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Trump in Anchorage: Lisa Murkowski is bad for Alaska

Suzanne Downing
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49
Trump in Anchorage: Lisa Murkowski is bad for Alaska

President Donald Trump, appearing at a Save America rally in Anchorage, Alaska, walked into the stadium to the sound of a roaring crowd of over 6,000 supporters at the Alaska Airlines Center, most of whom had waited since early morning for a chance to rally with the president.

President Trump had flown into Anchorage on Saturday from Las Vegas, where he had given a speech the day before.

Saturday’s theme was that Sen. Lisa Murkowski is worse than a RINO (Republican in Name Only.) He blamed her for all the negative impacts that Alaska has suffered under President Biden.

He also admonished Sen. Dan Sullivan for endorsing Murkowski, and said Kelly Tshibaka is a wonderful, conservative warrior who will serve Alaska well.

Trump, in 98 minutes of a wide-ranging speech that sometimes stuck to the teleprompter notes, while at other times went off script, covered dozens of topics, harping on the contrast between America under his administration and the Biden administration that followed his. He pointed out that during his presidency, gas prices were lower — they are much higher now. He said he signed the largest tax cuts and regulation cuts in American history, while Democrats are now jacking taxes back up. The economy was good under his presidency, and now it is in the toilet. America is the laughingstock of the world under Biden, he said.

Trump talked about the southern border, Afghanistan, China, transgenderism in women’s sports, catch and release of illegal immigrants, chain migration, how Democrats cheat in elections, and the wrongness of ranked choice voting, which he blamed on Murkowski.

“It’s the only way she could win,” he said. He called for same-day voting with paper ballots. He called for identification required for voting.

“This is the year we’re going to take back the House, take back the Senate, and take back America. And in 2024, we’re going to take back our magnificent White House,” Trump said, this is the year we’re going to take back the house take back the senate and take back America. and in 2024, we’re going to take back our magnificent White House,” he said, hinting about his own run for election in 2024.

The president mentioned his support for Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and there was a smattering of boos from the crowd. Trump has endorsed Dunleavy, but Dunleavy was not at the rally. Later, when Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson was introduced by Trump, there was a huge cheering throughout the stadium, so impressive that Trump was surprised and proceeded to comment that Bronson was obviously well liked by the crowd. There were some in the crowd who wore Nick Begich stickers, evidence that they support Trump but not necessarily his picks. Begich is running for Congress, as is Palin; both are Republicans.

After nearly two hours, Trump ended his remarks on a strong and positive note:

“We will not bend. We will not break. We will never give in. We will never give up. We will never ever back down. As long as we are united, the tyrants we are fighting do not stand a chance.” Americans, he said, only kneel to God.

“It’s time to start talking greatness for our country again. We will make America powerful again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again and we will make America great again!” he concluded. The crowd cheered.

Trump rally: Kelly Tshibaka, Sarah Palin, and Mike Lindell

Trump rally: Kelly Tshibaka, Sarah Palin, and Mike Lindell

Suzanne Downing
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39
Trump rally: Kelly Tshibaka, Sarah Palin, and Mike Lindell

Mike Lindell of My Pillow fame endorsed Kelly Tshibaka and Sarah Palin for their races for Senate and Congress on Saturday. He said voting machines used around the country are corrupted and “they have to be gone.”

Lindell was the warm-up act for the Trump Save America rally, attended by thousands at the University of Alaska Alaska Airlines Center arena on Saturday. It was his first trip to Alaska and he seemed surprised that Alaskans even know who he is. Lindell started the famous My Pillow company and is a strong supporter of President Trump. He has advanced several theories about election fraud in the 2020 election.

Sarah Palin, running for Congress, also spoke to the crowd, and said, “The stuff you heard about me, guys it’s a lie. I’m way worse than what you’ve heard in the press. And I’m gonna fight even harder for Alaska’s interests and to save this country” … “Don’t retreat. Reload!”

Palin is running for an open seat in Congress, suddenly vacant after the death of Congressman Don Young. She has neither the endorsement of the Alaska Republican Party, nor the support of nearly any conservative leader in Alaska, but she had the crowd’s heart at the Alaska Airlines Center, and took shots at the “good old boys” network in the party.

Kelly Tshibaka’s speech focused on “It’s time for a change.”

Running against a powerful senior senator, Tshibaka pointed out all the ways that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, had let down Alaska for the past 21 years: Enabling Joe Biden, voting for Deb Haaland to lead the Department of Interior, taking care of D.C. insiders rather than Alaskans, voting for the abortion industry, and voting against the Second Amendment.

Tshibaka said Murkowski’s votes hurt Alaskans’ ability to pay rent, put food on the table for their children, and fill up the gas tank.

Trump’s plane landed in Anchorage in the early afternoon and he was due to speak at the arena at about 4 pm. People continued to pour into the arena at 3 pm as security personnel screened them for entry.

While Trump rally draws thousands in Anchorage, in Palmer a gay pride festival is going on at fairgrounds

Suzanne Downing
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33
While Trump rally draws thousands in Anchorage, in Palmer a gay pride festival is going on at fairgrounds

The culture wars are on display in Southcentral Alaska. In Anchorage, a rally with keynote speaker Donald Trump has attracted thousands to the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. Meanwhile, an Alaska LGBTQ+ organization is holding a gay pride festival at the Alaska Fairgrounds. Organizers say it will be a family-friendly event for people of all ages. Doors open at noon.

This is the third time the Queen’s Guard group has held the festival, and organizers say there may be as many as 6,000 people attending this year. The theme is “prom,” and visitors can expect lots of drag queens on parade throughout the fairgrounds.

Some residents of Palmer object to the event being open for children, and say that the group has a history of grooming children for drag queen lifestyles, but the Alaska Fairgrounds wrote to the complainants that it opens its facilities to all organizations, without regard to the content they provide.

The Queen’s Guard is the same organization that performed in a drag show for children in a public park in Soldotna last month, to the dismay of many parents in the community. That show featured a drag queen twerking to the children in the crowd, see story below.

Soldotna permits drag queen shows for kids at outdoor stage next to park built for kids

Charlie Pierce: No more excuses for Alaska’s students being at the bottom in education

Guest Writer
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Charlie Pierce: No more excuses for Alaska’s students being at the bottom in education

By CHARLIE PIERCE

In one word, the state of education in Alaska is “pathetic.”  Finger pointing, arguing and blaming everything except the structure of the current system will accomplish nothing.  The constant cry of a bureaucracy saying “not enough money,” “more money” and “you don’t understand” gets us nowhere while the school children of Alaska are paying the price and are among the poorest educated in the nation.  

The children of Alaska deserve a better education and a future – not an administrative bureaucracy living off the largess of bloated school funding while the actual classroom teachers and their students are left to make due with paltry administrative handouts.

Facts and results are the important thing.  Not the rhetoric of failed administrators and lobbyists closing the eyes of government officials.  

Here are few facts:

Alaska spends over $18,000 per student per year.

54% goes to teachers & students – LOWEST % in the nation.

46% goes to administrative overhead – HIGHEST % in the nation.

The numbers tell a sad tale. While Alaska school officials tell us they need more money for education, they fail to disclose that a properly managed administrative system would have those funds, pay for the needed teacher wage scales and better the education of our students – all without additional funding.  

For example, nationally there are 295 students per administrator. In Alaska, that number is 205. Simple math, we have 50% more administrators per student than the national average. There is an old saying “Follow the money.”  Well the trail leads to bloated administrative costs.

The simple solution is to enhance the direct education of our children by reducing administrative expenses and invest those dollars in teachers and students.

Result? Better educated students being taught by fairly compensated teachers at a reduced cost per student.

The highest percent of education investment from education budgets across the U.S. in students and teachers is approximately 70%. 

Bringing Alaska to 60-65% would make a major change in the ability to serve our students. 

  • Will we have better paid Teachers? YES  
  • Will we have more education dollars directly invested in student education? YES  
  • Will our student education standards increase? YES  
  • Will our students have a better future because of a better education? YES
  • Will the current administration make the changes? NO
  • Will a new Alaska State administration make the changes? 

With Charlie Pierce as your governor, the answer is YES. Team Pierce, with Charlie Pierce for Governor and Edie Grunwald Lt. Governor, is committed to putting “Alaskans First.”  Our children are Alaskans and the quality of their education will be put first.

Support Team Pierce, Charlie Pierce for Governor-Edie Grunwald for Lt. Governor and our children, Alaska’s children, will no longer be last, they will be part of “Alaskans First.”

Charlie Pierce is a Republican candidate for governor and is the current mayor of the Kenai Borough.

Groundhog Day? BLM seeks public input on Willow Project environmental review — again

Suzanne Downing
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18
Groundhog Day? BLM seeks public input on Willow Project environmental review — again

 The Bureau of Land Management Alaska released its revised draft environmental review of ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow Master Development Plan in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve.

The BLM prepared the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to address problems identified by Judge Sharon Gleason when she vacated the Trump Administration’s approval of the project.

Breaking: Judge hits reverse on ConocoPhillips’ Willow project, which was already approved for development

ConocoPhillips purchased the Willow Project leases in the 1990s. This draft SEIS presents a range of alternatives, including a “no action” alternative, and does not represent any final decision on the Willow Project. The BLM will make a final decision only after considering public comments on the draft SEIS and completing its analysis. 

The draft SEIS includes a corrected and expanded analysis of potential climate impacts associated with the Willow Project. This expanded climate analysis, among other things, addresses the court’s finding that the original analysis failed to consider downstream foreign emissions resulting from the consumption of oil produced by the project. 

In order to consider an alternative with modified infrastructure in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area (TLSA), the draft SEIS also includes a new alternative that would reduce the potential footprint of the proposed Willow Project by removing two of the five proposed drill sites from consideration, including eliminating the northernmost proposed drill site and associated infrastructure in the TLSA. Under this alternative, BLM expects that the company would relinquish significant lease rights in the TLSA, an ecologically important wetland that hosts thousands of birds and the Teshekpuk caribou herd, that are part of the Bear Tooth Unit and the proposed Willow Project. For purposes of providing a complete picture of potential impacts of the Willow Project, this alternative includes analysis of a fourth potential drill site that would be deferred, meaning that it would require an additional review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is not being considered for inclusion in the new alternative.  

As reflected in the draft SEIS, BLM will reinitiate consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) concerning listed species, including polar bear. This consultation will include consideration of mitigation measures and updates to the range of alternatives.  

The draft SEIS was developed following a public scoping comment period as well as close coordination with eight cooperating agencies (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, North Slope Borough, State of Alaska, Native Village of Nuiqsut, and City of Nuiqsut) and external stakeholders.  

The BLM plans to hold (public health measures permitting) in-person public meetings in Utqiagvik, Anchorage and Nuiqsut, as well as three virtual public meetings. A subsistence-related hearing to receive comments on the proposed Project’s potential to impact subsistence resources and activities will also be held in Nuiqsut concurrent with the in-person public meeting. The BLM will continue to consult with potentially affected federally recognized Tribes on a government-to-government basis, and to work with Alaska Native communities to ensure their voices are heard in our decision-making process. 

The Willow Master Development Plan Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement is available at the BLM’s NEPA Register https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/109410/570 or a copy may be requested from the BLM’s State Office in Anchorage. 

Following publication in the Federal Register, the BLM will announce public meetings, subsistence-related hearings, and any other public participation activities at least 15 days in advance on the NEPA Register program page, as well as through public notices, news releases, social media posts, and/or mailings. 

The BLM encourages the public to provide comments during the 45-day comment period, particularly concerning the adequacy and accuracy of the proposed alternatives, the analysis of its respective management decisions, and any new information that would help develop the final plan. 

Kara Moriarty of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association said she is encouraged to see the Bureau of Land Management release the revised draft environmental review.

“Willow represents a near-term opportunity to help return the United States to energy independence at a time when our country desperately needs more domestic sources of oil and gas. Of course, a project the size of Willow will also boost Alaska’s economy, creating job opportunities and providing tax revenues to state, local, and federal governments. Alaskans have long supported development of our oil and gas resources. Now is the time to speak up and let the federal government know how those of us who call Alaska home feel about projects like Willow: no one cares more about protecting our environment or safely developing Alaska’s resources than Alaskans. Alaskans who want to be part of this significant step forward now have a 45-day comment period to make their voices heard,” she said.

Link to BLM’s documents: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/109410/570

Cancel U: University community members tried to get chancellor to pull the plug on Trump rally

Suzanne Downing
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58
Cancel U: University community members tried to get chancellor to pull the plug on Trump rally

University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Sean Parnell received a number of complaints from students and faculty who don’t want former President Donald Trump on campus for his Save America rally on Saturday.

Trump’s organization, “Save America,” rented the Alaska Airlines Center, an arena that holds about 5,000 people, for $53,081. The event, which begins at 4 pm, is to support the campaigns of U.S. House candidate Sarah Palin, U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and will also put funds into the main Save America coffers for future campaigns the PAC supports.

Parnell sent an all-campus letter in response to the student and faculty concerns that had been expressed:

“The university must review all facilities-use requests objectively with freedom of speech and other legal considerations at the forefront of decision making. This legal and ethical obligation is one of the many policies that safeguard freedom of expression on campus, an important aspect of UAA’s mission,” Parnell wrote.

“As a publicly funded university, it would be both illegal and unconstitutional to prevent a group from leasing university facilities based on speech that may occur in the facility or speech that we disagree with. Some exceptions to this First Amendment right do exist, but none of these exceptions apply in this case,” he wrote.

Parnell reminded the campus that the event is not being hosted by the university itself, but by the political action committee Save America.

The U.S. Secret Services is now in the neighborhood and coordinating with local law enforcement and security agencies to ensure the public’s safety and the safety of the former president and the candidates.

The Alaska Airlines Center was not the preferred location for the event; it’s a small arena. The Sullivan Arena can hold up to 8,700 people, but had been made into a temporary homeless shelter by former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, and the damage from that project has not been repaired yet, even though the homeless were moved out of the Sullivan Arena last week.

‘Go’ evacuations expanded along Parks Highway

Guest Writer
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2
‘Go’ evacuations expanded along Parks Highway

“Go” evacuations were expanded on Thursday for all properties accessed by roads, trails, and driveways off either side of the Parks Hwy between MP 273 and 280.

“Go” notices remain in effect for all areas accessed by Kobe Road as well as for all cabins along the Teklanika River that are within two miles of the current fire perimeter in the Denali Borough.

Weather: Today was partly cloudy and warm with a high of 84F. A shower or thunderstorm is possible, but it will remain dry with little chance of wetting rain. Humidity may be as low as the upper 20s. Winds on the north side of the fire should be light and northeasterly early in the day and then increase with gusts to 15 mph. Winds in the south are forecast out of the south-southeast at 6 to 7 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, although they could shift to southwesterly and may be variable and erratic at times. Conditions may produce active fire behavior again Friday.

Fire Activity: Fire was active yesterday and overnight near the Kobe Ag Subdivision. In Div K on the south edge of Kobe Ag, firefighters and aircraft worked aggressively to slow fire spread and construct fire line. Twelve different fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters worked over the fire yesterday. Aircraft dropped twelve loads of retardant running both north-south and east-west in an effort to box-in this area and reduce fire movement toward the Nenana River and Parks Hwy.

As of last report, the fire had not crossed the river or highway. The highway remains open.

Meanwhile, firefighters on the ground worked to secure and protect structures and build direct line where possible with both dozers and hand crews. Crews in Div G traveled south to assist Div K in securing the edge of the fire just south of Lightning Rd, and they encountered heavy winds and low visibility. Firefighters are looking for opportunities to create protection lines in this area to prevent fire from pushing farther north into Kobe Ag or east toward Clear. Crews will continue this work today and will take actions to protect structures where they can safely do so. Overall impact to structures remains unknown. Assessments will be conducted as safety permits, and notifications will come from Denali Borough.

At the southern tip of the fire (also Div K), firefighters remain challenged in their efforts to safely access the structures in this remote area. Attempts will continue and aircraft will fly reconnaissance when possible to assess the condition of this area. In the far west side of Div K, fire remains curbed by natural barriers.

On the north side of Kobe Ag in Div G, crews have successfully secured line into the marshy area at the north edge of the finger near the Div G/B break. There was minimal fire activity yesterday on the western dozer line in this area (northwest end of Kobe Ag). Crews in Div G will secure and improve the line into the marsh today and will assist crews in Div K.

In the northeast in Div B, there is a new spot fire (approximately 10 acres) near the Div B/G break. Crews will work to control this today. Yesterday, there was also a one-acre spot at the Div B/A break, but this was controlled by firefighters and water drops. It is in mop-up status today.

Crews in Div A to the north are deepening the fire line and extending that depth toward Div B. There is a spot fire near the Div A/O break that firefighters will work today. Otherwise, fire activity is minimal in this area. Firefighters will install pumps and sprinklers near structures along the river. In the northwest in Div O, fire activity is minimal except on the division’s south end where the River Group monitored an area of increased activity. This fire created no threat to structures. The river is still serving as an effective natural barrier, and crews will monitor by air and boat for any changes. Divs A and O will soon be combined into one division.

The city of Anderson (Div F) remains prepped in the event of any fire progression. Crews and engines are patrolling overnight. A new group will be added on Saturday called the “Structure Group.” This will bolster structure protection resources, and this group will operate in Divs K and G (Kobe Ag) as well as in the city of Anderson.

Sheltering or evacuation-related information: Contact the Denali Borough at (907) 683-1330, see the Borough’s Facebook page or visit denaliborough.org   

All other fire information: Clear Fire Information, (907) 290-2921; Alaska Fire Information, (907) 356-5511; akfireinfo.com, inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8178, and on the Alaska Division of Forestry and BLM Alaska Fire Service Facebook pages.

Notes from the trail: How can you watch the Trump event in Anchorage on your phone, Rumble and RSBN website?

Suzanne Downing
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9
Notes from the trail: How can you watch the Trump event in Anchorage on your phone, Rumble and RSBN website?

Photo above: Tara Sweeney, running for Congress, and Bill Walker, running for governor, together in Utqiagvik during the whale festival. Credit: Bill Walker campaign.

Right Side Broadcasting Network’s new livestream partnership with Rumble means as of July 1, all of the President Donald Trump rallies and speeches will be aired only on RSBN’s Rumble channel, the RSBN mobile app, and its website. Must Read Alaska will also be inside the arena and live-streaming on Facebook, if our news organization is allowed to do so by the Trump organization (to be determined).

“We will no longer have full live coverage on other platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, although we will air limited portions of our Trump rally pre-show coverage on those platforms,” RSBN reported.

“Please be aware that you can only access President Trump’s remarks LIVE on RSBN’s Rumble channel, mobile app, or website. We encourage you all to join us on Rumble to help us defeat Big Tech censorship! For updates and notifications when we are LIVE, add your name to our email list at rsbnetwork.com/newsletter,” said RSBN.

New polling information: Alaska Survey Research latest poll shows Nick Begich winning, ahead of Sarah Palin in the race for Congress, when factoring in the ranked choice voting scenario and other variables.

“Nicholas Begich beats Mary Peltola 57-43 in an RCV final pairing on August 16th, with Sarah Palin eliminated first. The 3-way result is: Peltola 40 Begich 31 Palin 29,” the pollster wrote on Twitter. In a “hypothetical” Sarah Palin-Mary Peltola final two, Peltola wins 50.7-49.3. “Palin’s negative rating? Exactly 60%!”

The poll, for an unknown client, was conducted July 2-5 among 1,201 likely voters in Alaska and the pollster assigned a margin of error of +/-2.9%. Moore polls notoriously skew to the left. The polling analyst firm FiveThirtyEight says that of all the polls Moore does within 21 days of an election, he is right just 44% of the time.

As for the Murkowski-Tshibaka-Blatchford-Chesbro-etc. race for Senate, the pollster says this:

1st Round:

Tshibaka 43%

Murkowski 35%

Chesbro 17%

Darden 5%

2nd Round:

Tshibaka 45%

Murkowski 36%

Chesbro 20%

Final Round:

Murkowski 52% (+4)

Tshibaka 48%

Mary Peltola speaking to supporters from the balcony of the Mark Begich home.

Fundraisers: Mary Peltola for Congress had a big fundraiser at the house of Mark Begich on Thursday evening.

Nick Begich had a fundraiser at Paradiso’s in Kenai with 40 people. He was on the Duane Bannock Show and the Bob Bird Show, and then visited people at the Soldotna Wednesday concert series in the park.

Nick Begich speaks to supporters in Kenai. He is the Republican Begich running for Congress.

Jamie Allard, running for Alaska House District 23 was the focus of a big fundraiser in Eagle River on Thursday.

Jamie Allard and Mayor Dave Bronson speak to a room of supporters at Chepo’s in Eagle River.

Appearances: Shoshana Gungurstein, running for U.S. Senate as a nonpartisan, appeared on the Must Read Alaska Show, spending some quality time introducing herself to thousands of Alaskans. She said that as a nonpartisan, it’s hard to raise the funds to travel around the state.

Shoshana Gungurstein on the Must Read Alaska Show on Thursday.

Radio host Mike Porcaro gets surprise call from Trump

Suzanne Downing
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21
Radio host Mike Porcaro gets surprise call from Trump

Mike Porcaro, host of the popular 650 KENI afternoon radio show, was surprised this morning by a phone call from former President Donald Trump.

Trump asked, “Is Mike there?” Porcaro recalled. The two talked for several minutes about Alaska’s resource opportunities, the damaged done by the Biden Administration, and the negative impact Sen. Lisa Murkowski has had on the state of Alaska.

Porcaro said he will play the interview during the drive-time show on Friday afternoon, which can be heard live at this link in the 5 pm hour of the show.

Trump will be flying to Alaska on Saturday to headline a Save America rally that will also be a fundraiser for Kelly Tshibaka, who is running against Sen. Murkowski, and Sarah Palin, who is running for the open seat left when Congressman Don Young died in office in March. The rally, at the Alaska Airlines Center on the University of Alaska campus, is attracting international media attention. The stadium will be one of Trump’s smallest venues, holding only 5,000 people. Usually his rallies are at stadiums that hold tens of thousands of Trump fans.

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