Page 758 – Must Read Alaska

Six degrees of separation: FTX scam-man Bankman-Fried to go before judge with curious link to Alaska

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January 2, 2023

Six degrees of separation: FTX scam-man Bankman-Fried to go before judge with curious link to Alaska

Sam Bankman-Fried, the bad boy of cryptocurrency crime and illegal Democratic Party and candidate donations, will appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Jan. 3, before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.

Bankman-Fried founded FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, in 2019. He gave away hundreds of millions of dollars to Democrat candidates and causes. By the end of 2022, he was in jail for essentially stealing the investments of thousands of cryptocurrency pioneer investors, laundering the money through a sub-company called Alameda Research, and giving it to political entities on the Left, likely influencing the outcome of 2022 elections, and possibly the control of the U.S. Senate because the of the sheer size of the resources he made available to Democrats.

While Bankman-Fried funded mostly Democrats, including the Alaska Democratic Party, he also funded the campaign of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a liberal Republican who has represented Alaska in Washington D.C. since 2002. He admitted to making other secret donations to political action committees that were backing various candidates.

Murkowski donates tainted campaign funds to Homer nonprofit with family ties, but FTX debtors want it back

Bankman-Fried, who was arrested in the Bahamas, was released from jail on a $250 million bail and placed on home detention at his parents’ house in Palo Alto, California, as he awaits trial.

The Jan. 3 hearing is not the trial itself. At the hearing, Bankman-Fried is expected to plead not guilty on eight charges, which include federal crimes such as wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wife fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, defrauding the Federal Election Commission and campaign finance violations.

“The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged wide-ranging scheme by the defendant to misappropriate billions of dollars of customer funds deposited with FTX, the international cryptocurrency exchange founded by the defendant, and mislead investors and lenders to FTX and to Alameda Research, the cryptocurrency hedge fund also founded by the defendant. Bankman-Fried was arrested yesterday in the Bahamas on these charges and will be presented before a Bahamian magistrate judge today,” the Dec. 13 indictment alleged.

“One month ago, FTX collapsed, causing billions of dollars in losses to its customers, lenders, and investors. Now, a federal grand jury in New York has indicted the former founder and chief executive officer of FTX and charged him with crimes related to the phenomenal downfall of that one-time cryptocurrency exchange, including fraud on customers, investors, lenders, and our campaign finance system. As today’s charges make clear, this was not a case of mismanagement or poor oversight, but of intentional fraud, plain and simple,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in the indictment.

Bankman-Fried made “millions of dollars in political contributions funded by Alameda Research to federal political candidates and committees in advance of the 2022 election. To conceal the fact that those contributions were paid for using funds from a corporation and to evade contribution limits and reporting requirements, Bankman-Fried caused contributions to be reported in the names of co-conspirators rather than in the name of the true source of the funds,” the indictment revealed.

The judge in the case was appointed by former President Barack Obama. Judge Ronnie Abrams is the daughter of legendary attorney Floyd Abrams, who represented The New York Times during lawsuits involving the Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers, officially called the Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force, was an official Pentagon classified report of the United States’ secret military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967, spanning presidencies of Harry S. Truman to Richard Nixon.

The Pentagon Papers had been leaked to the New York Times and the Washington Post, but the matter was being held up by the U.S. Supreme Court, which was deciding whether the newspapers could print the classified documents.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska received a separately leaked copy of the Pentagon Papers from Daniel Ellsberg and read it into the Congressional Record, essentially making the contents a public document that could be printed by anyone.

Web of leftist election influence: FTX connected to Data for Progress, Biden’s pick of Sec. Haaland for Interior, and to a flip-Alaska-blue project

FTX’s foundation funded ProPublica, a news provider that paid for Anchorage Daily News attacks on Gov. Dunleavy

Will FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried’s donations to Republicans ever be revealed? Group files complaint with FEC

FTX scandal: Sam Bankman-Fried ran crypto exchange like a ‘personal fiefdom,’ and assets are ‘stolen or missing’

RIP, FTX: Democrat Ponzi scheme whose founder conned billions and gave millions to leftist candidates like Peltola

Crypto-con Sam Bankman-Fried arrested on the eve of his testimony before congressional committee

Read the indictment: Did Bankman-Fried’s money-laundering operation buy Alaska’s congressional seat?

Sen. Lisa Murkowski received max campaign funding from FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried, who ripped off investors to support Democrats in office

CDC pushes LGBTQ curriculum for schools

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

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January 1, 2023

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By TYLER O’NEIL | THE DAILY SIGNAL

Just days after Christmas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention republished a “self-assessment tool” urging teachers, administrators, school health staff, and others to become an “awesome ally” by advocating for LGBTQ causes in school.

The document cites multiple LGBT activist groups, including a division of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The CDC did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment about the document, which it originally published in October 2020.

“School administrators: Our LGBTQ inclusivity self-assessment tool can help you quickly gauge inclusivity at your school,” the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health posted on Twitter on Tuesday. “See your score today and learn ways to increase inclusivity.”

The document, “LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools: A Self-Assessment Tool,” appears on the CDC’s youth website in a section “For Schools” and under the drop-down “Tools for Supporting LGBTQ Youth.”

“Schools play a critical role in supporting the health and academic development of all youth, including the success of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth,” the document states. “Creating and sustaining inclusive school environments, policies, programs, and practices that include LGBTQ youth is one strategy for improving the health and academic success of all youth.”

The document notes that it includes resources from non-governmental organizations “focused on improving school inclusivity” and that the resources do not represent the CDC’s official opinion. The document further notes that the self-assessment tool is optional, not required, but it touts the document as “a focused, reasonable, and user-friendly approach to identify strategies to increase LGBTQ inclusivity in schools.”

The tool includes four assessments, one each for all users, administrators, educators, and school health services staff. The tool includes three scores: “Commit to Change,” “Beginning to Break Through,” and “Awesome Ally.”

The general self-assessment encourages education leaders to adopt certain mindsets, such as “I cannot assume a student’s gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation,” and urges them to adopt “inclusive” terminology, such as “using individuals’ chosen names/pronouns” and rejecting terms like “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” for “neutral terms” like “partner.”

It also encourages leaders to “advocate for LGBTQ inclusive and affirming materials in all school and classroom environments” and to participate in the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance.

This section also lists resources from activist groups such as GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, and PFLAG, along with the infamous “Gender Unicorn” graphic presenting biological sex as inherently different from gender identity.

The next section encourages administrators to alter their school health policies to include explicit anti-bullying and nondiscrimination policies for LGBTQ students, to allow “students to use the bathroom/locker room which aligns to their chosen gender,” to allow students to alter their paperwork “to present their chosen name and pronouns, rather than their legal name,” and to allow students “access to age-appropriate LGBTQ content and information.” It also encourages administrators to let teachers “develop LGBTQ inclusive curricula” and to support teachers attending LGBTQ trainings.The document also encourages

The document encourages educators to put up “visual labels” such as “rainbow flags, pink triangles, unisex bathroom signs” marking a classroom as “a safe space for LGBTQ students.” It urges them to teach with “LGBTQ inclusive” content and to attend LGBT trainings.

The document also urges teachers to “describe anatomy and physiology separate from gender (e.g., ‘a body with a penis’ and ‘a body with a vagina’).”

Finally, the document urges health services staff to set up “visual labels” to demonstrate support for LGBT causes in the school’s clinic, to offer intake forms with separate sections for “gender identity and sex at birth,” to use students’ chosen names and pronouns, to offer “LGBTQ-specific health pamphlets” at the school clinic, to “describe anatomy and physiology separate from gender,” and to attend LGBT trainings.

Read the rest of this story at The Daily Signal.

Starlink rescues rural Alaska using satellite broadband, without subsidies

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

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January 1, 2023

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Starlink rescues rural Alaska using satellite broadband, without subsidies

By SHAWN WILLIAMS

It’s finally here. Customers in rural Alaska are checking the mail and setting up their Starlink. What this means for rural Alaska residents is obvious – faster broadband and lower prices – but what does it mean for rural Alaska telecoms?

Competition is good. It drives innovation, encourages efficiency, and keeps your marketing department on their toes. The fact competition in rural Alaska was almost non-existent is noteworthy. Nearly all broadband customers are price sensitive if the speed and quality of service are comparable. Simply stated, residents will go to the provider with the lowest price for broadband. (Just look at the effect big box stores and Amazon Prime had on Alaska’s hometown retailers.)

The Federal Communications Commission sends nearly $400M a year to incumbent Alaska telecoms for user subsidies (USF Alaska Plan, E-rate, and Rural Healthcare) and since 2020, the USDA ReConnect program has awarded $322M for new fiber build-outs. In the last 6 months, the NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity program delivered $290M for new fiber build-outs in Alaska villages.

Over the last five years, that’s $2.6B. The fiber-based telecoms have always shared that the high cost of laying and maintaining fiber and microwave in rural Alaska has justified higher retail pricing in those areas. At a recent symposium, one provider put their middle mile expense at 83% of costs.

Starlink, on the other hand, was awarded $885.5M (over 10 years) by the FCC – then its award was canceled.

That didn’t stop Elon Musk from marching forward (using his own money) into the hard-hitting world of licenses, permits and a very healthy fiber lobby. Based on reports, thousands of Starlink terminals are arriving throughout the state, even before the constellation is fully commissioned. And there’s more direct-to-consumer competition coming with Amazon’s Kuiper, Telesat’s Lightspeed, and China’s GalaxySpace promising to cover the globe with affordable broadband.

Back to rural Alaska. Residents statewide can now get fast broadband, after buying the Starlink dish for about $650 delivered. A new market entrant with ubiquitous coverage and impressive broadband means that every single broadband provider in Alaska, regardless of technical capabilities, is now playing on a level playing field. The new, written-in-the-sky standard for broadband in rural Alaska is a minimum of 25/3 for a maximum $110 per month and sometime in Q1 2023, Starlink will likely be participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, bringing that cost down to $35 for qualifying households.

The federal government should not be limiting low-cost middle mile solutions when it comes to serving broadband in rural Alaska, yet the FCC, NTIA and USDA all do. Congressional direction has maintained technology neutral awards, but regulations at the agency level ignore those requirements by including technical requirements. This limits service providers to terrestrial backhaul, thereby unnecessarily increasing costs and limiting connectivity.

When it comes to the telecoms operating in rural Alaska, the paramount focus should be thinking creatively and getting middle mile costs as low as possible, ultimately meeting Starlink’s price and performance. One easy way to achieve this is by taking advantage of the new satellite middle mile covering Alaska and hybridizing existing microwave and C-band satellite networks. LEO (like the OneWeb Network) and/or GEO HTS (like the Aurora Network) can be added to any network in any community.

Alaska telecoms must adapt, utilize new satellite technology, and truly compete – just like Elon.

Shawn Williams is the VP of Government Affairs and Strategy for Pacific Dataport in Anchorage. He’s a 40-year resident of Alaska, the former Assistant Commissioner of Commerce for the State of Alaska, and a member of the Karuk Tribe of California. He’s earned a BA in Economics at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership at Alaska Pacific University.

Anchorage Baptist Temple changes its name to Mountain City Church

Suzanne Downing

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January 1, 2023

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Anchorage Baptist Temple changes its name to Mountain City Church

The well-known Anchorage Baptist Temple, which was founded before Alaska Statehood, has adopted a new name: Mountain City Church. Anchorage Christian School will become Mountain City Christian Academy.

“The church will change its name to match its expanding vision – transforming every Alaskan with the salt, light, and love of Christ,” said Pastor Ron Hoffman. Throughout this past year, Pastor Hoffman has been casting the vision for all the congregants to be Christ-centered world changers, starting with reaching their neighbors, Anchorage, and all of Alaska with the Gospel.

In 1956 the church was planted as “Baptist Bible Church” on DeBarr Road. It grew and then moved to Northern Lights Blvd., and became Anchorage Baptist Temple under former Pastor Jerry Prevo. Through radio and TV ministry, ABT started reach all of Alaska, not just Anchorage.

“No, renaming the church will not erase the legacy,” Hoffman said. “This is a history we never want to forget.” He said the church will build a history wall as a way to remember where it came from and where it’s going.

But he explained that the word “temple” is now more associated with false religion today, and the church wants be be seen as a true place of worship.

For more information, visit the church’s new website at www.mountaincity.church or check it out on Facebook or Instagram @mtncity.church.

Read about Must Read Alaska’s interview with Pastor Hoffman and his mission to reach all Alaskans at this link:

Anchorage Baptist Temple Pastor Ron Hoffman’s one big, hairy, audacious goal

Omnibus has millions for study of Alaska fisheries

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

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January 1, 2023

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Omnibus has millions for study of Alaska fisheries

By KIM JARRETT | THE CENTER SQUARE

The $1.7 trillion spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden includes millions for Alaska’s fisheries and creates yet another task force to study the decline of Alaska’s salmon.

The Alaska Salmon Research Task Force will have between 13 and 19 members, with most of them appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is allowed to appoint just one member.

The task force will be created 90 days from Dec. 23, the day Biden signed the omnibus bill into law. The task force is to turn in its report within a year.

An additional $65 million is in the package for grants to restore Pacific salmon populations. Those grants are available to Alaska and five other states.

The bill also included $300 million for fishery disasters, and another $300 million is included for administrative costs. The funding is not exclusive to Alaska, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce declared six fishery disasters in Alaska, including the 2022/2023 closure of the Alaska Bristol Bay Red King Crab and Bering Sea Snow Crab Fisheries.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced in October that fishing Bristol Bay red king crab would be closed for the second year in a row.

The spending package includes $2.75 million for the Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation to monitor the Bering Sea’s commercial fisheries. Among the other allocations is $1 million to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for research on seasonal weather forecasting.

“Our fisheries and oceans provide foundational food security and economic opportunity for Alaskans statewide. I’m proud to champion our marine environment and cornerstone species like salmon and crab in this year-end package,” Murkowski said in a statement. “Alaskans advocated for these projects, we worked together to deliver on them, and we can now look forward to their implementation for our state.”

U.S. Dan Sullivan voted against the spending package but said he supported some of its provisions, including the ones backing the state’s fisheries.

“However, this is a more than $1.7 trillion dollar spending bill consisting of 4,155 pages, with thousands more in supporting documents, negotiated and agreed to only by House and Senate leadership, and their staff,” Sullivan said in a statement. “We were given approximately 48 hours to read and analyze it. Decisions were made behind closed doors, many of which are clearly beyond the expertise of those making them, and the legislative process once again provided no meaningful opportunity for further input from Senators.”

Kim Jarrett’s career spans over 30 years with stops in radio, print and television. She has won awards from both the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.

New year, new variant of Covid shows how tough it is for boosters to keep up with mutations

Suzanne Downing

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January 1, 2023

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New year, new variant of Covid shows how tough it is for boosters to keep up with mutations

The Omicron variants were all the rage in Covid news in early 2022. But with the new year, a new Omicron variant of Covid has roared onto the scene and is now sweeping the East Coast, where over 75% of known cases are of the newest version.

Delta is done, and the Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 variants that dominated cases in the fall are waning. The newest mutation, XBB.1.5, accounts for over 40.5% of Covid infections around the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

That’s a jump of 21% from where the mutation was on the chart just one week ago. It’s being seen in the Northeast portion of the country, where over 80% of the population has been vaccinated and boosted against Covid, but scientists are now casting doubt on the efficacy of those boosters against this variant. XBB.1.5 is highly immune evasive, scientists report, warning that breakthrough cases and reinfections are likely.

Yet it’s not clear that XBB.1.5 causes more severe illness or is a greater threat than previous strains of Covid. During the last week of 2022, some 2,530 Americans died with Covid, compared to 17,048 during the same week in 2021.

The XBB strain has been detected in at least 70 other counties, the World Health Organization said. The variant has not yet made its grand appearance in Alaska, although is now thought to be 18% of cases in the Seattle area.

A study published the scientific journal Cell reports that BQ and XBB variants are “barely susceptible to neutralization” by current vaccines and the newest omicron boosters. The new aggressive variants could “further compromise the efficacy of current COVID-19 vaccines and result in a surge of breakthrough infections as well as re-infections,” the researchers from Columbia University said in the article titled, “Alarming antibody evasion properties of rising SARS-CoV-2 BQ and XBB subvariants.”

One year ago, another study from Columbia University cast doubts on whether the new vaccines, rolled out in 2021, were effective against the now spent Omicron virus, reporting that the variant flavor of the day was “markedly resistant” to vaccines and boosters. In the United States, more than 614 million doses of Covid vaccine have been given and many people have had up to four booster shots.

The most recent updated (bivalent) boosters became available in September for people aged 12 years and older, but these newest scientific studies are throwing shade on the booster’s ability to defend against the new versions of Covid.

Historic tug from WWII Pearl Harbor days sinks in Juneau, but you can help raise it

Suzanne Downing

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January 1, 2023

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Historic tug from WWII Pearl Harbor days sinks in Juneau, but you can help raise it

The 107-foot tug Tagish sank at a Juneau dock on Thursday. The Tagish was built in 1943 by Everett Marine Ways Inc., in Everett, Wash. for the U.S. Navy, where it was known as YTB290, the Canocan.

It was built as a fireboat replacement for the Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during World War II. The tug was sold in 1959 to Pacific Tow Boat Co. and renamed the Sea King. Ten years later, that company was sold and came under the Foss Maritime company.

In 1976, Foss renamed the tug the Iver Foss, but then sold the aging boat to Don Etheridge of Juneau in 1978; he renamed it the Tagish. For the past 25 years Etheridge has been maintaining and restoring the historic vessel, a survivor of World War II.

Tom Brice, a friend of Etheridge’s, has set up a GoFundMe fundraising page to assist with the raising of the vessel. You can donate to that effort, which has raised over $25,000 in three days, at this link.

Tagish Marine, LLC, which is the corporate owner of the vessel, believes that a 10-inch water line associated with the fire boat plumbing may have frozen and then broke. The vessel had been checked the prior evening and nothing was found amiss, and the bilges were empty, Etheridge said. Tagish Marine wrote:

“During the early morning hours of 12/29/22 the MV Tagish sunk at the National Guard Dock. The sinking was discovered at approximately 8:30 AM by an employee of the harbor department. The vessel is owned by Tagish Marine LLC. Don Etheridge responded to the scene and began coordinating with response agencies and local salvage companies.

“Boom and absorbent materials were deployed to contain approximately 60 to 80 gallons of fuel.

“Melino’s Marine was hired to bring in a diver and plug the tank vents to prevent any further fuel leaking.

“All options for salvage are on the table and currently being explored with local contractors.

“With the plugging of the tank vent, any environmental risk has been contained.

“Due to the size and weight of the vessel, the salvage operation will take extremely large equipment and careful planning.

“This incident is a tremendous loss. We appreciate the outreach and support from the community Thank you all for your patience and understanding while we navigate this complex process.”

Must Read Alaska readers may recall that Don Etheridge ran for Senate for Juneau as an unaffiliated candidate in 2018, but lost to Jesse Kiehl, a Democrat. Read this column by Art Chance from May, 2018:

Juneau could do worse than Etheridge for Senate

Make 2023 your best year yet: 21 top tips from ‘Energy Bus’ coach Jon Gordon

Suzanne Downing

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December 31, 2022

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The change of the calendar is a time to reflect, reset, ditch the bad habits, adopt best practices, and make course corrections in our lives that improve our situations. Best-selling author, speaker, and positivity coach Jon Gordon has 21 tips for a positive 2023 that are worth considering.

Chief among them is to stay positive. In politics, the entire focus is almost always on the argument, the dispute between people about the best way forward for our society and the good of humanity. This synapse where disagreement takes place can consume people and turn their outlooks downright negative. Negativity can sabotage us in our personal and professional lives. It’s important to separate ourselves from the debate itself, and remain upbeat and positive in our own lives, even while events of the world seem fraught with peril for the next generation. It is up to us to be the beacon of hope and happiness for those who follow.

Gordon isn’t involved in politics — he’s in life and leadership coaching. But for those who are deeply engaged in politics, this is perhaps the most important habit they can adopt for 2023. Remember, you can be firm in your convictions, yet remain a happy warrior.

Gordon also recommends a daily “gratitude walk.” Also encouraged by life coach Tony Robbins, it can help us reset our way of thinking about our lives. It’s walking while intentionally focusing on all we are grateful for, and it’s harder than it sounds. Those who do this regularly report measurable benefits in their lives and the lives of their family members. The gratitude walk doesn’t need to be long, but it helps to get outside for this activity, rather than doing a mall walk.

Gordon also reminds us to “remember your why,” which is that very thing that drives us to get out of bed each morning. It might be your children, your spouse, or your faith in God. It’s your core reason for doing what you do. What is driving you? Keep that written down in your wallet, particularly.

Gordon, author of books such a The Power of Positive Leadership, is a nationally known speaker at business conferences and consults with leaders across the country to help them improve their leadership performance through the power of positivity.

His principles have been used by many Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, schools, hospitals, and non-profit groups. He has authored 26 books, including 12 best sellers. The Energy Bus has sold over 2 million copies, and The Carpenter was a top 5 business book of the year. He also wrote Training Camp, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean, Stay Positive, and The Garden, and others. Find out more about Jon Gordon at this link. Sign up for his newsletters here.

In the category of “Must Reads,” you can’t go wrong with Jon Gordon’s inspirational books.

The final tip from Gordon is to enjoy the ride. You only have one trip through life, so make the most of it and enjoy it.

What are the changes you will make in your life for the New Year? Go to the gym? Read your Bible? Attend church? Fix your snow machine? Call your mom? Get your neighbors to vote? Share your best ideas, resolutions, and goals for 2023 in the comment section below.

Make your new year’s resolution to support **Must Read Alaska at this link.**

Glen Biegel: Dan Fagan, larger-than-life legacy

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

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December 31, 2022

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Glen Biegel: Dan Fagan, larger-than-life legacy

By GLEN BIEGEL

Dan Fagan. What can I say? What would you like to know about my many years with Dan as a part of my life?

A couple of housekeeping items before we get started: We are all broken in our own way. Me, you, all of us. Nothing of what I write here is to say a person is perfect, or has a 1,000 batting average on every issue. If your measure for a public person is perfection, you should be prepared to be eternally disappointed, and probably a very bitter and lonely person.

First, I will admit to being biased about Dan Fagan. For probably a dozen reasons. Dan was a mentor, a bitter foil over Sarah Palin and many other issues, a business partner, and a supporter of mine for all my time on the radio. We had giant debates about the facts, we had small disagreements on faith and virtue. We discussed all parts of life with nothing held back. If there is any definition of what a friend is, Dan is a deep and abiding friend of mine.

Second, we have had a falling out, and it was largely my fault. I have asked for forgiveness, and I hope he will forgive me. It was over politics during the previous mayor’s race. I was friends with one candidate and I corrected some public things Dan was saying. I should have worked with Dan more closely on it before I went public, and that was poorly done on my part. We all have points of sorrow in our lives, and this is one example that I am still learning from. We learn more from our pain than anything else, so this continues to be an important lesson in my life.

Dan has several gifts that are superhuman. I’ll just talk through a few.

The first is that he feels a responsibility to the truth and hard-to-face issues more than anyone. The truth for Dan is a constant and irresistible force. If you think of the bond between a man and his wife. Constantly needing the other near, to know them, to hear what they think, to please them. The truth for Dan is like a person with whom he sought relationship with all his might.

The second is that Dan’s measure of success is impossibly high (or nearly so). For himself, for his friends, and for politicians. He is driven to an extent that I don’t think a normal person can understand, and certainly would not attempt. He never stops. He is always reaching out. News, facts, data, relationship. If you think about yourself waking at 3 am every single day of the year, or working late into the night, you should think that Dan is already up, or still working on something for his show, his writing. His public activities are his ministry. He is the eternal minister.

I also want to speak as someone who knows Dan personally. You have never met a person like Dan. At least I have not. In January 2014, I had reached my limit: 9 children, working 70 hours a week for 12 years, high pressure job, high pressure public life (as an avowed introvert, you can imagine what that took out of me), two to three hours of sleep a night for months on end; I just needed to stop. Stop working, stop radio, stop leaving the house, just stop.

Who saved me? Dan Fagan. He did my radio program on KBYR for six weeks while I healed. He wouldn’t take payment. He never pushed me to come back before I was ready. It’s hard to express the love present in that act. I can never adequately express my admiration, appreciation, and love for Dan for helping me when I needed it most. Underneath all the issues, the conflict, the difficult questions, and the public face, that is the face I know is the one Dan Fagan wears when the chips are down.

Finally, Dan finds a way to live his public life and include a vibrant testimony to faith. I’m sure there were many around him who counsel him to stop evangelizing. Dan saw that the evangelizing for political and civic truth should live harmoniously with the call to spiritual truth. It’s not really done in public life, and Dan broke new ground as a brave, clear, clarion for any who will listen. Just like the rest of his life.

Dan’s program was a presentation of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, the play of conservative values within a system that denigrates, erodes and falsely attacks them. Dan was the ringmaster to help explain the political circus of our state, country and city. There will be no other like him. There never could be.

We will miss you here in Alaska, Dan Fagan.

Your friend, Glen.

Glen Biegel is a technology security professional, Catholic father of nine, husband to a saint, and politically active conservative.

Six degrees of separation: FTX scam-man Bankman-Fried to go before judge with curious link to Alaska

CDC pushes LGBTQ curriculum for schools

Starlink rescues rural Alaska using satellite broadband, without subsidies

Anchorage Baptist Temple changes its name to Mountain City Church

Omnibus has millions for study of Alaska fisheries

New year, new variant of Covid shows how tough it is for boosters to keep up with mutations

Historic tug from WWII Pearl Harbor days sinks in Juneau, but you can help raise it

Glen Biegel: Dan Fagan, larger-than-life legacy

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