The chairwoman of the Alaska Republican Party published an open letter on Friday, calling on Alaska’s senators to confirm the nominees of President Donald Trump.
Already, it appears that Sen. Dan Sullivan has been cordial and receptive to Trump’s nominees. But Sen. Lisa Murkowski has launched an opposition to the nomination of Pete Hegseth for secretary of Defense. The confirmation vote is expected Friday in the Senate, and Murkowski was the first Republican to oppose Hegseth, with Sen. Susan Collins close behind.
That Murkowski behavior is not playing well with the Alaska Republican Party in general. Murkowski was censured by the party for such behavior in the not-too-distant past and may face another grassroots rebellion.
Carmela Warfield, party chairwoman, just returned from inaugural events in Washington, D.C. and wrote a to-the-point letter, published today on social media, that, without naming names, appears to be focused on Murkowski’s hatred of Trump. The letter says:
“The election of President Donald J. Trump was the beginning of the new Golden Age of America. His America First agenda brings much-needed change to our country and includes securing our border, unleashing America’s energy and natural resources potential, and rebuilding our military.
“The American people have spoken—President Trump was overwhelmingly elected with a mandate: an electoral college landslide and the popular vote by millions. For our part, Alaskans decisively delivered our endorsement of President Trump and his America First agenda by almost 14 points, because we Alaskans know President Trump’s agenda is laser-focused on rebuilding our great state and our nation.
“Unlike Biden, President Trump respects and values Alaska and understands Alaska‘s incredible importance to our nation—he knows the road to American energy dominance runs right through the great state of Alaska.
“The fact is, President Trump is already delivering on his promises to Alaska and America and has done more for our state in the past four DAYS than Biden did during the last four years, during which he enacted more sanctions against Alaska than the country of Iran.
“The President has carefully selected his cabinet to execute his America First agenda and to fulfill the promises he made to voters. This week, one nominee, Pete Hegseth, will be confirmed as Secretary of Defense. He has been thoroughly vetted and affirmed by many, including Sen. Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and our Senator Dan Sullivan, both of whom say Pete Hegseth is the right person for this job, qualified to help make America safe again and ensure Peace through Strength. This support is echoed by numerous members of our great military and our fellow Alaskans and Americans.
“We thank Senator Sullivan for his service to our country as a retired Colonel in the U .S. Marine Corps Reserve, for the care and due diligence he has shovm during the advice and consent process while vetting the President‘s nominees, and for his continued service as our U.S. Senator. By this time next month, President Trump’s cabinet will be in place and working to help the President rebuild our United States, including our military.
“The Alaska Republican Party stands proudly with our President — ready to work together to preserve our values and restore our great country. We also say THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP for the Executive Orders that will open our state for business! The Alaska Republican Party will be actively working to increase our number of registered Republicans, to make our Party even stronger, and we will be ready for the 2026 and 2028 election cycles. To all Senators, we say confirm President Trump’s cabinet and let’s get to work.
“Thank God, it is morning again in America, and we are ready and eager — for our country, for our state, for our children and future generations — to help President Trump Make America Great Again.”
Alaska Congressman Nick Begich III took a break last year from campaigning for Congress to hunt for Kodiak brown bear on Kodiak Island. He had just finished attending the Alaska Republican convention, where he had a tremendous reception from delegates. And then he had a successful hunt. It was a good month.
Now, as the congressman for Alaska, his office in Washington, D.C. needed some decor to remind him of home. The brown bear hide has taken its place on the wall of his office in the Cannon Office Building.
Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan has a similar brown bear hide on the wall of his office in the Hart Building. So did the late Congressman Don Young, who served Alaska in Congress for 49 years and whose office was legendary for taxidermy mounts. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has Native art, masks, and regalia as her Alaska theme.
In 1972, as a student of history at the Kiev Pedagogical Institute, I participated in the archaeological excavation in Trans-Carpathia, an eastern part of the Carpathian Mountains.
The Carpathian Mountains form about a 1,000-mile-long range in Central and Eastern Europe. They stretch from west to east in an arc from the Czechia to Romania via Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine.
It is an ethnically diverse region in the center of Europe, inhabited mostly by people who regard themselves as ethnic Ukrainians, Russians, Hungarians, Romanians, Slovaks, and Poles. It also has small communities of Jewish and Romani minorities.
Trans-Carpathia had reverted from Austro-Hungarian Empire to Hungary because of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, then reverted from Hungary to Czechoslovakia in 1944 because of liberation of Czechoslovakia from the Nazi occupation, and later was ceded to Soviet Ukraine in 1945 by a Czech-Soviet government agreement.
That year we excavated approximately 25,000 years-old Late Paleolithic cave in the vicinity of the remote Uglyanka village. One of the frequent visitors to our archaeological camp was a local naturalist and historian Peter Sova. He was in his mid-80s; and he knew everything and everyone about this region.
At one point, I asked Peter Sova, “Comrade Sova, what is your nationality?” “I am Trans-Carpathian,” replied Peter Sova with pride and without any hesitation.
“How can that be?” I questioned. “There is no such nationality, Trans-Carpathian.”
Peter Sova raised his eyebrows. “I was born and raised in the Austria-Hungarian Empire, in my youth years I lived under Hungarian and Czechoslovakian ruling and now it is the Soviet Ukraine; and all my life I lived in the same place—Trans-Carpathia,” he explained.
“So, you tell me, young man, what is my nationality?” he asked.
I was silent; truly, Peter Sova changed his citizenry four times during his life, while never relocating to any of the countries that took control over his homeland. Indeed, Peter Sova’s tragic life experiences are not uncommon in Europe—a continent, despite its great accomplishments in science, literature and arts, has been notorious for never-ending wars, regional conflicts and bloody revolutions. In short, European multiculturalism could be described as “from one to many.”
In contrast to Europe, the United States is an immigrant-accepting country that historically formed a unique landscape of multiculturalism “from many to one.” On our national coinage is the inscription in Latin E pluribus Unum— “from many to one.”
PART 2
I first visited Alaska in 1981, while participating in archaeological field research for graduate school at Brown University. Then, I was one of few, if not the only Soviet–born person in Alaska since 1945. In fact, from 1946 to 1986, or during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, travels to Alaska were officially closed to Soviet citizens and likewise Siberia for American citizens. There was an exception for select scientists, visiting both places for research–related purposes under the auspices of the International Research Exchange Board. In 1981, I already was a permanent resident of the United States, with a green light for traveling to Alaska.
Then, as a recent political refugee from the Soviet Union, my behavior was still typically Russian—direct, impulsive, critical, opinionated and emotional (certainly, a very general stereotype of the Russian character). Fortunately, my sponsors and hosts in Alaska, Charles Holmes from Anchorage and Glenn Bacon from Fairbanks, were trained and professional anthropologists; they cross–culturally were able to understand my behavior and occasional awkward expressions; and guide me through rough waters and unfamiliar landscapes. After 44 years, Charles and Glenn are still my good and loyal friends.
On one occasion, a rather humorous cross–cultural incident took place in Fairbanks. Glenn’s in-laws invited me to their house for dinner. To experience Russian cuisine, they asked me to cook some traditional Russian meals. So, I managed to cook a borshch (beets and cabbage soup) and authentic salad olivye (boiled potatoes cut in cubes, green peas, boiled eggs, cooked carrots cut into cubes, cubed ham, olives, onion, large pickles cut into cubes, and ½ cup of mayonnaise—all mixed together).
After dinner, I played a guitar and performed several Russian songs for everyone. At some point, Glenn’s mother-in-law approached me and confessed, “I had always envisioned Russians as tall, dark, with shaking hands. But you are different.” I only smiled in my response and took her description of a “Russian man” without offense. After all, I was the first Russian she had ever met, except for the demonic Russian characters portrayed in Hollywood.
Indeed, the process of acculturation and assimilation can be long and turbulent for many newcomers. It is critical, therefore, for American society to be inclusive, tolerant and educated in cross–cultural communication to welcome legal newcomers to our multicultural and exceptional country.
PART 3
As a political refugee who arrived in the United States from the former Soviet Union, with its entirely different socio-economic and political system, I had to learn about American culture and traditions through observation and daily exposure to the American way of life, its traditions, customs and symbols. For me, as for other immigrants in a foreign land, cross-cultural miscommunications and misunderstandings were unfortunate and unavoidable, especially in understanding uniquely American cultural symbols.
I learned a memorable lesson in the early 1980s, when I was a Ph.D. student in the Anthropology Department at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. At Bryn Mawr, the academic scholarship and stipend could cover only my immediate necessities. So, to supplement my $400 per month stipend, I worked as a security officer in the nearby St, Joseph’s University situated along the City Line Avenue of Philadelphia.
Then, St. Joseph’s was a medium-size private Catholic school, well-known for its basketball program, competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The school was also known for its Saturday night students’ parties on campus, followed by Sunday Mass and confession by most students at the Saint Joseph’s University Chapel. To my recollection, some 120 to 140 Catholic priests on the campus provided counselling to students and faculty members.
About 15–20 unarmed security officers, including myself, were employed by the University and were on duty 24/7 during different shifts. Among the officers were five supervisors—two sergeants, lieutenant, captain and a big boss—the chief of security. He was a retired high-ranking Philadelphia police officer. Most officers were black, but there was one Filipino and four or five Caucasians. I appreciated the multi-cultural environment of the group and learned a great deal about America’s ethnic diversity from this group.
One night, I was assigned to lower the American flag at the central location of the campus and bring it to headquarters. As I was performing my duty, the chief of security walked by, suddenly stopped, looked at me like an eagle at its prey, and commanded me to follow him to headquarters. I was lost in thoughts of what I had done wrong. Once at headquarters, he ordered all officers on duty to report there, immediately.
When everyone arrived, he pointed his index finger at me and firmly commanded, “I want this officer to never ever touch the American flag again. Do I make myself clear?” and he marched out of headquarters without further instructions.
The room was silent. I was absolutely puzzled and embarrassed by the scene, questioning myself— “Why me? What have I done? Will I be fired?”
The officers were confused and concerned about the incident. They quietly approached me, friendly tapping on my shoulders and expressing empathy with concerned faces. That day, I mentally wanted to go back to my former country—the Soviet Union. There, I, at least, knew what was culturally acceptable and what was not. And I questioned myself, “Is freedom worth all of this humiliation and prejudice?”
The next day, when the dust had settled, the lieutenant called me to his office and explained the nature of my mistake. “You know, when you lowered the flag, it touched the ground,” he said. “And it is a big no, no in our country. The chief is a Korean vet—he is a proud American.”
My ignorance about the treatment and respect of the essential U.S. symbol—the American Flag—was a critical experience in my understanding of its cultural significance. No grudges, no excuses, no going back to my former country.
Lesson learned, lesson appreciated, and lesson respected!
Alexander B. 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 was enroled in the Ph.D. program in Anthropology at Bryn Mawr College from 1983 to 1985, where he was also a lecturer in the Russian Center. In the U.S.S.R., he was a social studies teacher for three years, and an archaeologist for five years for the Ukranian 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 lived first in Sitka in 1985 and then settled in Juneau in 1986. From 1985 to 1987, he was a 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 from 1988 to 2006; and has been the Director of the Alaska-Siberia Research Center (see www.aksrc.homestead.com) from 1990 to present. He has conducted about 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 has been a lecturer on the World Discoverer, Spirit of Oceanus, and Clipper Odyssey vessels in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. He was the Project Manager for the WWII Alaska-Siberia Lend Lease Memorial, which was erected in Fairbanks in 2006. He 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: Russian Old Believers in Alaska; Allies in Wartime: The Alaska-Siberia Airway During WWII; Spirit of the Siberian Tiger: Folktales of the Russian Far East; Living Wisdom of the Far North: Tales and Legends from Chukotka and Alaska; Pipeline to Russia; The Alaska-Siberia Air Route in WWII; and Old Russia in Modern America: Living Traditions of the Russian Old Believers; Ancient Tales of Chukotka, and Ancient Tales of Kamchatka.
Congressman Nick Begich III has cosponsored legislation to address the growing risk of catastrophic forest fires, a result, in part, due to forest mismanagement.
“From the devastation caused by the Malibu fires to the growing risks faced by countless communities across the nation, it’s clear we are in the midst of a wildfire crisis,” Begich said. “Years of mismanagement and bureaucratic delays have left our forests vulnerable and our communities exposed. I am proud to support the Fix Our Forests Act as a decisive step toward addressing this urgent issue. This legislation provides the tools needed to manage our forests effectively, protect lives, and restore landscapes while creating much-needed jobs in rural areas.”
The Fix Our Forests Act streamlines permitting processes, streamlines forest restoration efforts, and fosters economic growth in rural communities.
“When it comes to safeguarding our families, firefighters, and forests, we cannot afford inaction. This legislation prioritizes safety, efficiency, and action to tackle the wildfire crisis head-on. It’s time to fix our forests and protect our communities,” he said.
The bill fact sheet highlights these features:
Simplify and expedite environmental reviews to reduce costs and planning times for critical forest management projects while maintaining rigorous environmental standards. Make communities more resilient to wildfire by coordinating existing grant programs and furthering new research. Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration by creating a new Fireshed Center and codifying the Shared Stewardship initiative. Stop frivolous litigation and endless agency consultations that delay needed forest management activities. Give agencies new emergency tools to restore watersheds, protect communities in the wildland-urban interface and prevent forest conversion. Utilize state-of-the-art science to prioritize the treatment of forests at the highest risk of wildfire. Incentivize forest management projects of up to 10,000 acres to increase the pace and scale of addressing wildfire, drought, insects and disease. Revitalize rural economies by strengthening tools such as Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting. Adopt new and innovative technologies to address forest health threats and suppress wildfires quickly and more efficiently. Harden utility rights-of-way against wildfire by encouraging more active management and the removal of dangerous hazard trees. Support wildland firefighters and their families through the creation of a new Casualty Assistance Program.
The House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday on a vote of 279 to 141. It now goes to the Senate.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday declassifying Central Intelligence Agency files on the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
They will be released to the public after more than 50 years.
“More than 50 years after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Federal Government has not released to the public all of its records related to those events. Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay,”the order explained. “I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue. And although no Act of Congress directs the release of information pertaining to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I have determined that the release of all records in the Federal Government’s possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest.”
It will take about 60 days for all of the documents to be released “in full.” Trump said the “families and the American people deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay.”
The Department of Justice and director of national intelligence (nominee Tulsi Gabbard) will develop a plan for the president to complete the release of these documents.
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 required all records related to the assassination of President Kennedy to be publicly disclosed in full by October 26, 2017, unless the President certifies that: (i) continued postponement is made necessary by an identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations; and (ii) the identifiable harm is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in disclosure. President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, section 5(g)(2)(D), Public Law 102-526, 106 Stat. 3443, 3448–49, codified at 44 U.S.C. 2107 note.
“I previously accepted proposed redactions from executive departments and agencies (agencies) in 2017 and 2018, but ordered the continued re-evaluation of those remaining redactions. See Temporary Certification for Certain Records Related to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 82 Fed. Reg. 50,307–08 (Oct. 31, 2017); Certification for Certain Records Related to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 83 Fed. Reg. 19, 157–58 (Apr. 26, 2018). In the Presidential Memorandum of April 26, 2018, I also ordered agencies to re-review each of those redactions over the next 3 years and disclose information that no longer warrants continued withholding under the standard set forth in section 5(g)(2)(D) of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992,” the order explained.
President Biden allowed agencies to delay the release.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski will be a “no” vote on the nomination of Pete Hegseth for the Secretary of Defense. She said his drinking, infidelity, and the accusations against him were factors in her decision:
“Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations, veterans, and Alaskans. After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense. I did not make this decision lightly; I take my constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with the utmost seriousness,” she said.
Murkowski voted to back 12 Biden nominees for his cabinet.
“I commend Pete Hegseth’s service to our nation, including leading troops in combat and advocating for our veterans. However, these accomplishments do not alleviate my significant concerns regarding his nomination. Managing the Department of Defense requires vast experience and expertise as the department is one of the most complex and powerful organizations in the world, and Mr. Hegseth’s prior roles in his career do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility. His leadership of two veteran organizations was marked with accusations of financial mismanagement and problems with the workplace culture he fostered,” she said.
Murkowski voted to confirm Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who oversaw the withdrawal and death of troops from Afghanistan and later disappeared for days, not telling anyone — even the White House — that he was in the hospital for a serious medical condition that required him to undergo surgery. He had not named a person to take over while he was unconscious.
“Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join. Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation,” Murkowski continued.
“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces. These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of servicemembers. Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold these same standards,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski voted to confirm Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who led the reign of terror against Alaska’s economy during the past four years, halting every form of energy and resource development.
“Above all, I believe that character is the defining trait required of the Secretary of Defense, and must be prioritized without compromise. The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook. Given the global security environment we’re operating in, it is critical that we confirm a Secretary of Defense, however, I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth.”
President Donald Trump has chosen Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to run the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
RFK Jr. strongly believes we need to increase our focus on prevention of chronic diseases, we must decrease harmful additives to our food, improve vaccine safety, clean up our environment of toxic chemicals, and get better control of Big Pharma.
Here is what he believes:
Fight the Chronic Disease Epidemic
We are a highly developed country that values innovation in medicine and the curing of disease. Yet, according to the Healthy System Tracker, Disability Adjusted Life Years, the U.S. has the highest rate of disease burden among comparable countries, and the gap is growing. Life expectancy is dropping.
RFK Jr. plans to reorient federal health agencies to focus on chronic diseases and “rid them of Big Pharma’s influence.” In other words, we need to look at the underlying causes of diseases and replace prescription drugs with much healthier lifestyles, where possible.
That will require some individual behavior modification from all of us. It will be your choice — exercise, eat healthier, don’t smoke, less alcohol — or pop a pill.
Processed foods
It was amazing to me to see the number of chemicals and additives we have in our processed foods that are banned in many other countries.
In the 1990s, red dye #3 was banned from cosmetics because of the potential risk for cancer. But it took the federal government until January of 2025 to ban it from our food with the drop-dead date of 2027. RFK Jr. has been fighting for this for 35 years.
Ironically, this dye is found in some milk shakes they give the cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. Thank God we are finally going to do what most of Europe did years ago.
Click on this linkto see the food additives either prohibited or restricted in Europe but still allowed in the U.S.
RFK Jr. has been an ardent supporter of more stringent testing with vaccine production so we can be assured that vaccines are safe and effective. He also wants the government to provide more vaccine information so people can make better decisions on their health and their children’s health.
His desire to get more stringent vaccine testing has led to Big Pharma saying, “he’s an anti-vaxxer.”
RFK Jr. has repeatedly said he is not an anti-vaxxer, but it seems he cannot get away from the negative press on this issue. The gaslighting will continue through his confirmation hearings.
Kennedy told NPR in early November that “we’re not going to take vaccines away from anybody.” He just wants them to be safe and effective.
Remember, the study to approve the jab against the Omicron strain of Covidwas only performed on eight mice. We know that sample size is much too small for valid results. I would have preferred a more robust evaluation before being told this jab was good to go.
Prescription drugs
RFK Jr. is opposed to the cozy relationship between Big Pharma and the FDA; retired FDA directors are known to simply move over to be on the boards of these big drug companies.
RFK Jr. also opposes the TV advertisements for the newest drugs, ads being delivered to the public daily. Have you noticed how many new ads for drugs are being shown recently? I know from experience it drives health providers nuts when a patient wants the newest and greatest drug when something less costly is just as effective.
The environment
RKF Jr. is labeled an environmental zealot. He wants to clean up toxic chemicals from our air, water, and soil. And he wants to ensure “that research into pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, additives, and environmental chemicals is scientifically unbiased.”
I personally welcome his approach to making us a healthier nation. He has been meeting with senators to answer questions so that he can be confirmed as DHHS Secretary.
Sen. Dan Sullivan met with him and was pleased with the dialogue. He will support his confirmation.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski has not publicly stated if she will support RFK Jr.’s confirmation. She did say she met with him and she reiterated what he said were his views on vaccines. However, Murkowski then stated, “she would use Kennedy’s confirmation hearing to question him more before deciding how to vote.”
Take action
Do you believe it’s time to Make America Healthy Again?
Do you believe it’s time to break the cozy relationship between the federal government and Big Pharma?
Do you believe your children and grandchildren deserve healthier foods?
Then you can help support the confirmation of RFK Jr. to be our next secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services.
You can make a big difference. It’s time, Alaskans, for your voices to be heard. Phone calls seem to have a greater impact than emails.
Here are Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s contacts:
510 L Street Suite 600 Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 271-3735 Fax: (877) 857-0322
522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202)-224-6665 Fax: (202)-224-5301
Call, write, email her so she knows what you think. We need RFK Jr. at the helm. We need to get our country healthy again.
Linda Boyle, RN, MSN, DM, was formerly the chief nurse for the 3rd Medical Group, JBER, and was the interim director of the Alaska VA. Most recently, she served as director for Central Alabama VA Healthcare System. She is the director of the Alaska Covid Alliance/Alaskans 4 Personal Freedom.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in an interview with Al Arabiya News said she hopes President Donald Trump will appoint her to some position in his administration, preferably related to energy.
But she said she’s having trouble getting a meeting with Trump because of his gatekeepers.
“Again, President Trump knows where I am. You know, we have a good relationship. He knows that my administrative experience on a local level, at a state level, being chair of resources on a federal level to help with energy independence, he knows my area of expertise. We need to tap into everyone who has an ability and a willingness to serve this country. I’m certainly willing and I’m able. I hope he calls me,” she told Tom Burges-Watson, the interviewer for Al Arabiya.
“I know that there is that question out there as to why I’m not tapped into yet. President Trump has around him some gatekeepers that have made it very difficult to kind of, I guess, ingratiate oneself into the idea of the agenda that must be Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, in an interview with Al Arabiya News, said she hopes President Donald Trump will appoint her to a position in his administration, preferably related to energy.
According to Palin, she could not even secure credentials to attend the Republican nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the summer of 2024, despite being a former vice-presidential nominee who spoke at the podium when she ran with Senator John McCain in 2008. Back then, she was invited to everything, but not now.
“I haven’t been invited to things. That’s OK because you kind of get used to that. I’m not gonna say rejection, but you kind of get used to that redirection. That is protection,” she said, reprising her role as victim.
In the interview, Palin also commented on Trump restoring the name of Mount McKinley after it had been changed to Denali by President Barack Obama in 2015.
“It didn’t need to have its name changed to start with. It’s always been Mount McKinley and McKinley Park. It’s absolutely beautiful. We locals up here and as governor, former governor, we’ve always called it Mount McKinley. So when it was changed to Denali for no reason. No, nobody was begging for a change in name in that peak. Just put it back the way it was, more common sense. There are so many other things that need to be focused on. So changing the name back to what it was from the beginning makes sense.”
Ironically, she called the mountain Denali many times in the past and her code name used by the Secret Service during her vice presidential run was “Denali.”
It wasn’t professional journalists who uncovered that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was defying President Donald Trump’s orders to end diversity-preference hiring. It was citizen journalists.
What these citizens discovered was that after Trump ordered agencies to eliminate all positions dedicated to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), the ATF simply changed the job title of its chief diversity officer, Lisa Boykin.
Must Read Alaska investigated the claim and confirmed its validity. Indeed, Boykin is now listed as “Senior Executive, Office of the Director.” However, on Jan. 20— before Trump’s directive — her title was “Chief Diversity Officer.”
With this new title, it will likely be more difficult to terminate her position and refocus the agency on its essential mission.
Trump’s executive order states, in part:
Each agency, department, or commission head, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Director of OMB, and the Director of OPM, as appropriate, shall take the following actions within sixty days of this order: (i) Terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions (including but not limited to “Chief Diversity Officer” positions); all “equity action plans,” “equity” actions, initiatives, or programs, “equity-related” grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.
Citizen journalists are posting instances of such bureaucratic defiance on X. While anything posted on X must be carefully verified, this case checks out.
One year ago, Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst revealed that the ATF was reclassifying positions within the agency. Specifically, the ATF was unlawfully classifying administrative positions as “law enforcement” roles and had been doing so for decades. This practice violated the law and wasted millions in taxpayer dollars, the senators claimed.
“ATF for years turned a blind eye to classification errors, even after whistleblowers brought it to management’s attention as early as 2018. This maladministration resulted in up to $20 million in overpayments to at least 91 employees who erroneously received enhanced law enforcement salaries and benefits while performing human resources, administrative, and other non-law enforcement duties,” the senators said.
While the ATF lost its authority to reclassify positions as law enforcement in 2020, it has since regained that authority. The reclassification of the DEI position is further evidence that the ATF may be reverting to its previous practices—something the senators explicitly warned against last year.
“Appropriate corrective action must be taken in regard to all employees who allowed taxpayer dollars to be wasted after notification of the aforementioned misconduct,” the senators wrote in 2024. “The American public must know the ATF will not revert to its previous impropriety after the restoration of its classification authority.”
