The US Coast Guard’s newest addition to its polar fleet, the icebreaking cutter Storis, arrived in Seattle July 11 on its journey north to assist in America’s Arctic and polar operations. The vessel, acquired as part of the Coast Guard’s modernization strategy, is the first polar icebreaker added to the fleet in more than a quarter-century.
The arrival follows a series of significant milestones since Storis began its journey northward, including a successful transit through the Panama Canal, testing of new operational systems, and the introduction of updated crewing concepts. The vessel’s integration is part of the Coast Guard’s broader Force Design 2028 initiative, aimed at enhancing capabilities in response to evolving maritime demands.
Once preparations in Seattle are complete, Storis will continue its transit north to Juneau, where the ship is scheduled to be officially commissioned into service Aug. 10.
As the nation’s third active polar icebreaker, Storis is intended to fill critical gaps in U.S. polar presence. Its acquisition provides an immediate operational capability to assure access to the Arctic and Antarctic regions, safeguard U.S. sovereignty, and support broader national security objectives. The addition of Storis is described as a bridging measure, providing vital surface presence until the arrival of new, purpose-built polar security cutters in the coming years.
The State Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions has concluded its review of a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in Anchorage on May 12, involving Anchorage Police Department Officer Carter Mayes and Utuva Alaelua.
The review determined that Officer Mayes was legally justified in using deadly force during the incident.
The shooting arose from a traffic stop involving Alaelua. During the encounter, Officer Mayes inquired about the presence of firearms in the vehicle, and Alaelua denied having any weapons. However, officers observed a handgun on Alaelua’s lap. When instructed to exit the vehicle, Alaelua reached toward his lap, prompting Officer Mayes to fire a single shot. Alaelua was declared deceased at the scene.
The ruling comes amid escalating calls for expanded oversight of the Anchorage Police Department. Activists with the Party for Socialism and Liberation Anchorage are collecting signatures for a proposed ballot initiative that would establish an independent inspector general for the city, aimed at increasing stress on police. Simultaneously, the Anchorage Assembly is moving forward with a proposal to create a formal police oversight commission.
The push for greater oversight comes as a string of violent incidents has marred the Anchorage summer. On Sunday, police responded to a mass shooting in downtown Anchorage, directly across from the police station; one person died. Days earlier, a shooting near Mulcahy Stadium forced young baseball players to take shelter in dugouts during an evening game. Both shooters remain at large as of Monday. Police have not released many details about either event.
The Anchorage Assembly is applying pressure on police and playing Monday morning quarterback whenever a police officer has to use his/her weapon, at the same time police are dealing with rising violent crime in Anchorage.
The California Senate and now a key Assembly committee have passed a bill that would allow cities to charge businesses up to $650 for returning shopping carts stolen from them.
The measure, Senate Bill 753, was introduced at the urging of the city of San Jose, which faces major homelessness and budget crises.
“[San Jose] Mayor Mahan has a homelessness problem and a budget problem, and his solution to solve both of those is to charge retailers more to get their stolen property back,” said Daniel Conway of the California Grocers Association at the California Assembly Local Government Committee hearing that advanced the bill. “Our property is being stolen and taken offsite.”
Under current law, cities can only charge businesses $50 for each shopping cart found and retrieved by the city off of the businesses’ property after the first three violations within a six-month period, or for failing to pick up retrieved carts within three business days.
Shopping carts also currently have to be held for 30 days before the city disposes of them, which bill author state Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, said creates a nuisance for cities. Cortese’s bill would authorize cities to return the carts to businesses, and charge the businesses up to $500 for the service of returning each cart and up to an additional $150 in fines.
“The bill modernizes California law by allowing cities to immediately collect abandoned shopping carts, return them directly to retailers without a three-day waiting period, and recover the actual costs associated with managing cart recovery program,” said Cortese in support of the bill.
Assemblywoman Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy, who abstained from voting for or against the bill — which passed with zero “no” votes but four abstentions — shared her concern that it’s unfair to charge businesses for being victims of crime.
“This is not happening because of their negligence or nuisance,” said Ransom at the hearing. “This is happening because people are taking the shopping carts off the property, and I do not think it is fair to allow the city to impose something without giving them the opportunity to retrieve what is stolen property.”
While fighter jets roared overhead during the annual Red Flag exercises at Eielson Air Force Base in late June, a quieter and far less known military trial was underway 20 miles away on a training range near Fort Wainwright, where the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) was running live-fire tests of small, long-range attack drones. The tests, according to Defense News, fell well short of expectations.
The purpose of the exercise was to put inexpensive, expendable drones through their paces in a simulated combat environment. The drones were challenged to strike targets while simultaneously being under electronic attack, including attempts to jam their signals. The exercise produced a string of crashes, with some drones slamming into hillsides and erupting in flames, Defense Newsreported, with photos of the fiery crashes.
The DIU, a Pentagon office tasked with bringing commercial technology into military use, had selected a group of companies to showcase their drone prototypes as part of a broader push to also strengthen the US drone manufacturing industry.
Speaking to Defense News, Trent Emeneker, who leads several DIU autonomy projects, said the exercise highlighted the uncomfortable reality that the US military’s drone capabilities have fallen behind faster-moving global competitors.
These trials come as the Pentagon puts more focus on drone warfare, driven in part by lessons from Ukraine, where drones have played a central role on the battlefield. Military leaders, including Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth, have made no secret of their intent to close the gap and expand America’s use of autonomous systems.
In a sign of that urgency, Hegseth issued a memo on July 10, directing a wide range of reforms to how the services buy small drones, according to Defense News. The changes are meant to cut through procurement bureaucracy and give ground units more freedom to test and buy drones directly from the commercial market.
The Trump Administration has also pushed for more domestic drone production and the removal of policy barriers that have slowed the Pentagon’s ability to field these systems.
The sketchy performance of the drones in Alaska shows both the promise and the pitfalls of the Pentagon’s modernization efforts. Inexpensive drones could transform the battlefield—but only if the military can overcome the very system that too often keeps new technology grounded.
The man who was pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting in downtown Anchorage has been identified as 23-year-old Leroy Manogiamanu.
The shooting took place at about 2:50 am outside the Gaslight Lounge, which is nearly directly across from the Anchorage Police Department’s downtown headquarters.
When officers arrived, they found three victims, one of whom had non-life-threatening injuries, one with life-threatening injuries; and one deceased adult male victim, who was identified on Monday morning. Medics transported the victims to the hospital. A fourth victim was later located with non-life-threatening injuries. The Crime Scene Team has responded to process the scene. The suspect is still at large.
Manogiamanu, who lived with family members in the Muldoon area of Anchorage, has no prior run-ins with the law in Alaska. His court record has just minor vehicle-related violations.
US Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) secured a key endorsement on Monday from President Donald Trump, bolstering his re-election campaign with the backing of the Republican Party’s most influential figure.
Trump announced his endorsement on Truth Social, praising Sullivan’s record and support for conservative priorities. The endorsement comes as Alaska’s political landscape heats up ahead of the 2026 elections, with Sullivan expected to seek a third term in the U.S. Senate.
“Senator Dan Sullivan is doing a fantastic job representing the Great People of Alaska! Prior to becoming a very distinguished and Highly Respected Senator, Dan served as State Attorney General and the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources,” Trump wrote in his social media post.
Trump highlighted Sullivan’s work on national defense, energy policy, and economic growth, adding, “Dan is a GREAT man, has ALWAYS delivered for Alaska (which I won three times by BIG margins in 2016, 2020, and 2024!), and will continue doing so in the U.S. Senate.”
The former president pointed to Sullivan’s efforts to lower taxes, reduce regulations, and support American energy independence. He also emphasized Sullivan’s support for securing the nation’s borders, defending the Second Amendment, and backing military service members and veterans. Sullivan is a retired Marine colonel.
“Dan Sullivan has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.
Trump carried Alaska by more than 54% of the vote in the 2024 presidential election, marking his third consecutive victory in the state. He won outright, without having to go though the complicated ranked-choice voting processs.
Sullivan, first elected to the Senate in 2014, has maintained strong ties to Alaska’s energy sector and military community and is considered a frontrunner for re-election.
No major Democratic challengers have announced a run against Sullivan as of Monday, but Alaska newcomer Ann Diener, a Democrat, is in the race. In 2020, the Democrats backed Al Gross, a medical doctor from Juneau-Petersburg-Anchorage, who failed to capture the trust of Alaska voters, garnering only 41.7% of the vote.
Alaska Democrats appear to have found their challenger in the 2026 US Senate race. Ann Diener, a Democrat and newspaper sales executive at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, filed to run against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who has served since being elected in 2014.
Diener moved to Alaska in 2021 and was involved in Democratic politics through the unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Les Gara in 2022. With no other Democrat yet stepping forward and no signs of a late entry from former Rep. Mary Peltola, who is currently tied up in a lawsuit involving the death of her husband Buzzy, Diener looks to be the party’s default standard-bearer.
On her campaign website, Diener emphasizes themes of economic development and community-building. “We need to work hard to serve Alaskans and those who move to our state,” she writes, adding that Alaska must “create win-wins and care about creating flourishing local communities” amid concerns over population decline.
However, parts of Diener’s biographystand out for their unusual tone. She describes her political experience as including an effort to “defeat the overlord who had attempted to harm my planet” and claims to have stopped an attack on “our start (sic) system.” She often refers to herself as “we.”
In a section titled “Biography of Our Work for Sovereignty,” she pledges to uphold “Constitutionalism with Oversight against all Malfeasance.”
In comments about her political role models, Diener lists former US Sen. Dianne Feinstein (misspelled as “Diane” on her website), while also promoting a platform that mixes traditional Democrat priorities like workers’ rights and housing with a broad focus on foreign policy and energy. She also advocates for increased tourism promotion and attracting outside talent to Alaska. She claims to have vast foreign policy experience.
On her Ballotpedia profile she says, “We need to improve our state and encourage people to see that Alaska has a thriving future. This is something that is currently not happening, and it is time to elect someone with fresh eyes on the challenges we face. Coming from California, where we faced overdevelopment I stood against, I can work for Alaskans to encourage positive growth with constituents interest in mind. I will encourage direct communication and put your needs first. My goal is to engage everyone in an interactive way online, in person and over the phone.”
Her website features photos of protest signs, such as one that says, “No Justice No Peace.”
Diener has never run for elected office before and her professional background is in advertising sales. She was born in Colorado and got a college degree from San Diego State University, according to Ballotpedia, where she has completed the candidate profile and survey. She has a campaign website, a Facebook page, a campaign page on X, and some other social media tie downs.
Barring a last-minute entrant, Diener will face Sen. Sullivan, who is seeking his third term. The Alaska Democratic Party has yet to formally endorse a candidate, but Diener’s early filing in December 2024 and lack of alternatives suggest she may be their nominee by default.
The Department of Justice has initiated formal requests for voter registration records and other election-related data from at least nine states, according to official state confirmations and federal documentation. The states contacted include Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The requests, sent through the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, focus on how states manage voter registration, clean their rolls, and identify ineligible voters.
The DOJ is seeking information on processes used to verify voter eligibility, such as checks against state databases to flag duplicate registrations, noncitizens, deceased individuals, and those disqualified due to felony convictions or mental incompetence.
Here is the letter sent to Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom:
Last week, nearly three weeks after the Justice Department request was made to Dahlstrom, the Alaska Division of Elections sent out a social media post explaining how voters are removed from the voter rolls:
In Colorado, the Justice Department asked for “all records” related to the 2024 general election, which may include ballots and voting equipment records. State officials have described the scope of the request as highly unusual.
Similar letters were sent to other states with varying levels of detail and specificity, ranging from general voter roll maintenance procedures to inquiries about voter verification methods, such as Arizona’s use of driver’s license numbers for identity confirmation.
These requests are issued under the authority of a March 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, directing the Department of Justice to investigate suspected election-related crimes. The executive order also allows the DOJ to withhold certain federal funds from states that fail to comply with such investigations.
State responses to the DOJ inquiries have varied. Some, like Wisconsin, referred the DOJ to publicly accessible voter information portals that require payment of a nominal fee. Others, like Arizona, provided limited data consistent with federal law, while affirming their existing voter verification safeguards. Pennsylvania confirmed its cooperation with the DOJ but did not publicly disclose the extent of its data sharing.
The Alaska Division of Elections, under the direction of Dahlstrom, is working on a response.
Election officials in Colorado expressed concern over the unprecedented scope of the DOJ’s demand, noting that public voter data is readily accessible under state law but emphasizing restrictions on sensitive information such as Social Security numbers or drivers’ license numbers. Additionally, election officials in several states have cited statutory limitations on releasing certain types of data, even to federal agencies.
Under federal law, including the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Department of Justice is empowered to monitor voter roll maintenance to ensure accuracy and prevent ineligible voting. Federal law permits oversight of voter list maintenance, demands for records encompassing all election materials and voting infrastructure could test the boundaries of federal authority.
Multiple people were apparently injured early Sunday morning after gunfire erupted near the Gaslight Lounge in downtown Anchorage.
3:30 pm update: When officers arrived, they found three victims, one of whom had non-life-threatening injuries, one with life-threatening injuries; and one deceased adult male victim. Medics arrived and transported the victims to the hospital. A fourth victim was later located with non-life-threatening injuries. The Crime Scene Team has responded to process the scene. Suspect still not detained.
According to the Anchorage Police Department, officers responded to reports of shots fired at approximately 2:50 am in the area of 4th Avenue and G Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered several victims at the scene. The extent of their injuries has not yet been released.
As of Sunday morning, no suspects have reported to have been detained. Police say they are actively following up on leads but have not released any suspect description or details about what may have led to the violence.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting — including surveillance footage from nearby businesses or residences — to contact Anchorage Police Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1) or (907) 786-8900 (option #0).
The motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, as do any potential connections between those involved. Police said further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
This story will be updated as new information is available.
Police have still not released information about the Friday shooting incident near an active baseball game at Mulcahy Stadium in midtown. The name of the suspect is still unknown, but he was reported to have been bitten by police K9 Kevin and was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.
