Alaskans are invited to a spirited evening of cocktails, high-end appetizers, music, and mission-driven community as Candles for a Cause hosts its first-ever fundraising event in support of the Any Mountain Project, an initiative dedicated to ovarian cancer prevention and early detection.
The event will take place Saturday, June 28, from 6 to 8 pm at Alaska Candle Supply, located at 475 W Parks Highway in Wasilla. Tickets here.
Guests will enjoy an “Alaskan Cocktail” themed night complete with guest speakers, a purse auction, and opportunities to learn more about the fight against gynecologic cancers. Survivors of ovarian cancer — Randee, Mary Kaye and Erika — will share their stories.
Anchorage cancer Dr. Joanie Mayer Hope will be among the evening’s honored guests, as the event shines a light on local medical leadership in the national effort to fight ovarian cancer. Proceeds from the night will benefit the Any Mountain Expedition Team, a group of ovarian cancer specialists, survivors, and supporters who are taking their cause to literal new heights.
In 2023, the team made history when Jess Wedel became the first ovarian cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest at 29,032 feet. In 2024, they continued their mission with a successful ascent of Mount Baker in Washington. To date, the group has raised more than $900,000 for research, prevention, and awareness initiatives.
The Any Mountain Project is spearheaded by the organization Let Every Woman Know, which supports education and research around gynecologic cancers. The project’s message is simple but powerful: Fighting ovarian cancer is harder than climbing Any Mountain—but every step makes a difference.
Sponsorship opportunities are available, and all funds raised will directly support research into early detection and prevention methods for ovarian cancer.
For more information about the Any Mountain Project and Let Every Woman Know, visitthis link.
A three‑judge panel of the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday declined to take apart a Biden-era federal approval for ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project on the edge of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Though the court said there were some procedural shortcomings in the Bureau of Land Management’s review, those errors were minor in nature and insufficient to block the project.
“We’re thrilled that the Willow Project can move forward. The court highlighted its significant benefits for our state, including job creation and better access,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. “The tide is turning. Common sense in the courts hopefully becomes a constant in the future. Alaska is a resource development state. We do it better than any place in the planet.”
The appeals court told Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and the Natural Resources Defense Council to take a hike.
Judge Gabriel P. Sanchez, a liberal Biden appointee, issued a dissenting opinion, saying the procedural mistakes were enough to halt progress. Now, attorneys for the environmental litigation industry are evaluating whether to elevate the case to the Supreme Court.
While the court sent the environmental impact study back to the BLM and directed officials to explain their decision for reducing the drilling plan from five drilling pads to three, the question of an appeal to the US Supremes remains. But work is already underway at Willow, located on land set aside 100 years ago specifically for petroleum development. The size of Indiana, the NPR-A covers approximately 23 million acres. The Willow footprint is 385 acres, less than 0.002% of the total NPR-A. ConocoPhillips plans on first oil production by 2029.
Congressman Nick Begich took to social media on Friday with a several-part explanation about the effectiveness of tariffs, arguing that fears over tariff-driven inflation have not come to pass and that tariffs have instead led to reduced inflationary pressure and increased domestic investment.
In an eight-part thread on X, Begich outlined what he sees as the economic logic behind the use of tariffs, particularly on Chinese imports. He began by stating that “tariff-driven inflation hasn’t materialized,” and then proceeded to break down what he believes are the contributing factors, concluding: “Free trade requires fair trade.”
He pointed to China’s “massive processing and manufacturing overcapacity” as a key factor in global price suppression, describing a pattern in which Chinese companies operate at a loss with the help of government subsidies in order to dominate markets and drive out competition in order to achieve control over a given sector. They then drop prices to rock bottom with the intent of becoming the only global supplier of a product or industry process. According to Begich, when tariffs are imposed on Chinese goods, those subsidies become unsustainable, and global supply chains realign in favor of more competitive producers, including those in the US.
“This drives margins so low that these producers often operate at a loss, but they remain competitive because of support from government subsidies,” he said.
However, “when we levy a massive tariff on China, the jigg is up! They can’t subsidize industry at the level necessary to remain competitive and the supply chains snap back to a more market-driven orientation, allowing the U.S. and our allies to compete on a more level playing field again.”
Begich noted that China’s heavy corporate debt burden and “shadow financing,” coupled with underutilized industrial capacity, force the country to further slash prices to remain competitive under tariff regimes. “…China must then drastically lower their prices to offset tariff impacts in order to compete with lower tariff jurisdictions. It’s either that or an economic crunch.”
He argued that these dynamics blunt the inflationary effects that many critics of tariffs had predicted.
He also referenced demographic changes—particularly declining populations in East Asia and China—as naturally reducing consumption and therefore easing inflationary pressures globally. Automation and artificial intelligence, he said, also play a role in improving productivity and holding down costs.
“In addition to continued automation and AI integration, downward trajectories on consumption due to collapsing populations in East Asia and China have offset industrialization-driven demand and naturally offset inflation pressure,” he noted.
In a perfect vacuum, tariffs would likely result in a one-time bump in inflation, he said, “but we don’t live in a vacuum. Businesses in most nations want to be producers and will fulfill that production at competitive prices. As a result, tariffs as constructed have thus far resulted in lower inflation and unparalleled domestic investment.”
“Free trade requires fair trade,” Begich concluded. “And fair trade requires a level playing field. America First works.”
Begich’s comments come as trade policy continues to be a major issue in Washington, DC. He is arguing that strategic tariffs can and do protect national industries without stoking runaway inflation.
Here’s the complete thread:
Tariff-driven inflation hasn’t materialized. Why? Let’s examine some key factors in this THREAD: 1/🧵
— Congressman Nick Begich (@RepNickBegich) June 13, 2025
North Slope Borough Mayor Josiah Aullaqsruaq Patkotak emerged from a months-long recall effort with his position intact — and with a message of unity for his critics.
In a statement published Thursday, Patkotak addressed the petitioners directly, acknowledging the failed recall attempt while emphasizing the importance of civic engagement.
“To the 153 individuals who signed the petition, my message is clear: my door is always open to constructive criticism,” Patkotak wrote. “If there’s a problem, let’s work to find a sustainable solution. I remain committed to listening, learning, and leading with respect for every voice in our borough.”
The recall effort, which began in the winter, centered on allegations that Patkotak acted unethically by accepting borough-funded travel accommodations for his family, including luxury hotels and first-class flights, prior to approval by the borough assembly.
Petitioners needed 371 valid signatures to trigger a recall vote, representing 25% of the voters from the last mayoral election. But when the deadline arrived at the end of May, the borough clerk reported that only 153 verified signatures had been collected, which was less than half of what was required.
The group has also filed a court complaint against the borough, citing delays and changes made to their petition. That legal case remains ongoing in Utqiaġvik.
Despite the controversy, Patkotak used his letter to stress shared values and the need for collaboration.
“Civic engagement, even when there is disagreement, is a vital part of a healthy democracy,” he wrote. “We must work to resolve conflict and move our region forward.”
He reaffirmed his administration’s mission to deliver essential services and invest in the well-being of North Slope communities, concluding his message with a biblical reference of Proverbs 27:17 and a note of thanks.
“Together,” he wrote, “I look forward to continuing the important work ahead.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued his budget vetoes on Thursday and added an $500 to the Base Student Allocation, the school funding formula. He reduced the Legislature’s budget $700 BSA increase to the more sustainable $500 increase, considering the downward pressure on oil prices.
The Anchorage School Board called an “emergency” meeting to discuss the impact on its FY26 budget, which was based on a $560 BSA increase. The reduced BSA will only have an impact of $4.3 million, yet the superintendent was outraged and threatened to take the governor to court.
This $4.3 million is only 0.7% of the operating budget ($594 million). That amount should be able to be found in the district’s seat cushions.
But the superintendent said that we have an “education emergency.”
Superintendent Bryantt seems to have a great knowledge of Alaska law and whether the statute (HB57) takes precedence over the operating budget (HB53). He threatens to take the case to the Alaska Supreme Court to decide the question of precedence.
He needs to be reminded that the Permanent Fund dividend amount question was decided by the Alaska Supreme Court a few years ago. Even though the law stated that the dividend shall be a certain percentage, the court decided that the Legislature had appropriation powers and could decide the dividend amount according to its own whims.
One wonders what the district’s litigation would cost and if it would increase student achievement.
Rep. Alyse Galvin, founding member of Great Alaska Schools-funding arm of the AEA, testified that, “We are at risk of systemic collapse.” She’s been at that for years and this is just another “the sky is falling” remark to activate parents.
The president of the Anchorage Education Association (teachers’ union), Corey Aist, said, “Some kindergarten classes will have upwards of 30 students”. He also stated that this is the 4th year that the ASD has more than 400 resignations.
He failed to mention why these teachers are leaving the district. He noted that there would be 62 elementary school position vacancies next year. Most importantly, he did not state if these vacancies were in the classroom.
He made no mention of his union’s going-in position to raise his members’ salaries by an astounding 15% for one year. With less BSA monies, some of his goals may not be met.
Rosalyn Grady-Weich, NAACP-Anchorage education chair, said, “This reduction in the BSA will disproportionately hurt black, brown, and indigenous students”. She had no data to prove her assertion. She said, “It will eliminate Equity and replace it with a system where only the privileged thrive.”
She seems to be stuck in the pre-integration days of the 1960s.
She then charged that the governor wanted to dismantle public education. She had no proof to back that up as well. Just opinions and anecdotes.
Superintendent Bryantt spoke the truth when he said, “For ASD my commitment is to keep as many jobs as I can”.
Board president Jacobs attacked Gov. Dunleavy, saying that there is a lack of leadership in Juneau. It’s unfortunate that the real lack of leadership appears to be in the ASD Board, with its refusal to reduce the non-classroom funding such as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Community Engagement department which costs $724,122.
Here’s another department that could be reduced, Mental Health. For FY26 it has 15.3 FTEs and costs $2.1 million.
The Technology department has 111 FTEs at a cost of more than $27.5 million.
Finally, board member Bellamy asked the $64,000 question: What if we do nothing?
The answer was utterly amazing. The district’s CFO responded saying the district would find the money somewhere. There might have enough in the fund balance, he said.
And just like that, the budget problem was solved.
Superintendent Bryantt, however, had to get the final jab in at Gov. Dunleavy. He said, “My key take away is that we need to ensure we never have leaders that will ever do this to Alaskan children again.”
He finished by saying that the commissioner and the governor have shown a lot of recklessness and cruelty, in his opinion.
Rather than bemoaning this “dramatic’ decrease in funding and kicking the can down the road until next year, they could actually do what they were hired or elected to do, which is to lead.
I will close by saying to the superintendent, “Real leaders lead and solve problems. They don’t hide behind victimhood.”
David Boyle is the education writer for Must Read Alaska.
Riots and protests are planned for Saturday in cities across the country in opposition to the Trump Administration, Flag Day, and the 250th anniversary of the US Army. Saturday is also President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
The “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance” will be comprised of groups funded by George Soros and other liberal billionaires, including the Walton Family Foundation. Indivisible, the 50501 group, ACLU, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation are among the coalition of protesters. Over the past several days, violence has erupted in major cities, and it is expected to grow on Saturday, the official day of the planned protest.
“Instead of allowing this military parade to be the center of gravity, activists will make action everywhere else the story of America that day,” Indivisible said in a news release, and that groups will “come together for marches, rallies, and demonstrations to reject corrupt, authoritarian politics in the United States.”
In Anchorage, protests are centered in the downtown area, and there is a concurrent Juneteenth festival taking place on the Delaney Park Strip.
According to Must Read Alaska sources, the Department of Public Safety and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (National Guard) are monitoring the situation in Alaska. There have been no indications of planned violence in Alaska, but the situation will be watched closely.
To see when and where all the events in Alaska will be, you can check the “No Kings” website mapat this link and roll over the dots on the map for time and place information.
Flag Day
For those who want to take part in Flag Day, every Elks Lodge in Alaska will have a Flag Day ceremony, as it is in the Elks Charter as a requirement.
In the case of Eagle River Elks, the observance is Saturday at 2 pm, assisted by local scouts. There will be a free picnic lunch (burgers, hot dogs, watermelon etc) following the 30-minute ceremony.
The Anchorage Assembly will hold a public hearing on Sept. 9 to consider an ordinance that could bring Ranked Choice Voting to local elections.
The proposal, Ordinance No. AO 2025-58, would place a question before voters to amend the Anchorage Home Rule Charter and update Anchorage Municipal Code Title 28 in order to implement Ranked Choice Voting for municipal offices.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 6 pm during the Assembly’s regular meeting at the Z.J. Loussac Library Assembly Chambers, located at 3600 Denali Street.
According to the official notice, the ordinance is being brought forward by Assembly Chair Chris Constant.
If passed by the Assembly, the measure would be submitted to voters in the Municipality of Anchorage in April, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Juneau Assembly is advancing a plan to adopt ranked-choice voting for future local elections. On June 2, the Assembly advanced an ordinance introduced by Assembly member Ella Adkison that would implement the new voting system starting in 2026. A public hearing and final vote are scheduled for late July.
Adkison claims the RCV system fosters consensus and allows for more nuanced voter expression — though she has offered no evidence to support this assertion.
The Alaska Legislature, filled with officials elected under RCV, is a counterexample, with observers noting record levels of dysfunction and gridlock. Adkison works as a legislative aide to Juneau state Sen. Jesse Kiehl, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest, access to sensitive voter data, and divided allegiances.
Juneau will become the first municipality in Alaska to use ranked-choice voting for local elections, with Anchorage following close behind.
Alaskans adopted ranked-choice voting in Alaska via a ballot initiative in November 2020 through Ballot Measure 2, which passed with 51% of the vote. That measure established a top-four jungle primary system, ranked-choice voting for general elections, and a change to how the governor’s race is managed starting with the 2022 election cycle. In 2024, an effort to repeal ranked-choice voting failed by 664 votes. Another effort to repeal it is now under way.
Anchorage adopted vote-by-mail elections for municipal elections in 2018, and Juneau has since adopted mail-in elections.
In her consistent siding with Democrats, Sen. Lisa Murkowski quickly condemned the forcible removal and handcuffing of Sen. Alex Padilla after he disrupted a Department of Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Murkowski called the incident “shocking at every level.”
“I’ve seen that one clip. It’s horrible. It is shocking at every level. It’s not the America I know,” Murkowski said to a reporter on Thursday, reacting to a brief video circulating on social media that shows Padilla being aggressively escorted out by security while he struggled against them. Murkowski did not hesitate to criticize the law enforcement response.
Padilla, a California Democrat, interrupted the DHS press event to protest recent immigration enforcement actions in his home state. He was ultimately removed by federal officers, put to the ground while struggling to remain upright, and briefly detained. His office later said he was exercising “the right to peaceful dissent.”
Murkowski’s defense stood in stark contrast to comments from other Republicans, who condemned Padilla’s actions as disruptive and inappropriate.
“Alex is normally a thoughtful and well-reasoned member, but when you go into someone else’s press conference to disrupt it… you have to expect a reaction,” said Rep. Darrell Issa of California. “He made an error in judgment. Hopefully, this whole thing blows over. No harm, no foul.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson was more harsh: “What Senator Padilla did was wildly inappropriate,” he said. “Democrats have been defending lawbreakers, and now they are acting like lawbreakers themselves.”
Congressman Byron Donalds said, “Sen. Padilla didn’t want answers—he wanted airtime. Shoving past security for a viral moment is a stunt, not leadership. If he cared about solutions, he’d have asked for a meeting. But like most Democrats, he just wants the spotlight.”
When Alex Padilla was CA Sec. of State, his office sent an email to Twitter 1.0 saying that “dc_draino is spreading election misinformation”
Weeks later I was banned for “election misinformation” for almost 2 years
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, stating, “Padilla should be ashamed of his childish behavior today.”
Padilla’s Performance.
He walked in loud, aggressive, and entitled. Security responded. Now he’s crying about being cuffed like he didn’t ask for it.@AlexPadilla4CA You got treated how you showed up. Next time show up with more respect and less entitlement.
Democrats in Congress have taken to X to post videos and statements condemning the Trump Administration and demanding that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security be impeached or must resign “in shame.”
Just last month, the Justice Department charged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey with assault after she attacked federal officers during the arrest of Newark’s mayor outside an immigration detention facility.
Murkowski’s reaction to Padilla’s removal is unlikely to go unnoticed. But her memoir is coming out this month, and during the lead up to the book’s release, all publicity is good publicity.
Thursday was the day for the budget signing in the Governor’s Office. Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed some $122 million out of the budget given to him by the leftist-controlled Alaska Legislature. The vetoes were surgical. The full spending, excluding federal receipts, will be about $5.3 billion.
Before releasing the details of the cuts, he said “We don’t have enough money to pay for all of our obligations,” he said, because of the price of oil dropping and thus, revenue diminishing. “So as a result of that you’re going to see some reductions in this year’s budget. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s certainly not a fun thing to do. But it’s necessary.”
He said his office had already predicted lower revenues and had presented amendments to the Legislature earlier this year to reduce the ask of the appropriating body. He also said that the price of oil and revenue may change and he and the Legislature can make adjustments next year in the supplemental budget if conditions improve.
Indeed, when Israel bombed Iran on Thursday night, the early markets showed a marked pop upward of oil prices, which are notoriously volatile.
Notably, the Base Student Allocation increase, which was set at $700 for the coming year, was reduced to $500, about a 28% decrease. That saved $50 million. The Anchorage School Board, having been tipped off about the cut, held an emergency board meeting on Thursday, at which it was announced this will cost the district about $4.3 million. Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said he wants to take Gov. Dunleavy to court over the cut.
Also, the Legislature’s designated cut to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority did not stand. Dunleavy instead will use funds from the Higher Education Investment Fund and attempt to replenish that fund in a supplemental appropriation next year.
The Alaska Travel Industry Association was trimmed by $2.5 million and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s budget was cut by 50%.
The governor also cut funding to the Alaska Children’s Trust. Last month the ACT announced it will be sponsoring the creation of a new nonprofit: “Alaskans for Trans Kids.”
