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Trump and Kennedy Spotlight Tylenol-Autism Link, Push New Autism Research Agenda

Ben Carpenter
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Trump and Kennedy Spotlight Tylenol-Autism Link, Push New Autism Research Agenda

By BEN CARPENTER

President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a bombshell today from the White House. Mounting evidence suggests that acetaminophen (commonly sold as Tylenol) may be linked to higher rates of autism when used during pregnancy.

The announcement marks a sharp break from years of government silence on the issue. It also signals the administration’s willingness to challenge entrenched pharmaceutical interests that have long dismissed concerns raised by parents, clinicians, and independent researchers.

A Long-Ignored Signal

For years, studies have pointed to a troubling association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD. Research published in JAMA Psychiatry, Environmental Health Perspectives, and NIH-backed cohort analyses shows a dose-dependent relationship. The more acetaminophen exposure in utero, the higher the likelihood of a child later being diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Elite universities have echoed the warning. Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Mount Sinai researchers have published reviews urging caution and transparency. A 2025 Environmental Health study added biological evidence, finding that acetaminophen disrupts fetal brain development through oxidative stress pathways.

Until today, Washington largely ignored these signals.

Trump and Kennedy’s Agenda

The administration announced three immediate steps during a press conference Monday:

  1. Federal research funding to aggressively examine acetaminophen’s developmental impact.
  2. Expansion of Leucovorin trials, a folate-based therapy already showing promise for subsets of children with autism.
  3. Updated clinical guidance for physicians and expectant mothers weighing the risks of Tylenol use during pregnancy.

Trump framed the move as a commitment to transparency and families. “Parents deserve the truth, not cover-ups. We will not let Big Pharma silence science when children’s futures are at stake.”

Kennedy, a longtime critic of regulatory capture at the FDA and NIH, was blunter. “For too long, the medical establishment has treated concerned parents like conspiracy theorists. Today we begin setting the record straight.”

Breaking the Consensus

Acetaminophen is taken by an estimated 65% of pregnant women. If federal research confirms these risks, public health could face its biggest reevaluation since the government admitted the dangers of tobacco.

Critics may call this political theater. They point to the uncertainty that still surrounds causation. But the administration’s move shifts the burden of proof. Instead of parents defending their instincts, the pharmaceutical industry must explain why red flags were ignored.

The Trump-Kennedy alliance on autism policy represents something larger. It challenges the bipartisan consensus that has long allowed corporate medicine to dictate the debate. With autism rates climbing as high as one in thirty-one children and trust in public health institutions collapsing, today’s announcement may resonate far beyond Tylenol.

Why It Matters

  • For Families: Expectant mothers now face new questions about what was once considered the safest pain reliever on the shelf.
  • For Medicine: Federal dollars are being redirected toward independent autism research, not just industry-friendly studies.
  • For Politics: Trump and Kennedy are rebranding the GOP as the party willing to confront Big Pharma’s taboos. That message is likely to energize parents who feel abandoned by the medical establishment.

This announcement is not just about Tylenol. It is about who Americans trust to tell them the truth about their health, and who has been hiding it.

Ben Carpenter is a former Alaska state legislator, combat veteran, small business owner, and host of the Must Read Alaska Show.

UAA Turning Point USA Chapter to Hold Vigil for Charlie Kirk

Brenda Josephson
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7
UAA Turning Point USA Chapter to Hold Vigil for Charlie Kirk

By BRENDA JOSEPHSON

The University of Alaska Anchorage chapter of Turning Point USA will host a public memorial vigil in honor of Charlie Kirk.

This event is scheduled for Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in The Den at the UAA Student Union on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. Everyone is welcome to join the gathering to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk and celebrate his life and legacy.

Glen Biegel: Charlie Kirk Assassinated – A Review of How Things Have Gone Wrong with Debate in America

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Glen Biegel: Charlie Kirk Assassinated – A Review of How Things Have Gone Wrong with Debate in America

By GLEN BIEGEL

How does society train young men to be safe?  How do young men channel their energies to do good and avoid violence?  The answer is oddly found in the formerly agreed-upon rules of decorum, which value societal humility, and is easily seen throughout the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

Comment from the Daily Wire: My daughter was at a restaurant when the news about Charlie came on the tv screens. She was absolutely appalled when the two female bartenders clapped in response. Yes, there are monsters in this world and those two are examples. 

Comment from my Facebook post: Also RIP to Minnesota House representative who were gunned down in their home 12 weeks ago. 

Reporting from Newsmax: Ammunition found in the rifle believed to have been used in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was reportedly engraved with slogans linked to transgender and antifascist ideology. 

Reporting form Powerline Blog contributing attorney: Rutgers found that only 45% of those who described themselves as liberal (including those who said they were “slightly liberal”) think that assassinating President Trump would be “not at all justified.” A majority saw some justification, and an appalling 13% said that killing Trump would be “completely justified.” No wonder that two people, so far, have tried to do it. 

It is not surprising that violence results as a significant fraction of our nation becomes unmoored from rules of decorum and trained for a generation to dehumanize their opponents.  The reality is that our public discourse is now so coarse that dehumanizing your opponent is often the very first response regarding anyone who disagrees with a person on the left.  The movements we elevate in schools include any number of false and dangerous us-vs-them propositions: Transgenderism, Anti-Racism, Anti-Fascism, Gender ideology, Anti-Colonialism, religious hostility, and economic Marxism.  In each case, the leftist mantra is the same: 

Those with whom we disagree treat others inhumanely.  Historical, religious, and societal norms need to be abandoned, and opposing speech demonized. There is no possibility that we are misinformed.  We are justified. Those whom we stand against will not stop or reform—no safe spaces. Therefore, we can treat those with whom we disagree as less than humans.  Rules are made to be broken, violently when necessary. 

    The comments and excerpts from Powerline Blog, Newsmax, and Daily Wire above are easy to understand.  They are outcomes of a young man radicalized, justified, trained and set loose on society.  I want to highlight this comment on my Facebook post, where I remembered Charlie Kirk. 

    Also RIP to Minnesota House representative who were gunned down in their home 12 weeks ago. 

    The essence of this is a simple and powerful explanation of the first three principles above. 

    The poster confuses whether a political assassination by an adherent to a violent ideology, sadly held by millions of Americans, is equivalent to a madman who had a personal disagreement with people and a gun.  The societal norm here is that we expect human beings to be able to understand when things are similar or equivalent.  This fracture of being able to judge when something is similar shows the initial miseducation of the person who posted.  If a person can’t understand how Charlie Kirk’s assassination is different, then they can justify any conclusion on any subject.  They are primed to be radicalized.  After all, if you disagree that a 12-year-old can have their breasts removed against their parents’ wishes, you are deleting that person’s essence.  You are denying their very existence, right? 

    Not only is the person equating the disgustingly celebrated assassination of Charlie Kirk to the tragic killing of the Minnesota Representative logically flawed, but it also shows that there is no question of equivalency in the person’s mind.  You know that this person had made that duplicitous remark hundreds of times.  The poster was not confused about the violence of right and left; they were justified in invading our stunned reaction to a political assassination of a man beloved by tens of millions and resulting from a widespread, often violent, movement, not a lone madman who was universally condemned. 

    In the face of a grieving person, there are rules about attacking them, distracting them, and disrespecting their grief.  This is a normal human sensitivity.  Decent human beings understand that in their souls.  At least we used to.  No, the commenter on my Facebook is an adherent to the ‘no safe spaces’ movement.     

    The tragic results from removing the rules of decorum are what the excerpts above demonstrate so clearly.  

    A final caution to those who feel overwhelmed by the forces that created these increasingly violent movements.  Underlying all these is Satan, and he wishes for nothing more than for conservatives to lose sight of the humanity of our leftist brethren, as so many of them have lost sight of ours.  While we dismantle the movements that created the fertile field resulting in this horrific outcome, we should not fall into the very error that has overcome a significant fraction of our opponents, lest the devil win twice. 

    Glen Biegel is a technology security professional, Catholic father of nine, husband to a saint, and politically active conservative.

    National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk

    Brenda Josephson
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    National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk

    By BRENDA JOSEPHSON

    The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution designating October 14, 2025, as a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”

    The resolution honors the late conservative activist who co-founded Turning Point USA. The resolution, known as S. Res. 403, was introduced on September 18th and quickly approved the same day, unanimously by a voice vote. A similar resolution, H. Res. 727, has also been introduced in the House.

    The resolution praises Kirk for his work as a “champion of free speech, civic dialogue, and faith” and was introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) with co-sponsors including Sen. Dan Sullivan and 21 others.

    It highlights Kirk’s role in founding Turning Point USA, which has thousands of chapters that teaches high school and college students about freedom, free markets, and limited government. The resolution notes Kirk’s bestselling books and speeches that inspired millions of young people to get involved in civic life, especially by defending constitutional values on college campuses. It also states that Kirk died on September 10, 2025, from an assassin’s bullet, and his efforts cost him his life.

    US Senate Resolution 403Download

    The House resolution, introduced on September 16th by Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL), has been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In the House, the “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk” is cosponsored by Reps. Steube, Alford, Luna, Mills, Bilirakis, Moore, Salazar, Bean, Gimenez, Scott, Van Orden, and Collins. It mirrors the verbiage on the Senate resolution, acknowledging Kirk’s accomplishments and his assassination on September 10th.

    US House Resolution 727Download

    Both resolutions encourage schools, community groups, and people across the country to observe October 14th “with appropriate programs, activities, prayers, and ceremonies that promote civic engagement and the principles of faith, liberty, and democracy that Charlie Kirk championed.”

    The Senate resolution is complete, having been submitted and passed unanimously on the same day. It requires no further votes since it is just a Senate statement. The House resolution, still in committee, only needs House approval to pass, as these resolutions aren’t laws and don’t require concurrence or presidential action.

    Brenda Josephson is a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska. You can contact her via email at [email protected].

    Sullivan Champions Swift Action on Juneau’s Recurrent Glacial Flooding

    Brenda Josephson
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    26
    Sullivan Champions Swift Action on Juneau’s Recurrent Glacial Flooding

    By BRENDA JOSEPHSON

    Senator Dan Sullivan is working to address the glacial lake outburst floods caused by the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau by securing commitments from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

    During a recent Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Sullivan urged Lt. Gen. William Graham Jr., the chief of engineers, and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle to provide short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to address the flooding that has plagued the capital city for over a decade.


    Sullivan tied the Corps’ efforts to a broader policy shift, referencing President Trump’s Day One executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” The order directs the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to review and revise any actions hindering critical projects in Alaska. During Telle’s confirmation hearing, he memorably told Sullivan he had “tattooed” the order’s directive on his heart, a commitment Sullivan praised during the hearing.

    The senator emphasized the need for action. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but can I get your commitment…that we’re not just going to study this? The people of Juneau are having flooding every summer,” Sullivan asked. Graham indicated that a technical study, due in spring 2026, will provide the framework for a long-term solution, saying, “Senator Sullivan, this is what we’re built for—being able to take a complex situation and work with our state and local partners to put a project in place rapidly.”

    Telle reiterated this vow, stating, “I’ve committed to you, and General Graham has committed to me that we are going to be focused on a long-, medium-, and short-term solution to address this challenge.”

    On August 16, 2025, Sullivan accompanied Brigadier General Joseph Goetz and local officials on a helicopter tour of the flood zone, underlining the critical need for action in the aftermath of the record-breaking flood that year. USACE’s short-term solution was to install HESCO barriers, which are collapsible wire mesh containers lined with geotextile fabric, filled with sand or soil to create temporary flood protection. While the USACE’s temporary HESCO barriers along the Mendenhall River managed to reduce extensive damage compared to 2024, several neighborhoods remain susceptible and unprotected.

    The First Things First Alaska Foundation (FTFAK) has been at the forefront of community-led efforts to develop long-term solutions, advocating for a traditional earthen levee on Mendenhall Lake. This levee would have a passive outflow control mechanism to contain outburst floodwaters and prevent downstream surges. The proposed levee would allow the river to flow normally while restricting excess water, and it would be built to blend in with the surrounding natural terrain.

    The organization has made information available on its FTFAK website, including evaluations of flood hazards dating back to 2011 and critiques of temporary remedies such as HESCO barriers. These resources illustrate the importance of dependable, long-term infrastructure in protecting public and private assets in the Mendenhall Valley.

    Frank Bergstrom, president of the FTFAK Foundation, speaking on behalf of himself, commended the commitments while emphasizing the significance of execution. “This is good news. Heretofore, the USACE has pursued a projected ten-year planning process for a long-term solution to the Mendenhall outburst flood. Through the efforts of the Alaska Delegation, and Senator Sullivan in particular, new management at the USACE has now reexamined its planning timeline. While it appears planning may now be concluded by next spring, the outstanding question is when can we have that solution working in the field? Let us hope that happens in time to finally bring relief to Juneau residents.”

    Floods have created unending hardships for residents of View Drive in Mendenhall Valley, including Don Habeger. Habeger and his wife, Carol, have suffered major damage to their home for three years in a row—2023, 2024, and 2025—decimating their property’s value and forcing them to face a difficult decision: continue fixing their home or abandon it. “You have to consider that because you cannot sell these houses,” Habeger explained.

    In anticipation of the projected 2025 release, Habeger and his neighbors constructed a large earthen berm around their properties to protect their homes from potential flood damage. While the berm itself stood up to the flood, it ultimately failed to protect the properties because water flowed in from the ground underneath it. Habeger stated, “The pressure of the floodwaters drove up the water table in our yard, and we could not find enough pumps that night to dewater the space inside the berm.”

    Habeger’s home was one of six properties to sustain major damage in the 2025 flood. Five of the majorly damaged properties were on View Drive, with one in the HESCO barrier zone. Overall, the most recent flood affected about 50 dwellings.

    Residents on View Drive feel ignored since their homes remain exposed, despite HESCO barriers shielding core valley sections. Habeger, a strong advocate of a long-term solution, favors a proposed levee system at Mendenhall Lake to manage floodwaters. “We want a permanent solution, and we want it yesterday,” he said, capturing the community’s frustration.

    For more information, click on this link: Press Release

    Brenda Josephson is a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska. You can contact her via email at [email protected].

    Greg Sarber: Homer Remembers Charlie Kirk

    Greg Sarber
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    Greg Sarber: Homer Remembers Charlie Kirk

    By GREG SARBER

    Yesterday, Homer residents gathered together on a beautiful fall day to hold a memorial service for Charlie Kirk at Mariner Beach Park. The ceremony was facilitated by Representative Sarah Vance, and there were several things about the proceedings that are worth mentioning.

    First is the service itself. There were several speakers, including church leaders from the community, a couple of citizen speakers, and Representative Vance. The ceremony focused on Charlie’s life and accomplishments. Representative Vance told a moving story about a local resident who is a student at the university where Charlie Kirk was speaking last Wednesday. The individual was in the crowd listening to him speak when Charlie was shot. Fortunately, the woman was unharmed, but she certainly had a close call. It is amazing how world events have an impact on people living in a remote part of Alaska like Homer.

    The message during the service was one of remembrance, and that we should not hold hate in our hearts for the individual who killed Charlie. The service ended with a very moving rendition of the song Amazing Grace performed by noted Homer musician Silas Jones. The speakers gave Charlie a somber but very moving tribute. I can’t think of a better way our community could have paid our respects to Charlie Kirk than what was done yesterday. Everyone involved in setting up this memorial deserves our thanks for doing so.

    Since Charlie Kirk’s life focused on politics from a Christian perspective, there were a couple of other items from yesterday’s event worth mentioning.

    First is the police presence. At the beginning of the services, the first speaker noted that in the event of trouble, participants should not get involved. They should remain in place and protect themselves, while letting the police handle the situation. The speaker also noted that there was a medic in attendance should they be needed. I don’t believe I have ever attended a remembrance service where that warning had to be given. What a terrible commentary about the state of our country when the police are needed to protect attendees at a memorial service from possible protests. Thankfully, none showed up yesterday, but the fact that participants had to be worried is an indictment of liberal political organizations. I very much appreciated the police being there to keep us safe.

    The second thing that struck me was the crowd, composition, and size. It was made up of people of all ages. There were families in attendance with young kids, there were young adults, and older adults; every age group was represented. This is in marked contrast to the crowd that attended a recent left-wing street protest in Homer on Labor Day.  That crowd was primarily composed of individuals over 50 years of age, looking to be a group of graying boomers, rather than an expression of the community as a whole.  Crowd composition is important because it shows the involvement and commitment of people in our town.  Those who attended Charlie Kirk’s memorial are people from all walks of life and all ages.  This shows that there is a healthy demographic of individuals who believe in conservatism and were willing to stand on the beach for an hour to honor one of our fallen heroes.  They were also willing to risk bringing their children with them to do so.  That bodes well for the future of conservatism in Homer.

    The crowd size was also important.  Before the ceremony started, I took the picture at the top of this article, and the crowd at that time was about 250 people, according to my hasty counting.  More people continued to arrive after the services started, and I estimate that more than 300 people were in attendance. 

    This is in contrast to the Labor Day street protest organized by liberal members of our community.  One of the local liberal Facebook pages thanked the 146 people who turned out to support their efforts on Labor Day.  Yesterday’s Kirk memorial had more than double that number of people.  When you compare those who attended these two competing events, it dispels the notion that Homer is a liberal town.  The left considers 146 people for a preplanned event a good turnout.  Conservatives given short notice show up with double those numbers. 

    This memorial service was a fitting remembrance of Charlie Kirk and the contributions he made to our country.  Thanks to Representative Sarah Vance and the others involved, who put it together on short notice.  We should remember Charlie’s life and have hope for the ideals he supported.

    Greg Sarber is a lifelong Alaskan. He is a petroleum engineer who spent his career working on Alaska’s North Slope. Now retired, he lives with his family in Homer, Alaska. Greg serves as a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska.

    19 Billion Barrels of Oil Moved and Many More

    Todd M Lindley
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    32
    19 Billion Barrels of Oil Moved and Many More

    By TODD M LINDLEY

    After start-up 48 years ago the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) pumped the 19th billion barrel of crude oil into the pipeline on Wednesday September 17th around 1AM.

    The 48” diameter 800-mile-long pipeline took three years and two months to construct the pipeline, pump stations, roads and terminal. At peak construction there were over 28,000 contractors and employees working at one time to complete this project. Designing and building the pipeline over mountain ranges, rivers, permafrost and major earthquake fault lines illustrate the fortitude behind this engineering marvel.

    In a press release by Alyeska Pipeline President & CEO John Kurz stated, “An often-referenced quote from the TAPS construction era goes, ‘They didn’t know it couldn’t be done.’ In that spirit, this once-implausible milestone for TAPS was made reality by the proud pipeline people at Alyeska Pipeline and our contractors who operate TAPS safely and reliably. This moment also honors countless individuals and organizations that continue adding to the iconic infrastructure’s legacy, as well as Alaska’s residents and leaders and the state’s hardworking oil and gas industry.”

    Trans Alaska Pipeline System reaches 19 billion barrel milestone

    The Trump Administration made Alaska a central part of it’s domestic energy policy. In June, members of the presidential cabinet and administration visited Alaska, including a visit to Pump Station 1 in Prudhoe Bay. They discussed the key role Alaska oil and gas will play in the United States becoming energy dominate with developments like Willow and Pikka on the horizon.

    “That work, paired with an environment of support and action from federal and state energy policy leaders, has us focused on TAPS 100 and many more milestones ahead,” says Kurz.

    For more information on the press release and about TAPS historic throughput at https://alyeska-pipe.com/historic-throughput/ and TAPS history at https://alyeska-pipe.com/taps-facts/.

    Todd Lindley is on the board of Alaska Gold Communications, the parent company of Must Read Alaska.

    The Awakening of America

    Jon Faulkner
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    18
    The Awakening of America

    By JON FAULKNER

    The murder of Charlie Kirk is impacting a generation of young Americans. Could we be witnessing the cusp of a post-COVID revival of faith in God?

    If Riley Nye of Juneau has anything to say about it, the answer is yes. 

    He writes to Must Read Alaska that he is seriously motivated, “to pick up the torch, and set up shop at the university to start having conversations with the college kids. I hope that anyone that wants to do such a thing will step forward with all boldness and haste, because that’s what Charlie Kirk did, and that’s what this country needs.”

    He’s not the only young man who believes this and is energized in a profound and convincing way.

    Spokesperson for Turning Point USA, Andrew Kolvet, said interest in the organization has surged. Kolvet said that they have received more than 37,000 inquiries from people wanting to start new campus chapters.

    Riley’s hometown is Juneau, Alaska, where he has lived for the last 20-plus years. He is highly educated, holding a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, majoring in political science and English from UAS in Juneau, also politically engaged as a legislative aide for Representative Mike Prax, of District 33 in North Pole. Riley emphasized that his interview and letter to MRAK represents his personal views and not those of his employer, and that he is not seeking public office.

    Riley Nye describes himself as “deeply disturbed and saddened by the assassination of a great man who was the embodiment of the American spirit, a man who stood for independent thinking, free speech, and a love for our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ.”

    The wider message he wants all Americans to know is that we should reject and abhor political violence “because it goes against the principles God has set forth in His Word, and it goes against the principles that our nation was founded upon.”

    He quoted Romans 12:20-21 “If thine enemy hungers feed him, if he thirsts, give him drink, for in so doing thou shalt reap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

    What makes Riley’s message urgent and compelling is that it appears to be playing out in just this manner across America, and yet it is not widely covered by mainstream news.  Riley is absolutely convinced that America is about to witness a global resurgence of faith in action “on a grand scale.” Charlie Kirk’s voice and legacy, he insists, “cannot be silenced because we are all Charlie Kirks.”

    Riley concludes with a sense of mission to Americans: “I beseech you to set aside your worldly inclinations towards revenge and instead to look towards the will of our Father.”

    He issued prayers for the Kirk family and the country. 

    America, it appears, is waking up.

    Jon Faulkner is the president of Alaska Gold Communications, the parent company of Must Read Alaska.

    Teachers Have a Choice: The AAE Alternative

    Natalie Spaulding
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    5
    Teachers Have a Choice: The AAE Alternative

    By NATALIE SPAULDING

    While the National Education Association of Alaska (NEA-alaska) is the only union available to Alaskan educators, educators do not need to rely on the union for legal support and liability coverage. According to the Central Regional Director for the Association of American Educators, Gary Sigle, “Any individual working in a school has three choices: they can choose to join the union, they can choose to join us, or they can choose not to belong to anything.”

    Before 2018, twenty-one states forced educators to belong to a union as a condition of employment, but the 2018 Supreme Court decision Janus v. AFSCME ruled that educators have the right to work whether they belong to an association or not. For Alaskan teachers who do not want to pay exorbitant union dues, but want solid legal protection and liability insurance, the American Association of Educators (AAE) offers an attractive alternative to NEA-Alaska.

    Long-time Anchorage public school teacher Aimee Sims first became interested in AAE when she heard stories from different colleagues that felt like they were not being represented by the union. In conjunction with the dissatisfaction regarding representation, “I was also concerned when I realized how much my dues were,” commented Aimee.

    Another long-time educator Kim Bates, who had taught in Kenai public schools for 20 years, breaks down the numbers and benefits of NEA-Alaska: “We pay a little over $1,400 a year in union dues. Very little of that money goes to our local association, about $25 goes to the Political Action Committee, and the rest goes to NEA-Alaska and the NEA-National. You get $1 million in liability coverage with NEA. There is some legal coverage, but usually, the educator has to pay upfront and then they get reimbursed in certain circumstances.” 

    In contrast, AAE offers full legal support and $2 million in liability coverage for only $19.50 a month or $234 a year. Educators can easily fill out an online form and within 8-12 hours, talk with a professional about any legal concerns regarding their work. No upfront, out-of-pocket costs. No hassle. Additionally, AAE is non-union and non-partisan. No money from member dues goes to support political campaigns or candidates. Unlike NEA-Alaska, the money all goes to providing member benefits: legal counsel and liability coverage.

    Not only does AAE make sure members’ hard-earned money goes toward benefits, but it also makes sure each member receives those benefits. Rather than a group policy, AAE offers a per member, per instance policy, which guarantees each member will receive the benefits they are paying for.

    Another key difference between NEA-Alaska and AAE is that NEA does not cover substitute teachers, but AAE does. “Any individual who gets a W-2 form from an educational entity can join AAE,” Gary Sigle states. This includes substitutes, paras, bus drivers, anyone and everyone who works as a W-2 employee at a school.

    Some teachers may be concerned that if they choose AAE, they will lose legal support from their local union. However, according to the law, the local union must provide representation for contract issues to all educators of their area regardless of whether the educator is a union member, a member of a different association like AAE, or not a member anywhere.

    As Gary Sigle explains: “For example, let’s say as a cross country coach, they are not paying me what the contract says, for whatever reason. I am doing the job and I have not done anything wrong. Because the issue is contract related, the group that negotiated the contract– that is, the local union– should be there to support me.” While local unions may be reluctant to provide this representation, AAE will walk alongside educators to help them receive the representation they deserve by law. 

    If you are an Anchorage teacher and want to learn more about AAE, there will be a Zoom meeting on September 18th that you are welcome to join! To receive a link to the Zoom meeting or to ask any questions you may have, please contact either Aimee Sims at [email protected] or Kim Bates at 907-252-7251.

    Natalie Spaulding, a 2025 Hillsdale College graduate, recently joined the Must Read Alaska team.

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