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Riley Gaines shares her journey on the Must Read Alaska Show

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Riley Gaines shares her journey on the Must Read Alaska Show

By JOHN QUICK

In this new episode of the Must Read Alaska Show, host John Quick welcomes Riley Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer and now a nationally known advocate for women’s sports, who shares her journey from the University of Kentucky to becoming a voice for female athletes.

Riley discusses her pivotal experience at the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, when a transgender male with male genitalia tied her win and was awarded the trophy, and her efforts to protect women’s sports through the Riley Gaines Center, and the challenges she has faced in advocating for common-sense values across America.

She announces on the show that she and other female NCAA swimmers are suing the organization for violating Title IX by allowing transgender Lia Thomas to compete as a woman at the NCAA championships in 2022.

From her appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast to offering advice to female athletes and finding the confidence to speak out, Riley’s story is a beacon of courage and determination in the face of adversity.

Recently, Riley provided testimony to the House Education Committee on behalf of House Bill 183, which seeks to protect girl athletes from having their trophies and scholarships robbed by transgenders.

Allard bill designating middle and high school sports by sex gets support from champion Riley Gaines

Join us as we dive into a conversation about the intersection of sports, gender, and free speech, exploring how Riley’s fight extends beyond the pool to touch the lives of women and athletes nationwide. Watch the interview on Facebook or look for our show wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more about Riley’s mission and how you can support or get involved, visit Riley Gaines Center.

Alex Gimarc: Mike Robbins for Alaska GOP chair

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Alex Gimarc: Mike Robbins for Alaska GOP chair

By ALEX GIMARC

Must Read Alaska reported Mike Robbins’ candidacy for Republican Party chairman. 

Robbins is a long-time party activist and local businessman, currently the Executive Director for Anchorage Community Development Authority under Mayor Dave Bronson. He is currently vice chairman of the Alaska Republican Party.

He is a long-term local businessman and entrepreneur, mostly in the media world. His skill stack includes things like advertising, public relations, logistics, marketing, management, radio and television.  These are all valuable skills when dealing with the gaggle of cats we refer to as the Alaska Republican Party.  Note that herding cats is my cynical description of the task at hand. Appears the candidate’s view is more nuanced, referring to it as leading cats, which may be a far smarter approach.  

One example to consider would be his leadership of the Anchorage Community Development Authority (ACDA), the former Anchorage Parking Authority.  Previous head of the Authority was one Andrew Halcro, who served five years. 

Halcro, a left-friendly Republican, enjoyed complete support from the Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and Austin Quinn-Davidson administration and veto-proof democrat majorities on the Anchorage Assembly. It didn’t go well, ending with his fiery resignation letter Mar 2021.  Issues identified by Halcro included financial difficulties, disputes with Muni staff, bad faith dealings, unexplained delays, and failure to keep promises made. In short, everyone else’s fault.

Robbins was nominated to replace Halcro by Bronson and confirmed in 2021. Since that time, stories about dysfunction at the Authority have all but disappeared, which in government is usually a Good Thing. Better yet, the job seems to be getting done. Competence? What a concept.  

Contrast the two situations. Both Halcro and Robbins are local businessmen. Halcro had support from all levels of the Muni government. Robbins has the support of the mayor who appointed him but has to deal with an actively hostile (to all things Bronson) Assembly.  Robbins figured out how to build a working relationship with the Assembly majority not to simply benefit either side of the political divide, but rather to promote and improve Anchorage as a community as a whole.  In other words, doing what the Authority he is leading is chartered to do.      

Bottom line is that the Authority has managed to stay out of the news and get something positive done in a tough environment.  To me, not only does this clearly demonstrate the ability to herd (or lead) cats, but to do so successfully.  Imagine what that skill stack could do with an eager, frustrated, underperforming Republican Party.

There is a web page for Mike Robbins candidacy with both phone and e-mail contacts listed.  He does respond.  

If we are to get back into the business of defeating democrats and removing them from the levers of political power, Mike Robbins would be a good place to start. 

The election for Party Chair takes place at the State Convention here in Anchorage, April 19-21. The choice is yours.  Refusing to make one is also a choice, though a less constructive one. This is going to be a difficult election cycle.  Be prepared. Selecting the right party chair is one way to be properly prepared.

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: The 907 Initiative is campaigning against the mayor of Anchorage

Cover up? Planet Fitness pushes back, says photo of male in Fairbanks women’s locker room is fake

Suzanne Downing
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Cover up? Planet Fitness pushes back, says photo of male in Fairbanks women’s locker room is fake

A few short years ago, it was “Believe All Women.” Today, not so much. Now, it’s “believe men who think they are women.”

Planet Fitness is on the record saying that the photo circulating online of a man in the women’s locker room at the Planet Fitness franchise in Fairbanks is fake.

A person from the Libs of TikTok account on X/Twitter called Planet Fitness and asked if the photo was real. The Planet Fitness person, identified as JuJu, responded that it is not real.

“People can take anything online and turn it,” said JuJu. “So we had to, of course, they did a full investigation and that’s why I say based on our nondiscrimination policy, we don’t discriminate against anybody — alien, monster, nobody.”

Watch the Libs of TikTok interview:

When asked to elaborate, JuJu said, “There was a big meeting about it .. and it’s just crazy how much social media can really fool you.”

“Was that a real photo of someone in a Planet Fitness bathroom,” the interviewer said, drilling down further.

“No,” JuJu replied. “No that was not. No. Nope … We were shocked too. And yeah, they had to pull apart the picture and that’s not in the Planet Fitness restroom at all.”

Must Read Alaska spoke with longtime Fairbanks resident Patricia Silva, who took the first photo and posted it online. Not only is the photo real, she said, there’s another photo that a separate client of Planet Fitness has taken of the same man on a subsequent day.

And now there is an account from a third woman, who says that Fairbanks’ Planet Fitness has assigned a staff member to accompany the man into the women’s restroom. When confronted, the staff member told the woman if she was uncomfortable, she should dress in a toilet stall.

Silva said that the attempt to discredit her is a form of retaliation.

“We fought hard for women’s right. Women [suffragettes] in 1848 were jailed and beaten. We’re going backward allowing this new cult to take from us, remove our rights,” Silva said. “It’s like they are the chosen ones to be given preference and favor.

“I truly feel across the board you are a God-birthed child, born male or female, and you have options. This group — we’ll call them transgender or nonbinary — are just as important as me and you,” she said.

“My message to Planet Fitness is if they want to create a safe space, they should create a third space for trans and non-binary They’re telling us that we are not as important, that we have to find a place to hide in if we want our privacy, that this man has all the rights and you, as a woman, are not as important, so you need to remove yourself.”

“Planet Fitness is now slandering and defaming me, my experience, and silencing women’s concerns for their safety in order to protect the current loss of their assets. I have not once slandered or defamed Planet Fitness or this male individual in any video or interview,” Silva said. “I am an advocate for safe spaces for all people. Male, female, transgender and non-binary. They cannot coexist in the same space in order to create a safe space.”

Silva’s membership was cancelled by Planet Fitness after she posted the photo of the man who was shaving at a sink in the women’s locker room, with a young girl nearby. Since then, she has heard from many people who state they have cancelled their gym memberships at the franchise.

Planet Fitness to Bud Light: Hold my beer?
Stock plunges after Planet Fitness cancels membership of Fairbanks woman who objected to man in women’s locker room
Alaska gyms in spotlight after indecent exposure at one, man in women’s locker room at another
Dude in a dress: Libs of TikTok features teacher described as part of Dimond High School staff

FBI contacts passengers of Flight 1282, says they may be victims of a crime in door plug incident

Suzanne Downing
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FBI contacts passengers of Flight 1282, says they may be victims of a crime in door plug incident

Passengers who were aboard the Alaska Airlines flight in which the door plug blew out mid-flight have received letters from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, telling them they may be a “possible victim of a crime.”

The FBI said an investigation has been opened and due to the “large number of potential victims in this case,” they may not receive another notice by mail. “A criminal investigation can be a lengthy undertaking, and for several reasons, we cannot tell you about its progress at this time.” The letter, dated March 19, informed the passengers about services available to them in the FBI Victim Assistance Program.

Mark Lindquist, the attorney representing 22 of the passengers in a lawsuit against the airlines and Boeing, who made the 737-9 MAX jet with the faulty door plug, released the letter to members of the media this week.

A new Boeing 737-9 MAX, nearly fresh off of the manufacturing line at Boeing, was flying from Portland, Ore. to Ontario, Calif. on Jan. 5 when, as it climbed out of Portland and was at 16,000 feet, a door plug at Row 26 port side blew from the plane, which depressurized quickly. Pilots were able to land safely back in Portland.

Passengers reported a ‘whistling sound’ from door plug on prior flight of Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX
Breaking: NTSB preliminary report says 737-9 MAX door plug bolts appear to have been missing
Document drop: Read the NTSB preliminary report on Boeing 737-9 MAX that lost its door plug
Door ajar: Alaska Airlines jet arrives in Portland with open cargo door

Peltola votes against Confidence in Clean Water Act

Suzanne Downing
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Peltola votes against Confidence in Clean Water Act

Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola has voted against a bill that would ensure greater confidence in clean water and put the Environmental Protection Agency back in its original regulatory container.

Since the Obama presidency, the EPA been expanding its authority beyond what was envisioned at its creation under President Richard M. Nixon in 1970.

H.R. 7023, the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act was passed by the House of Representatives this week without the support of Democrat Peltola, Alaska’s only member of Congress. The original sponsor of the bill is Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina.

Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Arkansas, is the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee who moved the bill forward.

“For far too long, the federal government has abused the Clean Water Act to stall critical infrastructure and energy projects. H.R. 7023 will end the weaponization of the Clean Water Act by making commonsense reforms to cut red tape and streamline the permitting process,” Rep. Westerman said.

Two Democrats voted in favor of the bill, which had the support of all but one Republican in the House. The final vote was 213-205, sending the measure to the Senate.

H.R. 7023 would amend Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to codify some regulatory provisions that relate to nationwide permits for dredged or fill material.

Section 404 covers a wide range of activities, and even prohibits Alaska coastal communities from dumping snow plowed from city streets into the ocean, even though that snow will be in the ocean within weeks on its own schedule of melting.

The bill is package of commonsense tweaks to Clean Water Act permitting processes that support clean water at the same time reducing regulatory burdens for the approval of energy and infrastructure projects.

For example, H.R. 7023 protects permit holders acting in good faith from unnecessary delays and frivolous lawsuits, and the bill adds transparency and stakeholder participation in the development of water quality standards. It would block the Environmental Protection Agency from vetoing a Clean Water Act Section 404 dredge and fill permit before a permit application is filed or after a permit has already been issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In Alaska, the EPA has issued preemptive denials of permits, not even allowing a project to make a case for its plan to protect waters. This most famously occurred with the Pebble Project, a gold and copper mine on state mining land in western Alaska.

The EPA power grab started with the Obama Administration EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s retroactive veto of a mine in West Virginia two years after the permit was approved and the mine was in operation. The EPA then sought same expanded authority to preemptively veto a project before the proposal can go into permitting in the Pebble case.

H.R. 7023 also sets more reasonable judicial review timelines for Clean Water Act Section 404 dredge and fill permits, so that environmental groups can’t block a project though court delays.

“For far too long, environmental activist groups have used litigation to stall crucial projects,” said Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, who added that amendment to the bill. “The Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act, as included in H.R. 7023, will provide certainty to agencies and communities in order to facilitate speedy authorizations, spur infrastructure development, and safeguard against endless lawsuits which stall crucial projects. Common sense needs to make it into our legal system. When we allow environmentalists to file frivolous lawsuits, it wastes time and resources for projects that the people of our nation depend on. Courts shouldn’t be used as vehicles to impose an environmentalist agenda.”

The Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act combines five separate bills that had been introduced in the House earlier this year. Among them was the Water Quality Criteria Development and Transparency Act, which seeks to ensure that every stakeholder across the nation has a voice in determining the EPA’s water quality criteria development for permits, said its sponsor, Rep. Burgess Owens.

Nick Begich III, a Republican running against Peltola for Congress, said, “The Clean Water Act has been hijacked by special interests, the EPA, and the federal bureaucracy as a way to end development, both in Alaska and across the United States. Responsible development requires predictability, transparency, and confidence in a reasonable process. Once again, Mary Peltola votes against the interests of Alaska’s working families.”

House passes bill making vandalism against churches a felony

Suzanne Downing
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House passes bill making vandalism against churches a felony

With bipartisan support, the Alaska House passed a bill that would make vandalism on churches and religious property a felony. House Bill 238 is sponsored by Democrat Rep. Andy Josephson of Anchorage, who said in his floor remarks that vandalism against religious property affects an entire congregation, whereas vandalism against a building affects fewer people.

Attacks on churches increased dramatically beginning in May of 2020, following the death of George Floyd, a violent felon and drug addict who died while being restrained by police in Minneapolis. According to the Catholic Vote, 300 attacks against Catholic Churches in America occurred since the Floyd death, which also fed widespread rioting in cities as unrest led up to the 2020 presidential election.

“The attacks include decapitation of statues, arson, satanic graffiti and broken windows. Around 118 incidents of attack have been recorded since the Supreme Court decision which overturned Roe v. Wade in May 2022,” the group said.

The overturn of federal abortion protection in Dobbs v. Jackson was leaked to the media by someone in the U.S. Supreme Court, creating a fresh wave of church vandalism in 2022.

Churches in Alaska were not spared. A church in Eagle River was vandalized three times in an 18-month period after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. A swastika was burned onto the lawn at Mountain City Church. Religious icons in the Emmonak Catholic Church were smashed.

The bill was supported by all but five members, and those opposing it came from the Democrat and Republican camps: Reps. David Eastman, of Wasilla and Will Stapp of Fairbanks were the no votes from the Republican caucus. Ashley Carrick of Fairbanks; Sara Hannan of Juneau and CJ McCormick of Bethel were the Democrats who voted no.

The bill now is in the Senate for consideration.

Vandals burn chemical swastika into lawn of Mountain City Church

House passes Kelsey Smith Act so law enforcement agencies can locate victims in grave danger

Suzanne Downing
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House passes Kelsey Smith Act so law enforcement agencies can locate victims in grave danger

The Alaska House Majority passed House Bill 316, also known as the Kelsey Smith Act, a measure requiring telecommunications companies to immediately respond to law enforcement requests for location information of victims who are in an ongoing emergency that involves risk of death or serious physical harm. 

Similar measures have passed in 30 states, and are currently pending in three others.

On June 2, 2007, Kelsey Smith was abducted in broad daylight from a Target store in Overland, Kansas. She was raped and murdered. The abduction was captured on the store’s security camera, which made it clear there was a dire emergency of a life-and-death nature. Four days after she disappeared, authorities were able to locate Kelsey’s body after her wireless provider finally, under pressure, released call information from her cell phone. The story was featured on America’s Most Wanted.

“The abduction and murder of Kelsey Smith is heartbreaking and should never happen again. In life-or-death situations it is paramount that our law enforcement agencies have access to life-saving resources; and the fear of legal liability should never stand in the way of rescuing a victim from a life-threatening situation,” said the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Craig Johnson.

The Kelsey Smith Act would make it clear that law enforcement officials, not a phone company, are able to determine if a person is in an actual emergency situation.

While privacy is important, this legislation attempts to balance the ability of law enforcement to help people in grave danger, while ensuring checks are in place to guard against government overreach, Johnson said.

The bill was voted on with 38 yeas, one nay (Rep. David Eastman), and one absent (Rep. Bryce Edgmon). The bill is now in the Senate for consideration.

Rural broadband grant bill passes House

Suzanne Downing
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Rural broadband grant bill passes House

It was back to the beginning for rural internet broadband funding in the Legislature this week.

After a drama-filled Monday that was tempest-in-a-teapot over a funding dispute, the Alaska House rushed to pass HB 193 this week, which is essentially the original version of Senate Bill 140, authorization and funds for rural internet broadband grants.

SB 140 had been loaded up like a plate of nachos with other education items demanded by the education unions and public school administrators, and was ultimately vetoed by the governor last week, a veto that was upheld by the joint House and Senate on Monday.

Legislature fails to override governor on education mega-bill

But that veto left time running out for rural communities to apply for federal grants to build out broadband fiber optic to their communities. The original purpose of SB 140 was the rural internet portion, worth millions to Bethel Native Corporation and others that would get the state and federal funds to lay fiber optic cable across the tundra.

The original broadband program aimed at getting rural areas up to 25 megabits per second. SB 140 set the threshold for speeds to 100 mbps.

HB 193, whose lead sponsor is Rep. Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham, does that: It increases broadband share for eligible schools from 25 megabits per second to 100 Mbps of download speed and provides funding to help those schools reach 100 Mbps through the School Broadband Assistance Grant. The grant leverages federal funds in a 8:1 match.

Some have posited that this will help rural villages with economic development, although the idea is mostly fantasy. It may help with education accessibility, but that is balanced out by the fact that 20% of internet searches are for porn and the share of internet users who play video games exceeds 83%. These are functions of the internet that need more broadband bandwidth than simply taking a math lesson online.

Four House members voted against the bill: Reps. Julie Coulombe of Anchorage, David Eastman of Wasilla, Will Stapp of Fairbanks, and Sarah Vance of Homer, all Republicans. The bill is likely to race through the Senate on Friday in order to get the governor’s signature before the grant application deadline passes.

Dunleavy vetoes mega-spending on education, but will Legislature override?
What was the basis for Senate Bill 140? Follow the money to higher speed internet in rural Alaska favoring cable fiber, not satellite speeds
Democrats attempt to take veto power away from executive branch; Bjorkman and Merrick fall in line to expand Legislature’s power

Pro-abortion to pro-life: Tshibakas and Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America on the STAND podcast

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Pro-abortion to pro-life: Tshibakas and Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America on the STAND podcast

By KELLY TSHIBAKA

The controversy surrounding abortion reached a fever pitch after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson, which determined that abortions protected by Roe v. Wade were a decision for the states to make, not the federal government. In Alaska, abortions are allowed all the way up to the moment of birth. Twenty-one other states have implemented restrictions on abortion, such as a ban after 12-weeks of pregnancy. 

The Court’s decision has been a huge victory for pro-life advocates across America. One advocate, Marjorie Dannenfelser, recently joined STAND with Kelly and Niki Tshibaka to discuss this critical issue and the tension surrounding it. Once an ardent proponent of the woman’s right to choose abortion, Dannenfelser has done a complete 180 in her views. Now the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Dannenfelser works tirelessly to defend the rights of the unborn.

When asked about what changed her mind, Dannenfelser listed a couple of key reasons. The first was that her questions were unsatisfactorily answered by abortion advocates. “I could not get past the question ‘what is that thing being taken out of a woman’s body?’”, Dannenfelser recalled. “If this is an actual person, with perhaps moral standing…then you’d better at least pause. And the pause is what happened to me…it tested the theory ‘my body, my choice’.” 

Another notable factor that led to her perspective shift was how pro-life proponents listened to her opinion during debates. Dannenfelser explained that people who listen well during the abortion debate often plant seeds in their opponent’s mind that may come to fruition later—much like what happened to her. 

Her change of heart did not occur immediately, but once it did, Dannenfelser became a massive mover-and-shaker for the pro-life movement, stating, “when I knew I’d been so wrong, I used my skills…to really start building the political arm of the pro-life movement, which I thought was the most important thing missing when fighting Roe v. Wade.” Dannenfelser is now considered one of the most influential leaders in America’s pro-life movement.

Dannenfelser’s story is certainly inspirational, but how are we to plant these seeds when the conversation surrounding abortion often becomes emotion-packed, personal, and pointless? Is her story the exception or the rule? She provided insight into these concerns, offering tips on navigating the abortion debate. 

“Number one, listen well…You do not have to contradict everything a person says. Then I would say…provide a pathway to continue the conversation…this is almost always about a life lived and someone who wants a life lived well.”

In other words, the best way to change hearts and minds is by actively listening to the person you’re debating, providing an avenue to continue the conversation, and remembering that their perspective is likely stemming from a place of personal experience. By following this advice, Dannenfelser revealed, you will plant seeds of  doubt in their minds that may come to fruition at a later point in time. 

By keeping our sights on the big picture, rather than getting caught up in the heat of the moment, we are better positioned to make a lasting difference in the abortion debate. Change comes with time, patience, and incremental progress. Oftentimes, we don’t get to see the long-term results of our actions or conversations, yet that hardly pales in comparison to the knowledge that what we do today will impact the stories and lives of tomorrow.

If you’d like to hear more about Marjorie Dannenfelser’s experience battling abortion and fighting for pro-life legislation, you won’t want to miss the newest episode of STAND. You can also view the episode on YouTube, Rumble, and your podcast streaming platform.

Kelly Tshibaka is the host of the podcast, TV, and radio show STAND, and the 2022 Alaska Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. She co-hosts the show with her husband, Niki Tshibaka.

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