If you thought the trails and greenbelts around Anchorage were becoming overwhelmed with vagrant homesteaders, welcome to downtown Anchorage, where the views are breathtaking — if you can overlook the human sprawl and excrement on the sidewalks.
Once a hub of commerce and entertainment, the city’s core now resembles a set from a post-apocalyptic docuseries, complete with tents, tarps, and territorial disputes over electrical outlets — all under the overflowing flower baskets provided by the city.
In this exclusive photo series — part of our summer coverage of the new-normal under Mayor Suzanne LaFrance — we take you on a 12-hour tour of a downtown where flower baskets and vagrancy are the key features. But relief may be on the horizon, if you consider 24 government-built sheds to be constructed at Elmore Road and Tudor Road a solution. The question isn’t whether those sheds will be ready. It’s whether the downtown population is willing to trade prime park real estate for a “Crampground” compound far from their favorite haunts.
An encampment is popping up again at Town Square Park after the city cleaned it up.
Bird’s eye view of Town Square Park encampment on Tuesday evening, Aug. 5, as squatters settle in for the night. Borealis Broadband camera screenshot.
Municipal worker picks up litter from Town Square Park before 8 am on Aug. 6, 2025.
Brand new hat, brand new sleeping bag, brand new tent, and a snug spot on the Delaney Park Strip in downtown Anchorage on the evening of Aug. 5, 2025. Our previous coverage has featured similar brand-new tents, likely provided by non-profits with government funds.
Along the Historic City Hall property on 4th Ave. before 8 am on Aug. 6, 2025.
Sleeping it off at 5th Ave. and E Street on Wednesday morning, Aug. 6, 2025.
Watch where you step. Human waste is everywhere in downtown Anchorage. Wednesday morning, Aug. 6, 2025.
Wednesday morning, Aug. 6, 2025 in downtown Anchorage.
Our other coverage of Anchorage vagrancy includes what is happening in the greenbelts:
US Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s standing with Alaska voters has taken a serious hit, according to a new poll conducted by Alaska Survey Research from July 29 to August 1.
As she toys with the idea of running for governor, the poll shows a dramatic downturn in her favorability ratings, especially among moderate and progressive voters, once key components of her support base.
Murkowski’s overall favorable rating now stands at 33%, down 13 percentage points from April. Her unfavorable rating has risen to 60%, up 15 points over the same period. This marks a net favorability swing of negative 28 points, a steep decline in just four months.
Breakdown by Political Affiliation
Moderates: Murkowski’s net favorability among moderate voters dropped from +28 in April to +2, a 26-point fall.
Progressives: The decline was even more pronounced among progressives, where her net favorability plummeted from +54 to -21, a 75-point drop.
Conservatives: Her ratings among conservatives remain largely unchanged at -64, reflecting a long-standing dissatisfaction.
The erosion of support from progressives and moderates raises questions about Murkowski’s political future. Once seen as a centrist who could navigate Alaska’s unique political terrain, she now finds herself isolated from both the left and the right. At age 68, she has two years left in her Senate term. She will be 70 during her next campaign for Senate, but if she decides to run for governor, she’d be 70 during her first year of office. Either way, it’s a big decision.
Much of the recent liberal discontent may stem from Murkowski’s support of the Big Beautiful Bill, a federal package she voted for earlier this summer. While the bill included major infrastructure investments and energy provisions favorable to Alaska, it has drawn sharp criticism from her leftist base voters for what they view as concessions to industry and compromises on climate and social safety net funding.
These latest numbers may complicate that path to governor. With progressives now turning against her and no gains among conservatives, she appears to be politically adrift.
The senior senator has lost support from the very voters who once buoyed her through multiple election cycles, including her write-in campaign against Joe Miller and her campaign being behind the rigging of Alaska elections with ranked-choice voting, so she would not have to face a Republican primary. As political chatter grows around a possible gubernatorial bid, this data suggests that if Murkowski intends to mount any campaign, she’s in a world of hurt with the voters.
The Anchorage School District’s Office of Emergency Management announced it will begin a pilot program this winter that introduces portable metal detectors at select schools.
The initiative is the District’s effort to proactively address growing concerns over campus security. Officials emphasized that the use of the detectors is not intended as a disciplinary tool, but rather a preventative safety measure.
“This is a proactive approach to enhancing school safety,” the District stated in its announcement. “It is not a disciplinary measure, but one that supports the overall safety of our students and staff.”
During the pilot phase, three portable metal detector units will be deployed. Following the initial rollout, ASD plans to rotate the detectors across its campuses. The rotation will be conducted on a random basis, though officials noted that deployments may also occur in response to credible safety threats.
The metal detectors will not be permanent fixtures at any school. Instead, the District is opting for a mobile strategy that can adapt to varying safety needs across the school system.
Further details on how schools will be selected for the pilot and what procedures will be in place for screenings are expected to be shared with families before the rollout begins.
The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Esthepen Delossantos Pebenito, a fugitive wanted in connection with a 2019 methamphetamine distribution case in Anchorage.
Pebenito, who also goes by the names “Pepe” and “Stephen Pebenito,” was charged in federal court and a warrant for his arrest was issued on July 22, 2021, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. He is wanted for the distribution of controlled substances and has remained at large for more than four years.
According to authorities, Pebenito has known ties to Anchorage, as well as to locations in Hawaii, California, Nevada, and the Philippines. He is described as approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, with black hair and tattoos on his abdomen and back.
The FBI warns that Pebenito should be considered armed and dangerous, and an escape risk.
The search for Pebenito is part of the FBI’s broader “Summer Heat” initiative, a national effort aimed at reducing violent crime during the summer months. The strategy involves intensified collaboration with state and local partners, the execution of federal warrants, and the targeting of violent offenders and gangs across the country.
Anyone with information about Pebenito’s whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
A wanted poster for Pebenito can be viewed at FBI.gov.
US Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska is taking a lead role in efforts to curb the influence of hostile foreign regimes on American higher education. The legislation he introduced earlier in the Senate, known as the Securing Academia from Foreign Entanglements (SAFE) Act, received new momentum today with companion legislation introduced in the US House by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.).
The SAFE Act targets financial entanglements between American universities and foreign countries of concern, prohibiting institutions of higher education from accepting gifts or entering into contracts with those nations. It also mandates greater transparency by requiring universities to disclose all financial ties to “covered nations” to the Department of Education, the FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Sullivan has repeatedly raised alarms about how adversarial nations, notably China, use financial leverage to infiltrate American academic institutions, influence curricula, and compromise research integrity. His legislation aims to close longstanding loopholes in the Higher Education Act of 1965 that have allowed foreign funding to go largely unmonitored.
“Our universities are places of innovation, freedom, and thought leadership,” Sullivan said when introducing the Senate version. “They should never serve as entry points for adversaries seeking to exploit our openness.”
The bill specifically amends current federal law to ban universities from accepting funds or forming agreements with governments deemed a national security threat. It further empowers federal agencies to track and assess foreign influence through mandatory reporting of contracts and donations, actions that have previously gone underreported.
The House introduction by Steube strengthens the bill’s chances of moving forward in the 118th Congress. It comes amid growing bipartisan concern over China’s use of Confucius Institutes and other foreign-backed academic partnerships that critics say pose risks to both free expression and national security. University of Alaska Anchorage had a Confucius Institute established in 2008 in partnership with China’s Northeast Normal University, which focused on Chinese language and cultural education.
If enacted, the SAFE Act would tighten federal oversight over the financial pipelines between foreign governments and US universities.
Sullivan has been a vocal proponent of decoupling American institutions from foreign influence, and the SAFE Act is the latest example of his focus on safeguarding critical sectors — from academia to infrastructure — from external threats.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor hasn’t officially declared his candidacy for governor, but his actions tell a different story.
On Monday night, Taylor held yet another gathering — this time in a private Wasilla hangar — with no broad public invitation, no official campaign sponsoring it, no host organization listed, no disclaimer made — and RSVP required via a phone number with no name attached.
It’s unclear what role the State of Alaska played in the event, but Taylor used his official title and his family assures us this was not a campaign event.
Yet it wasn’t just an appearance at a conference or symposium. Taylor was the main event at this meet-and-greet. And his topic wasn’t just law and order. Alaska’s top lawman was talking about oil and gas, including the Alaska LNG project. He was talking about Alaska’s economic future. He was talking about things Republican candidates talk about.
AG Taylor has being doing more appearances this year, and the pace of public talks are out of character for both Taylor and for his attorney general predecessors, who generally have kept a low profile.
AG Treg Taylor at the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, where he was the featured speaker July 9, 2025.
The events appear to be strategic pre-campaign opportunities intended to raise Taylor’ profile’s name ID among the donor class. As an attorney and Alaska’s top law officer, Taylor knows just how far he can go legally without breaking the law, but his actions give the appearance of someone laying the groundwork for a campaign, and doing so while holding a sworn office.
A little digging revealed that the RSVP phone number for the Wasilla event traces back to a now-dissolved company, Precision Exploration, linked in Dun & Bradstreet to Dmitry Kudryn, who has a fraud conviction on his record. Must Read Alaska found the press release from the Department of Justice describing his conviction, and writer Craig Medred wrote about Kudryn in this expansive column in 2019:
The sentencing announcement from the US Department of Justice supports what writer Medred described:
Must Read Alaska also found Dmitry Kudryn is a major donor to Republican candidates. In 2022 he donated $10,000 to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s reelection campaign, and he has donated at least $2,500 to Wasilla Sen. Rob Yundt’s campaigns. His political donation record goes back years. His federal contributions to the Donald Trump campaign are impressive:
Screenshot
Thus, Dmitry Kudryn is likely political donor for upcoming statewide elections.
More documentation is below about now-dissolved Precision Exploration.
Screenshot Dun & Bradstreet
Vitaly Kudryn, who is the only name listed in the state records for Precision Exploration, is Dmitry’s brother and doesn’t appear to have any of the troubling court records that Dmitry has. The brothers are Ukrainian-Americans also associated with other businesses in Alaska, such as Crave LLC, which sold electronic accessories, iPhone/iPad cords, external charging batteries, decorative iPhone cases and other related items. That company is currently out of compliance at the Department of Commerce, according to state records.
But the main question remains: Since Monday’s event is one in a series of profile-building events Taylor has had in recent weeks, is AG Taylor running a stealth campaign already, without declaring that he is a candidate for governor?
Other Republicans who are declared candidates include Sen. Shelley Hughes, former Sen. Click Bishop, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, political activist Bernadette Wilson, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, Dr. Matt Heilala, and former Angoon City Council member James Parkin. All are Republican. In addition, Commissioner of Revenue Adam Crum’s last day is Aug. 8, and he is expected to announce for governor shortly thereafter.
In 1891, Calvin Coolidge began a four-semester philosophy course taught by Charles E. Garman which all Amherst students were required to take. The ethics class portion had a positive impact on his life. He later wrote in his autobiography,
“In ethics he taught us that there is a standard of righteousness. That might does not make right, that the end does not justify the means and that expediency as a working principle is bound to fail.”
Almost one 135 years later, how do we, as Alaskans, now measure that standard? Have we internalized the appeal of righteousness only to negotiate this appraisal with power, reward and convenience?
If we can judge the weight of our principles against a majority opposing our standard, when do we quit and stop being persistent?
My answer is “Never!”
Today, by the ill-tempered actions of Alaska’s legislature, principles are replaced with vague vaporous slogans, reminding us that the best way to catch politicians in a lie is to watch their lips move or just read their social media posts.
This is an indictment of political cowardice masked as pragmatism. When State Senator James Kaufman posts on his Facebook page, “we took some good first steps”, we as voters must be reminded that leadership without principle is ultimately betrayal.
Instead of insisting on meaningful reform, Kaufman claims “My vote today was a restatement of my commitment to improving education in Alaska” legitimizing that the Alaska Legislature is not concerned about achieving improvements, just prolonging the true agony of poor education outcomes for Alaska’s progeny.
Our law-making body betrays ethical governance and ignores the way those outcomes are pursued. The real improvements come from eliminating all components of Alaska’s education system which do not teach Alaska’s children and strengthening those that do…parent, student, teachers and performance outcomes.
The legislature’s habit of embracing shortcuts, backroom bargains, and survival-based compromises may yield fleeting political wins, hollow praise, and instant gratification, primarily for those employed within Alaska’s education bureaucracy, including some of these elected members. But the irony is inescapable: claiming to improve education while replicating the same failed results of the past decades will only further erode public trust, undermine institutional integrity, and sacrifice lasting outcomes for superficial progress.
Expediency in Alaska politics is the rule and never the exemption.
He continues with a profoundly simple aspiration for our current generation, “The only hope of perfecting human relationship is in accordance with the law of service under which men are not so solicitous about what they shall get as they are about what they shall give.”
Coolidge understood that the pursuit of a more perfect society is not found in isolation, but in association through relationships built on service, not self-interest. Human relationships are never perfect, but their improvement rests not in the concentration of authority, especially in the hands of those detached from the people they govern.
Too often, that authority is exercised by individuals with little real knowledge or lived experience yet cloaked in institutional power. Their governance feigns compassion but masks a deeper aim, albeit in some cases, unconscious and incompetent, to oppress through policy while enriching influence and entrenching themselves. We witness this now in epidemic proportions.
In contrast, the law of service, the willingness to give more than one seeks to receive, is the only foundation capable of strengthening human connection and building lasting civic trust. It is here, in this ethic of giving, that true reform is born, not in power held, but in service rendered. A lesson perennially avoided by Alaska’s legislature and its current members.
Coolidge’s observation sits comfortably alongside Lincoln’s call for “the better angels of our nature,” or Christ’s teaching that “he who would be greatest among you must be the servant of all.”
It’s more than a moral ideal. Alaska urgently needs to rediscover the tenets of American governance rooted in limited government, individual liberty, civic virtue, and popular sovereignty. Those ideals have quietly slipped from the political landscape. They’re not occasional exceptions, they are the foundation.
He counters with, “Yet people are entitled to the rewards of their industry. What they earn is theirs, no matter how small or how great. But the possession of property carries the obligation to use it in a larger service. For a man not to recognize the truth, not to be obedient to the law, not to render allegiance to the State, is for him to be at war with his own nature, to commit suicide.”
Through our continued learning and pursuit of a stable, productive life, we understand that true entitlements are earned, not handed over to those trapped in collective apathy and denial. Instead, they are to be shared in the spirit of purpose, knowing that the gifts we cultivate in ourselves can help give rise to other productive lives.
We are not a democracy. We are a republic. Nowhere is “republic” found in our state constitution, but it is embodied in its principles, representative democracy, checks and balances, and limited government.
Coolidge calls for a balanced civic ethic where we all take on the responsibility to contribute, uphold truth and serve the republic. When these are rejected, it doesn’t just damage our state’s integrity but sabotages our humanity from continually improving.
He concludes, “That is why ‘the wages of sin is death.’ Unless we live rationally we perish, physically, mentally, spiritually.”
The reward of wrongdoing is more than a physical death, it is a spiritual departure from the brilliance of the Gift of God. Romans 6:23 bears the importance of the profound impact of the karma enunciated in all spiritual endeavors as does every other faith on this planet.
It’s a moral warning: When individuals, and society, abandon rational, virtuous living, they collapse. It’s both deeply personal and broadly political. It suggests that ethical decline isn’t just wrong. It’s failure.
Alaska Airlines is charting new international territory with a striking new livery design.
The Seattle-based carrier on Tuesday announced two new transatlantic routes launching in 2026, with nonstop service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport and Reykjavik’s Keflavik Airport. The airline is rapidly expanding its global reach following its 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. It had also purchased Virgin America in 2016.
Both European routes are set to launch in the spring with daily, year-round service planned for London, which is one of the most sought-after destinations for American travelers and a key hub for Alaska’s Oneworld alliance partners.
As part of the announcement, Alaska Airlines revealed a new design for the aircraft that will serve these long-haul flights, retiring the iconic image of the Alaska Inuit Native man that has adorned the airline’s tailfins for decades.
The new look, reserved for the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, replaces the human portrait with flowing swashes of blue and green intended to evoke the aurora borealis.
The rebrand is described by the airline as a tribute to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, with the aurora motif symbolizing connectivity and global reach. The “Alaska” wordmark remains prominent near the front of the aircraft in navy blue.
The Dreamliner jets, set to enter service in the coming year, represent Alaska’s first foray into twin-aisle aircraft, a move necessary to support intercontinental service. The carrier has historically focused on domestic and short-haul international flights, primarily within North America.
The announcement is part of a broader post-merger strategy that aims to turn Alaska into a formidable player in international travel markets, particularly for West Coast flyers seeking more direct connections overseas.
Flights to Reykjavik and London will be available for booking later this year, the airline said.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued a set of subpoenas Tuesday to several high-profile former officials that includes former President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former FBI Director James Comey, as part of the panel’s ongoing investigation into the federal government’s handling of sex trafficking laws and the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was a former associate of former Anchorage Daily News owner Alice Rogoff.
Others subpoenaed were issued to former US Attorneys General Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales, and former FBI Director Robert Mueller.
The move is an escalation in the House-led probe into what Comer has described as “decades of institutional failures” in the investigation and prosecution of Epstein and his network. The committee is specifically scrutinizing the use of non-prosecution agreements, the handling of plea deals, and the role of federal officials in decisions related to Epstein and Maxwell’s cases.
In a letter to former President Clinton, Comer cited his past ties to Epstein, referencing flight logs showing Clinton aboard Epstein’s private jet in the early 2000s. Comer also pointed to an unearthed photograph showing Clinton receiving a massage from a woman who has since identified herself as one of Epstein’s trafficking victims.
The letter further alleges Clinton may have intervened to suppress reporting on Epstein. “It has also been claimed that you pressured Vanity Fair not to publish sex trafficking allegations against your ‘good friend’ Mr. Epstein,” Comer wrote. The committee is also seeking clarification on conflicting reports about whether Clinton ever visited Epstein’s private island.
Chairman Comer’s letter to Hillary Clinton raises questions about her proximity to Ghislaine Maxwell and notes that Maxwell’s nephew worked for Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and was later hired at the State Department when Clinton served as Secretary of State.
Comer says the purpose of the subpoenas is to “inform legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations.”
The subpoenas arrive just ahead of highly anticipated testimony from Ghislaine Maxwell, which had been scheduled for Aug. 11. That appearance has been postponed pending the outcome of Maxwell’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The House inquiry adds to mounting pressure on the Department of Justice to declassify files related to Epstein, including records believed to detail his associates and clients. Critics have long accused the federal government of stonewalling the release of those documents — including surveillance videos and visitor logs — since Epstein’s death in federal custody in 2019.
Chairman Comer has not indicated whether additional subpoenas may follow or if public hearings will be scheduled.
All individuals named in the subpoenas have been given until later this month to respond.
