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Election interference: Facebook edition

Suzanne Downing
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13
Election interference: Facebook edition

Editor’s note: This report will not be posted on Must Read Alaska’s Facebook page because the company is deplatforming conservatives. Join us over on X/Twitter.

Anchorage resident Jay McDonald was one of those who found that a photo he had posted on social media of Donald Trump right after the assassination attempt on July 13 was blocked by Facebook.

He wasn’t the only one. Soon, others were writing about their same experiences. People were posting on X/Twitter their experiences with Facebook’s election interference.

The photo was of Donald Trump triumphantly raising his fist after being shot in the ear. People who posted the photo showed that the image was blocked and blurred by Facebook, with the message that it was an “altered photo.”

The photo that McDonald posted was put on his Facebook page the same day as the shooting in Butler, Penn. and is the same photo that has been seen millions of times around the world.

Dani Lever, a communications employee for Facebook eventually took to X/Twitter to explain that the removal of the photo was an “error.”

Screenshot of Dani Lever’s Twitter post on July 29, 2024.

Critics note, however, that these errors only seem to be applied to conservatives. In McDonald’s case, Facebook did not say it was its system but was “independent fact checkers” who determined his photo to have been doctored.

Earlier, people had noticed that Google and artificial intelligence programs were preventing them from seeing information about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Is Big Tech interfering in elections through memory-holing news of the assassination attempt on Trump?

Alex Gimarc: It’s time for battle space preparation as Anchorage Assembly aims to remove Eklutna dam

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Alex Gimarc: It’s time for battle space preparation as Anchorage Assembly aims to remove Eklutna dam

By ALEX GIMARC

One of the things those of us with military experience consider before the exchanging unpleasantries with the “other side” is choosing and preparing the location most advantageous to whatever it is we want to do and least advantageous to whatever it is the other side wants to do. This is referred to as battlespace preparation.

The battle this time around is the removal of the Eklutna Dam, something it appears that the Anchorage Assembly fully supports. 

Rick Whitbeck has written multiple pieces about what a bad idea this is. Suzanne Downing also has multiple pieces on the festivities.

Assembly overrides mayor on two Eklutna vetoes, sets city up for a lawsuit
Rick Whitbeck: If extremist Anchorage leadership has its way, the Eklutna Dam will be removed

Today’s issue is AO 2024-46, by Chairman Constant and Vice Chairman Zaletel.  This ordinance directs Anchorage Water and Waste Utility to “decouple” the Municipality’s access to drinking water from the 1991 Eklutna Fish and Wildlife Agreement.  This decoupling was introduced April 24.  The first public hearing was on May 7. Action on it has been postponed four times, most recently to July 30.

The agenda is here.

Chugach Electric Board sorts through what it would take to extend decision on Eklutna dam removal

If you sort through the multiple “Whereas” clauses, you find that Mayor Dave Bronson did a brilliant job obstructing the Assembly’s efforts to remove the dam, most recently neglecting to notify the Assembly of a Regulatory Commission of Alaska order for the Municipality to surrender its vote on the Eklutna Operating Committee. This was done as part of its approval of Chugach Electric’s purchase of Municipal Light & Power, agreed to by the Assembly and the Ethan Berkowitz Administration in 2019. The Assembly claims that the Bronson administration did not inform them until December, 2023.

In Jan 2024, AWWU and the Eklutna Owners (Chugach Electric and Matanuska Electric Association) executed a term sheet governing AWWU’s access to drinking water. The Assembly demanded access to the sheet and eventually saw it during a February 2024 executive session. They were not allowed to retain copies, which irritated them greatly, as shown in the “Whereas” statements.  Since then, there has been at least one amendment executed.  

The final “w”Whereas” clause claims public funds, water rights, public lands have been encumbered by agreements that the Assembly was never informed of, and has no voice, while the Bronson Administration withheld “critical information.”  Note that all of this is direct fallout from the ML&P sale that the Assembly, Mayor and Regulatory Commission of Alaska all approved.  

From here, it looks like the Bronson Administration prudently took steps to keep both the lights on in Anchorage and keep drinking water flowing to Anchorage residents (per the AWWU term sheet).  

On the other hand, these steps make it more difficult for the newly self-anointed experts in all things electrical and water on the Assembly to remove the Eklutna dam, something they are hell-bent to do.

The Assembly is in something of a tough spot with this, as MEA doesn’t support the dam’s removal. The Chugach Board got a little less likely to support the removal in April. And the RCA, Legislature and governor don’t support removal, though the greens certainly do support removal. 

Why is the Assembly so hard-over on removing the dam?  I expect the opening bid was obeisance to green dogma. Over the last three years, they included kneejerk opposition to all-things Bronson. Today, I don’t have a publicly stated reason, but if it were me, I would first use the follow the money filter. 

We already know that Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel is making a very nice living off the Homeless Industrial Complex she helped build over the last decade, a complex that has wasted tens of to over a hundred million dollars over that period. Given government-to-government relations established between this Assembly and the 72-member Eklutna tribe, one can only wonder what sorts of offline negotiations and promises have been made. 

In my view, follow the money is the very first thing to look at.  

Passing this ordinance is simply another step toward making it easier to remove the dam. Their problem is that removal will require RCA approval and a compliant governor. Doing something about the RCA will take a while. They think their compliant governor is waiting in the wings when Democrat Forrest Dunbar runs to replace Gov. Dunleavy in 2026.  

I am reminded of PJ O’Rourke’s observation: Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. Think of the Assembly and perhaps even newly ensconced Mayor LaFrance as the teenage boys and you won’t be far wrong.  

Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.

Alex Gimarc: Vote for common sense in the Chugach Electric Association board elections

Groundhog Day: Anchorage to spend even more taxpayer dollars on yet another Climate Action Plan

Suzanne Downing
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32
Groundhog Day: Anchorage to spend even more taxpayer dollars on yet another Climate Action Plan

The July 30 meeting of the Anchorage Assembly contains an action item that could lead to even more regulations for businesses and residents, as well as increased government carrying costs in the future: Another Climate Action Plan is going to be funded.

Mayor Suzanne LaFrance is requesting $362,750 to pay a private company to plan and provide the Climate Action Plan. The contract with Resource Systems Group, Inc., the group being recommended for the award, would run until June 30, 2026.

  1. “The AMATS Climate Action Plan will build on the existing Anchorage Climate Action Plan, inventory transportation greenhouse gas emissions, evaluate strategies to reduce future emissions, update equity data from the AMATS Non-Motorized Plan, and engage a broad array of stakeholders throughout the development of the plan,” according to the LaFrance Administration.

The original climate action plan for Anchorage was adopted by the Anchorage Assembly on May 21, 2019, during the administration of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, a Democrat who left office early due to a scandal involving a local news reporter.

There’s no explanation given by the current mayor’s office as to why another Climate Action Plan is needed. The goals of the first Climate Action Plan for Anchorage still need to be executed. They include:

  1. Continue upgrading street and trail lights to high-efficiency LEDs.
  2. Improve energy and water efficiency in municipal facilities.
  3. Expand local renewable energy generation and use.
  4. Increase opportunities for residents and businesses to implement clean energy technology.
  5. Reduce the number of vehicle trips by offering alternatives for getting around by walking, biking, carpooling, and taking public transit.
  6. Support infrastructure for electric vehicles.
  7. Increase waste diversion.
  8. Capture more potential energy in collected refuse.
  9. Protect forest, wetlands, waterways and urban green spaces.
  10. Prepare for and respond to increased risk of wildfires and other health and safety impacts of climate change.
  11. Conduct a financial analysis to assess and plan for the cost of climate actions.
  12. Evaluate life-cycle costs in planning and procurement.

The prioritizing of planning for climate change comes at the expense of real-world problems that Anchorage is facing, which include a loss of population as working Alaskans move to the MatSu Valley, and the overtaking of the city by large vagrant-and-criminal encampments, which have made walking the streets and trails an unsafe activity for residents, who may choose to use their cars to get around in order to ensure greater safety.

If an average homeowner pays $6,000 in property taxes to Anchorage, that means the tax payments of 61.3 homeowners are being used to finance this new Climate Action Plan. Just the plan, not the action itself.

Meanwhile, China is building two coal plants per week, according to Reuters, which reported last year that China had 243 gigawatts of coal-fired power either approved or under construction, enough to power the whole of Germany.

China began building coal-fired plants with a total capacity of 37 GW in the first half of this year, and approved 52 GW of new projects, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Global Energy Monitor, whose dataset shows the Bank of China to be the largest financier of coal plant construction globally, with over $6.5 billions invested, while China Construction Bank has $3.3 billion invested in coal plant manufacturing.

“The climate cult must be celebrating the return of its influence with Municipal leadership,” said Rick Whitbeck, Alaska state director of Power The Future.  “Spending $362,000 to refresh a completely unnecessary and cost-prohibitive set of criteria that will lead to increased municipal costs seems counter-productive to rational people. Yet, here we are with doing just that under the two-headed monster of Chris Constant and Suzanne LaFrance. Anchorage needs to focus on crime, homelessness and economic development, and less on trivial matters that only will line pockets of special interests at taxpayer expense.”

While you were sleeping: National debt hit $35 trillion

Suzanne Downing
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20
While you were sleeping: National debt hit $35 trillion

Overnight, the National Debt Clock turned a big number: $35 trillion is the current national debt for the United States of America. That’s $104,000 of debt for every individual in the United States, and over $267,400 for every actual taxpayer.

The public debt to gross domestic product ratio for the U.S. is now 89.72%, not the highest in the world. That honor belongs to Japan, which has a public debt to GDP ratio of over 300%. Japan is also the largest foreign holder of U.S. treasury securities, with Japanese banks, pension funds, and other financial institutions holding more than $1.1 trillion at the end of 2023.

When the federal government spends more than it takes in, the government simply borrows money to cover the deficit. Each year as the debt grows, the interest rate on it gobbles up more and more of the taxpayers’ contributions.

In the past, large deficits were linked to national emergencies like major wars or the Great Depression. But in 2024, there is a structural issue that involves shrinking participation in the workforce, aging baby-boomer population, the explosion of health care costs and transfers of that cost to the taxpayers. Even while many Americans pay up to 50% of their salaries to the government in the way of local, state, and federal taxes, the debt is outstripping their contributions.

Stray dogs are a federal responsibility? Murkowski prioritizes free vet services for Native villages

View the U.S. National Debt Clock at this link.

National debt closes in on $35 trillion

Sally Pipes: Medicare’s doomsday clock ticks closer to midnight

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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8
Sally Pipes: Medicare’s doomsday clock ticks closer to midnight

By SALLY C. PIPES

One day, our grandchildren may talk about Medicare the way we talk about Bernie Madoff.

Medicare’s trustees recently released their annual report on the program’s finances, and things are not looking good. The entitlement spent $12 billion more than it took in from taxes in 2023. Absent change, Medicare’s Part A hospital insurance trust fund will be exhausted by 2036.

Years ago, there may have been more than enough workers to cover the cost of Medicare for many fewer retirees — and sock away some extra in the accounting fiction that is the Part A trust fund. Those days are gone. Soon, Medicare won’t be able to collect enough in taxes from workers to pay for the benefits that retirees are redeeming. 

Sounds an awful lot like a Ponzi scheme. Preserving the program for future generations will require harnessing the power of competition to lower costs and bringing eligibility requirements into the modern era.

A new report from the Paragon Health Institute highlights Medicare’s problem. The average American who turned 65 in 2020 will receive $176,500 more in Medicare benefits than they paid in. One who retires in 2030 is on track to receive $248,500 more than they paid in.

Some 62 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare in 2023. By 2033, that number is projected to swell to 78 million. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that by the following year, Medicare spending will account for just over 17% of the federal budget and 4% of GDP.

Medicare’s growth is fueled by an aging population. Americans 65 and older will make up nearly one-quarter of the population by 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates. 

Americans are also living longer. Men who make it to age 65 can expect to log another 17.5 years; life expectancy for women who reach 65 is another 20.2 years. That’s an increase of 4.5 years for men and almost four years for women, relative to 1965, when Medicare was created.

Yet Medicare’s eligibility age — 65 — has remained the same since the program’s inception. Given improvements in longevity, raising the age at which Americans become eligible makes sense — and would ease some of the fiscal pressure on the program.

But that’s not the only way to save Medicare from insolvency. The program can institute more “means-testing,” to ensure that richer beneficiaries pay for a greater share of their coverage than their poorer counterparts.

For example, lawmakers could lower the threshold at which means-testing already kicks in for premiums for Medicare Part B, which covers physician services, and Part D, which covers prescription drugs. Right now, only individuals who make more than $103,000 a year — and couples who make more than $206,000 a year — face additional costs in Parts B and D. 

Policymakers need not limit themselves to income when formulating means-testing policies. As the Paragon Health Institute report points out, Social Security calculates benefits based on lifetime earnings. Medicare could do something similar.

There are any number of roads back to Medicare solvency. Medicare’s choice is no longer between change and the status quo. It’s between change and dissolution.

Sally C. Pipes is President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute. Her latest book is “False Premise, False Promise: The Disastrous Reality of Medicare for All” (Encounter 2020). Follow her on X/Twitter @sallypipes. This column was originally published by PennLive.

Breaking: Fairbanks Assembly member rescinds resignation, will stay on and fight corruption

Suzanne Downing
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13
Breaking: Fairbanks Assembly member rescinds resignation, will stay on and fight corruption

On second thought, Fairbanks Assemblyman Brett Rotermund has decided he won’t resign from the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

Last week, Rottermund resigned after a vote was taken by the Assembly to censure one of the conservative members of the Assembly, Barbara Haney, after a citizen associated with the Assembly’s Presiding Officer Savannah Fletcher had filed a complaint about an opinion column that Haney had written in the local newspaper, the Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

Rotermund at the time he resign last week said he would not be part of an unconstitutional action to violate someone’s First Amendment rights.

After the weekend had passed, however, Rotermund had heard from many people in Fairbanks, from both sides of the political spectrum, asking him to rescind his resignation. He did so in an email to the Borough Clerk.

The resignation, after all, would not be final until the Assembly meets again on Aug. 8 and votes on whether to accept it. Now, the Assembly won’t have to do that.

Assembly Presiding Officer Savannah Fletcher, who started her career with Black Lives Matter and who is an attorney for the radical Northern Justice Project, has worked to smack down any opposing voices on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and across the state. She has gone after conservatives, such as Rep. David Eastman, Rep. Kevin McCabe, Sen. Lora Reinbold and the MatSu Borough Library Committee.

Rotermund said that in hindsight, he should have just announced that he could not participate in the unconstitutional action, and leave it at that. But hindsight is 20-20, he said on Monday, as he began his work day after chilling over the weekend at his cabin.

The people of Fairbanks rallied for him, he said, and he realized he can’t fight corruption if he walks away. The Assembly, Rotermund said, needs to have a dissenting voice.

Fairbanks leftist Savannah Fletcher has a huge conflict of interest she did not disclose
Breaking: Fairbanks assemblyman resigns after Assembly majority censures another member’s free speech

Is Big Tech interfering in elections through memory-holing news of the assassination attempt on Trump?

Suzanne Downing
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6
Is Big Tech interfering in elections through memory-holing news of the assassination attempt on Trump?

An experiment going around social media goes like this: Pull up a Google search box and type in “assassination attempt” and then wait to see what Google auto-populates the rest of your search with.

For many, the rest of the search is for people like Hitler, Reagan, Truman, or other figures. Nowhere does the word “Trump” appear, even though on July 13, an assassin came within centimeters from taking his life with a spray of bullets.

Must Read Alaska tested the experiment over two days. Our results agree with the critics:

Screenshot of a search on Google on July 29, 2024.

We tried it another way. This time we typed in “assassination attempt trump.” The result was … no result. The field would not auto-populate with any information. By hitting the “I’m Feeling Lucky” key, we were directed to a story from USA Today that had the topic of the need for gun control.

Screenshot from July 28, 2024.

Then, we tried typing “assassination attempt on t” to see what would auto-populate. This is the helpful result: “truman” and “the pope”:

Screenshot from July 29, 2024.

We also tried other search terms, like “Trump assassination attempt,” and saw similar results, with no additional terms offered by Google.

“Big Tech is trying to interfere in the election AGAIN to help Kamala Harris,” wrote Donald Trump Jr. on X. “We all know this is intentional election interference from Google. Truly despicable.”

Elon Musk, who is the majority owner of X, was pulled into the quest to see if Google is slanting its search function. He typed in the words “president donald” and received the result “president donald duck” as his first result.

Screenshot from July 28, 2024.

“They’re getting themselves into a lot of trouble if they interfere with the election,” Musk commented.

Must Read Alaska was not able to replicate the Musk search result and it’s possible that the scrutiny by Musk forced the company to adjust its results overnight.

Robby Starbuck reminded his followers that Google executives were unhinged after Trump won the election in 2016, and that the company has vast control over the information that people receive online:

It’s not just Google. Here’s what Big Tech’s artificial intelligence is saying about the assassination attempt against Trump earlier this month: Nothing.

This query is from Meta A.I., which is the company that owns Facebook:

Screenshot from July 28.

We then asked Chat GPT to “tell me about the assassination attempt on Trump.” The is the result, even two weeks after the attempt on Trump’s life during a campaign rally in Butler, Penn.:

Screenshot from July 29, 2024.

In 2020, Google and other media giants claimed that at least 149 million citizens voted in the general election that brought Joe Biden into the White House, for a turnout which would have been 97% of registered voters at the time.

Media claims turnout for election was 97 percent of registered voters in U.S.

(With what appears to be “memory-holing” (the intentional suppression of history) of news on Donald Trump, it will be helpful for readers to share our stories on social media. We expect this story to be suppressed by Big Tech. Thank you.)

Dunleavy to sign four bills in Fairbanks on Monday

Suzanne Downing
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4
Dunleavy to sign four bills in Fairbanks on Monday

Gov. Mike Dunleavy will be at the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks on Monday for a bill signing ceremony, taking up four House bills that have Fairbanks-area sponsors.

House Bill 104, sponsored by Rep. Mike Cronk, addresses the salvaging of insect-decayed wood from state forests. After an insect infestation, such as the occasional spruce bark beetle infestations, timber dies by the millions of board feet and can become a fire hazard. The legislation directs the Division of Forestry to focus on areas of commercially viable timber where fire dangers are high. The prioritization may provide fuel for biomass energy production and expansion.

In addition to Rep. Cronk, other legislators co-sponsoring the bill include, Reps. George Rauscher, Kevin McCabe, Tom McKay, Jess Sumner, Fran Tomaszewski, Craig Johnson, Ben Carpenter, Sarah Vance, DeLena Johnson, Justin Ruffridge, and Stanley Wright; also Sens. Jesse Bjorkman, Kelly Merrick, Mike Shower, Bert Stedman, James Kaufman, and Shelley Hughes.

House Bill 155, sponsored by Rep. Will Stapp, is an act establishing the Alaska Military Affairs Commission. which will provide advice, counsel, and recommendations on military issues and economic and industrial development related to military issues to the governor, state agencies, the legislature, communities, and the state’s congressional delegation. The AMAC will work to expand and grow the current presence of the armed forces in the state, including new bases, expanded missions, and increased training.

In addition to Stapp, other legislators co-sponsoring House Bill 155 are Reps. Frank Tomaszewski, Julie Coulombe, Alyse Galvin, Cliff Groh, Dan Saddler, Mike Cronk, Stanley Wright, Kevin McCabe, Andy Josephson, Maxine Dibert, and George Rauscher; also Sens. Jesse Bjorkman, Forrest Dunbar, Scott Kawasaki, Robb Myers, Kelly Merrick, Mike Shower, Click Bishop, Matt Claman, Gary Stevens, Bill Wielechowski, Elvi Gray-Jackson, Bert Stedman, Loki Tobin, Shelley Hughes, and James Kaufman.

House Bill 233, sponsored by Rep. Frank Tomaszewski, makes a key change to the auto warranty statute by adding time allowances to the schedule of compensation for warranty work. Thousands of Alaskans benefit from warranty work every year as part of their agreement with auto manufacturers from whom they’ve purchased their car. By agreeing to sell cars on behalf of certain manufacturers, auto dealers assume the responsibility of coordinating the time and labor spent performing warranty repair work on their cars. The bill takes an approach used by states like Colorado, Montana, and Illinois by requiring that manufacturers compensate dealers for warranty work at the same rates and time allowances that the dealer charges retail customers for similar, non-warranty work.

In addition to Tomaszewski, other legislators co-sponsoring the bill include Reps. Laddie Shaw, Andy Josephson, Will Stapp, Julie Coulombe, Ashley Carrick, Stanley Wright, Jamie Allard, Mike Cronk, Justin Ruffridge, Louise Stutes, Mike Prax, Sarah Vance, Daniel Ortiz, Neal Foster, Alyse Galvin, Tom McKay, Jennie Armstrong, and Jesse Sumner; also, Sens. Robert Myers, Matt Claman, Jesse Bjorkman, and Elvi Gray-Jackson

House Bill 237, sponsored by Rep. Mike Prax, addresses the shortage of nurses in Alaska. Currently, a nurse whose license has lapsed and who is seeking license reinstatement in Alaska is not allowed to be issued a nonrenewable temporary permit. However, a nurse seeking a license for the first time in Alaska can be issued a temporary permit. H.B. 237 may help nurses get back to work faster.

In addition to Rep. Prax, other legislators co-sponsoring the bill are Reps. Rebecca Himschoot, Stanley Wright, Dan Saddler, Alyse Galvin, Andy Josephson, George Rauscher, Ben Carpenter, Daniel Ortiz, Frank Tomaszewski, Donna Mears, and Cathy Tilton; also Sens. Robert Myers, Shelley Hughes, David Wilson, Scott Kawasaki, James Kaufman, Loki Tobin, Mike Shower, Forrest Dunbar, Matt Claman, Jesse Bjorkman, Kelly Merrick, Bert Stedman, and Click Bishop.

The bill signing is Monday at 12:30 p.m. on the Usibelli Stage, at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds, 1800 College Road, in Fairbanks. Founded in 1924, the Tanana Valley State Fair is the oldest fair in the state.

Slipping away: This is the week the sun sets in Utqiagvik

Suzanne Downing
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3
Slipping away: This is the week the sun sets in Utqiagvik

This is the week when the sun will dip below the horizon in America’s northernmost community, Barrow, also called Utqiagvik. There are only three more days of the “midnight sun” in 2024 for the city of 4,300 Alaskans in the North Slope Borough, where the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas meet.

Here’s the sun schedule: On Thursday, Aug. 1, the sun will set at 2:16 a.m. and rise during the same hour — at 2:51 a.m. It will set again at 1:50 a.m. on Aug. 2, for about 22:58:43 hours of daylight. The sun will rise at 3:17 a.m. on Aug. 2.

And so begins the daily reduction of actual daylight until Sept. 22, the autumnal equinox.

On Sunday, it’s 35F degrees in Barrow, 71°17’N / 156°47’W, with light winds from the east.

Solar noon in Barrow will be at 2:33 p.m. on Aug. 1.

Utqiagvik says ‘so long’ to the sun, but Deadhorse has a few more days of sunlight to go
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