In celebration of the upcoming commissioning of the new US Coast Guard Cutter Storis, the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum will host a free screening of STORIS: The Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast, with filmmaker and Alaska State Library archivist Damon Stuebner in attendance. The screening is Saturday, Aug. 9, at 1 pm in the APK Lecture Hall at Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum on Whittier Street.
Commissioning of the icebreaker will follow on Sunday in Juneau, with details in this report:
The 100-minute documentary traces the remarkable 64-year service of the original USCGC Storis, from the icy fjords of Greenland to the stormy waters of the Bering Sea. Commissioned in 1942 for World War II, the Storis was the only vessel of its design and class. It became the first U.S. ship to navigate the Northwest Passage, undertook daring search-and-rescue missions, and carried out major fisheries law enforcement, earning the nickname “the Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast.”
Over the decades, Storis played a pivotal role in Alaska’s history. It provided relief after the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, conducted icebreaking to support construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and served as a command ship for the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup.
In 1991, it was named “Queen of the Fleet” as the oldest commissioned cutter in the Coast Guard, before being decommissioned in Kodiak in 2007.
The screening offers an opportunity to revisit a unique chapter of Alaska’s military and maritime history ahead of the arrival of the new cutter that will carry the Storis name into the future.
This year, the Legislature passed HB 57, which locked in the largest permanent Base Student Allocation (BSA) increase in Alaska’s history, adding $184 million a year to school district budgets. When the governor vetoed $200 of the $700 per-student increase from the budget, amounting to $50.6 million, the Legislature overrode him in special session. That means districts will now receive the full $184 million with no real guarantee of better results for Alaskan children.
Supporters of the override say the money was needed to avoid “starving” districts, to reward minor policy changes, and to provide stable funding. The truth is that Alaska’s education system is already among the most expensive in the nation and among the worst for results. More money without serious reform will only lock in failure.
Alaska spends over $18,000 per student yet ranks 51st out of 53 states and territories in academic performance. Parents are voting with their feet, pulling their children from neighborhood schools in favor of charter schools, homeschooling, or private education. And chronic absenteeism, especially in the bush schools, is rampant.
Since the foundation formula is tied to average daily membership, declining numbers should trigger reduced funding. Instead, the Legislature increased spending via a higher BSA for the same districts without requiring better test scores, higher graduation rates, or other performance measures.
As I have said before, “Alaska’s education cartel is counting kids for cash.” And with fewer kids, they need more cash per kid to retain jobs. And this “cash” is free to them; just get the NEA to trigger Alaskans via emotional, media-supported rhetoric, and voila, other people’s money appears.
Some point to policy changes tied to HB 57, such as class size caps or cellphone bans, as reform. However, these provisions in the final bill are weak, often optional, and do not address the root causes of enrollment loss. Parents are leaving because of poor curricula, a lack of accountability, and limited school choice.
Article VII, Section 1 of Alaska’s Constitution requires a public school system, but it does not mandate automatic funding increases. The 2011 Moore v. State ruling confirmed that a “meaningful educational opportunity” requires rational standards, effective assessments, and strong oversight alongside adequate funding. Judge Sharon Gleason said that funding alone does not meet the constitutional requirement.
True reform would include performance-based teacher pay, school choice through charter schools, vouchers, open enrollment, tribal compacting, and competition that encourages innovation. HB 57’s token changes do not come close to justifying a $184 million increase, and the education-industrial complex knows it. The NEA is already on record saying, “This is a step in the right direction….” Of course it is – it increases their revenue through increases in union dues. And come January they will be coming for MOAR!
The argument for “stable” funding also collapses under scrutiny. Proponents claim a permanent $700 BSA increase allows schools to plan and that one-time funding is a failed business model. Alaska’s revenue base depends heavily on oil, which is inherently volatile. Committing to permanent increases under those conditions is fiscally reckless. And the “one-time funding” comment is highly misleading. What they should reference is one-time “increases.” But using that as an excuse to accept a record-breaking perpetual increase, fails the smell test. It is an especially egregious justification when history shows the Legislature has always met legitimate education needs, even if only on a one-time basis such as the $322 million added by the 32nd Legislature.
The Moore decision did not give the Legislature a blank check to hand to school districts; it demanded results. When enrollment falls because of low birth rates, outmigration, or parents rejecting poor schools, districts must quickly adjust their budgets. The districts are not supposed to operate as jobs programs. A real business model ties investment to performance, not guaranteed cash flow. One-time funding allows the Legislature to check progress before committing to more spending. Permanent increases without accountability only support a system that is losing students because it is failing them.
Some Republican legislators explained their votes by saying district needs outweighed the discomfort of opposing a governor from their own party. In my opinion, that choice prioritized short-term political comfort over long-term principle and ignored the more than 80 years of combined education and school district management experience in the current administration. An article in the Alaska Beacon stated, “Public polling ahead of the vote showed only 35 percent of Republicans supported an override, compared to 65 percent of independents and 91 percent of Democrats.”
Siding with the education-industrial complex, which protects jobs and budgets before students, and it not accountable to the Legislature is a disservice to both families and children.
Alaska’s students deserve schools that earn parental trust. That means funding tied to results, expanding school choice, cutting administrative bloat, and putting more money into classrooms instead of bureaucracies. It means demanding accountability even when it is unpopular.
It is time to stop pretending that higher spending automatically means better education. The Legislature should find the courage to reform the system, hold districts accountable, and put students first.
Rep. Kevin J. McCabe represents House District 30 and is committed to fiscal responsibility and educational excellence.
The US Coast Guard will commission the Cutter Storis on Sunday in Juneau, marking the service’s first new icebreaker in a quarter-century.
The commissioning ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 am at Peratrovich Plaza, 292 Marine Way, and will be streamed online for remote viewers. Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, will preside over the event and hold a media availability afterward.
The Storis represents a major expansion of the Coast Guard’s icebreaking capability, a critical mission in Alaska and the Arctic where the service maintains year-round maritime safety, security, and environmental protection operations.
The commissioning comes as the also Coast Guard welcomed nearly $25 billion in funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the largest single commitment of resources in the service’s history. The investment strengthens every facet of Coast Guard operations, from drug interdiction and maritime border security to Arctic operations and search and rescue.
According to Coast Guard estimates, the new funding will allow the service to procure 17 new icebreakers, 21 new cutters, more than 40 helicopters, and six C-130J aircraft, while also modernizing shore infrastructure and maritime surveillance systems. The package also enhances the Coast Guard’s ability to counter drug and human trafficking, improve navigational safety, and enable maritime trade.
Investment highlights from One Big Beautiful Bill include:
$4.4 billion for shore infrastructure, training facilities, and homeports
$4.3 billion for Polar Security Cutters, extending U.S. reach in the Arctic
$4.3 billion for nine new Offshore Patrol Cutters
$3.5 billion for three Arctic Security Cutters
$2.3 billion for more than 40 MH-60 helicopters
$2.2 billion for depot-level maintenance to sustain readiness
$1.1 billion for six new HC-130J aircraft and simulators
$1 billion for Fast Response Cutters
$816 million for light and medium icebreaking cutters
$266 million for long-range unmanned aircraft systems
$170 million for maritime domain awareness, including next-generation sensors
$162 million for three Waterways Commerce Cutters
The investment supports Force Design 2028, the Department of Homeland Security’s modernization plan to ensure the Coast Guard remains a capable and resilient maritime force for decades to come.
President Donald Trump says he will be meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week. He made the announcement on TruthSocial, and it was shared on the social media site X. He said the meeting would be on Aug. 15.
This is a developing story and will be edited throughout the day as information comes in.
US Sen. Dan Sullivan said he talked with the White House earlier on Friday.
“Alaska has been hosting a number of cabinet officials this summer. In June, we hosted his energy team — Sec. Chris Wright, Sec. Doug Burgum and EPA’s Lee Zeldin, and I hosted the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff ‘Raisin’ Cain.’ This week, it was RFK Jr. and the Secretary of Homeland Security on Sunday, and the HUD secretary and Transportation secretary next week. Also the interim commandant of the Coast Guard. Now the president himself,” Sullivan said. “It’s a historic opportunity and it’s appropriate that this is in the most strategic place in the world.”
Congressman Nick Begich commented that “The pursuit of peace requires open dialogue. And it’s encouraging that the dialogue will be occurring at the highest levels here in Alaska, where Russia and America share a historic relationship and geographic proximity. My prayer is that the conversations are productive and result in meaningful progress toward reconciliation.”
History seems to be coming full circle: Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 because the Tsar Alexander II was financially broke due to the war in Crimea, modern day Ukraine. Russia saw Alaska as a financial burden and difficult and expensive to maintain and defend. Now, Trump is meeting with Putin in what is considered, as Sen. Sullivan pointed out, the most strategic location in the world, and they’re likely to be talking about how to resolve the war in Ukraine, which is straining Russia’s finances once again.
“I welcome the upcoming meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Russia’s President Putin being held here in the great state of Alaska. Alaska is the most strategic location in the world, sitting at the crossroads of North America and Asia, with the Arctic to our north and the Pacific to our south. With a mere two miles separating Russia from Alaska , no other place plays a more vital role in our national defense, energy security, and Arctic leadership. What happens in the Arctic and the Pacific impacts Alaska before the rest of the country,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. “It’s fitting that discussions of global importance take place here. For centuries, Alaska has been a bridge between nations, and today, we remain a gateway for diplomacy, commerce, and security in one of the most critical regions on earth. The world will be watching, and Alaska stands ready to host this historic meeting.”
Hours later, Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote darkly of the upcoming meeting: “President Trump announced he will meet with President Putin in Alaska next Friday to continue negotiations to end Russia’s catastrophic war in Ukraine. This is another opportunity for the Arctic to serve as a venue that brings together world leaders to forge meaningful agreements. While I remain deeply wary of Putin and his regime, I hope these discussions lead to genuine progress and help end the war on equitable terms.”
Richard Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska since 2014, has been placed on leave following allegations from his former fiancée, Amelia Hayward, according to a blistering article in the Alaska Landmine. In a detailed Facebook post, Hayward accused Peterson of emotional abuse, manipulation, intimidation, sexual assault, and giving her substances without consent.
She also alleged he threatened her with violence and that she experienced political retaliation after their breakup. Hayward, who worked for Tlingit & Haida from 2021 until spring 2024, said the problems began shortly before she left both Peterson and her job. After her post was shared by the Landmine, multiple women came forward with additional allegations of harassment and intimidation involving Peterson.
Peterson is Tlingit from the Kaagwaantaan clan, and was raised in the Haida Village of Kasaan, population 30, where he rose to leadership roles in his village. He was the president of the Village of Kasaan in 1998, was mayor and city council member in Kasaan, and is a founding member of POWTEC, one of Alaska’s first tribally owned 8(a) corporations. He drove millions of federal contract dollars to the corporation and its subsidiaries.
In 2023, the University of Alaska Fairbanks awarded Peterson with an honorary doctorate degree.
No charges have been filed against Peterson. The tribe posted a statement from Jacqueline Pata saying the matter is being handled with care, but asked people to not discuss it online or otherwise. This cone of silence approach is par for the course for some Native tribes that protect abusers, not as a bug but as a feature of their cultures.
Readers may recall that Pata, a prominent Alaska Native leader, resigned in 2019 as executive director of the National Congress of American Indians after 18 years at the helm. Her departure came in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal involving NCAI’s top attorney, John Dossett, who was ultimately dismissed after media scrutiny and criticism over how the case was handled.
Pata faced backlash from within Native leadership circles, including from fellow Tlingit Nicole Hallingstad, then NCAI’s Director of Operations, who resigned over what she described as the organization’s inadequate response.
Both Pata and Hallingstad were active in Sealaska Corporation and had long been viewed as political rivals, a dynamic noted in coverage of the scandal. Dossett said he was simply caught in the middle of a rivalry between the two women.
Pata is now the official overseeing Tlingit & Haida’s handling of the Peterson abuse allegations.
Bernadette Wilson is leading the Republican field in a new Data for Progress poll of Alaska voters. The poll puts Mary Peltola, the one-term Democrat former US representative, in a precarious spot, showing she only has her Democrat-nonpartisan base, having shrunk significantly in her popularity in Alaska.
The new poll released this week by the left-leaning firm is being characterized as good news for Peltola, who has not announced her intentions. But a closer look reveals warning signs for the Democrat’s political future, and a clear path for Alaska Republicans to retain the governor’s seat.
The poll shows Peltola with a 52% favorable and 43% unfavorable rating, a +9 net favorability. While that makes her the most popular among Alaska’s recent statewide elected officials, the number also suggests a steep decline in her political standing over the past two years.
During her 2022 campaign and brief time in Congress, her net favorability was in the double digits and above 60%. She no longer appears to have support beyond her core Democrat and nonpartisan base.
Despite this softening support, Democrats are pressuring Peltola to run for governor or challenge US Sen. Dan Sullivan in 2026. Her decision could hinge on polling like this — not just from Data for Progress, but also internal work from other Democrat pollsters.
The poll also asked voters about a hypothetical ranked-choice race for governor. Peltola holds an early lead, but the scenario is muddied by the fact that most Republican hopefuls remain unknown to most voters, with up to two-thirds saying they haven’t heard enough to form an opinion.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a likely contender, clocks in at 20% favorable and 34% unfavorable, a −14 net rating. If she is the GOP’s standard bearer in a ranked-choice race against Peltola, the poll suggests she would lose in a landslide. The pollsters did not report their results of what would happen if Republican Bernadette Wilson, who is also Alaska Native, was the leading candidate against Peltola.
Surprisingly, the Republican with the most traction is, in fact, political newcomer Bernadette Wilson. Although she has never held or run for office, Wilson leads the Republican field with 11%, a clear signal that voters are searching for a new direction.
Other Republicans tested in the poll include former State Sen. Click Bishop, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, former Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum, and Attorney General Treg Taylor, none of whom have broken through with the public. Taylor and DeVries did not even register enough results to be reported by Data for Progress.
The path to Republican victory is clear but narrow: Consolidate behind a single strong candidate before the general election, as was done in the 2024 congressional race. In that election, Republicans avoided splitting the vote, when Dahlstrom dropped out and allowed voters to rally around Nick Begich, who ultimately defeated Peltola and returned the seat to GOP hands.
The same strategy, narrowing the field early to prevent fragmentation, could apply to the 2026 governor’s race. Otherwise, Peltola’s base, while smaller, remains loyal and can prevail under Alaska’s ranked-choice system.
The Republican Party’s State Central Committee meets this weekend and the strategy of pressuring second- and third-place Republicans to drop will no doubt be a topic. Candidate Wilson has already made a pledge that if she is not the top vote-getter among Republican candidates during next August’s primary, she will withdraw.
““These poll results show that Alaska Republicans appreciate that historically, the leaders who have delivered have been the ones that came from outside the bureaucratic system. They are ready for a conservative outsider who supports President Trump and isn’t afraid to speak the truth and make the tough decisions Alaska needs,” said Bernadette Wilson in a statement on Friday. “Our state has so much potential, but we need strong leadership to unlock prosperity for our citizens and give future generations a pathway to success right here in Alaska. I truly believe that America’s strength starts with Alaska – and I couldn’t be more motivated to keep working hard to earn the vote of all Alaskans who want our state to flourish. Together we will show America what Alaska is made of!”
Data for Progress, which correctly predicted the 2024 Trump and Begich margins within 2.5 points, weighted its latest poll based on Alaska’s demographics and partisan lean.
Respondents reported voting for Trump in 2024 by a +13-point margin, mirroring the actual election result, suggesting the poll is reasonably representative.
The numbers don’t paint a rosy picture for Peltola. While she may remain the most recognizable and liked among Alaska’s politicians, her downward trend, combined with rising Republican unity, hints at a far more competitive landscape than Democrats might wish to admit.
On Thursday, while working at his desk, Anchorage Assemblyman Keith McCormick looked out his window and saw what he described as a shocking act of lawlessness: a person attempting to set fire to a building across the street.
McCormick quickly snapped a photo and dialed 911, but was placed on hold for four minutes. During that time, the individual poured gasoline under the building’s overhang and on its doors. Inside, employees worked at their desks, seemingly unaware of the danger smoldering just beneath them.
McCormick shared his experience on Facebook: “Across the street from my office, right now. A person is attempting to light a building on fire with gasoline. Broad daylight. (911 notified).” He added, “This lawlessness is becoming normal, and that’s a crazy thing to say. We need to stop turning a blind eye. The people of Anchorage deserve to feel safe; whether they’re walking to work, picking up their kids, or just trying to live their lives.”
Arsonist flees after setting a fire under a building in Midtown Anchorage on Aug. 8.
The suspect fled before emergency responders arrived. Witnesses described the individual as possibly male or female, wearing mismatched clothing typical of Anchorage street vagrants, and possibly a headscarf. Despite the severity of the incident, neither the Anchorage Fire Department nor the Anchorage Police Department released any public information or alerts related to the event. The Fire Department, which is typically active on Facebook, made no mention of the arson attempt or their response.
Online reactions to McCormick’s post were swift, with commenters expressing frustration at the state of public safety in Anchorage:
“Poor guy just needs a Tiny Home.”
“Hmmm. How can we blame Trump for this?”
“Anchorage started out as ‘Tent City’… It’s going to end up as ‘Tent City.’ I’m so happy I moved from Stanchorage 15 years ago and relocated to the peninsula.”
“And people wonder why so many are moving out of Anchorage.”
“Yesterday on 5th Ave, a homeless man jumped into traffic in nothing but underwear. That’s indecent exposure. If a working person did it, they’d be arrested. But here, the homeless get a free pass. The Assembly has turned Anchorage into a circus of double standards—and voters keep putting the same clowns back in charge.”
As crime and vagrancy continue to plague Anchorage, many residents say the situation is becoming not just frustrating, but dangerous.
President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Department of Commerce to begin work on a new census that excludes undocumented immigrants from the population count, a move that could have a profound effect on the makeup of the US House of Representatives.
Calling for a “new and highly accurate” census based on “modern day facts and figures,” Trump ordered Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to begin to work on the project immediately. The announcement came as redistricting battles intensify across the country in advance of the 2026 midterm elections.
Historically, the decennial US Census has included all residents, regardless of legal status. That count is then used to apportion congressional seats among the states. Under the presidency of Joe Biden, illegal immigrants flooded the nation to the highest levels in history, and many believe it was an intentional strategy by Democrats.
By excluding noncitizens, states with high numbers of undocumented illegal immigrants, such as California, could lose seats in Congress.
A 2020 Pew Research Center analysis suggested that excluding noncitizens would result in California, Texas, and Florida each losing a congressional seat.
In Texas, Republicans are pushing a new congressional map that could flip as many as five Democratic seats. Democratic lawmakers there made headlines by fleeing the state to block a vote, prompting Republican Sen. John Cornyn to confirm that the FBI is pursuing those legislators.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will back a redistricting effort in his state that would counteract the Republican map in Texas, and he is calling on Democrats to “fight fire with fire.”
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski stands alone among Republicans on this issue. In a 2024 vote on an amendment to restrict census counts to US citizens, she was the only Republican senator to vote against it, even though the change would not impact Alaska, since the state has just one congressional seat due to low population.
While other members of her party argue that including undocumented immigrants unfairly boosts Democratic power, Murkowski has defended the broader interpretation of the term “persons,” even in light of the crush of illegal immigration under the Biden administration and the cost to American taxpayers to mitigate the social problems associated with criminal migrants.
An estimated 16.8 million illegal aliens were living in the United States as of June 2023, according to data from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, up from 15.5 million the previous year. Over 7 million of those have entered the country during President Joe Biden’s time in office. These populations are heavily concentrated in blue states, and under current policy, bolster those states’ congressional clout.
President Donald Trump today signed an executive order aimed at overhauling the federal grant-making process by tightening oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent in alignment with national priorities.
The order directs federal agencies to conduct more rigorous reviews of funding opportunity announcements and grant awards, placing final oversight in the hands of political appointees and qualified subject matter experts.
Grants that do not meet the new criteria may be terminated, including those found to conflict with administration policy objectives.
A central focus of the executive order is to curb what the administration describes as the longstanding trend of funding projects that do not directly benefit the American people.
The administration highlighted previous federal grants that funded projects including drag shows overseas, academic programs in critical race theory, and controversial health curricula. Also cited were taxpayer-funded initiatives that supported foreign labs conducting gain-of-function research, AI tools for online content moderation, and services for individuals residing illegally in the United States.
A recent analysis noted by the administration pointed to ideological favoritism in federal grant allocations, particularly within the National Science Foundation, where over a quarter of new awards were reportedly tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and similar initiatives.
Agencies are now required to simplify funding announcements using plain language and expand the diversity of grantee types, encouraging a broader range of applicants beyond the traditional recipients, such as major universities and nonprofit institutions. The order outlines specific measures to prevent grants from supporting what it deems to be harmful, wasteful, or ideologically driven activities.
Today’s executive order follows previous efforts by the Trump administration to cut down on federal waste. The administration has canceled thousands of contracts and eliminated grants that are not aligned with US interests, amounting to what it says are billions in savings.
Moving forward, grants will be awarded based on measurable merit and alignment with American priorities. The Executive Order also reinforces the administration’s broader push to strip funding from initiatives associated with what it refers to as radical ideologies, including DEI, gender-focused programming, and expansive climate policies.
