The United States Army on Monday activated the new 11th Airborne Division in Alaska. The change brings the 12,000 soldiers in Alaska under a single banner.
June 6, coincidentally, is the 78th anniversary of D-Day, when allied Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in Nazi-occupied France.
“The change will bring the service closer to its mission in Alaska of mastering the frigid, inhospitable Arctic terrain. Previously, two of its brigades were loosely associated with the 25th Infantry Division, an element known for its specialty in jungle warfare. The new division has also folded in U.S. Army Alaska, which mostly served a headquarters role in the region,” according to Military.com.
“As the Army reorients after decades of counterterrorism operations back to conventional warfare, it is anticipating that frigid environments will play a huge role in modern conflicts. Adversaries Russia and China have already laid claims to the Arctic Circle, where melting ice is freeing up territory, natural resources and new sea routes,” the publication wrote.
“They will be the experts for our Army, and we like to see the best in the world operating in this environment,” Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff, told reporters Monday.
The Alaska Democratic Party is keen to hold onto its grip on the Alaska House of Representatives, and securing House District 13 in Anchorage is going to be a priority for the party.
Due to redistricting, House Majority Leader Democrat Chris Tuck has been wedged into the same district as Democrat Rep. Andy Josephson; Josephson is considered by the Division of Elections to be the incumbent in the new district lines, even though he only brought a couple of precincts into the map.
Republican Kathy Henslee has also filed for the seat, and so has nonpartisan Tim Huit. With ranked choice voting, all four candidates will be on the August “pick one” primary ballot, and all four will head to the November ballot, where the ranked choice voting experiment takes place.
But with four in that race, it’s possible that either Henslee or Tuck could have an advantage over Josephson, the Democrat’s Democrat who lines up on every party issue from pro-abortion to pro-income taxes.
And there’s the rub: Tuck is not fully in line with the Democrat Party’s increasingly radical platform. He’s the rare breed of pro-life Democrats who still exist, but generally not in elected office. Josephson, on the other hand, lines up with his party on every issue from unrestricted abortion to allowing transgenders to compete in girls sports.
The district now favors the more conservative candidates, making Josephson the odd man out. With ranked choice voting, Henslee and Tuck may be the real contest, with Huit peeling off votes from both sides.
Thus, the Alaska Democratic Party apparatchiks may be torn: Do they force out Tuck due to his pro-life policies, or do they take their chances that pro-abortion Josephson can win against Henslee?
Tuck is not a stealth pro-life politician. He doesn’t hide his opinions and even signed a letter in 2020 asking the Democratic National Committee to change the party’s platform on abortion, saying it is wildly out of step with where Americans are at on the matter. The letter stated:
We are concerned that many Democratic leaders support policies on abortion that are radically out of line with public opinion. Many Democratic leaders support abortion at any time, for any reason; this position is opposed by 79% of Americans. The 2016 Democratic Platform endorses taxpayer funding of abortion, opposed by a supermajority of the population. The same platform endorses taxpayer funding of abortion in developing countries, opposed by three-fourths of voters.
We are concerned that, due to this wide disparity, the Democratic Party is alienating voters. In 389 out of 435 Congressional districts, a majority of voters support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks. When Democratic leaders support late-term abortion, they push many voters into the arms of the Republican Party. Many people holding pro-life views are single-issue voters.
Finally, we are concerned about the betrayal of Democratic Party values. An extreme position on abortion rights violates our commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Polling consistently shows that one in three Democrats are pro-life. We must respect and include these 21 million Democrats.
Pro-choice is the hill some or many hardline Democrats will die on this year, with the upcoming overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. For Democrats to support a pro-life candidate like Tuck and sacrifice a pro-abortion candidate like Josephson could make this a political intrigue for the next two weeks, as the party will need to look at who has the best shot against Henslee in November.
The idea of both Tuck and Josephson staying in the race is going to be hard for Democrats to reconcile. Two of them could split the vote and hand the win to Henslee.
Candidates have until June 26 to drop their names from the Aug. 16 primary ballot.
The letter from Tuck and other pro-life Democrats to the party Platform Committee two years ago:
Congressional candidate Jeff Lowenfels says that without notice Wells Fargo bank has closed his campaign account, which had several thousand dollars in it. Lowenfels wants the bank to at least issue him a cashiers check immediately so he can pay campaign bills that are due to vendors, but so far has received no reasonable response from the bank, whose representative told him he will get a check in the mail.
Lowenfels thinks that the problem is that his campaign manager, Patrick Flynn, has a small interest in a cannabis company, and the bank is known for steering clear of any funds that could be sourced or commingled with dollars related to cannabis. Lowenfels said he waited for 45 minutes on the phone to speak with someone who could give him a straight answer — which he says he never got.
It has happened to candidates before. In 2018, Wells Fargo closed the account of Nikki Fried, who was a former medical marijuana lobbyist and a then-candidate for Florida commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Fried is now a candidate for governor in Florida.
In that case, Wells Fargo wrote Fried’s campaign, “As part of the onboarding of the client it was uncovered some information regarding the customers [sic] political platform and that they are advocating for expanding patient access to medical marijuana.” The bank asked, “Can you confirm the types of transactions expected for this customer & if any of the transactions will include funds received from lobbyists from the medical marijuana industry in any capacity?”
In the case of Lowenfels, he is a known advocate for legalization of marijuana and he writes and speaks publicly about the topic. He authored the book, “DIY Autoflowering Cannabis: An Easy Way to Grow Your Own,”available at Amazon.
But he runs his campaign by paying attention to detail, he said. He is a lawyer, has filed his paperwork properly with the Federal Elections Commission and his financial disclosures with the Clerk of the Congress. He has a compliance officer on contract.
“It is Wells Fargo’s policy not to knowingly bank or provide services to marijuana businesses or for activities related to those businesses, based on federal laws under which the sale and use of marijuana is illegal even if state laws differ,” spokeswoman Bridget Braxton told the New York Timesin a statement in 2018. “We continually review our banking relationships to ensure we adhere to strict regulatory and risk guidelines.”
The late Congressman Don Young was not only a big advocate for legalized cannabis but was a founding member of the congressional Cannabis Caucus.
Lowenfels has said he would continue the Don Young tradition of promoting more sane federal policies in regards to the plant, which is legal in some states and not others.
He is not the only candidate with a cannabis business or advocacy connection. Andrew Halcro also was involved in the cannabis business, but it’s unclear if he is actually running for office, since he has not filed officially with the Federal Elections Commission, but is simply running social media ads that provide no campaign disclosure. Halcro may not even have an actual campaign account.
Must Read Alaska has reached out to Wells Fargo for comment.
The FBI on Friday arrested former Trump adviser Peter Navarro as he was boarding a plane at Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. A federal grand jury had indicted Navarro on charges of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to appear before the partisan Jan. 6 committee, which is investigating what the Department of Justice calls a “domestic terrorist attack” on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That was a protest of the election that turned riotous inside the U.S. Capitol, leading to the death of one unarmed protester, who was shot by Capitol police.
Navarro was placed in handcuffs and leg irons at the airport and taken to court for his first appearance. He told the judge that he was going to Nashville for a media event. He was then put in jail.
“What they did to me today violates the Constitution,” Navarro told reporters outside the courthouse.
During the Trump Administration, Navarro was assistant to the president, director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and the national Defense Production Act policy coordinator during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department of Justice had earlier indicted former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon for refusing to comply with a subpoena issued by the committee; Bannon’s trial is scheduled for July 18. The Justice Department has declined to indict Mark Meadows, President Trump’s last chief of staff, and Dan Scavino, the deputy chief of staff for communications.
Navarro, 72, has been charged with one contempt count involving his refusal to appear for a deposition and another charge involving his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.
“In its subpoena, the Select Committee said it had reason to believe that Navarro had information relevant to its investigation. Navarro, formerly an advisor to the President on various trade and manufacturing policies, has been a private citizen since departing the White House on Jan. 20, 2021,” the Department of Justice wrote.
Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $100,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, according to the Department of Justice.
The latest vote count in the special primary election for Congress is just over 103,158 ballots received at the Division of Elections, as of 3:30 pm Friday. The last day to get your ballot postmarked is Saturday, June 11.
Keeping up with the door-knocking crew: About a dozen volunteers for Americans for Prosperity Alaska Action knocked on doors on Saturday afternoon to spread the word for Nick Begich for Congress. Their biggest discovery?
Tune into the Must Read Alaska Show on Monday at about 10 am to hear from Bernadette Wilson (pictured above) of Americans for Prosperity Alaska Action to talk about the state of the race. It will be live on the MRAK Facebook page, and posted midday on all the podcast channels.
Palin spotted: On Friday, Sarah Palin, who is one of the 48 who are running for Congress for Alaka, showed up at Evangelo’s restaurant in Wasilla to support the Charlie Pierce for Governor banquet and auction. Although she didn’t steal the show, there were lots of selfies afterwards. Over 60 people were at the event, including Sharon Jackson, running for Alaska House in Eagle River District 24.
Sarah Palin at the Skwentna fly-in.
Over the weekend, Palin was at the Swentna 11th annual fly-in, pictured above. She was there with dozens of other aviation and STOL plane enthusiasts.
Lisa Murkowski, Bill Walker spotted: In Cordova on Saturday, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and gubernatorial hopeful Bill Walker showed up with their plus ones at the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Prince William Sound Science Center. Walker and Heidi Drygas were at the Reluctant Fisherman cafe for a meet-and-greet on Sunday morning.
Nick Begich spotted in Stuckagain: In Stuckagain Heights on a hot Saturday night, U.S. congressional candidate Nick Begich spoke about the problem with the Feds printing so much money, with about 25 people at a fundraiser in a private home, where there were plates and plates of homemade cobbler. Over 40% of every dollar in circulation was printed in the past two to three years, Nick said. This is a huge problem for the next generation.
Kelly Tshibaka spotted in Mat-Su: At the Mat-Su Seahawkersluncheon, and later a tour of Mat-Su Services, Kelly Tshibaka, candidate for U.S. Senate, spent the day in the Valley, ending it at the Church on the Rock for the Rise Above it rally, where she was guest speaker on suicide prevention and awareness.
Mike Dunleavy open house: Gov. Dunleavy and Lt. Gov. candidate Nancy Dahlstrom are having an open house at their new campaign office, which is the old Alaskans for Don Young office on Fairbanks Street, just off of Fireweed Lane. That event is on June 8, at 5 pm, hosted by John Sturgeon, chairman of the Dunleavy for Governor campaign. Must Read Alaska will attend and livestream, if allowed by the campaign.
Les Gara meet-and-greet: If you’re in Juneau on June 8, and want to meet Les Gara, running for governor as a Democrat, head over to Kim Metcalfe’s house in the afternoon, 5-7 pm.
Chris Constant barbecue: At a downtown home in Anchorage on June 6, a 5:3-7:30 pm fundraiser and barbecue for Constant for Congress will be hosted by Harry Need, Mark and Tom Begich, Austin Quinn-Davidson and Meg Zaletel.
(Apparently the Democrat Begich uncles didn’t get the memo that their nephew, Republican Nick, is running for Congress. Without Mark and Tom, Chris Constant would only have three hosts — two of them on the Assembly with him — for his barbecue?)
Tara Sweeney live: A Facebook live event with congressional candidate Tara Sweeney is on the schedule for June 8 at 4 pm, at this link.
Nick fundraiser onJune 9: Over 100 people are hosts of the Nick Begich for Congress fundraiser on June 9 at the Manternach hangar in Anchorage. If even half of the hosts show up, the place will be packed with interesting people.
Al Gross making the rounds at Palmer Ale House on Saturday.
Al Gross spotted: Campaigning at the Palmer Ale House on a sunny evening on Saturday, sporting a sunburn and shaking hands … and going for the microbrew vote.
Democrat fix is in for Daniel Volland for Assembly: The Democrats convinced Anchorage voters to add another downtown Assembly seat. Little did they know it would most certainly go to a Democrat. Now, the Democrats’ candidate, Daniel Volland, has the endorsement of the politburo that engineered the 12th seat.
A California appeals court has ruled that bumble bees are protected under a state law that protects endangered and threatened fish. A lower court had ruled the opposite, saying laws protecting endangered fish were not meant to include insects.
But the appeals court has said that since bees are invertebrates, they can be classified as fish, and that the California Endangered Species Act definition of fish as only “aquatic invertebrates” is simply a “term of art.”
The ruling made it clear the court was aware that it was making the decision that bees are fish, as it wrote, “The issue presented here is whether the bumble bee, a terrestrial invertebrate, falls within the definition of fish….” Then, “We first reaffirm and expand upon our conclusion in California Forestry Association that section 45 defines fish as the term is used in sections 2062, 2067, and 2068 of the Act, by application of section 2.”
“Although the term fish is colloquially and commonly understood to refer to aquatic species, the term of art employed by the Legislature in the definition of fish in section 45 is not so limited. We acknowledge the scope of the definition is ambiguous but also recognize we are not interpreting the definition on a blank slate. The legislative history supports the liberal interpretation of the Act (the lens through which we are required to construe the Act) that the Commission may list any invertebrate as an endangered or threatened species. We thus agree with the Commission, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department), and intervenors Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, and Center for Food Safety (collectively public interest groups) that the trial court erred when it reached a contrary conclusion. We accordingly reverse the judgment.”
In the past, California law defined fish as “wild fish, mollusks or crustaceans, including any part, spawn or ova thereof.” The Legislature in 20215 changed the definition slightly, opening the loophole for bees to be considered fish: “ ‘[f]ish’ means a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian or part, spawn, or ovum of any of those animals.”
Republicans have an eight-point lead in their bid to recapture control of Congress, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll.
The latest telephone and online survey reveals that if the elections for Congress were held today, 48% of likely U.S. voters would vote for the Republican candidate, while 40% would vote for the Democrat. Just 4% would vote for some other candidate, and 8% are not sure.
Republicans have gained two points in just one week, the poll shows.
The average for various polls conducted last week, shown below, put the two parties closer, 45.8% to 43.7%, but still give an advantage for Republicans. The Rasmussen Reports poll is the most recent of those in the group rated by Real Clear Politics.
Most polls tend to favor Democrats, with Republican voters being more reluctant to answer questions from pollsters. The Rasmussen Report polling is rating just above Gallup in terms of its predictive accuracy.
In another set of polling, Americans are increasingly ready for change, and women in America are growing pessimistic about the future of the nation. Morning Consult, which has been tracking these emotional viewpoints since October, 2020.
The number of Americans who said they are “ready for change” hit 79% in the Morning Consult poll of people’s personal moods, which may influence elections this year.
Every week, Morning Consult asks a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults whether they are happy, angry, tired, optimistic, scared and a range of other emotions. The data is released monthly and gives a glimpse into the shifting mood of the country. The information is broken down by age, gender, class, and political leanings. The latest results have a margin of error of 2 percentage points and are based on a survey conducted May 19-22, 2022, among 2,210 U.S. adults.
An important segment of the electorate — women — said they are not optimistic about the future of the United States. Democrat women were more optimistic, at 61%, but both Republican and non-aligned women’s optimism for the future of the country hovered at near 40%. Democrat women’s optimism surged right after the November 2020 presidential election to 77%, but has dropped 16 points in 18 months.
View the Morning Consult polling data on the state of Americans’ emotions at this link.
“Alaska and Japan have a trade partnership going back over fifty years to the first LNG export from Nikiski to Japan,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy, upon his return from a trade mission to Japan on Friday.
“The natural gas of the Cook Inlet literally turned the lights on in cities across Japan and powered the economic engine that lifted that nation’s postwar society into a critically powerful western ally,” he said. “There appears to be, due to the shift across the world away from older fuel sources, and the simultaneous need for supplies that are not risked due to political instability, a role that Alaska natural gas could play. Alaska can supply Japan with another fifty of natural gas and clean hydrogen for decades to come.”
Dunleavy returned after meeting with Japanese companies, utilities, and government ministries about procuring Alaska’s natural gas while also assessing the state’s potential to export various new sources of fuel. The Japanese are keen on doing business with stable entities, and with much political instability to the nation’s east, in China, Russia, and Eastern Europe, the nation may be interested in locking down longterm contracts.
The meeting comes at a time that Japan is pivoting towards an energy transition that Alaska can supply in the coming decades, including blue and green hydrogen, at a time of great geopolitical instability around the world.
Dunleavy’s trip followed the first-ever governor’s Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, which showcased the many ways Alaska can produce various sources of fuel for both the state and the world. The governor, First Lady Rose Dunleavy, and members of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, made the trip, which was Dunleavy’s second trip to Japan.
For four days, Governor Dunleavy and the Alaska delegation held meeting with representatives of the Japan Energy Resource Agency (JERA), the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), along with Tokyo Gas and TOYO Engineering. Meetings were also held with the Mitsubishi Corporation, the Chiyoda Corporation, well as INPEX and O.S.K. Lines.
The Office of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Saturday announced that First Lady Rose Dunleavy tested positive for Covid-19 while the couple was in Japan, and will stay in isolation until after weekend. Her symptoms are mild.
The Dunleavys were on a trade mission to Japan and were returning home when Rose tested positive at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo, and went into isolation.
Rose had tested negative prior to flying to Japan early this week, along with Gov. Dunleavy and members of the state delegation. The first lady is fully vaccinated for Covid. All other members of the delegation have subsequently tested negative.
The journey marks the second trip to Japan by the governor and the first lady; in 2019, they went to Japan at the invitation of dignitaries there to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alaska LNG exports from Nikiski, on the Kenai Peninsula, to Tokyo.
Following Japanese government protocols, Rose Dunleavy will complete quarantine before flying home to Alaska.
