Regulations go into effect Oct. 8 allowing licensed marijuana dealers in Alaska to provide free samples of their products.
The regulation, signed by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom last month, revokes a prior prohibition on free samples.
Licensed dealers may be able to use this regulation to provide “first one’s free” promotions, as is done in some other states and Canada. Online providers such as West Coast Supply have robust free sample programs that introduce users to other products, and incentivize them to purchase items through a get-one-free, and a 25% off coupon.
Personal non-medical marijuana use and possession became legal in Alaska on February 24, 2015, after voters in 2014 passed Ballot Measure 2, on a vote of 149,021 to 130,924. It made Alaska the third state to legalize the sale of marijuana, preceded by Washington and Colorado.
The first Alaska state-licensed pot shop opened Oct. 29, 2016. By the end of 2022, Alaska had 459 active cannabis licenses for dispensaries, cultivators, manufacturers, and testing facilities.
“They lie to us, we know they’re lying, they know we know they’re lying,
but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them”
– Alexander Solzhenitsyn
There have been many adverse side-effects from the Covid-19 jabs. We heard what our government said about masking preventing virus transmission, jabs preventing illness, and lockdowns preventing transmission. All have proven to be untruths.
People can make mistakes. The government is not perfect.
My military training taught me that when things do not go as planned, you take a step back, examine the facts, and regroup.
We must look at who knew the truth and when did they know it. When were those truths shared with all of us so we could course correct for the future and create new plans to prevent those mistakes from happening again.
Remember, “We need two weeks to flatten the curve”?
Remember, all this was being done to protect grandma?
Remember that vaccinated people don’t transmit the virus?
Remember, the unvaxxed were killing us all?
Remember, that the lab leak theory just wasn’t true?
Remember, only the unvaxxed get deathly ill?
All nontruths. All propaganda forced on the public playing on its sense of fear and fear of the unknown.
And I almost forgot the other ones — get to herd immunity through the jabs and don’t use ivermectin, as it is only horse paste.
It’s almost laughable that after three years of flip-flopping on what we need to do and who will be most vulnerable, public officials are at a loss for how to regain our trust.
Let’s not forget President Joe Biden stated in June of 2021 that social media platforms like Facebook were “killing people” for allowing opinions that differed from the government line.
And despite the government’s efforts, less than 20% of Americans got that booster jab, down sharply from the79% who got vaxxed at the start of this pandemic.
It is sad to think that if they don’t have a clue on why this is happening it’s no wonder, they don’t have a different plan to counteract their lies.
Maybe the government could start by telling the truth, by looking at other mechanisms to fight the ever-mutating virus, and by taking accountability and admitting it was wrong.
But to continue with the same playbook and blame those of us who don’t agree with their approach will not be the way to make that happen.
So, when did they know the truth, who knew it, and when did they tell us?
The government knew at least by July 2021 that jabs and masks mandates weren’t working. The government knew it could not achieve “herd immunity” and was forced to admit that the jab couldn’t prevent infection, replication, transmission, hospitalization, or death.
Yet government officials continued to mandate what they knew didn’t work. This showed none of this was about reasonable public health measures, nor did it pass the sniff test of demonstrating transparency and following informed consent norms.
It appears the focus was on control. Using fear to force jabs on adults and children that were unable to deliver what the government promised. There was one solution and one solution only. All others were labeled as misinformation.
What about the lab leak? When did the government know that was the truth, not the bat/pangolin scenario pushed by Fauci?
The FBI stated in February of 2023 that the origin of the pandemic was “most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan”. The Energy Department said with ‘low confidence” that the virus originated in the Wuhan lab. The long-awaited report from the government that was due to Congress and just recently released said the Office of Director of National Intelligence stated:
“We continue to have no indication that the WIV’s pre-pandemic research holdings included SARSCoV-2 or a close progenitor, nor any direct evidence that a specific research-related incident occurred involving WIV personnel before the pandemic that could have caused the COVID pandemic”.
Jenna McCarthy sums this all up well. She said: “Here’s the thing: Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice, shame on me. Trick me 487 times over a miserable three-year period without so much as an acknowledgment, no less an apology, and you can stick your trust bus where the sun doesn’t shine”.
Tired of all the lies? Come hear the truth at the Alaska Covid Alliance Conference on Oct. 13-14 at Mountain City Church in Anchorage.
Spend $100 of your PFD on a conference that will inform you and provide you with the necessary tools to protect yourself and educate others.
We should control our individual freedoms—not the government. It’s time for us to take these freedoms back.
Attributed to Winston Churchill, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on.” We’re helping truth get its pants on at the Alaska Covid Alliance Conference on Oct. 13-14.
Linda Boyle, RN, MSN, DM, was formerly the chief nurse for the 3rd Medical Group, JBER, and was the interim director of the Alaska VA. Most recently, she served as Director for Central Alabama VA Healthcare System. She is the director of the Alaska Covid Alliance.
Bristol Bay’s red king crab season will open as planned on Oct. 15. The Bering Sea snow crab fishery, however, will stay closed for the 2023-2024 season, a decision that was made after the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s recent meetings, prompting the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to enact the closure due to sustainability concerns.
Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Bristol Bay red king crabs will be 2.1 million pounds.
Crab are jointly managed in Alaska by the Department of Fish and Game and the federal government. Fish and Game issued the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) on Thursday.
Last year marked a historical turning point as the snow crab fishery was shuttered for the first time ever, due to concerns over longevity of crab stocks. In 2023, both the snow crab and Bristol Bay’s red king crab fishery was put on ice.
Snow crab has all but disappeared in the eastern Bering Sea. Bristol Bay Red King Crab, which would open October 15, is at historic lows. Tanner crab is at the lower end of its historic abundance, according to the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, a trade group.
“These crab fisheries have been under the most sophisticated management system in the world — what the North Pacific Fishery Management Council calls a ‘rationalized’ fishery — where effort (the number of vessels) is consolidated and harvesters are issued catch shares based on their past history. Rationalization is designed to protect the resource and ensure sustainable harvests,” the group said.
The news is significant for the red king crab, whose stock numbers have rebounded to 2.15 million pounds, slightly below the 2.6 million pounds recorded in 2020.
The annual meeting of Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab industry with Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff is planned for Oct. 12. The hybrid meeting is open to the public and will begin at 10 a.m.AKDT. Topics to review include 2023/24 total allowable catch calculations for Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea Tanner crab and discussion on the Bering Sea snow crab closure.
SEN. DAN SULLIVAN SAYS ISRAEL HAS RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF
The Islamist militant organization Hamas initiated a major surprise attack on Israel, with the launch of approximately 5,000 rockets at dawn on Saturday, followed by reports of gunmen attacks and hostage-taking incidents, according to the Associated Press.
The assault commenced with a relentless and unprecedented barrage of rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip toward various locations across Israel.
As sirens blared across southern and central Israel, including the historic city of Jerusalem, the Israeli military swiftly declared a state of war, prompting a nationwide response to the crisis, according to AP and CNN.
Reports suggest that at least 70 people have been killed in the attacks, with 900 known to be wounded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of top security officials to address the crisis and the Israeli armed forces is mobilized to counter the attack.
The surprise attack on Israel marks an escalation in the ongoing and historic tensions between the Israeli government and the Palestinian territories, which stretch back to the 1967 war. Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel and several other countries, has been involved in multiple conflicts with Israel over the years.
Hamas is an offshoot of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which became prominent in the 1980s. Hamas took over the Gaza Strip after defeating Fatah, its rival political party, Fatah, in elections in 2006. It is known for its suicide bombings and occasional rocket attacks against Israel, which it is determined to destroy.
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement urging Israel to not defend itself: “We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred. We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”
The Israeli government appears to not be listening to the U.S. Embassy. According to the New York Times, “Nearly 12 hours after the Palestinian militant assault began, firefights between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants are still raging in Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, Hagari said. He said there are two main battles taking place in Ofakim and Beeri, where Palestinian militants have taken Israelis hostage.”
President Biden took a different approach than the U.S. Embassy, offering support to Israel. On Twitter, his staff wrote for him: “Today, I spoke with @IsraeliPM about the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. I offered our support and reiterated my unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. @FLOTUS and I express our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.”
Biden has no announced public schedule today and his staff has not said where he is, or if he off for the weekend to his beach house.
On Sept. 11, Biden agreed to pay a type of ransom to Iran, which is the most prominent supporter of Hamas. The deal gave Tehran access to $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozenby U.S. sanctions, according toa State Department document sent to Congress. The money was part of a prisoner swap.
Now, Hamas has new prisoners, holding dozens of Israelis hostage in a kibbutz and others in Gaza.
Sen. Dan Sullivan said Israel has a right to defend itself.
“America stands with the people of @Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, as they repel a widespread assault launched by Hamas terrorists today at the conclusion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot,” Sullivan noted on X/Twitter.
“Israel has a right to defend itself and its existence against any terrorist group or its backers, including the largest state sponsor of terrorism—Iran. We must support this right of our close ally during this horrendous attack on innocent Israelis,” Sullivan said. “The terrorist regime in Iran must know that the United States is watching its actions very closely.”
(This is a developing story and accounts are likely to differ.)
The Juneau voters have spoken — again. The majority have voted no on a bond issue desired and pushed by the Juneau Assembly, for the second year in a row.
The no vote was 3,789. Yes votes totaled 3,395 as of the numbers released on Friday evening by the Juneau election office.
The Assembly had earlier this year approved a $50,000 appropriation for the city to use to try to lobby voters to approve the ballot measure that city leaders want. The cost of the building was estimated to be in excess of $43 million.
Recently, property owners had seen significant increases to the property assessments by the city assessor, driving property taxes higher and making some residents feel the city was punishing them for voting against building the city hall last year.
Others observed that the upkeep of the existing city hall appears to have been ignored, including a deteriorated exterior paint on the building that lends it a particularly slummy look.
Final results will be posted once the Canvass Review Board and Election Official certify the election on Oct. 17. At this writing, there are an estimated 1,500 ballots yet to be counted, but the trend is going against the bond measure. The election on the city hall question started with a no-vote advantage of 127 votes, and that has expanded to a 394-vote advantage as of Friday.
Ravn Alaska will stop service to two of its 12 current destinations this month. Daily service to Kenai and Aniak will end Oct. 21.
Ravn Air Group, which declared bankruptcy in 2020, reorganized, sold off some of its aircraft, and continued on. It overlaps with Grant Aviation in rural Alaska, although Grant has no current service to Aniak, which is a hub for even smaller villages in the southwest Kuskokwim River area.
Rob McKinney is CEO of FLOAT, which owns Ravn Alaska. This year he launched a new commercial air carrier for international service, called Northern Pacific Airways. The company invested $6 million into a passenger lounge project at the Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport’s North Terminal.
Northern Pacific Airways is envisioned as a new long-haul airline serving Asia through Anchorage, but plans have been delayed by the Ukraine-Russia war and other geopolitical tensions.
The news of Ravn’s downsizing comes at the same time Alaska Seaplanes in Southeast Alaska announced it was ending daily service to Petersburg and Wrangell, two of its largest communities in Southeast Alaska.
Alaska Seaplanes started scheduled flight service to Petersburg on April 5, 2021 with two flights a day, seven days a week. It started service to Wrangell from Sitka on May 26,2022, offering flights three times a week.
But that was then. The airlines will end service this month, leaving Alaska Airlines as the only commercial airlines offering flights to and from those Southeast communities. For passengers, the last flights are Oct. 31, and for cargo, service ends Oct. 28.
The company says that ridership just didn’t justify the routes. Petersburg and Wrangell of two of its larger communities that it serves. Petersburg has a population of over 3,100, and Wrangell has 2,055 residents. But those communities have the Alaska Airlines option. Alaska Seaplanes also serves Angoon (pop. 349), Elfin Cove (pop. 17), Gustavus (pop. 642), as well as also small hamlets of Haines, Hoonah, Kake, Klawock, Pelican, Skagway, Tenakee and its largest hubs of Juneau and Sitka.
Presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democrat, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican, are scheduled to speak at the Conservative Political Action’s (CPAC) Save America Conference set for Oct. 18 in Las Vegas.
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a unique voice in advocating for the defunding of the weaponized bureaucracy and ensuring the constitutional right of medical freedom. Kennedy joining such an important event is a reflection of the splintering of the left-wing coalition that has gone full woke Marxist to the point that traditional liberals don’t feel welcome anymore. The breakup of the left-wing coalition is occurring while the conservative coalition has hopes of adding more blacks and Hispanics who reject gender insanity, the effects of the terrible economy, and the destruction of their once safer neighborhoods.” Matt Schlapp, the chairman of CPAC stated.
“We are also honored to have Vivek Ramaswamy – a true patriot and rising star fighting for the values of life and liberty for every American. Ramaswamy has made a massive impact on the political scene in a short amount of time. He comes from the world of business and is willing to courageously fight the woke agenda of corporate America. Ramaswamy continues to send a powerful message on the importance of the great revival of America, the fight against Communist China, illegal immigration, calling out censorship and big-tech, holding far-left institutions and the political establishment accountable.”
The two presidential candidates will join other prominent conservative figures such as Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy; Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton; Steve Bannon, Host of War Room; former Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell; Utah Sen. Mike Lee; Dr. Robert Malone; Trump pollster Jim McLaughlin; Rep. Burgess Owens; Kash Patel; Mercedes Schlapp; Matt Whitaker, former U.S. Attorney General; and Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake.
Ramaswamy has increased in popularity during the race for the Republican presidential ticket while RFK Jr. continues to make a stir as he is expected to jump from the Democratic party to the independent ticket, CPAC said in its announcement.
Those who need to do business with the Municipality of Anchorage on Monday are out of luck. Monday has been designated Indigenous People’s Day by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and the Anchorage Assembly.
On Feb. 21, 2023, the mayor made it official after an unanimous vote by the Assembly.
In addition to closure at City Hall, the Anchorage Public Libraries, the Permit Center at 4700 Elmore Road, Anchorage Health Department, AWWU’s customer service, and APD’s front counter are all closed.
Emergency services like police and fire will continue as normal. Public transportation via PeopleMover, AnchorRIDES, and RideShare will also remain open. And people can still take their trash to the Central Transfer Station and Anchorage Landfill. Animal Care and Control will also continue operations. This is a paid holiday for all city workers, and those who have to work it will be awarded holiday pay.
