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Breaking: Israel bombs Iran nuclear sites, takes out top Islamic guard commander

Suzanne Downing
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Breaking: Israel bombs Iran nuclear sites, takes out top Islamic guard commander

Israel launched a military strike on Iranian nuclear sites late Thursday night, June 12, further destabilizing an already volatile region and threatening to derail ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Oil in after-hours trading shot up. The price of crude oil in early trading on June 12 showed that Brent crude futures rose by $5.29, or 7.63%, to $74.65 per barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate crude was up $5.38, or 7.91%, at $73.42 per barrel, after the Israeli strikes on Iran.

The Israeli offensive was carried out without overt US military backing, comes just days ahead of a planned sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers, scheduled to take place Sunday in Oman. While the full extent of the damage remains uncertain, the attack marks one of the most direct military confrontations between the two longtime adversaries in recent years.

Iranian state media said Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Hossein Salami was killed in the bombing in Tehran, a direct hit on Iran’s top military leadership.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

The air strikes targeted Iran’s expanding nuclear program and military leadership, killing the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and hitting dozens of sites in an operation that risks plunging the region into a new conflict with unpredictable consequences and possible global war.

According to Israel, dozens of aircraft completed the initial wave of attacks before dawn Friday.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”

The situation is fluid and likely to change by the hour.

The US has insisted that Iran must abandon its uranium enrichment capabilities essential for building a nuclear weapon, a demand Iran has rejected, leaving talks stalled.

The timing of the escalation comes just as America faces its own internal insurrection from illegal immigrants and their enablers, many of whom are planning riots for Saturday, which is Flag Day.

No ID? No problem. Anchorage Assembly repeals red-stripe check rule at restaurants, bars

Suzanne Downing
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No ID? No problem. Anchorage Assembly repeals red-stripe check rule at restaurants, bars

The Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday voted 8-4 to repeal a ill-conceived ordinance that required all customers at bars, restaurants, and breweries to show ID before buying alcohol, regardless of their age. Even if you were clearly in your 60s, the server would ask to see your ID if you ordered alcohol. The rule, which took effect on March 1, lasted just over three months.

With the repeal, hospitality venues are no longer required to check every customer’s ID. However, liquor stores must still card everyone, as they’ve been doing under a 2011 state law.

The original goal of the now-repealed ordinance was to stop people with court-ordered alcohol restrictions, identified by a red stripe on their driver’s licenses, from buying alcohol at on-site establishments.

But the policy quickly ran into problems. It turned hospitality transactions into rude interactions.

Business owners complained of slow service, lost sales, and upset customers, especially older locals and tourists who were confused or offended by the blanket ID checks. Some staff even reported verbal abuse from frustrated patrons.

The repeal shines light on the difficulty of turning a well-intended public safety measure into reasonable policy. As Anchorage is in its busy summer tourism season, businesses hope the rollback will ease tensions and speed up service.

The ordinance caused confusion. Some wait staff even tried to “card” patrons who were not ordering alcohol but who were at a table where others were ordering adult beverages.

Assembly members Daniel Volland and Scott Myers, who had supported the ID rule originally, joined newcomer Yarrow Silvers to push for its repeal.

The vote broke down as follows:

Opposed to repeal (voted to keep the universal ID checks): Anna Brawley, Zac Johnson, George Martinez, and Felix Rivera.

In favor of repeal: The remaining eight members.

Read about the now-repealed ordinance at this link:

Red stripe expands: Anchorage Assembly passes law requiring servers to check for ‘no booze’ licenses

Congressman Nick Begich votes to pull back $9.4 billion in Biden-era federal spending

Suzanne Downing
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Congressman Nick Begich votes to pull back $9.4 billion in Biden-era federal spending

Alaska Congressman Nick Begich voted Thursday in favor of a sweeping federal rescissions package that claws back $9.4 billion in previously approved but unspent government funds. The bill, House Resolution 4, passed the US House in a narrow 214–212 vote and now heads to the Senate.

In a statement released on X, Begich called the measure “a necessary step for restoring fiscal responsibility in our nation,” adding that “America has been built on principles of freedom of expression, self-determination, sovereignty, personal responsibility, and limited government. This package supports those values by rescinding $9.4 billion from programs that do not reflect the will of the taxpaying public.”

The legislation cancels funds that had been allocated to various foreign aid efforts and to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS stations nationwide, including Alaska’s public radio and television networks. Much of the targeted foreign spending was routed through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which Begich described as “ideologically-shaped” and “misused to promote political and socially left policies abroad” under the Obama and Biden administrations.

“This package helps refocus our support in ways that are consistent with America’s core values, rather than promote the agendas of international bureaucracies and ideological NGOs,” Begich wrote in a statement.

The congressman said cuts to public broadcasting subsidies, are due in part to how the media landscape has changed dramatically since the early days of radio.

“While rural communities have in the past been indirectly supported through state-sponsored media, we must acknowledge how far we have come in terms of connectivity since the birth of radio more than 120 years ago. Alaskan residents have embraced today’s pervasive cellular, satellite, and wireline technologies, connecting rural communities to critical information and resources in rich and compelling ways.”

Rescission does not affect emergency management funding directed to rural communities. “Importantly,” he said, “emergency management funding from these budgets that is directed to rural communities has been preserved.”

He added that he will continue to support both “new connectivity technologies” and “durable legacy technologies such as radio and long-range digital television” to ensure Alaska’s remote communities stay connected.

A rescission, under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, allows Congress to cancel previously approved funding that hasn’t yet been spent. It requires only a simple majority in both chambers, making it easier to pass than most other forms of budget legislation.

While rare, rescissions are sometimes used to signal fiscal restraint or redirect funds away from programs that have become politically unpopular.

With the House’s narrow approval, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where senators like Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins are unlikely to go against public broadcasting, which has been a political ally of theirs for years. Murkowski also has issued statements in support of USAID, calling the cuts by the Trump Administration a “confusing and callous handling of personnel matters.”

Video: Watch as Anchorage Assembly Chair Constant says he’s never been ‘filled with as much rage,’ but what has caused him to be so mad?

Suzanne Downing
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Video: Watch as Anchorage Assembly Chair Constant says he’s never been ‘filled with as much rage,’ but what has caused him to be so mad?

A tense Anchorage Assembly meeting this week laid bare ongoing questions about a 2021 ordinance requiring city permits for homeless shelters, a rule originally advanced by liberal Assembly members amid efforts to shut down the faith-based Downtown Hope Center, which refuses to house biological males in its women-only facility.

Assemblyman Daniel Volland requested legal clarification on the ordinance’s enforceability, prompting a visibly angry response from Assembly Chair Chris Constant, who said, “I’ve never been as filled with as much rage as I am now on this body,” before agreeing to give city attorneys, who were caught flat-footed on whether the ordinance has any teeth, more time to review the matter.

Attorneys later advised that even without formal permit approval, shelters could continue operating under provisional status.

Assemblyman Keith McCormick said he would vote against issuing the permits, arguing that shelters like the Anchorage Rescue Mission, Brother Francis Shelter, and Clare House have operated safely for decades without city meddling. He echoed concerns raised during the Bronson Administration, when the city’s Health Department warned that requiring shelter licenses could push more people into homelessness.

But back then, the Assembly was bound and determined to put the Downtown Hope Center out of business since it provides shelter beds to women victims of domestic violence.

The Anchorage Assembly passed the ordinance requiring homeless shelters to be licensed on June 22, 2021. The ordinance took effect in 2023.

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Cathy Tilton: In praise of the American flag, a symbol worth standing for

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Cathy Tilton: In praise of the American flag, a symbol worth standing for

By REP. CATHY TILTON

In a time of rapid change and fierce division, the American flag still flies — steady, unshaken, and resolute. It is more than cloth and color; it is the embodiment of who we are, what we’ve overcome, and what we still strive to become. The flag doesn’t demand blind loyalty — it calls us to remember the sacrifice, the unity, and the spirit that have defined this country since its birth.

Each star and stripe bears witness to our collective journey. It tells the story of patriots who defied an empire, of brave men and women who stormed beaches and marched on bridges, of generations who bled, believed, and built. From the fields of Gettysburg to the sands of Iwo Jima, from the steps of Selma to the towers of September 11, the flag has been there, not as a bystander, but as a beacon. To honor the flag is to honor every American who gave part of themselves to the cause of liberty. Dismissing it as “just a symbol” is to forget the blood, courage, and conviction sewn into every thread.

Yet the power of the flag is not only in our past; it lies in its ability to unite us today. In a nation of over 300 million voices, backgrounds, and beliefs, it stands as a rare common ground. It waves over cities and farms, courthouses and schoolyards, in moments of celebration and grief. When we salute it or place a hand over our hearts, we are not erasing our differences — we are choosing to rise above them. We are choosing to affirm a shared promise: that we are still one nation, indivisible, committed to liberty and justice for all.

Yes, this nation is imperfect. But the flag does not celebrate perfection as much as it calls us to pursue it. It reminds us that democracy is never finished, that freedom is never free, and that every voice matters, even the ones raised in protest. That’s the beauty of our republic: The flag protects the very rights that allow us to question it. Its strength is not in silence, but in the freedoms it represents.

In communities like ours, where neighbors still look out for each other and where values run deep, honoring the flag isn’t about politics — it’s about pride. It’s about teaching our children that gratitude matters, that freedom is fragile, and that we all have a role in keeping the American promise alive. When we raise that flag, we’re not just honoring the past; we’re investing in the future.

As our country faces new challenges and choices, the American flag still waves. Unbowed, unmistakable, and undiminished. Let’s honor it not out of duty, but out of conviction. Let’s stand for it not because we’re told to, but because it reminds us of everything we hold dear.

In that simple gesture lies a powerful truth: For all our faults, this country is still worth believing in. And so is its flag.  God bless the United States of America!

Rep. Cathy Tilton serves in the Alaska Legislature.

Americans will mark Flag Day and Army birthday with diverging celebrations and protests

Win Gruening: Juneau Assembly set to mandate another complicated, cumbersome voting system

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Win Gruening: Juneau Assembly set to mandate another complicated, cumbersome voting system

By WIN GRUENING

In spite of dissatisfaction with the city’s unilateral decision to impose vote-by-mail a few years ago, on June 9th, the Juneau Assembly moved to consider mandating another burdensome and unnecessary voting scheme.

Over the past several months after listening to countless hours of Juneau Assembly meetings, I’ve heard citizens regularly testify on non-agenda items. In multiple meetings, dozens of people have pleaded with the Assembly to address the vandalism and public disturbances connected with the growing homeless population in Juneau. 

But I can’t remember any member of the public begging the Assembly to adopt Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for our municipal elections. Yet somehow, city leaders decided it’s more important to spend staff time and money on this issue that nobody cares about. 

With no prior notice, RCV first surfaced on a February 3 Human Resource Committee (HRC) meeting agenda as “information to start the conversation.”

The accompanying memo by the Law Department noted the department “was asked to draft legislation to move the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) to a ranked choice voting system.” No mention was made of why or who requested it.

On the HRC agenda again on March 3, the ordinance was moved to the Committee of the Whole (COW). After being reviewed on May 5, and again on June 2, Assembly members finally began publicly discussing it. Even with apparent confusion on how it would work, Assembly members voted unanimously to formally introduce the ordinance at the June 9 Assembly meeting.

In the months leading up to its introduction, despite considerable controversy in Alaska and around the country surrounding the use of RCV, there has been no public testimony or mention in the media (until recently). With little discussion, this draft ordinance passed with no objection through multiple Assembly subcommittee and COW meetings.

Alaska is one of three states that use RCV in state or Federal elections. While some US cities use RCV today – New York, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Portland, to name a few, 17 states have adopted prohibitions on the use of RCV in any elections. 22 states have no laws addressing RCV, and none of these states nor any local government in those states use it. 

While this topic is hotly debated within Alaska, RCV is an outlier nationally and has never been used in this state for local elections. In Alaska’s 2024 general election, an RCV repeal lost by 743 votes out of 321,203 votes cast. RCV only survived due to a contentious $13 million campaign funded by out-of-state dark money to sway voters. Currently, a new repeal effort is underway which may very well succeed.

Still, CBJ Assembly members seem poised to pass this without any serious rationale or research.

Assembly members apparently assume that since most Juneau voters were opposed to the state-wide repeal of RCV last year, then voters must surely favor implementing RCV in local elections as well.

But there are considerable differences between state-wide elections and local elections.

RCV is designed to work within a partisan primary and general electoral system with numerous candidates and close elections where no candidate receives 50% of the vote (and runoff elections may be required). That just isn’t the case with Juneau’s elections. Juneau elections are non-partisan and, historically, candidates often run unopposed or only have one challenger. In those instances, RCV has no value except to further complicate voting and jack up the cost of elections.

Proponents claim RCV will encourage civil discourse and promote more diverse candidates. It certainly hasn’t done that in statewide elections. In any case, those issues aren’t a factor in Juneau elections which have remained respectful and fielded candidates of all stripes.

While CBJ Assembly members have assured the public there will be time for public comment, it appears, thus far, that will mostly be for show.

Why spend time and money on a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist?

Voters already have high levels of suspicion of voting systems that are difficult to explain and delay final results (sometimes for weeks). 

Will the CBJ Assembly ever address the real concerns that citizens regularly bring them? Homelessness and community affordability are serious community problems and RCV is an unnecessary distraction that won’t do a thing to help solve them.

After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.

Win Gruening: Juneau government spending depends on cruise visitors spending
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Mat-Su Mayor DeVries files for governor

Suzanne Downing
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Mat-Su Mayor DeVries files for governor

Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries filed a letter of intent to run for governor of Alaska.

“School of Government is on break until September. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT – I have filed Letter of Intent for Governor in the State Primary August 2026. I am the one candidate with proven leadership. Listening to people, caring for people and acting -Mat Su is setting standard for the state of Alaska to follow. Appreciate your prayers and thoughts. Blessings,” she wrote in a text message to her list of School of Government attendees. The school is a program that tackles political and social issues of interest to Mat-Su conservatives.

DeVries, born July 12, 1941, is the incumbent mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. She was elected in November 2021 with approximately 58% of the vote in a three-way race against Matthew Beck and Bert Cottle.

A resident of Palmer since 1969, DeVries previously served as mayor of Palmer for over five years, and was a member of the Alaska State Senate during the 14th State Legislature. She was also the first woman elected to the Palmer City Council, and the first woman to serve as Mat-Su Borough mayor.

DeVries, well respected in conservative circles, will turn 84 in July. If elected in November, 2026, she would be 85 when she took office and 89 at the end of her first term. She joins Republicans Click Bishop (former state senator from Fairbanks), Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, and business owner Bernadette Wilson.

Other Republicans said to be in the hunt include Sen. Shelley Hughes, Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum, and Attorney General Treg Taylor, but none of the three has yet filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. The 2026 primary is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026, which is over 400 days away. Others, including a Democrat, a Libertarian, and an Alaskan Independence Party candidate, are expected to file in coming weeks.

Video: Congressman Byron Donalds endorses Bernadette Wilson for governor of Alaska at rally

Court battle looms after Trump sends in Marines: Murkowski says it’s wrong, others say it’s the law

Suzanne Downing
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Court battle looms after Trump sends in Marines: Murkowski says it’s wrong, others say it’s the law

Alaska’s two senators and lone congressman have differing views about the recent deployment of US Marines to protect federal property in Los Angeles, with sharply different interpretations of law, public safety, and the role of the military on American soil.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski expressed strong reservations about the use of active-duty military forces in American cities, saying, “Our military are to be used to protect us from foreign threats, but not within our own country.”

Her statement echoes concerns about militarization of domestic affairs and the potential for abuse of executive power. But overreacting comments oversimplify federal law and ignore long-established statutes that authorize the federal government to deploy troops for limited domestic roles. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine agrees with Murkowski, saying, “Active duty forces are generally not to be involved in domestic law enforcement operations.”

Prepare for riots across America this weekend, as activists add fuel to fire started in Los Angeles

While Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom say they don’t need outside help, Trump ordered 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to be on the scene in Los Angeles County to assist law enforcement quell the insurrection, as the summer of 2025 heats up. Last night in Seattle, insurrectionists tried to burn down a federal buidljg downtown, leading to a violent confrontation with Seattle police.

While the Posse Comitatus Act generally prohibits the use of federal military forces to perform civilian law enforcement duties, it does not completely ban domestic deployment. Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, the president is authorized to use military personnel to protect federal property, enforce laws, or respond to insurrections and emergencies. The Department of Defense clarified that the Marines in Los Angeles were operating under this narrow framework—assigned only to guard federal buildings and personnel, not to police the streets or engage protesters.

The historical record supports this interpretation. Presidents have authorized military forces to protect federal interests on American soil cases, such as securing courthouses during civil unrest. As long as the troops do not carry out law enforcement actions, such as arrests, the deployments are considered legal. Murkowski’s framing of the issue as strictly “foreign threats only” is at odds with the legal reality that the military has long held a backup role in safeguarding key federal assets under certain conditions. The ignores the fact that military can be used to stop an invasion.

Sen. Dan Sullivan was more circumspect: “The First Amendment guarantees the rights of all Americans to protest—not to riot, loot local businesses, and commit violence against law enforcement officers. The protests in LA have unfortunately devolved into a very dangerous situation for local residents and for federal agents simply carrying out their duty to implement our immigration laws. The LA Chief of Police said earlier this week that the protests had ‘gotten out of control’ and that ‘our officers are really under attack.’ President Trump is justified in calling in the National Guard and the Marines when federal officers and property are being threatened by violent agitators, and to support local police officers working to restore order and protect the lives of local citizens.”

Congressman Nick Begich defended the deployment, citing the scale of lawlessness and the broader consequences of illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking.

“What we have seen in Los Angeles is utter lawlessness. This behavior has no place in America’s communities, and the deployment of federal resources is consistent with the type of whole-of-government approach required to restore order and protect the innocent.”

Begich tied the unrest in Los Angeles to the federal government’s failure to secure the border and enforce immigration laws, arguing that federal intervention is not only lawful but necessary.

The Trump administration authorized the deployment of Marines under what it called the “protective power” of federal agencies to secure their own infrastructure. There is a distinction: The Insurrection Act would permit a broader use of force, including crowd control and policing. By contrast, the Marines in Los Angeles are tasked only with protecting federal sites such as courthouses and immigration facilities. These are assets owned by the people of America, paid for by taxpayers.

Murkowski’s concerns resonate with those who hate Donald Trump, and her characterization of the military’s role lacks accuracy. Federal law clearly allows for the use of troops in certain domestic scenarios, provided their mission remains strictly protective and does not cross into law enforcement.

As lawlessness fueled by rampant illegal immigrant crime grow in California, a legal challenge by Gov. Newsom is scheduled to be heard June 12.

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California provided $73.6 million to anti-deportation groups, including rioters
Video: Socialist protesters rehearse for Saturday with Anchorage jail demonstration
Send in the Marines
Americans will mark Flag Day and Army birthday with diverging celebrations and protests

Washington skier is second to die on McKinley this season

Suzanne Downing
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3
Washington skier is second to die on McKinley this season

Nicholas Vizzini, a 29-year-old skier from Washington, died in an avalanche on June 10, while descending a slope on Mount McKinley at approximately 16,600 feet at about 6:15 pm.

The avalanche shot down to about 15,000 feet, and Vizzini was mostly buried in debris. His climbing partner, a snowboarder, sustained minor injuries and was rescued.

Mountaineering rangers responded quickly, detecting Vizzini’s beacon signal, but despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead, the National Park Service reported.

Vizzini’s body was recovered and sent to the state medical examiner’s office. His partner was scheduled to leave the mountain on June 11.

This was the second fatality of the 2025 climbing season on McKinley, following the death of Alex Chiu earlier in June from a 3,000-foot fall on the West Buttress route.

The climbing season on McKinley, which typically runs from early May to early July, currently has about 500 climbers on the mountain, as noted by park officials.

First mountaineer of season to die on McKinley was aviation engineer from Seattle
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