also know that children, while they may carry the disease, get sick from COVID-19 much less frequently than adults.
The guidance for child care centers is thus:
Follow aggressive measures to screen children for respiratory infection and do not allow any ill child into a child care center.
No child who has been outside of Alaska in the last 14 days should be allowed in a child care center.
No one who has a fever or respiratory symptoms should be allowed to work in a child care center.
Keep numbers below 10 for group settings.
Cohort kids, keeping the same group of kids together.
Adhere to social distancing (at least six feet) to limit mixing.
Spend time in well-ventilated spaces as much as possible.
Practice frequent and rigorous environmental cleaning.
No one over the age of 60 or with underlying medical conditions should be working in child care centers.
Families should consider alternative child care opportunities, if possible.
5 pm – 03/17/2020: A mobile testing station has been set up by Providence in a parking lot on Lake Otis Blvd., right next to Bernie’s Pharmacy:
Mobile testing began on Tuesday, next to Bernie’s Pharmacy, in an adjacent parking lot on Lake Otis Blvd.
3:30 pm – 03/17/2020: Johns Hopkins University says that over 100 people in the United States have died from the coronavirus in less than one month since the community spread of the virus was first reported on Feb. 26. There are now over 5,894 confirmed cases and 105 deaths, and 200,000 cases globally.
3 pm- 03/17/2020: The Alaska Democratic Party has closed its headquarters on Fairbanks Street in Anchorage. The five employees of the party are working remotely. The Alaska Republican Party, which only staffs its offices part time, could not be reached for comment.
The City and Borough of Juneau has declared an emergency, allowing it to draw in more help from the state and federal government for health and safety measures, and purchase needed emergency supplies. The resolution of Monday night will assist local business as they apply for federal loans and assistance.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly held a special emergency meeting on Tuesday. Among agenda items was sending a letter to Alaska’s congressional delegation, urging suspension of the Jones Act. The assembly will also discuss emergency measures and the lifting of cumbersome borough code during the emergency.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is ending the reign of Mark Springer, chairman of the Marijuana Control Board. Springer’s term ends on March 1.
While showing Springer the door, the governor reappointed Christopher Jaime, a State Trooper from Soldotna. And he added Casey Dschaak of Dillingham to the rural seat that is held by Springer for a few more weeks.
Springer, of Bethel, is a vocal opponent of the governor’s overall agenda and, critics say he loathes Dunleavy’s very existence.
In addition to signing the recall petition, he has used his time during board meetings to express his hostility toward the Administration and brags about the Recall Dunleavy sticker on his coffee mug.
Springer has been at odds with his fellow board members as well as the governor. When the matter of whether to retain former alcohol and marijuana agency director Erika McConnell came up, Springer, as chairman, refused to put it on the agenda until he was forced to by other board members.
McConnell had already been “fired” by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, to whom she also reported, but it took a vote of the Marijuana Control Board to remove her. Springer voted against her removal, but she was fired anyway by a majority of the board, with only one other vote, from board member Loren Jones, favoring McConnell’s retention.
Dschaak, the incoming member of the board, he served in the U.S. Army and works in the field of logistics in Dillingham.
The Marijuana Control Board meets next week in Juneau and will select a new chair from the members.
Readers will notice that Must Read Alaska took on a new look over the weekend. It went from a blog to a sleek news site.
Like anything, it will take some getting used to, especially on the production side of things, but will allow this one-woman news operation to have a more rapid response to events of the day.
I’ll continue to refine the categories over the coming weeks, and while I work at it night and day, want to extend my thanks to everyone who has donated to the cause of giving an alternative view of what is presented in the mainstream media.
Feel free to join in the fun and send a donation to:
Must Read Alaska
3201 C Street Suite 308
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
This article was originally published in the author’s personal Substack on June 1, 2026.
It’s late May 2026, and you’re a thirty-something Alaskan. Maybe you’ve got kids in Mat-Su schools, a job that actually depends on real energy costs staying sane, a deep love for this state that’s never stopped believing we can develop our resources without selling our kids’ future to the highest corporate bidder.
You’re scrolling through your favorite social media or the news after a long day, and all these fake and uninformed Americans hammering the same drum again.
Urgent. Thirty days. Closing window.
Generational opportunity. Pass the bill or lose the pipeline.
Arctic energy conference the Same stage, Same energy conference where, just one year earlier, Glenfarne’s own developer stood up and told the room the project looked economically attractive without any government handouts.
This year? Same stage, different tune not financeable without the tax abatement. And oh, by the way, they’re still not telling us the total construction cost.
That’s not urgency.
That’s a pressure play.
And today, in a Senate Finance Committee hearing that your tax dollars paid for, the project’s own adviser dropped the mask on the public record.
I want to be clear about something before we go further. This isn’t a pipeline hit piece. I want this thing built. I want the construction jobs. I want North Slope gas flowing so our lights stay on and our homes stay warm without us begging for imports.
But right now, this deal is shaping up to be bad if we build it the wrong way and just as bad if we don’t build it at all.
The only path that actually works is the one where the people who own the gas us, the residents who live here capture the real value.
Anything less turns Alaska into a resource colony a piece of geography that Glenfarne, federal tax-credit chasers, and Asian buyers strip for profit while our schools close and our sovereignty quietly disappears.
Let’s walk through exactly what the public record shows. Every number. Every name. Every testimony detail. Because the Governor’s thirty-day clock is explicitly designed to stop us from asking the hard questions and those questions are the whole ballgame.
The “Closing Window” Nobody Will Name
Governor, before anyone votes on anything, let’s start with the most basic question on the table: what window, exactly, is closing?
You have called this special session urgent because of a closing LNG market window. So put it in writing. Identify the specific market condition or contract deadline that requires this tax structure to be enacted within thirty days.
And while you’re at it, confirm whether the December 31, 2027 IRS construction deadline for Section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credits is a factor in the timeline your office and Glenfarne are actually working against.
Because here’s the thing.
One year ago at your own energy conference, Glenfarne said the project looked great with no tax breaks.
This year they reversed course entirely not financeable without them, and they still won’t disclose the full construction cost. That reversal happened on your stage.
It has never been explained. And now you’re telling the legislature telling us that it has to be done in thirty days or the window closes forever.
Which window? Name it.
If the real urgency is preserving two billion dollars a year in stacked federal tax credits rather than some LNG market window, that is a fundamentally different conversation.
And the public was never told about it.
What the Adviser Actually Said in the Room
On May 27, 2026, GaffneyCline Senior Director Nicholas Fulford sat before the Senate Finance Committee as the project’s own expert adviser.
He was there to make the case for SB 2001.
What he actually did was blow up the fiscal foundation of the entire bill on the record, under questioning, in real time.
He called the $35 billion cost figure “wishful thinking.” On $46 billion he offered only a hesitant “may be.”
He said natural gas itself “is not the driver” of the project’s value and “is not worth much.”
When pressed on what actually is worth something, he pointed to “secondary gases.”
When a senator asked him to name them, he didn’t. NGLs, for what it’s worth, can’t even go in the pipe.
So here’s what that means in practice every single fiscal note attached to SB 2001 every number the Department of Revenue used to tell the legislature what this deal is worth to Alaska is built on the Spring 2026 DOR model using $46.2 billion as the construction cost assumption.
The exact number Fulford just called wishful thinking. On the public record. In the hearing room.
Mr. Fulford on what specific cost basis did GaffneyCline determine that the $0.12 per mcf Alternative Volumetric Tax rate in this bill is appropriate for Alaska?
The Worley cost update hasn’t been completed or disclosed to the committee.
So when, exactly, will that estimate be available for independent legislative review before a permanent tax structure gets locked in?
A senator in that room responded to all of this by saying the legislature may need to ask for a concession. But concessions get negotiated before you lock in permanent terms with fiscal stability provisions that prevent future legislatures from ever revisiting the deal.
Once SB 2001 passes, Alaska’s leverage on the tax rate is gone forever. The urgency argument the thirty-day clock evaporated in real time inside that hearing room.
The $595 Million Carbon Capture Money Machine
Fulford’s own slides, Page 15, laid it out in clean numbers. Seven million metric tons of CO2 captured every year at the Gas Treatment Plant. Eighty-five dollars per ton under the federal 45Q carbon capture and sequestration tax credit. Run the math: that’s $595 million a year in federal tax credits flowing straight to the operator.
Now here’s what wasn’t in the slides.
Under HB 50, as amended by Senator Olson, Alaska collects $2.50 per ton in injection royalties on that same CO2 stream. Seven million tons.
Do the math again $17.5 million back to us. Less than three cents on the dollar for using Alaska’s geology, Alaska’s regulatory framework, and accepting Alaska’s long-term seismic liability underground. The 45Q credit runs twelve years once the facility is placed in service.
There is no revenue-sharing mechanism in SB 2001.
There is no statutory way for Alaska to touch any real slice of that $595 million annual windfall.
The state provides both the injection site and the legal framework, accepts the geological risk, and walks away with seventeen and a half million dollars while the operator banks nearly six hundred million.
What is the total projected 45Q credit value to Glenfarne and its partners over the full twelve-year credit period?
What is Alaska’s total projected royalty return over the same period?
Put those two numbers side by side. Put them on the record. Then explain to the people who own this gas why that ratio satisfies anyone’s definition of maximum benefit.
The Billion-Dollar Credit Nobody Mentioned
Now here’s where it gets wild. Because Fulford’s entire twenty-six-slide presentation didn’t mention hydrogen once.
Didn’t mention ammonia once. Didn’t mention Section 45V of the Internal Revenue Code at all, not in the section on economic benefits, not anywhere.
The Nikiski ammonia plant sitting on 130 acres with two anhydrous ammonia facilities and a cargo ship loading terminal? Invisible.
Completely absent from the “Other Sources of Economic Benefit” section of the project’s own adviser’s presentation to the Alaska Senate Finance Committee.
But the project record outside those slides tells the story clearly. Tokyo Gas letters of intent. Japanese institutional investors whose ESG rules demand carbon credentials. AGDC’s own hydrogen hub concept paper. Representative McCabe’s public statement that Japan won’t buy without CCUS.
That’s not environmentalism, that’s capital-market credentialing.
The Japanese buyers need a clean-energy label on the product to satisfy their institutional investors. The 45V credit is how you get it.
Here’s how the play works. At Nikiski, Steam Methane Reforming turns pipeline methane into hydrogen or ammonia for export. That process creates a separate CO2 stream. Capture it, inject it into Cook Inlet reservoirs, and the facility qualifies for up to $3.00 per kilogram of hydrogen under 45V. At 500,000 metric tons of hydrogen annually, that’s up to $1.5 billion a year in additional federal credits.
Those “secondary gases” Fulford wouldn’t name in the hearing room? That’s what he was talking about. The ones generating this second massive payout. The ones worth more than the gas itself.
Does Glenfarne’s project financial model include projected 45V credit revenue from hydrogen or ammonia production at Nikiski?
If so, what is the projected annual 45V credit value, and why was that figure not included in the section of the presentation titled “Other Sources of Economic Benefit”?
The question answers itself.
The Physics of “Clean” What the Label Actually Hides
Let’s talk about what the 45V “clean hydrogen” credential actually means, because this is where the whole environmental architecture of this deal gets shaky fast.
Steam Methane Reforming doesn’t eliminate carbon. It relocates it. The reaction splits methane into hydrogen and CO2. Without carbon capture, you’re looking at roughly twelve kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of hydrogen produced. Even at an optimistic ninety-five percent capture rate, about 6.6 kilograms remain.
And the capture equipment itself consumes fifteen to twenty-five percent of the facility’s gross output meaning you have to burn even more gas just to manage the CO2 the process creates.
To hit the full $3.00 per kilogram 45V credit tier, the IRA demands lifecycle emissions below 0.45 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of hydrogen.
Here’s the problem, upstream methane leakage eighty times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2 over a twenty-year window from 1970s- and 1980s-era North Slope infrastructure isn’t audited project-specifically.
The model just uses a 0.9% national average. The accounting boundary stops at the Nikiski gate. Combustion in Japan doesn’t count. The ESG credential gets manufactured here. The emissions happen over there.
Net result across the full lifecycle wellhead to power plant is almost certainly more greenhouse gas than simply burning the natural gas straight. Alaska accepts indefinite geological liability in two seismically active basins in exchange for federal credit programs whose climate benefit has not been independently verified at full lifecycle scale.
At what emissions intensity does GaffneyCline project a Nikiski hydrogen facility would qualify?
What annual credit value per kilogram corresponds to that tier?
Has any independent lifecycle assessment been conducted using project-specific upstream methane leakage rates from North Slope production infrastructure, rather than the IRS default national average of 0.9%?
If the answer is no, then Alaska is accepting permanent underground geological risk in exchange for a clean-energy label that hasn’t been stress-tested against the actual physics of this specific project.
That’s not a climate benefit.
That’s a checkbox.
The Real Deadline Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s the thing that should make every Alaskan sit up straight and re-read the Governor’s public statements very carefully.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, moved the 45V construction commencement deadline to December 31, 2027.
That’s nineteen months from right now. To meet it, the project has to satisfy either the Physical Work Test or the Five Percent Safe Harbor which at $46 billion means committing $2.3 billion in verifiable construction expenditure. After that, there’s a four-year continuity safe harbor.
The project’s own timeline targets first export gas in 2031. Without SB 2001, without fiscal stability, without the legal framework locked in now, Glenfarne can’t credibly start construction in time to hit the IRS deadline. The 45V credit up to $1.5 billion a year disappears.
The Governor has never mentioned this IRS deadline in any public statement about the bill. Not once.
Has Glenfarne or any affiliated entity taken steps to establish beginning of construction for purposes of Section 45V?
Does Glenfarne’s project development timeline require SB 2001 to be enacted within this special session in order to preserve the ability to satisfy the IRS Physical Work Test or Five Percent Safe Harbor before December 31, 2027?
Yes or no. Both parts. On the record.
If the answer to that second question is yes, if the real reason for the thirty-day special session clock is preserving eligibility for a federal credit program worth up to $1.5 billion annually that the public has never been told about, then we have been misled about the nature of this urgency from the beginning.
We’ve been told this is about an LNG market window.
It may actually be about an IRS filing deadline.
Those are completely different things, and the people who own the gas deserve to know which one is driving the bus.
Two Credits, One Project, One Pattern
Let’s stack it up, because this is the picture that the Governor’s framing actively works to prevent you from seeing all at once.
45Q on the North Slope CO2 stream from the Gas Treatment Plant: $595 million a year, twelve-year credit period, Alaska gets $17.5 million in royalties on the same stream.
45V on the Nikiski CO2 stream from Steam Methane Reforming at the ammonia plant: up to $1.5 billion a year in additional federal credits, never mentioned in the adviser’s presentation, no revenue-sharing mechanism exists.
Different molecules. Different injection sites. Combined annual federal credit value approaching $2 billion paid by American taxpayers while Alaska provides both injection sites, accepts both long-term geological liabilities in seismically active basins, and rewrites its school funding formula to make it all possible.
Does Glenfarne’s integrated project financial model include projected revenue from both 45Q credits on the North Slope CO2 stream and 45V credits on a Nikiski hydrogen facility CO2 stream simultaneously?
What is the combined projected annual federal credit value to the operator across both programs at full project capacity?
What is the corresponding total Alaska revenue from royalties, AVT, and any other mechanism over the same period?
Put those numbers on the table.
Side by side. Public record. Before the vote. Because if the combined credit value to the operator approaches $2 billion annually and the total Alaska take is a fraction of that with no mechanism to share in the upside, the constitutional question isn’t academic. It’s the whole deal.
How the Special Session Killed the Better Deal
This is the third time the legislature has tried to move a tax package for this project.
The first two rounds HB 381 and SB 280 in the regular 34th Legislature were actually being shaped into something with teeth.
Senate Resources, under Chair Giessel, built a framework with a volumetric tax rate at the LNG plant of $0.25 per mcf. It included legislative approval requirements for major ownership changes. Investor disclosure. A $5 per mcf in-state gas price cap to protect Alaska utilities.
A ban on passing construction cost overruns to ratepayers.
SB 2001 drops the LNG plant rate to $0.12 per mcf. Less than half. Every single protective provision from the Senate Resources framework, gone.
The ownership change approval, the investor disclosure, the utility price caps, the overrun prohibition all of it stripped out in the special session version.
What specific analysis supports reducing the rate by more than half from the Senate Resources framework?
Which of the Senate Resources protective provisions will be restored as amendments before this bill passes?
Thirty days forecloses real committee work, forecloses public testimony, forecloses the kind of iterative process that produced those protections in the first place.
That compression wasn’t an accident. It was the design. You get a weaker deal with fewer safeguards when you can only run one lap around the track instead of three.
What the Numbers Actually Do to Alaska Revenue
The Department of Revenue’s Spring 2026 fiscal model projects that under current law, property tax revenue from this project would start at $25 million initially that’s 2029, when in-state operations begin and ramp to $244 million annually at full export capacity in 2033.
SB 2001 gives full property tax abatement during construction.
That’s five-plus years of zero. Then it switches to the Alternative Volumetric Tax, which DOR projects will return roughly a quarter of the 20-mill equivalent on infrastructure of this scale.
At full development the AVT breaks down like this: state gets $250 million, Anchorage $36 million, Fairbanks North Star $9 million, North Slope Borough $111 million, Kenai $134 million, Mat-Su $31 million, Denali $11 million, others $28 million.
The Gas Treatment Plant and carbon capture facility the engine of the $595 million annual 45Q credit return only $90 million combined to the state and North Slope Borough.
Read that ratio again.
Three federal credit dollars to the operator for every one dollar of combined state-plus-borough AVT from the facility generating those credits.
The operator’s annual take on that single facility exceeds Alaska’s combined take by roughly six to one.
What is the estimated total property tax revenue foregone during the abatement period?
What is the net present value comparison between current law property tax collections and the AVT structure over the full twelve-year 45Q credit period?
If the NPV of foregone property tax revenue during abatement plus the structural discount of the AVT rate compared to current law wipes out most of the apparent benefit of this deal, Alaskans need to see that math before the vote. Not after.
Rewriting the School Funding Formula While Schools Are Literally Closing
Sections 1 and 2 of SB 2001 permanently exclude AVT-subject project property from the taxable property base that determines how much corridor communities have to contribute to local school funding.
The largest infrastructure project in Alaska history will not count toward the school contribution formula. AVT revenue itself doesn’t count as a local contribution either.
Legislative Legal Services flagged this on April 27, 2026, in a memo to Senate Resources. Potential equal-protection problem under the Alaska Constitution.
Districts with pipeline infrastructure become differently situated from other districts. The memo recommended a full fiscal-impact analysis by school district before any vote. That analysis has not been presented to the committee.
Has DEED or Legislative Finance completed the comprehensive fiscal impact analysis by school district that Legislative Legal Services recommended? If not, why is this committee voting on a permanent restructuring of the school funding formula before that analysis is complete? What is the projected net change in state education funding obligation resulting from the formula restructuring, and which districts gain and which bear additional burden?
Because here’s what’s happening in those districts right now, while we’re having this conversation.
The Anchorage School Board voted in February 2026 to close three elementary schools: Fire Lake, Lake Otis, Campbell STEM. Ninety million dollar deficit. Fairbanks closed three schools. Juneau merged its two high schools into one campus. Ketchikan voted unanimously in April to close two more elementaries to close an eight million dollar gap.
Mat-Su the borough that literally hosts the natural gas pipeline corridor, the borough that stands to get $31 million in AVT revenue under this bill, faces a $23 million budget hole that school closures won’t even fully close.
Statewide, Alaska enrollment is at its lowest point since 1998.
This is the moment we’ve chosen to permanently restructure the school funding formula. Under a thirty-day clock. While the project’s own adviser is calling the cost assumption “wishful thinking” on the public record.
The kids in Mat-Su schools right now kids whose parents want the pipeline built and the jobs to materialize are going to school in a borough that’s closing classrooms while a legislative special session reshapes how their education funding gets calculated, based on construction cost numbers the developer’s own expert won’t fully stand behind.
That’s not a policy trade-off. That’s a moral failure in slow motion.
The Constitutional Question That Doesn’t Have an Answer Yet
Article VIII, Section 2 of the Alaska Constitution is not ambiguous:
“The legislature shall provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural resources belonging to the State… for the maximum benefit of its people.”
GaffneyCline themselves put that provision on their March 18, 2026 Senate Resources presentation slide and compared it to other LNG-producing nations. They cited it as the governing standard. Then their adviser stood in front of the Senate Finance Committee and testified that natural gas “is not the driver” of the project’s value, that it “is not worth much,” and that unnamed secondary gases are where the value actually lives.
If the project’s primary economic engine is stacked federal tax credits under 45Q and 45V not LNG export revenue and if those credits are structured so that no meaningful revenue-sharing mechanism ties Alaska’s return to the operator’s credit receipts then the constitutional question isn’t a legal technicality.
It’s the central issue.
On what basis does the administration conclude that the AVT rates in SB 2001, which contain no revenue-sharing mechanism tied to federal credit receipts, satisfy the constitutional maximum benefit standard given that the project’s own adviser has testified that natural gas is not the economic driver and that secondary gases carry the primary value?
The words “maximum benefit” don’t mean “some benefit.” They don’t mean “the deal we could get in thirty days.”
They mean the best we can actually do for the people who own the resource.
And right now, the best deal on the table gives a private operator approaching $2 billion a year in federal credits with no mechanism for Alaska to share in that upside, while Alaska provides the geology, the regulatory framework, the seismic liability, and a rewritten school funding formula to make it all work.
That is not maximum benefit. That is resource colonialism with an Alaskan flag on it.
The Environmental Claim That Doesn’t Survive the Full Lifecycle
Both credit programs rest on environmental claims that collapse when you trace the full lifecycle.
The 45Q credit is justified as a climate benefit from carbon sequestration you’re re-injecting underground what the gas processing brought up. But the combustion CO2 from the methane that travels the fourteen-hundred miles of pipe to Nikiski and then gets shipped to Japan and burned? That’s outside the accounting boundary. It doesn’t count.
The 45V credit is justified as clean hydrogen production. But the accounting boundary stops at the Nikiski gate. The shipping emissions don’t count. The combustion at the destination power plant in Japan doesn’t count.
Net across the full wellhead-to-power-plant lifecycle accounting for upstream methane leakage from aging North Slope infrastructure, the energy cost of the capture equipment itself, and end-use combustion in Japan the greenhouse gas footprint of this project is almost certainly substantially worse than simply burning the natural gas directly.
Alaska accepts indefinite geological liability in two seismically active basins. The operator captures nearly $2 billion a year in federal clean-energy credits. The credits exist because Japanese institutional investors need an ESG label to satisfy their fund rules. The climate benefit, on a full lifecycle accounting, is largely fictional.
Has the administration commissioned or received any independent lifecycle emissions analysis of this project from North Slope wellhead through LNG or ammonia combustion at destination accounting for upstream methane leakage at project-specific rates and combustion emissions at the point of use?
If not, on what environmental basis does the state justify accepting permanent geological liability in two seismically active basins in exchange for federal credit programs whose climate benefit has not been independently verified at full lifecycle scale?
If the answer is no, then Alaska is writing a geological blank check for a program whose environmental rationale has never been stress-tested.
That’s not stewardship. That’s liability
What Alaska Is Owed Before Any Vote
Before this committee votes before the session closes the public record needs four commitments made explicit.
Will the administration require Glenfarne to disclose, in writing, for the public record: the combined projected value of 45Q and 45V federal tax credits over the full credit period; the project-specific lifecycle emissions intensity of any planned hydrogen production at Nikiski; the current Worley capital cost estimate; and the specific IRS construction commencement steps Glenfarne plans to take and on what timeline, all of this before the permanent tax structure in this bill takes effect?
Yes or no. On the record.
Because right now, here’s what we know from the public record versus what we’ve been told.
We’ve been told there’s a market window closing in thirty days. The public record shows a potential IRS construction deadline for a $1.5 billion annual credit program that’s never been mentioned publicly.
We’ve been told $35 -$46-$78 billion is the project cost. The project’s own adviser called that wishful thinking.
We’ve been told the gas is the value. The project’s own adviser said gas isn’t the driver.
We’ve been told this is about LNG jobs and energy security. The economic architecture, as built, sends the primary upside stacked federal credits approaching $2 billion a year to the operator and foreign buyers while Alaska collects royalties worth less than three cents on the dollar and rewrites the school funding formula in the process.
The people who own the gas deserve better than this. Not “better” in the abstract better in the specific, documented, on-the-record way that the Alaska Constitution requires.
What You Can Actually Do Right Now
The committee record is still open.
Go to akleg.gov. Find your senator and representative. Every member has a public email address.
The questions in this piece every one of them are drawn directly from the public record, from Fulford’s testimony, from the DOR fiscal model, from the Legislative Legal Services memo, from the IRS statute.
They are not hostile.
They are not anti-development.
They are the bare minimum that any legislature working for the people who own the resources should have on the record before locking in permanent terms.
Copy them. Paste them into an email. Subject line: SB 2001 – Questions for the Record. Send it before the session ends. You don’t need to be a lawyer or an energy economist. You need to decide whether your legislators should have these answers before they vote.
Alaska First Means Getting This Right
We don’t have to choose between development and sovereignty. We never did.
Build it the wrong way…. With rushed tax breaks, no in-state supply commitments at fair prices, an AVT structure that captures a fraction of the value while the operator banks $2 billion a year in federal credits, equity dilution risks on our 25% stake, school funding formulas rewritten while classrooms empty — and we become the resource colony.
Jobs on paper. Sovereignty eroded. Ratepayers subsidizing Asia while future generations inherit the geological liability and the fiscal hole.
Don’t build it at all, and we miss the construction jobs, the revenue, the energy security, the domestic supply that keeps the lights on in the dark of January.
That failure is real too.
But the crossroads we’re standing at right now late May 2026, thirty-day clock, the project’s own adviser calling the cost number wishful thinking, the IRS 45V deadline ticking nineteen months away while nobody in the Governor’s office mentions it publicly, schools closing from Mat-Su to Ketchikan, this is exactly the moment where getting it right is still possible.
Not easy. Not inevitable. But possible.
The Constitution says maximum benefit for the people. Not maximum benefit for Glenfarne. Not maximum benefit for Tokyo Gas. Not maximum benefit for whoever ends up holding the 45V credits when the ammonia ships clear Cook Inlet.
Maximum benefit for the Alaskans who own the gas, who live on top of the geology, who send their kids to the schools that are closing while this deal gets rushed through a thirty-day session on assumptions the developer’s own guy won’t stand behind.
Alaska first doesn’t mean build anything at any cost. It means build it right, so the people who actually own this resource finally get the maximum benefit the Constitution has always promised them.
Every other version of this story is lose-lose. We’ve seen enough of those.
The following is a reprint of a press release provided by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development on 6/1/2026.
Alaska’s minimum wage will increase to $14.00 per hour on July 1, 2026. In November 2024, Alaska Statute 23.10.065 was amended through the passage of Ballot Measure 1 to include this increase. The minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour on July 1, 2027. Starting Jan. 1, 2028, the minimum wage will return to annual adjustments for inflation.
The Alaska minimum wage applies to all hours worked in a pay period regardless of how the employee is paid, whether by time, piece, commission, or another agreement. The minimum compensation an employee must receive per pay period is all hours worked in the pay period multiplied by the Alaska minimum wage. Any claimed exemptions to the minimum wage must be clearly and specifically named in Alaska law.
Salaried employees who are exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements under Alaska Statute 23.10.055(b) as bona fide executive, administrative, or professional employees must earn a salary equivalent to twice the minimum wage for the first 40 hours worked. Accordingly, effective July 1, 2026, the minimum salary for these employees will increase from $1,040 per week to $1,120 per week.
Dr. Michael Hanifen served more than eight years in the United States Air Force, earned the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt), and served as an NCOIC (non-commissioned officer-in-charge), including two deployments to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch.
I joined the United States Air Force at 18 years old for the educational opportunity. The military gave me a path forward, allowing me to use tuition assistance to earn two degrees while serving, and later the GI Bill to complete my Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
What I thought would simply help me build a career ended up shaping who I became as a man.
Military service was part of my family long before it became part of mine. My father served in the United States Navy as a Gunner’s Mate during the Vietnam War, and my great-grandfather, Sgt. Daniel Clyde Hanifen, served in the Army during World War I. Looking back, I realize duty, sacrifice, and service to country were woven into my family long before I ever put on the uniform.
I served for more than eight years in the Air Force in military transportation and logistics operations. Many people misunderstand those careers. They picture paperwork and cargo movement. What they do not see is the responsibility, coordination, and pressure required to support missions tied directly to national security and the lives of other service members.
Military service taught me something much of civilian life has forgotten: serving your country is an honor. Duty is more than a definition. It is pride in contributing to something larger than yourself.
During my Air Force service, I deployed twice to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch and later served in South Korea. During those deployments, I earned the Kuwait Liberation Medal, but more importantly, the experience permanently changed my understanding of freedom, sacrifice, and America’s role in protecting both.
Saudi Arabia especially changed my perspective on freedom. Riyadh was modern and impressive in many ways, rising from the middle of the desert, but the cultural differences were impossible to ignore. I witnessed a public execution there for murder, and it permanently changed how I viewed America and the freedoms many Americans take for granted.
Serving near South Korea also reinforced how fragile peace can be. Knowing North Korea sat just beyond the border reminded me that freedom is never guaranteed unless people are willing to protect it.
One of the proudest moments of my military career was earning the rank of Staff Sergeant. Becoming a noncommissioned officer meant more than a promotion. It meant responsibility. People were watching how I led, how I treated others, and how I handled pressure.
Ironically, I learned as much from poor leaders as I did from good ones. Some leaders believed rank alone earned respect. The best leaders understood that respect is earned by how you treat people. The leaders I admired stood up for their troops, communicated clearly, and helped younger airmen grow instead of holding them back.
As an NCOIC, I tried to lead with what I would call a servant’s heart. I wanted to know the strengths and weaknesses of the people under me. I wanted to challenge them to improve while also supporting them when they struggled. Leadership is not bullying people into submission. Leadership is helping people become more than they thought they could become.
The military also shaped my understanding of masculinity, sacrifice, and responsibility. I learned that being a man is not about ego or control. It is about honesty, discipline, protecting your family, setting boundaries, and taking responsibility for the next generation.
Today, I worry many young men are growing up in a culture built around comfort, instant gratification, and online validation. Social media has created a generation constantly chasing approval from strangers instead of building character through adversity and hard work.
Adversity builds things comfort never can: discipline, resilience, perspective, and honor.
Sacrifice means giving up comfort for growth. Military service taught me that nothing meaningful is built without sacrifice.
That lesson applies outside the military as well. Service is not limited to wearing a uniform. Service means helping your community, supporting your family, mentoring others, and contributing to something bigger than yourself.
What I miss most about the military is the camaraderie. There is something powerful about standing beside people who willingly chose service over comfort. The friendships, accountability, shared mission, and brotherhood are difficult to explain unless you have lived it yourself.
Wearing the uniform meant something deeply personal to me. I knew I was choosing to serve my country in a way many people never will. I would serve again in a heartbeat.
Military service did not make me hate America. It made me love it more because I saw firsthand how different much of the world truly is.
If I could say one thing to Americans between 18 and 25 years old, it would be this:
Become someone worthy of respect. Pursue discipline. Embrace hardship instead of avoiding it. Have pride in your country, even while recognizing it is imperfect. Freedom survives only when people are willing to sacrifice for it.
Dr. Michael Hanifen is the Owner and President of North Star Chiropractic Wellness Center, LLC and Allure Body Contouring, LLC.
About “Service to My Country” Series
Must Read Alaska is seeking Alaskan veterans and active-duty service members who are willing to share their story with us and our readers in a new series called “Service to My Country.” We will be publishing submissions in the order they are received, every Monday at 9am. We hope to keep this going all the way to Veterans Day!
A recent op-ed by Army veteran Paul A. Bauer inspired this series. Bauer writes: “The problem is not gratitude itself. The problem is shallow gratitude. Many veterans do not need strangers to perform respect with a slogan. They often prefer real curiosity, human recognition, and informed conversation.”
We invite veterans and active-duty service members to send us articles sharing your story. You can use the questions below as inspiration. You do not have to respond to all the questions, and you are not limited to them. Please include the branch you served in and how many years you served.
Guiding Questions
What did/ do you do in the military? How long did you serve? Did anyone else in your family serve? Why did you choose the service branch that you did? What was the greatest challenge you faced during your service and how did you overcome it? What was the most significant lesson you learned during your service? If you could say one thing to young Americans aged 18-25, what would you say?
Requirements
Please follow these requirements for your submission:
Word limit: 1,000 words
Must be written in first person
Must be published with original author’s legal name (no pennames/ ghostwriting)
No foul language
All direct quotes and data points must be cited (a link to source is sufficient)
“The difference in believing in God and obeying God”, will be a constant theme in our daily lives, as I pointed out in a previous article.
What does it mean to truly walk by faith? Let us look back at the words Jesus spoke to Thomas, post-resurrection in the upper room. “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” (John 20:7)
This was not for Thomas’ ears alone, or for those gathered in the upper room, it was for all those who would soon be listening to the Apostles as they would tell the stories and repeat the parables of the Savior who left His heavenly realm to become one with His creation, to free us from slavery and sin, so that we could be with Him for all eternity.
How many times have we been like Thomas, needing to “see” before we would believe. From the smallest of things to something as great as believing that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
I am as guilty as the next guy. I would literally pull up to McDonald’s, scan the menu for the Big Mac, just to make sure they still had it because too often, seeing is believing. It sounds silly, but it is true. Such a small thing but still plays a part in our doubting that something can be without being seen. It shapes us in how we trust and how we look at our faith.
There are many times in our lives when we feel abandoned by God, especially when some kind of tragedy strikes. We tend not to “see” God working in those moments. We start to question His motives:
“Why is He punishing me?” “Has God left me in order that I should suffer?” “Did God forget that He promised to never leave me orphaned?”
Or we question whether God even exists.
What about the opposite, when the good happens in our life? Do we stop to thank God for His blessings? Do we acknowledge His Lordship over our life?
If God did not fulfill any one of His promises, He would not be God. He does not have the capacity to lie or deceive. He is all Truth.
It is in our lack of faith and understanding that we question Him.
He wants us to know that he is the Great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega.
Look at Saul, who became the Apostle Paul. He believed he was doing God’s will by persecuting Christians. Therefore, God, in His infinite wisdom, to bring him around to the real truth, took his physical sight from him, in order to help him truly see.
So…, where do we go from here as we walk this path? Psalm 119:105 states, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
To walk by faith means to live your life as a Christian pilgrim. Trusting in the promises God has made, even if we will not see their fulfillment.
As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, “faith deals with real things that are not yet made visible. We pass through this life of faith because faith deals with things not yet seen. Faith is that lamp that lights our way, guides our step, not enough to replace the final vision.”
We have been given the incredible gift of Free Will. A gift that allows us to choose God’s will, every single day, no matter our state in life or the circumstances we might find ourselves.
Faith is knowing that God is with us always. Believing without seeing means: in this life you trust God’s revelation and follow Christ without the direct vision of God’s essence.
We are children of the Light, not of darkness.
It is by faith that we draw closer to God. It is believing without seeing that we shall come to our eternal reward, the Beatific vision. And all things unknown, will be made known, for the greater Glory of God.
Let us be the ones Jesus spoke of when he said, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”
One of my favorite scripture verses is from the Book of Revelation: 22:4-5, “They shall see the Lord face to face and bear His name on their foreheads. The night shall be no more; they will need no light from lamps or the sun, for the Lord God shall be their light, and they shall reign forever.”
It is filled with Hope, Joy and a promise: if we truly believe, if we keep the faith, obeying His Commandments, we shall attain that blessed abode Jesus spoke of.
“Faith is to believe in what you do not see; the reward of faith is to see what you believe,” said St. Augustine of Hippo.
Live your life worthy of HIS Sacrifice + God bless you + Deacon Dez
(And yes, sometimes I fall back and still scan to make sure the Big Mac is still there, then I stop and pray, “Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief.”)
Chugach Electric Association held its Board of Directors election today. Polling closed with the beginning of the Annual Membership Meeting at 4:00 p.m. Results were announced around 5:30 p.m.
Penny Gage and Rachel Morse were elected to the two open Director seats. Gage received 6,345 votes; Morse received 6,587 votes.
Two other candidates ran: Todd Lindley and Michael McManamon. Lindley received 3,234 votes and McManamon received 2,207 votes.
The election also included two ballot measures, one authorizing grammar updates to the Association’s bylaws and the other granting the Board of Directors the power to set the membership fee (which the current bylaws set at $5). Voters authorized the grammar updates (8,618 – 1,004). The measure to change the fee-setting power needed a 2/3rds vote to pass but failed with only a 59% “yes” vote.
Below is information on the newly elected Directors:
Penny Gage
Penny Gage is the Energy and Policy Executive at Launch Alaska, Fulbright Arctic Initiative. Her campaign site emphasizes her Alaskan roots, energy expertise, and willingness to serve. She promises to deliver gas security, energy diversification, consumer growth, and transparent governance.
I am running for the Chugach Electric Association Board of Directors to ensure reliable, affordable power for our members during a pivotal time for our region. As a member-owner, I believe Chugach Electric must remain financially strong and accountable to its members.
Born and raised in Alaska and of Tlingit heritage, I have lived in Anchorage for over 11 years and am raising two young children here with my husband. My career has focused on energy policy, infrastructure investment, and economic development. I have worked in state government, private investment, and nonprofit leadership roles evaluating capital projects and long-term risk. I currently work with utilities, policymakers, and investors to support infrastructure investments and responsibly integrate emerging technologies.
Chugach faces tightening natural gas supply, significant capital investment decisions, and heavy reliance on a single fuel. These realities require disciplined oversight, strong financial stewardship, and pragmatic long-term planning. If elected, I will focus on:
Advancing practical near-term gas supply strategies that prioritize reliability and manage costs
Protecting ratepayers through financial management and transparent governance
Reducing long-term risk through diversification and cost effective modernization
Reliable power affects every household and business. I would be honored to earn your vote.
Penny Gage’s endorsements include: The Alaska Center, IBEW 1547, and REAP; Alaska State Senators Bert Stedman, Cathy Giessel, and Forrest Dunbar; Alaska State Representatives Calvin Schrage, Zack Fields, and Carolyn Hall; former Alaska State Senator Lesil McGuire; former Alaska State Representatives Willie Hensley, Sam Kito III, Ivy Sponholz, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, and Jennie Armstrong; Anchorage Assembly Members Daniel Volland, Chris Constant, and Anna Brawley; as well as Isaac Vanderburg, Shaina Kilcoyne, Erin Whitney, Sydney Scout, Diane Kaplan, Michael Bourdukofsky, Larry Persily, Raina Thiele, Kate Consenstein, Rachel Pennington, Susan Anderson, Cordelia Kellie, Claire Pywell, Rachel Kallander, Jay Hermanson, Laile Fairbairn, Ben Kellie, Kirk Rose, Gretchen Fauske, Janis Fleischman, Lance Miller, Piper Foster Wilder, Veronica Slajer, Ian Laing, Jon Bittner, and Ross Johnston.
Rachel Morse
Rachel Morse has worked in Operational Management for the Alaska Municipal League. Running for re-election, her campaign focuses on her prior experience on the Chugach Electric Board. According to her Facebook site, she is committed to renewable energy, safety, reliability, affordability, and “working for a vibrant Alaska economy.”
In my past two terms, I have worked hard to help position Chugach Electric to meet the challenges of gas supply, renewable integration, and responsible rates.
The environment in which Chugach Electric provides reliable, affordable, and responsibly sourced power is evolving. Soon we will be beyond our long-term local gas supply contract, leaning into a Railbelt-wide Integrated Resource Plan, and continuing to balance infrastructure needs with load growth.As a current board member, I possess a strong combination of experience, commitment, and optimism for the important road ahead.
Recent initiatives I have supported include successful management of Beluga River gas field, gas storage and gas exchange agreements, southern transmission line rebuild work, and Alaska’s first community solar project. Thank you to our members for supporting me and through your engagement, helping me to represent your interests. I would be honored to have your vote for another term.
My priorities are:
Ensuring we meet natural gas supply needs
Grid Infrastructure Upgrades and Railbelt-wide planning
Continued responsible renewable energy integration
All of that while working hard to control costs, maintain reliability, and keep the lowest rates on the Railbelt.
Please beware of the website mat4governor.com, which is attempting to mislead Alaskan voters and spend malicious lies about Candidate for Governor Matt Heilala. On the website is a letter which has been falsely written in Heilala’s name that claims Heilala acted inappropriately in his podiatrist practice and during his campaign.
When Must Read Alaska searched “Matt Heilala for governor,” the fraudulent site was listed first in the search results with Heilala’s real campaign site not listed on the first page. These results may vary across different browsers and devices. Alaskans should be aware when searching for Matt Heilala’s campaign information that the fraudulent site may appear in their search results and the real site may not. Heilala’s real campaign site is matt4governor.com.
Upon further investigation, Must Read Alaska received this browser notification when on Heilala’s real campaign site:
The notification suggests that the fraudulent site is Heilala’s real site, which is incorrect. The search appearance and the browser notification indicate an aggressive attempt by the fraudulent site’s owner to disparage and discredit gubernatorial candidate Matt Heilala.
Must Read Alaska has alerted the Matt 4 Governor campaign of the fraudulent and malicious site.
Yesterday, May 28, Candidate for Chugach Electric Board of Directors Todd Lindley shared his thoughts on energy policy on two well-loved Alaskan podcasts: “I’m Glad You Said That” hosted by Jim Minnery, President of the Alaska Family Council, and “Talk of the Kenai” hosted by Bob Bird, former Chair of the Alaskan Independence Party.
On “I’m Glad You Said That,” Minnery and Lindley discussed the damaging left-wing ideology impeding energy affordability and reliability for Alaskans. “It should come as no surprise that left-leaning climate alarmists, hand-picked and funded primarily through the Alaska Center for the Environment (now known as just the Alaska Center to mask their identity) and Renewable Energy Alaska Project, dominate the Chugach Electric Board,” stated Minnery in the podcast description. “And when these Board members oppose sensible, affordable, predictable strategies to provide energy…you and I pay more. And our freedoms are impeded.”
Minnery continues: “Stewarding the resources on this planet is Biblical and is necessary. Playing into the hands of George Soros-loving billionaires flying around the world on private jets preaching to people about carbon-footprints is something else entirely… I was privileged to chat with Todd Lindley, a conservative, experienced mechanical engineer with years of work in the energy arena, about why it’s so important to have a variety of voices on this Board. Southcentral Alaskan rate payers should not be held hostage by a leftist mindset more concerned with woke environmental ideology than affordable, predictable energy to take care of our families.”
On Bob Bird’s “Talk of the Kenai,” Lindley was joined by Jim Duffield II, who recently won reelection to another term on the Homer Electric Association Board. The discussion focused on the Chugach Electric election, costs of renewables, pursuit of new hydro, and much more.
To hear the conversation, follow the link below and tune in to the beginning of Hour 1 for a great conversation about Alaska energy!
The Talk of the Kenai – Thursday Hour 1 SHAREMORE PODCASTSDESCRIPTION 29:42/54:59 Talk Of The Kenai » The Talk of the Kenai – Thursday Hour 1
Election Day is here! Check out all the candidates here:
The following is a reprint of a press release provided by HEX, LLC on May 28, 2026.
Alaska’s strategic asset and only locally owned natural gas producer and operator, HEX LLC (HEX), is unifying its operations under a single HEX brand. Furie Operating Alaska, LLC, the operating company of the Cook Inlet Kitchen Lights Unit, will become HEX Operating LLC. HEX Cook Inlet, LLC will become HEX Energy LLC. The rebranding reflects the company’s evolution and long-term strategic direction while creating a consistent identity across the HEX Family of Companies. HEX’s assets are a critical piece of U.S. energy infrastructure in Alaska, powering communities with natural gas produced by Alaskans, for Alaskans.
“We’re the all-Alaskan company that kept Alaskan Railbelt homes warm last winter,” states John Hendrix, President and CEO of HEX LLC. “Through disciplined investment and a long-term commitment to Alaska, we have doubled our natural gas production and invested over $40 million locally into Alaska’s economy. HEX is strengthening energy security, proving Cook Inlet has reliable natural gas supply, and ensuring Alaska’s energy future is built by Alaskans, for Alaskans. We only operate in Alaska and know Alaska is the best place to invest for our future.”
HEX Operating has demonstrated strong operational performance, operating the top two producing natural gas wells in Cook Inlet in 2025. Building on this success, the company plans to drill two additional wells in 2026, reinforcing its focus on disciplined growth and long-term supply for Alaska markets. HEX operates critical infrastructure in the Cook Inlet basin. According to U.S. Geological Survey, the Cook Inlet has 19 Trillion Cubic Feet (Tcf) of natural gas, which is about 244 years of consumption at today’s energy-use rates.1 The Cook Inlet basin has the critical energy infrastructure supplying the 100% of Railbelt natural gas demand.
While the company name and visual identity are evolving, HEX’s core commitments remain unchanged. Safety, operational excellence, teamwork, and community stewardship continue to guide all aspects of the business.
About HEX LLC
HEX LLC (HEX) is Alaska’s only 100% locally owned natural gas producer. HEX is a strategic asset, operating key critical infrastructure in Cook Inlet that supplies homes, businesses, and military installations with reliable, in-state energy. In 2025, HEX doubled its natural gas production from the Allegra Leigh offshore platform in Cook Inlet and is planning additional drilling in 2026 to continue expanding in-state energy production. HEX LLC is headquartered in Anchorage with an offshore platform in Cook Inlet and an onshore processing facility in Nikiski, Alaska. https://www.linkedin.com/company/hex-ak
“Blessed are the peacemakers.” Few verses are quoted more often, and even fewer are as poorly understood. In public discourse, peace is often treated as the mere absence of conflict, quiet streets, polite words, agreements signed. But biblical peace, the peace Jesus blesses, is something far more demanding. Peace is not the absence of conflict alone; it is the absence of conflict in the presence of justice. Without justice, “peace” is simply silence enforced by power, fear, or forgetfulness.
This distinction matters because peacemaking operates at different levels, and confusion between them leads to moral collapse.
At the personal level, peacemaking is an act of love. It involves forgiveness, patience, restraint, and reconciliation. This form of peace is largely non‑destructive because it deals with hearts rather than regimes. It is the daily work of refusing retaliation, of loving one’s neighbor and enemy alike. When Jesus commands us to turn the other cheek, he is speaking into this personal domain, calling individuals to reflect God’s mercy rather than mirror the world’s violence.
There is also an eternal dimension to peacemaking. This is the peace that surpasses understanding, the peace that remains steady even when life does not. It is rooted not in circumstances but in hope, hope oriented toward heaven and grounded in trust that God’s justice will ultimately prevail. This peace does not depend on the resolution of every conflict here and now. It allows the believer to endure storms without surrendering to despair or hatred.
But it is the third level, societal peacemaking, where confusion is most dangerous.
Societal peace is not forged by goodwill alone, nor is it sustained by paper promises. History relentlessly teaches that peace between nations rarely follows declarations or treaties made in isolation. More often, it comes after violence has already exposed the true nature of injustice and forced one side to surrender its ability to continue harm. This is not a celebration of war; it is a sober recognition of human reality.
Jesus himself acknowledged this tension. He did not come to make peace with wrongdoing at the societal level. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth,” he said. “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” This was not a call to violence, but a warning: truth divides. Justice disrupts false harmony. Societies built on violent oppression do not peacefully reform themselves because another country asks nicely.
Recent history offers painful clarity. In Iran, the mass killing of an estimated 30,000 innocent citizens sent an unmistakable message to those who believed peace could be secured through dialogue alone. Appeals made with pens were answered with executions. Whatever language one uses, whether massacre, atrocity, or crime against humanity, the conclusion is difficult to avoid: there was no peace to be had through treaties or words unbacked by accountability. Peace could only follow surrender, either surrender by oppressors, or surrender of the illusion that goodwill alone would restrain them.
This reality exposes a dangerous temptation among those who condemn all war without distinction. When we deny that words with dictators fail, we deny the human condition, the breadth of biblical history, and the modern reality of dictatorships. Scripture is unsparing in this regard. The Old Testament does not pretend that injustice dissolves when confronted with good intentions. The New Testament does not suggest that proclaiming peace absolves us from addressing suffering.
A regime that sponsors terror and authorizes the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people cannot be “made peaceful” through declarations alone. To insist otherwise is not moral idealism; it is abdication. It is to stand before the oppressed and say, “I leave you in despair, violence, and death, but peace be with you.”
St. James warned precisely against this posture. To encounter the hungry and the naked and respond only with words, “Be warm and well fed; go in peace”, is not loving, and saying to the Iranian hoping for a regime change as they are massacred, “Be comforted, I wish peace for you” is not peacemaking. It is a betrayal disguised as virtue. Words that do not confront injustice comfort only the powerful.
To bless the peacemakers, then, is not to bless passivity or denial. It is to bless those who love fiercely at the personal level, who cling to hope at the eternal level, and who refuse to mistake quiet for justice at the societal level. True peace is costly, and Iran’s may cost more than America wants to pay. Still, true peace demands clarity, courage, and, at times, confrontation. Anything less may look peaceful, but it leaves the world exactly as it is.
We do not make peace with words. We make peace with strength, with weapons, and for the worst murders in the world, with war and surrender. Blessed are the Peace-Makers.
Glen Biegel is a technology security professional, Catholic father of nine, husband to a saint, and politically active conservative.
