An Anchorage doctor has thrown his name in the ring for governor. Matt Heilala is born and raised in Alaska, has fished Cook Inlet, skippered in Bristol Bay, is a physician, and says he is tired of extreme partisan politics. He has been a supporter of many Republican candidates in the past, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Nick Begich.
Heilala is father of two adult children and has four grandchildren.
“Elected officials can respect differing opinions, build trust, and find common ground without abandoning principles. The Outrage Industrial Complex thrives on tearing us apart, and too many politicians exhibit outright contempt for those who disagree with them. That’s not who we are,” he said in his statement. “I’m running with a strong belief in common sense and courage, to bring us together, and to put Alaska first— always. We can, we must, and we will reject the division, rebuild trust, and shape a brighter future for a stronger, more productive Alaska economy.”
He said he intends to work with all legislators and Alaskans to make that happen.
His campaign launch joins a field of Republicans that include Bernadette Wilson, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, former state Sen. Click Bishop, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, and the probable candidacies of Attorney General Treg Taylor and Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum.
This Sunday, July 13, marks the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Donald J. Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a brazen act that stunned the nation and led to a sweeping review of presidential security, including scrutiny of DEI hiring practices at the Secret Service.
In the year since the attempt, major changes have taken place within the Secret Service, including the suspension of six agents and the creation of a bipartisan congressional task force to investigate the failures that allowed the gunman to breach security. The task force’s final report concluded that the attempt on Trump’s life was “preventable” and issued 46 recommendations aimed at preventing future lapses.
But as the nation reflects on that near-tragedy, a new threat has emerged from a foreign adversary. In an interview broadcast on Iranian state television, Javad Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made the suggestion that Trump could be assassinated while relaxing at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.
“Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago,” Larijani said. “As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple.” He made the comment while laughing, according to Iran International, a London-based outlet that monitors developments inside the Islamic Republic.
The threat came in the wake of heightened tensions following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21, and appears to reflect Iran’s intent to retaliate not only through conventional means but also by targeting high-profile American figures. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed the threat as credible enough to warrant renewed counterterrorism alerts nationwide.
A website calling itself Blood Pact claims to have raised over $40 million for “retribution against those who mock and threaten Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.” The site appears to be soliciting donations from across the region in support of what it calls “justice operations.”
Federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, have issued new bulletins to state leaders and federal installations, warning of a heightened risk of asymmetric retaliation from Iranian-backed actors. Intelligence analysts say that while Larijani’s statement may be rhetorical posturing, it reflects the regime’s increasingly aggressive stance and its willingness to encourage or even fund acts of terror abroad.
Public interest in the Butler shooting has been reignited recently: Despite the swift apprehension of the shooter, many questions remain about his motives, and some lawmakers continue to press for declassification of certain intelligence surrounding the attack.
For Trump supporters, Sunday will be a day of reflection and reliving the relief they felt when Trump dodged the bullet.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on the terrifying midair incident aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which occurred on Jan. 5, 2024 near Portland, Ore. Boeing Company shareholders can’t be pleased with it.
The investigation concludes that a critical manufacturing failure by Boeing, compounded by ineffective oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration, led to the in-flight separation of a fuselage door plug, rapid cabin depressurization, and injuries to several passengers. No one died in the incident.
The Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft had just departed Portland International Airport when, at an altitude of 14,830 feet, the left mid-exit door (MED) plug blew off the plane, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. The explosive decompression resulted in minor injuries to one flight attendant and seven passengers. The remaining 164 passengers and five crew members escaped physical harm, and the crew safely returned the aircraft to Portland.
The NTSB determined that the door plug failed due to Boeing’s inadequate training, guidance, and oversight during the aircraft’s manufacturing process. Specifically, four key bolts that were supposed to secure the door plug were never reinstalled after being removed for rework at Boeing’s Renton factory. Those bolts were missing from the recovered wreckage and never found.
Boeing’s process for documenting part removals and reinstallations — intended to ensure safety-critical fasteners are tracked — was inconsistently followed, the board found. As a result, the MED plug was installed without the bolts that would have kept it from lifting upward and detaching mid-flight.
The FAA also came under sharp criticism. The NTSB found that the agency’s compliance and surveillance systems failed to identify Boeing’s recurring process failures, calling its enforcement “ineffective” and “inadequate.”
Aircraft Damage and Aftermath
The detached door plug and various interior cabin parts, including tray tables and headrests, were later recovered along the flight path. The fuselage surrounding the plug was heavily damaged, along with parts of the aircraft’s interior cabin near the opening.
Despite the chaos, the flight crew executed emergency procedures flawlessly. The aircraft returned safely to Portland and all passengers deplaned without further incident.
The NTSB issued 24 safety recommendations — 13 to the FAA and 11 to Boeing — to address systemic failures in manufacturing oversight, training, and emergency preparedness. These include:
To the FAA:
Require retrofit of all in-service Boeing 737s with a design fix to prevent future door plug failures.
Overhaul compliance surveillance systems to better track recurring safety issues.
Improve record retention and provide FAA inspectors with access to historical manufacturing compliance data.
Convene an independent review panel of Boeing’s safety culture.
Mandate enhancements in CVR (cockpit voice recorder) preservation, portable oxygen mask usability, and child safety seat promotion.
To Boeing:
Complete the certification and retrofitting of a redesigned MED plug.
Develop stronger on-the-job training and documentation for part removals.
Enhance integration between Boeing’s quality and safety management systems.
Implement new procedures for analyzing and mitigating human error in manufacturing.
The NTSB also reiterated earlier safety recommendations, such as requiring all aircraft cockpit voice recorders to retain 25 hours of audio and improving child restraint system (CRS) use among airlines.
This incident is a serious blow to Boeing’s reputation as it continues to grapple with quality control concerns and regulatory scrutiny. The report intensifies pressure on both Boeing and the FAA to address what the NTSB describes as “systemic and recurring” failures.
The NTSB’s final report leaves no ambiguity: A lack of accountability and rigor at both Boeing and the FAA nearly led to catastrophe. Thanks to a trained and prepared crew, disaster was averted. But unless the recommendations are fully implemented, aviation safety experts warn that the next incident could have a far graver outcome.
Port MacKenzie has been awarded a $7,891,044 federal BUILD Grant from the US Department of Transportation to fund the construction of a major barge ramp project.
The grant, awarded through a competitive national process, will support the development of a 60,000-square-foot barge ramp to enhance the port’s capacity for barge haul-out and loading operations. This major investment is being credited to the combined efforts of Congressman Nick Begich’s office and the Mat-Su Borough.
“Investments in foundational infrastructure like the Port MacKenzie barge ramp will pay dividends for the entire state, allowing for greater development of our resources and supporting improved capabilities within Alaska’s shipping portfolio. A new chapter of opportunity has begun for Alaska, and must to be ready to execute,” said Congressman Begich.
“This grant is a game-changer for Port MacKenzie and the Mat-Su Borough, but it’s just the beginning,” said Rep. Kevin McCabe. “This barge ramp will spark economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen Alaska’s infrastructure. Together with Congressman Begich and Mat-Su Borough leadership, we’re leveraging federal programs like BUILD to transform our region. We’re already exploring additional funding, including through the House Armed Services Committee, to fuel Port MacKenzie’s bright future.”
The Port MacKenzie Barge Ramp Project is being positioned as a strategic investment in Alaska’s long-term economic development, offering expanded access for freight and maritime industries. The new infrastructure is expected to bolster the port’s role as a vital hub for commerce, resource development, and military readiness.
Construction timelines and permitting processes are now underway, with the borough aiming to begin work as early as 2026.
Port MacKenzie has long been viewed as an underutilized asset with deep-draft capability and multimodal access, including road and rail. As Alaska’s largest industrial port with 9,033 acres (14 square miles) dedicated to commercial development, it features a 500-foot barge dock and a 1,200-foot deep-draft dock that can accommodate large vessels, including Panamax and Cape Class ships. Future plans include a rail loading facility, fuel tank farm, and potential petrochemical or LNG plant. The ongoing rail extension will offer the shortest route from Alaska’s Interior to tidewater, enhancing export efficiency for timber and mining industries. With nearly 15 acres of barge dock and vast uplands, the port is positioned as a hub for heavy industrial and bulk exports.
Officials say this new project signals the first of several planned improvements to unlock the port’s full potential.
Without a doubt, Lend-Lease food proved vital to the maintenance of adequate nutrition levels for Soviets and other Lend-Lease beneficiaries. In 1944, 2% of the United States’ food supply was exported to the Soviet Union, 4% to other 42 Lend-Lease recipients, 1% to commercial exports, and 13% to the 12 million in the United States military who participated in the war between 1941 and 1945.
This aid was made possible due to sacrifices made by the American people and an enormous increase in American agricultural and industrial production—up 280% by 1944 over the 1935–39 average.
About $11 billion in war materials and other supplies were shipped to the Soviet Union from the United States over four major routes between 1941 and 1945. In addition to military equipment, the USSR received non-military items like cigarettes, records, women’s compacts, fishing tackle, dolls, playground equipment, cosmetics, food, and even 13,328 sets of false teeth.
Soviet requests for food emphasized canned meat (tushonka), fats, dried peas and beans, potato chips, powdered soups and eggs, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, and other packaged food items. Dehydration, which made shipping food to the Soviet Union possible under the program, led to a rapid expansion of American dehydrating facilities, which eventually influenced the domestic market and the diet of American people in the post-war period until today.
Lend-Lease accounts show that, in 1945 alone, about 5,100,000 tons of foodstuffs left for the Soviet Union from the United States; that year, the Soviets’ own total agricultural output reached approximately 53,500,000 tons.
If the 12 million individual members of the Soviet Army received all the foodstuffs that arrived in the USSR through Lend-Lease deliveries from the United States, each man and woman would have been supplied with more than half a pound of concentrated food per day for the duration of the war.
Post-World War II changes in food production, supply and dietary guidelines were significantly influenced by wartime rationing, technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. The war led to rationing and shifts in food availability, while also spurring the development of new food technologies and influencing consumer preferences. These factors, combined with the rise of food marketing, dramatically altered the American diet.
Rationing to ensure equitable distribution of scarce resources significantly impacted food availability and consumption patterns. Rationing of items like sugar, coffee, meat, and butter altered what foods were readily available and how they were prepared. Rationing encouraged the use of less expensive cuts of meat and the creation of recipes that stretched the available meat supply, such as meatloaf and stuffed peppers. Frozen food, previously not widely adopted, gained traction during the war due to rationing and the need for longer-lasting food storage.
New technologies developed during the war in food preservation and packaging led to the rise of industrially processed foods. Convenience foods became more prevalent as the emphasis shifted towards ease of preparation and speed; however, often at the expense of nutritional value. Home appliances like refrigerators and freezers became more common, further impacting food storage and preparation methods.
Exposure to new and different cuisines during the war expanded American palates and led to the adoption of new flavors, dishes and changing consumer preferences. Subsequently, food companies invested heavily in advertising and marketing, influencing consumers’ food choices and creating demand for processed foods. The rise of chain restaurants and fast food further altered eating habits, emphasizing speed and convenience over nutritional value.
In summary, the post-war period saw a complex interplay of factors that dramatically changed the American diet and the way we approach food today. Rationing during the war, technological advancements in food production and supply, and evolving scientific understanding of nutrition all contributed to the shift towards a more processed and convenience-driven food culture. This, in turn, led to the development of dietary guidelines that emphasized nutrient adequacy and, eventually, the prevention of chronic diseases.
The negative outcome of the post-war food production and supply have been an undeniable obesity of the American population of all ages, ethnicities and social groups. Two dramatic examples can be found in architectural changes. Due to changes in the food production in post-war America, enhancements were required in the seats of two iconic American venues—the Lincoln and Ford Theatres in Washington D.C. This was a direct result of a rapid enlargement and obesity of the American population.
The Lincoln Theatre is a historic venue that opened in 1922 and was once a hub for entertainment. The Theatre has undergone several renovations throughout its history, with significant work done in the 1990s and more recently in the 2020s. These renovations aimed to restore the historic theater of the 1920s, enhance accessibility, and improve amenities for both patrons and performers. One of the key renovations and improvements included installing new, enhanced and cushioned seats suitable for today’s enlarged American audience.
Similar seat renovations took place in the Ford Theatre; the original chairs were replaced with larger, more modern seats in the late 1970s and early 1980s because the original replicas were deemed too small and uncomfortable by audiences. The original chairs in Ford’s Theatre, installed in 1865, were cane-bottomed, high-backed wooden chairs. These were replaced with replicas in 1968 during the restoration. The replica chairs were found to be uncomfortable, leading to their replacement with larger, more modern seats in the late 70s/early 80s. They are significantly larger 1900s-style chairs from another theater, installed in 2009-2010 to accommodate today’s Americans.
Alexander Dolitsky was born and raised in Kiev in the former Soviet Union. He received an M.A. in history from Kiev Pedagogical Institute, Ukraine in 1976; an M.A. in anthropology and archaeology from Brown University in 1983; and enrolled in the Ph.D. program in anthropology at Bryn Mawr College from 1983 to 1985, where he was also lecturer in the Russian Center. In the USSR, he was a social studies teacher for three years and an archaeologist for five years for the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. In 1978, he settled in the United States. Dolitsky visited Alaska for the first time in 1981, while conducting field research for graduate school at Brown. He then settled first in Sitka in 1985 and then in Juneau in 1986. From 1985 to 1987, he was U.S. Forest Service archaeologist and social scientist. He was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Russian Studies at the University of Alaska Southeast from 1985 to 1999; Social Studies Instructor at the Alyeska Central School, Alaska Department of Education and Yukon-Koyukuk School District from 1988 to 2006; and Director of the Alaska-Siberia Research Center from 1990 to 2022. From 2006 to 2010, Alexander Dolitsky served as a Delegate of the Russian Federation in the United States for the Russian Compatriots program. He has done 30 field studies in various areas of the former Soviet Union (including Siberia), Central Asia, South America, Eastern Europe and the United States (including Alaska). Dolitsky was a lecturer on the World Discoverer, Spirit of Oceanus, and Clipper Odyssey vessels in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions. He was a Project Manager for the WWII Alaska-Siberia Lend Lease Memorial, which was erected in Fairbanks in 2006. Dolitsky has published extensively in the fields of anthropology, history, archaeology and ethnography. His more recent publications include Fairy Tales and Myths of the Bering Strait Chukchi, Ancient Tales of Kamchatka, Tales and Legends of the Yupik Eskimos of Siberia, Old Russia in Modern America: Living Traditions of the Russian Old Believers in Alaska, Allies in Wartime: The Alaska-Siberia Airway During World War II, Spirit of the Siberian Tiger: Folktales of the Russian Far East, Living Wisdom of the Russian Far East: Tales and Legends from Chukotka and Alaska, and Pipeline to Russia: The Alaska-Siberia Air Route in World War II.
Alaska’s education system is broken, and families know it. Anchorage is losing roughly 1,000 students per year, dropping from 49,243 in 2010 to 42,353 in 2024.
This, as much as anything, is what is affecting their budget. Parents are fleeing a rigid, bureaucratic system in favor of options that reflect their values and their children’s needs. Mat-Su is growing because it delivers those options: Charter schools, correspondence programs, and hands-on technical education.
This is not just a demographic trend, it is a grassroots rebellion against a failing, one-size-fits-all education model.
As John Taylor Gatto explains in Weapons of Mass Instruction, the 19th-century Prussian school model was designed for obedience, not excellence. That structure still dominates Alaska’s public education system today, enforced by a single-authorizer charter model and protected by one of the most powerful political forces in our state: the National Education Association.
Samuel Blumenfeld exposed this in NEA: Trojan Horse in American Education, showing how the NEA operates not as a professional organization but as a political machine. In Alaska, the NEA has a stranglehold on public education policy, controlling school boards, lobbying legislators, funding campaigns, and opposing every meaningful reform to empower parents.
Nowhere is that more obvious than in Alaska’s single-authorizer system for charter schools. Right now, only school districts can approve charters. That means innovation depends on the approval of the same political bodies threatened by change. Schools like Fronteras Spanish Immersion have long waitlists and operate out of inadequate facilities while demand soars.
Meanwhile, a 2025 lawsuit, almost certainly influenced by NEA-backed interests, is challenging the ability of families to use correspondence allotments for private education expenses. This is a direct attack on parental rights and a deliberate effort to shut down educational alternatives.
Milton Friedman offered the right solution back in 1955 in The Role of Government in Education. The state should fund education and set standards, but it should not dictate where a child learns or how. Parents, not politicians or union bosses, should choose the school. That vision is alive in the Mat-Su Borough School District. With nearly 20,000 students, Mat-Su offers families charter schools, CTE programs, and public correspondence options. Mat-Su Central School alone serves more than 3,000 students and offers $3,000 allotments that families use for custom learning: from violin lessons to coding boot camps.
Mat-Su’s charters outperform the district average. Fronteras has 50% reading proficiency compared to 34% district-wide. In 2024, Mat-Su charter schools achieved a 92% graduation rate, far above the 78 percent state average. In 2024, 74 percent of Mat-Su voters supported a $58 million bond to expand charter school facilities. Parents are not just choosing Mat-Su, they are investing in it. Meanwhile, over 10,000 Alaskan students have moved into correspondence programs in the last 25 years. Another 5,080 have left the public system altogether to attend private schools, often paying upwards of $14,903 per year. These families are voting with their feet and their checkbooks.
Mat-Su’s success goes beyond choice. Mat-Su Career and Technical High School (CTHS) offers eight career pathways and over 40 certifications, including Microsoft, Cisco, and OSHA. Its graduation rate is 98.67%. Chronic absenteeism is just 8% , compared to 25% statewide. When education is relevant, students show up and succeed.
Nationwide, Friedman’s free-market vision is winning. Thirty-two states and Washington, D.C. now offer private choice through vouchers, ESAs, or tax-credit scholarships, serving more than one million students. From 2021 to 2025, universal voucher programs expanded from zero to thirteen states, spending $4 billion in the 2023–24 school year.
The federal Educational Choice for Children Actwould add $5 billion in tax credits for scholarships. These reforms prove that competition works. In Alaska, opponents raise concerns about accountability, noting that 86 percent of correspondence students opt out of state testing. But those programs undergo curriculum reviews and financial audits every year. So, let’s not limit a great program because of a perceived lack of accountability. Let’s test the kids and find out how well they are doing…. Or maybe the NEA, the AASB, and ACSA do not want to know how well correspondence is working?
Critics claim school choice drains public resources. That is false. Charter schools and correspondence programs are tuition-free, public, and audited. The 2025 lawsuit against allotments ignores the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), which upheld parent-directed funding models. If financial equity is the concern, Alaska can require private schools that accept allotments to have transparent admissions practices. Arizona’s voucher program showed that 75% of recipients were already in private school, so yes, Alaska should ensure access for low-income and rural families.
To move forward, Alaska must take four key steps:
Establish a State-Level Authorizer Board Create an independent board by 2026 to approve at least ten new charters in underserved regions like Bethel and Nome.
Protect Allotments Defend parent-directed correspondence school funding against NEA-backed lawsuits and political attacks.
Expand the Mat-Su Model Fund a pilot program to replicate Mat-Su’s correspondence and CTE programs in rural communities using existing grant dollars.
Enhance Equity Provide transportation stipends and scale allotments to support low-income families with school choice statewide.
These steps will break the NEA’s stranglehold, return power to parents, and deliver a market-driven education system that works. Gatto, Blumenfeld, and Friedman warned us what happens when education is centralized, and unions control the system. Mat-Su shows us what happens when parents take the wheel.
Alaska’s children do not belong to the state, and they are not property of the union. They belong to families, and it is time we trusted those families to choose what’s best for their kids’ education.
Rep. Kevin McCabe serves in the Alaska Legislature on behalf of Big Lake.
Job applicants to the US Department of the Interior will soon face a revamped hiring process that includes essay questions, part of an effort to align federal personnel more closely with presidential priorities and weed out the deep staters.
An internal memo circulated last week by the department’s human capital office outlines the integration of the questions as part of a broader merit-based hiring plan, rather than the diversity-mandated hiring strategy of the Biden Administration. Applicants must write four 200-word essays addressing their work ethic, skills and experience, commitment to the Constitution, and how they would advance President Trump’s executive orders and policy priorities. The last item has earned the scorn of anti-Trumpers.
The essay component originates from a federal hiring overhaul launched in 2020 under Trump 1, to modernize civil service recruitment. Led by the Office of Personnel Management, the initiative emphasized practical skills over traditional educational credentials and sought to streamline the hiring process through shorter resumes and competency-based evaluations. The OPM has directed agencies to stop collecting demographic data on race, sex, and religion in the workforce.
While some civil service reform advocates have praised the plan, deep staters are wringing their hands about their chances to infiltrate government agencies.
Alaska Superior Court Judge Romano DiBenedetto of Nome, appointed by former Gov. Bill Walker in 2017, has been recommended for a public reprimand by the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, following findings that he breached judicial conduct standards both inside and outside the courtroom.
In the first incident in which he was charged, Judge DiBenedetto presided over a motion hearing in Unalakleet on Jan. 8, 2024, after regular work hours. The Commission found he arrived nearly one hour late, reportedly because he had been watching a televised sports event. The College Football Playoff National Championship was that afternoon, with the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies.
He later claimed he was “getting lost.” But the delay was deemed a breach of Canons 2A and 3A of the Alaska Court System’s policies.
The second incident involved the way, in the presence of court staff, DiBenedetto had a habit of discussing and reenacting courtroom testimony, sometimes mimicking voices or comments of individuals belonging to ethnic groups other than his own. Typically this would mean mimicking Native Alaskans’ way of speaking in rural parts of the region. This conduct was found to violate Canon 2A and Alaska’s Healthy Workplace Policy by creating an appearance of bias and undermining confidence in the judiciary.
After issuing formal investigation notices on April 9 and another notice on May 22, the Commission conducted special meetings on April 29 and May 28, with DiBenedetto and his counsel present at the April meeting. A unanimous decision was made to move directly to a public hearing, where the Commission accepted agreed findings on June 27 and formally recommended a reprimand on July 3. DiBenedetto put up no fight.
The Alaska Supreme Court will make the final determination as to whether to accept the Commission’s recommendation, decide how the reprimand will be delivered, and determine any further action. DeBenedetto has been on paid leave since March.
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. confirmed last week that it is in active settlement negotiations with the US Environmental Protection Agency, aiming to overturn the federal preemptive veto that has blocked development of the Pebble copper and gold project in Southwest Alaska.
The July 3 filing in US District Court follows a 90-day litigation pause requested by the federal government in February, and a subsequent 30-day extension in May to allow new EPA leadership to review the case. The agency has now concluded its internal review and is engaged in talks with Pebble Limited Partnership, Northern Dynasty’s US subsidiary.
“Agency officials remain open to reconsideration, and defendants and PLP are negotiating to explore a potential settlement,” the EPA’s court filing states. “Those discussions have addressed a potential further submission from PLP that would inform any agency reconsideration.”
Northern Dynasty characterized the development as a significant breakthrough in its long effort to challenge the EPA’s 2023 preemptive veto under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act, which barred development of the mine before permitting could be completed.
Ron Thiessen, Northern Dynasty President and CEO, framed the potential reversal as not just a regulatory milestone but a strategic move for the U.S. economy and national defense.
The EPA and Pebble jointly requested an additional 14-day extension of the case’s current abeyance, with a status update due to the court by July 17.
The parties expect to reach agreement within that time on what new information Pebble may submit to support the agency’s reconsideration.
Though the news was released over the July 4 holiday, investor response was swift once markets reopened. Northern Dynasty’s stock jumped nearly 18% in pre-market trading on July 7 and surged to a peak of $2.96 by July 10.
The company received an additional boost from President Donald Trump’s July 8 announcement of a 50% tariff on copper imports — a national security measure aimed at reducing dependence on foreign metals, especially from China.
The action followed a February executive order to review the US copper trade under national security provisions.
Containing an estimated 6.4 billion pounds of copper, 300 million pounds of molybdenum, 7.4 million ounces of gold, 37 million ounces of silver, and 200,000 kilograms of rhenium, the Pebble deposit is one of North America’s most significant untapped sources of critical minerals. Its supporters argue the mine could play a vital role in U.S. energy independence and industrial resilience.
If a settlement is reached and the EPA withdraws its veto, the Pebble project could re-enter the permitting process and that may reignite one of the nation’s most fiercely contested development debates.
