illegally $1,000 to leave the countryBy Rebecca Santana Associated Press Published: 8 hours agoPresident Donald Trump gestures from the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews Alvarez) WASHINGTON — Pushing forward with its mass deportation agenda President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it would pay $1,000 to immigrants who are in the United States illegally and return to their home country voluntarily The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release that it would also pay for travel assistance — and that people who use an app called CBP Home to tell the government they plan to return home will be “deprioritized” for detention and removal by immigration enforcement safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” Secretary Kristi Noem said “DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.” The department said it had already paid for a plane ticket for one migrant to return home to Honduras from Chicago and said more tickets have been booked for this week and next Trump made immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally a centerpiece of his campaign and he is following through during the first months of his administration While the Republican administration is asking Congress for a massive increase in resources for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department responsible for removing people from the country it’s also pushing people in the country illegally to “self-deport.” It has coupled this self-deportation push with television ads threatening action against people in the U.S illegally and social media images showing immigration enforcement arrests and migrants being sent to a prison in El Salvador The Trump administration has often portrayed self-deportation as a way for migrants to preserve their ability to return to the United States someday and the president himself suggested it on Monday while speaking to reporters at the White House He said immigrants who “self-deport” and leave the U.S might have a chance to return legally eventually “if they’re good people” and “love our country.” a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council said there’s a lot for migrants to be cautious about in the latest offer from Homeland Security He said it’s often worse for people to leave the country and not fight their case in immigration court especially if they’re already in removal proceedings He said if migrants are in removal proceedings and don’t show up in court they can automatically get a deportation order and leaving the country usually counts as abandoning many applications for relief including asylum applications And Homeland Security is not indicating that it is closely coordinating with the immigration courts so that there are no repercussions for people in immigration court if they leave “People’s immigration status is not as simple as this makes it out to be,” Reichlen-Melnick said He questioned where Homeland Security would get the money and the authorization to make the payments — and he suggested they are necessary because the administration can’t arrest and remove as many people as it has promised so it has to encourage people to do it on their own “They’re not getting their numbers,” he said the Trump administration has transformed an app that had been used by the Biden administration to allow nearly 1 million migrants to schedule appointments to enter the country into a tool to help migrants return home it was called CBP One; now it’s dubbed CBP Home Homeland Security said “thousands” of migrants have used the app to self-deport who heads the Center for Immigration Studies said he doesn’t see the offer of paying people to go home as an admission that something in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda isn’t working Considering the millions of people who are in the country illegally it’s impossible to deport all of them so the administration has to combine its own enforcement efforts with encouraging people to go home voluntarily Krikorian said he supports the idea of paying migrants to leave although he questioned how it would work in reality “How do you make sure that they’ve actually gone home Do you make them sign an agreement where they agree not to challenge their removal if they were to come back?” he questioned Other countries have tried various iterations of paying migrants to return home There’s a reason it’s attractive to governments wanting to encourage migrants to go It costs less to buy someone a plane ticket and some incentive money than it does to pay to find them wait for the courts to rule on their case and then send them home The Department of Homeland Security said that it costs $17,121 to arrest Voluntary returns also don’t require extensive government-to-government negotiations to get a country to take back its citizens There are a number of countries that either don’t take back their own citizens who are being returned by U.S immigration enforcement officials or make that process challenging A 2011 study by the Migration Policy Institute and the European University Institute found that there were about 128 programs — often referred to as pay-to-go programs — around the world with a few exceptions such as one program to return people in the 1990s from Germany to Bosnia these voluntary return programs generally failed at encouraging large numbers of people to go home It is not clear whether these programs resulted in migrants who took the payments actually staying in their home countries and not trying to emigrate again The win knotted the Midwest Division Finals playoff series at 1-1 with Game 3 scheduled for 3 p.m AKDT Sunday at the Eagle River Sports Arena in Eagle River Braydon Beahm scored in the first two minutes of the first period to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead That goal held up until deep into the third period Anchorage’s Taisetsu Ushio scored with 3 minutes 49 seconds left in the third period to tie the game 1-1 Bagnole’s game-winner came with 6:21 left in the overtime session with Toby Carlson and Duke Gentzler providing assists Michael Manzi made 41 saves to earn the win for the Wolverines Search Tip: Use quotes to find results containing your phrase Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kai Ciambor (14) puts a shot past West Anchorage senior Porter Youngman (19) and sophomore Nathan Conlon (12) during the Crimson Bears’ 7-1 loss to the Eagles on Saturday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Purple mountain saxifrage has been… (AP Photo/Richard Drew) It felt much longer stock market needed just a few weeks to roar all the way back to where it was on President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day.” That’s when he shocked Wall Street by announcing much steeper tariffs than expected on nearly all U.S Those tariffs unveiled on April 2 were so severe that they raised fears Trump did not worry about causing a recession in his attempt to reshape the global economy and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 4,600 points the S&P 500 rallied 1.5% for a ninth straight gain and pulled back to where it was on April 2 the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is still more than 7% below its all-time high set earlier this year And stocks could easily fall again as uncertainty remains high about what Trump’s tariffs will ultimately do to the economy stocks back upward has been just as wild and unexpected as its fall Trump announced on social media a “90-day PAUSE” for most of the tariffs he’d announced a week earlier The S&P 500 soared 9.5% for one of its best days ever Even that good news came with a bit of controversy however: hours before he announced the pause Trump proclaimed on Truth Social that “this is a great time to buy.” The weeks after the pause were a roller coaster Trump talked about negotiating tariffs with the trading partners while also using tariffs to force companies to move manufacturing to the U.S. two goals seemingly at odds with one another The market did find relief in what the Treasury secretary referred to as de-escalation between the U.S Investors also welcomed Trump’s moves to ease tariffs on autos as well as smartphones and other electronics stock market’s fall after Liberation Day surprised some market watchers They had assumed Trump would backtrack on policies that hurt the Dow Jones Industrial Average who crowed repeatedly during his first term about how the Dow was doing But it was fear in other financial markets that may have forced Trump’s hand government bonds raised worries that the U.S Treasury market was losing its status as the world’s safest place to keep cash dollar also sank in another signal of diminishing faith in the United States as a safe haven for investors Trump himself said he had noticed how bond investors were “getting a little queasy” before he paused his tariffs Economists and investors had to reconcile contradictory signals about the economy Surveys of consumers showed declining confidence largely due to the uncertainty created by the Trump trade policy But what investors call “hard data,” such as employment numbers when the government said employers had added 177,000 jobs in April the hard numbers appeared to have a advantage over the weak sentiment The Federal Reserve cut rates three times at the end of 2024 but then implemented a pause of its own by keeping rates steady in part to assess the impact of the Trump trade policy The strong jobs report seemed to give the Fed clearance to keep rates where they are for now — despite Trump repeating his call for cuts — but the market is still looking for 3 cuts before the end of the year companies have continued to deliver profit reports for the start of the year that have topped analysts’ expectations Stock prices tend to follow profits over the long term and that’s given the market a notable boost Three out of every four companies in the S&P 500 have beaten analysts’ expectations for profits in recent weeks including such market heavyweights as Microsoft and Meta Platforms They’re on track to deliver growth of nearly 13% from a year earlier Even as companies have delivered fatter profits than expected many have also warned they’re unsure whether it can last CEOs have been either lowering or withdrawing their financial forecasts for the year given all the uncertainty around how Trump’s tariffs will end up United Airlines even made the unusual move of offering two separate forecasts for the year: one if there’s a recession Trump’s off-again-on-again approach to tariffs had made this the most volatile period for the market since the onset of the pandemic The pause is in its fourth week and the administration has yet to announce an agreement with any of U.S “We’ve already seen how financial markets will react if the administration moves forward with their initial tariff plan so unless they take a different tack in July when the 90-day pause expires we will see market action similar to the first week of April,” said Chris Zaccarelli chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management Only 17 days remain until the end of the regular session and things finally look like they are starting to come together the Legislature passed a new education bill and transmitted it to Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) but the Legislature has the override votes this time Both finance committees introduced committee substitutes for the operating and capital budgets The Senate Finance Committee reduced the Permanent Fund (PFD) Dividend to $1,000 eliminating the FY2026 deficit and nearly making up for the FY2025 deficit And the Alaska Democratic Party has a new executive director A friendly message and reminder to all our readers. The Landmine is made possible by myself and a team of awesome Alaskans. I have been covering the legislative session in Juneau for the last six years and am back now for my seventh session. If you enjoy the content we provide, please consider making a one time or recurring monthly donation. You can click here to donate And thanks to everyone who has been supportive On Wednesday (4/30/2025), the Senate resolved a technical issue with House Bill 57 the new education bill they originally passed on Monday An issue over a may verses shall concerning an appropriation was pointed out by some senators on Monday after they passed the bill to the House It actually didn’t matter as this issue was addressed by the Alaska Supreme Court in the Wielechowski case about the veto of the PFD in 2016 but Senators Mike Shower (R – Wasilla) and Shelley Hughes (R – Palmer) flipped from yes to no The House concurred with the Senate changes by a vote of 31-8 The bill was transmitted to Governor Dunleavy on Thursday Dunleavy will likely veto the bill as it does not include the education reforms he has been demanding There is some chatter that the Governor’s Office is trying to get the Legislature to commit to adopting a few of the reforms Dunleavy wants but at this point their leverage is limited as the 40 required override votes appear to be there The last day of the regular session is May 21 meaning even if Dunleavy vetoes the bill on May 19 the Legislature will still have two days to hold an override vote House and Senate Finance Committees introduce budget committee substitutes The following is an excerpt from this week’s edition of the Alaska Political Report. You can click here for more information about the Political Report A subscription is $1,299/year per organization Discounted pricing is available for non-profits and government entities Our coverage of the budget starts with the governor’s proposed budget and we track everything in detail through the entire process If you have any questions or would like to subscribe The House and Senate Finance Committees simultaneously introduced committee substitutes (CS) of the both the operating and capital budgets Thursday afternoon The net impact of the two new drafts is a $257 million reduction to the FY26 budget The Senate version of the operating budget brings FY26 to a surplus that almost makes up for the FY25 deficit Their version comes in slightly below the Senate’s – a net reduction of $730,000 Unrestricted General Fund (UGF) – but within that are a number of changes and reprioritizations in spending The changes are made possible by a change the Senate Finance Committee made last week to the operating budget The Senate added language to the operating budget that would redirect unspent UGF from the FY25 budget to the school major maintenance fund rather than deposit into the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) The Senate introduced a new version of the operating budget with a net reduction of $256.4 million UGF This comes primarily from the inclusion of a $1,000 per person Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) down from the $1,400 dividend included in their last CS This version of the bill also merges supplemental items into the bill The bill does not include language providing access to the CBR The Senate Finance Committee plans to pass the operating budget from committee tomorrow morning From there it will move to the Senate floor If you would like to see the rest of this section as well as our more detailed coverage of the legislative session consider subscribing to the Alaska Political Report Email jeff@akpoliticalreport.com for a copy of the latest special report A protest about the reduction in money for childcare was held on Tuesday (4/29/2025) in front of the Capitol Political organizer Nick Moe rounded up a bunch of moms for the protest Several of “Moe’s Moms” came in the Capitol after During the weekly Senate majority press conference many of the moms walked in and sat down with their babies Apparently someone told Moe they could not sit in the front row as it was reserved for media Moe responded something to the effect of “try kicking them out in front of the press on TV.” Pretty legendary response actually There were a lot of cute babies in the room One baby started crying after a question was asked about a lower PFD I said the baby is mad about the lower dividend Another rally outside the Capitol tomorrow. Can’t wait to see them all go through security if they decide to come inside. #akleg pic.twitter.com/qZxW0FOOgm — The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) April 28, 2025 It sounded like a great trip with lots of good meetings and discussion about resource development in Alaska — The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) April 30, 2025 A bill to increase penalties for those who refuse to cooperate with the legislative auditor was heard in a rare Senate Resources Committee meeting this week It looks like Senate plans on passing it to the House this coming week It’s good to see the Legislature finally standing up to the Department of Revenue for refusing to cooperate with the legislative auditor since 2020 A rare Senate Rules Committee is underway. It’s on a bill from Sen. Wielechowski to increase penalties for those who refuse to cooperate with the legislative auditor. This is about the Dept. of Revenue, who has refused to cooperate on an oil and gas audit since 2020. #akleg pic.twitter.com/94MxUkfK6f — The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) April 30, 2025 Congrats to Jenny-Marie Stryker on her new role as the executive director of the Alaska Democratic Party Daaaang! Jenny-Marie Stryker is the new executive director of @TheAlaskaDems. #akleg pic.twitter.com/558WKbe98M — The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) May 2, 2025 This was one of those really easy weeks. This week’s Loose Unit is Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum. If you have not read this Landmine story, “Aloha: Crum caught cold on unauthorized Hawaiian vacation,” you definitely should Crum went on a family vacation to Hawaii in early April and did not tell his superiors But where it gets really loose is when he was told he had to fire his deputy he was forced to come clean about his whereabouts But when I asked the Department of Revenue for his leave slip – that he turned in after the fact – the juicy part was redacted When I got an idea to ask the Governor’s Office for the same slip The unredacted portion shows that Rachel Bylsma Governor Dunleavy’s deputy chief of staff crossed off the box for annual/personal leave and instead marked the unauthorized leave without pay box She should start going by Rachel “Baller” Bylsma Crum was in Florida this week at some state financial officers conference His yet to be determined campaign launch for governor is sure to be very loose and entertaining He’s surely trying to milk the $168,000 job for as long as he can If you have a nomination for this week’s Loose Unit stories or gossip (or any old pics of politicians or public officials) please email me at jeff@alaskalandmine.com Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Love to see top-level leadership absolutely mastering the basics math is tricky—especially for Alaska’s DOR Commissioner While the rest of us know a standard workweek is 37.5 hours Crum apparently thinks his only adds up to 30 on his leave slips Hmmm… I thought commissioners had 40-hour workweeks The others I worked for did…   Although maybe he did charge the state for that solid half-hour of “work” when he fired someone over the phone—from Hawaii—while sipping a Mai Tai Leadership at its finest.  … Read more » How about the education department focus their efforts on the schools and students while they students are in school You know… Focus on the classrooms and classroom support All this drama and the fact remains: the State has ZERO mandate requiring school districts to focus the State entitlement on instruction vs Don’t expect any change in the status of school and student outcomes for the foreseeable future Does anyone seriously believe that the governor was unaware of the absence of fellow Valley resident Crum © 2025 The Alaska Landmine. The Alaska Landmine is a owned and operated by Speedogate Media, a division of the Landfield Global Group says he doesn’t know if he backs due process rights for allBy Aamer Madhani Associated Press Published: 1 day agoFILE - President Donald Trump holds a document with notes about Kilmar Abrego Garcia as he speaks with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House — President Donald Trump is circumspect about his duties to uphold due process rights laid out in the Constitution saying in a new interview that he does not know whether U.S citizens and noncitizens alike deserve that guarantee He also said he does not think military force will be needed to make Canada the “51st state” and played down the possibility he would look to run for a third term in the White House The comments in a wide-ranging, and at moments combative, interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” came as the Republican president’s efforts to quickly enact his agenda face sharper headwinds with Americans just as his second administration crossed the 100-day mark, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research made clear that he is not backing away from a to-do list that he insists the American electorate broadly supported when they elected him in November Here are some of the highlights from the interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker that was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday Critics on the left have tried to make the case that Trump is chipping away at due process in the United States they cite the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia a Salvadoran man who was living in Maryland when he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and imprisoned without communication Trump says Abrego Garcia is part of a violent transnational gang The Republican president has sought to turn deportation into a test case for his campaign against illegal immigration despite a Supreme Court order saying the administration must work to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution I don’t know,” Trump said when pressed by Welker The Fifth Amendment provides “due process of law,” meaning a person has certain rights when it comes to being prosecuted for a crime the 14th Amendment says no state can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.” He said he was pushing to deport “some of the worst most dangerous people on Earth,” but that courts are getting in his way “I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,” Trump said [Waltz ouster adds to tumult in Trump’s national security team but consolidates power in fewer hands] The president has repeatedly threatened that he intends to make Canada the “51st state.” Before his White House meeting on Tuesday with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Trump is not backing away from the rhetoric that has angered Canadians told NBC that it was “highly unlikely” that the U.S would need to use military force to make Canada the 51st state He offered less certainty about whether his repeated calls for the U.S to take over Greenland from NATO-ally Denmark can be achieved without military action “Something could happen with Greenland,” Trump said we need that for national and international security economy is in a “transition period” but he expects it to do “fantastically” despite the economic turmoil sparked by his tariffs He offered sharp pushback when Welker noted that some Wall Street analysts now say the chances of a recession are increasing some people on Wall Street say,” Trump said Some people on Wall Street say that we’re going to have the greatest economy in history.” He also deflected blame for the 0.3% decline in the U.S “I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he’s done a terrible job,” referring to his Democratic predecessor Trump doubled down on his recent comments at a Cabinet meeting that children might have to have two dolls instead of 30 denying that is an acknowledgment his tariffs will lead to supply shortages “I’m just saying they don’t need to have 30 dolls The president has repeatedly suggested he could seek a third term in the White House even though the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution says that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Trump told NBC there is considerable support for him to run for a third term “But this is not something I’m looking to do,” Trump said “I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody Trump’s previous comments about a third term sometimes seem more about provoking outrage on the political left The Trump Organization is even selling red caps with the words “Trump 2028.” But at moments, he has suggested he was seriously looking into a third term. In a late March phone interview with NBC Trump said in the interview that Vice President JD Vance is doing a “fantastic job” and is “brilliant.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio whom Trump last week tasked to simultaneously serve as acting national security adviser But Trump said it is “far too early” to begin talking about his potential successor He is confident that his “Make America Great Again” movement will flourish beyond his time in the White House Silva Saddle Western Wear & Tack: This Western wear shop in Midtown Anchorage is hanging up its hat after more than 50 years in business Silva Saddle launched in 1973 as the Alaska oil boom began to draw Texans Oklahomans and others who bought Western wear She ran it for decades before passing away at age 96 nearly three years ago she made the store a landmark in the industry Western wear suppliers from the Lower 48 referred to Dea as “a legend,” he said Dozens of the biggest country music singers and writers dropped into the store on trips to Alaska Their pictures and autographed tributes to the store line the walls A 1975 photo features the late Merle Haggard looking playfully at Causey’s mom Her son found the pictures only a few months ago and probably that’s why she didn’t show me those slides,” he said Causey worked at the store alongside his mom much of his life He plans to live partly in Anchorage but spend winters in Egypt The opening of a Boot Barn in northeast Anchorage early this year contributed to the decision to close The national retailer was smart to open near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Taking down all the pictures of his mom and the musicians will be the hardest part of closing “I just want to thank Anchorage and everyone that knew my mom and me,” he said “It’s kind of heartbreaking,” longtime customer Trent Mobraaten said of the store’s closure He came with a friend to buy shirts in the liquidation sale “We just wanted to come and tell him goodbye and say thanks for all the years,” Mobraaten said Carrs-Safeway at Gambell: Despite the efforts of Fairview residents to save it, the oldest Carrs grocery store is set to close May 10 The store opened in the 1950s at 13th Avenue and Gambell Street The store hired the first Black person to work in retail in Anchorage after protests organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People A store representative said in April that it’s sometimes necessary to close stores that are “perpetually unable to meet financial expectations.” Sakana Poke & Soiree: Two longtime friends opened this poke bowl restaurant and cafe in Midtown Anchorage in March said they modeled the restaurant after Japanese-style cafes “Japan has high standards with coffee and desserts, and we like the idea of grab-and-go in Japan,” said Sim, who co-founded Kami Ramen in Spenard a couple of years ago It also sells several “signature bowls” like the Smokey Pokey Sakana uses fresh fruit and vegetables and only Alaska salmon several coffee drinks and beverages are available including a mango-passionfruit matcha and a sesame seed latte The two-story restaurant includes dining and work areas There’s a projector screen and large TV for presentations upstairs Sakana is available for rent and catering outside business hours The two friends met years ago when they operated small Anchorage businesses near each other Their friendship grew through monthly phone calls to assess the Anchorage economy and business opportunities Sakana hosts local artists and nonprofits for pop-up events “The restaurant is about supporting the community,“ Chen said Sakana is located in the Metro Mall next to Great Harvest Bread Co. Mad Moose Bikes: Will Ross started fixing bikes as a teenager Ross eventually took on management roles at bike shops in town He even helped design fat bikes at 9:ZERO:7 His latest endeavor is Mad Moose Bikes in South Anchorage The shop is located at 8730 Lake Otis Parkway Ross made sure to find a spot that’s as close as possible to the Hillside mountain biking trails The brands includes Orbea bikes from Spain Panorama Cycles and Prevelo Bikes that are made for kids Ross said his career as a bike mechanic temporarily halted a few years ago after he developed plantar fasciitis in both feet He could stand only a few minutes at a time friends began asking him to repair their bikes out of his house initially as a mobile repair clinic out of a van fueled by fat bikes and new mountain biking trails “I was immediately booked two weeks out,” he said “I had people dropping off bikes at my house People saw my van and neighbors were knocking on my door.” “It was the busiest summer of my life,” he said The storefront has been busy since it opened in April Refuge Coffee Collaboration: This cafe opened last month in Spenard to support survivors of sex trafficking Refuge Coffee Collaboration supports anti-trafficking organizations Priceless has helped more than 300 survivors of human trafficking since its founding in 2012 Priceless’ executive director and the co-manager of the cafe “The heart of the coffee shop is creating space for the community to learn more about trafficking in our state,” Mogensen said Adam Legg helped create the shop in part by raising funds to open it but they help pick out items for merchandise and help with food preparation,” she said “It’s back-of-house work for their safety and our safety.” At the full coffee bar, the beans are roasted on-site by Uncle Leroy’s Coffee The shop also sells teas and other beverages A large stage supports live music and other events Alaska survivors of sex trafficking appear in black-and-white portraits decorated with gold-leaf accents Money from those sales also supports survivors with a pompom from each sale placed in a small “hope jar.” “Each pompom represents a survivor that that purchase is impacting,” Mogensen said Refuge Coffee is located at 3309 Spenard Road Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop: This bakery has upgraded and expanded the little shop it once operated in Airport Heights The bake shop now comes with a neighborhood market an espresso bar and more options for outdoor seating sandwiches and soups that are available at the downtown spot One goal of the overhaul was creating a community gathering spot that draws cyclists and pedestrians the bake shop owner along with her parents Janis Fleischman and Jerry Lewanski Pennington said she also wanted a place where locals could stop in for milk “We love this neighborhood,” Pennington said Neighborhood residents have asked for a market and espresso bar since Fire Island opened the location in 2015 there’s an outdoor fireplace and picnic tables “And we’re going to renovate the front yard into green space and beautiful meeting and eating space and then a dog hitching post with water,” Pennington said “We’ll make it just super family-friendly.” The bakery and market is located at 2530 E Abby’s Massage Studio: Abby Kuster recently opened this new massage studio in South Anchorage Abby’s Massage Studio provides relaxation massages, deep tissue and cupping. Kuster offers 60-90 minute massages that can be tailored to clients’ needs, she said. “Whether they’re seeking relief, recovery or just relaxation,” she said. Trained at the Orlando School of Therapeutic Massage and Yoga in Florida, Kuster said she’s worked several years as a massage therapist for chiropractic offices in Fairbanks and Anchorage. The massage studio is east of Costco, off 87th Avenue and King Street, at 331 E. 87th Ave., Suite 100A. Abby’s takes appointments five days a week. It’s closed on Mondays and Wednesdays. Alex DeMarban is a longtime Alaska journalist who covers business, the oil and gas industries and general assignments. Reach him at 907-257-4317 or alex@adn.com. Opens in new windowADVERTISEMENTAnchorage Daily News Anchorage Capital Group L.L.C. lessened its holdings in shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (NYSE:AMBP - Free Report) by 50.1% during the fourth quarter according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC The firm owned 1,245,385 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,250,000 shares during the period Ardagh Metal Packaging accounts for 1.3% of Anchorage Capital Group L.L.C.'s holdings owned about 0.21% of Ardagh Metal Packaging worth $3,799,000 as of its most recent SEC filing The company has a market cap of $2.18 billion The business's 50 day simple moving average is $2.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3.13 has a 12 month low of $2.50 and a 12 month high of $4.26 Ardagh Metal Packaging (NYSE:AMBP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter beating the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.01 The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion Ardagh Metal Packaging had a negative net margin of 0.99% and a positive return on equity of 1,760.00% The company's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year equities research analysts forecast that Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A will post 0.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year Ardagh Metal Packaging Announces DividendThe firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.96% Ardagh Metal Packaging's dividend payout ratio is -1,000.00% Wall Street Analyst Weigh InA number of brokerages recently commented on AMBP Morgan Stanley raised Ardagh Metal Packaging from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $3.60 to $3.10 in a research report on Monday UBS Group cut their target price on Ardagh Metal Packaging from $4.25 to $2.75 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging from $4.50 to $4.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "equal weight" rating and set a $3.35 price objective (down from $3.60) on shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging in a report on Thursday One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company's stock Ardagh Metal Packaging presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $3.44 This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com Before you consider Ardagh Metal Packaging MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on.. and Ardagh Metal Packaging wasn't on the list While Ardagh Metal Packaging currently has a Hold rating among analysts top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys View The Five Stocks Here Discover the next wave of investment opportunities with our report Explore companies poised to replicate the growth and value creation of the tech giants dominating today's markets Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools 2025A municipal street maintenance crew patches potholes on Rosewood Street on Friday (Loren Holmes / ADN) It could be that there are more potholes than usual this spring on Anchorage roads Or it might be the case that the lack of snowpack this winter just gave drivers several more months of seeing them exposed to the elements during their errands and commutes “Those potholes are usually filled up with the snow,” said Paul VanLandingham who manages the city’s Division of Street Maintenance within the Department of Maintenance and Operations have “been able to see these potholes coming since mid-January.” VanLandingham said his crews have been out patching and fixing broken asphalt since the start of the year municipal officials won’t know until the fall whether or not the city has more potholes than normal they’ve been fielding a lot of requests from residents to fix them the Street Maintenance Division responded to 690 calls about potholes VanLandingham is careful to point out the figures are an imperfect measure of whether there is actually more damage to the roads The higher number of reports could be the result of observer bias from more visibility of the asphalt this year compared to last Whether employees are responding to a complaint about a particularly nasty or mending smaller fissures they spot on their own they are typically doing many more road repairs than just the big ones being reported this year they got a jump-start on the annual chore “And it made some good-sized chunks in the city’s pocketbook Compared to the prior two winters, Anchorage had an exceptionally low snow season this year. Even before the official measurement of snowpack hit 0 inches in early March a thaw in January ate away what little accumulation had arrived up until that point The few inches that fell in April were promptly pulverized to slush on area roadways But just because the city wasn’t running plows and graders around the clock or approving supplemental contracts for private businesses to haul away truckloads of snow doesn’t mean the municipality has been spending less on its roads there are still long lists of departmental work that need to be done,” said Ona Brause who directs the city’s Office of Management and Budget The municipality might have spent less on clearing roads after snowstorms but because most of that work is done by full-time employees with equipment that’s already been purchased “The municipality budgets with full-time employees in place,” Brause said back when the budget was drafted and passed by the Assembly last November extra funding for the Maintenance and Operations Department was not stuffed in anticipation of a third heavy snow year Though the Assembly did approve additional monies to help pay for extra plowing and clearing costs during the 2023 and 2024 winters not baked into the department’s operating budget Whether they are grading roads or fixing potholes, said Assembly Vice Chair Anna Brawley, there’s no shortage of repair and maintenance work for municipal employees to do, particularly given how much of the city’s infrastructure was either built badly to begin with or is beginning to deteriorate. “We have so many roads that are old and haven’t been resurfaced in a long time,” Brawley said. A major factor in the city’s long-running civic engagement with potholes is the sub-Arctic environment. More so than snow or wear-and-tear from vehicle traffic, the major contributor to potholes is the freeze-thaw cycle that allows water to slip into gaps in asphalt and roadways, freeze, expand and crack the material apart. “Anatomy of a pothole: You give it a crack, you got a place for the moisture to go,” VanLandingham said. “The freeze-thaw is what gets you.” In a year with a winter like this last one, with roadways exposed to the elements instead of locked under snowpack, and multiple thaws during the traditional cold season, it could be that more damage than usual was inflicted on municipal infrastructure. Or, maybe, residents have just had more time to notice it. Zachariah Hughes covers Anchorage government, the military, dog mushing, subsistence issues and general assignments for the Anchorage Daily News. Prior to joining the ADN, he worked in Alaska’s public radio network, and got his start in journalism at KNOM in Nome. Opens in new windowOpens in new windowADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTMost read by subscribers1 we headed upriver with three snowmobiles and four sleds myself and two other guides from Arctic Wild who I’d never met before young capable white guys and I had my work cut out pretending I was even one or two of those things not the best place to be dragging heavy sleds without a trail I had called ahead to Ambler and couldn’t stir my adopted nephews and up a steep face onto the snow-covered sand It was dark and late when we made it to the old Ferguson allotment on Ahnewetut Creek and in the morning stepped out into the huge awesome presence of the dunes It wasn’t a tan sandscape like in summer — virtually no sand was exposed on the entire 25-square-mile surface a wall with heavy cornices towered against the sky the slopes of taller dunes hid those horizons cutting wood and setting up tents and woodstoves for the scientists to arrive the next morning Tim and I scouted out a long flat inter-dune area for an airstrip and he headed back to camp to work while I packed a 60-foot-wide and 2,000-foot-long airstrip as requested by Jared Cummings of Golden Eagle Outfitters to land equipment and passengers in his turbine Otter on skis The landscape shifted colors as I snowgoed back and forth beautiful blues and moody grays shifting under patches of moving sunlight and clouds the white diamonds of the Brooks Range sprawled the Jade Mountains reached against the sky the high tundra where caribou migrate south in the fall toward Onion Portage and under that a dark line marking the timbered bluff of Paungaqtaugruk It felt strange to be driving back and forth landed early in his Super Cub to drop off a videographer from Smithsonian’s “Ice Airport Alaska,” who wanted to film the arrival of the NASA and SWRI scientists He was in a hurry to return for the next load touching down with a huge load in open snow Tim and Pat and I helped him lower down heavy wooden crates and we sledded loads back to camp while Eric and Jared flew two more trips each from Kotzebue ferrying eight scientists — four women and four men — and another ton of gear and the passengers climbed down unacclimated unaccustomed to bulky clothing and large boots It was Cynthia Dinwiddie and David Stillman two remaining members of the NASA project I guided when they first journeyed to the Arctic to study the Kobuk Sand Dunes I hadn’t seen either since March 2010 when I snowgoed their crew to a ski-plane on the river ice coordinating this study of movements of dust and sand and the mysteries of perched water in these dunes searching for clues needed for any future travel to Mars smiling young man I’d known — minus a certain amount of head hair trying to sort out which years had passed since I last saw these friends I remembered Clarence Wood had rented NASA his cabin below Kavik Creek and stopped in on his way from Ambler to Kivalina to have coffee and check what the white guys were up I remember cooking outside on a Coleman (we all hated the cook’s sour Andrew Greene came into camp with a wolverine on his sled I headed north to Midas Creek and the upper Noatak country I rushed to load luggage and red and blue coolers on my sled to get these nice cold smart people out of the way before Jared’s powerful propwash manufactured a blizzard and they moved back and forth unpacking crates of radar and equipment We settled in to long work days out in the cold — what I think of as fun although mornings were not as easy as when I was younger with my food and water and everything in my tent frozen solid The scientists had their own difficulties: a hole melted in the science tent the tent with two Davids — Camp David — filled with toxic smoke from air mattresses touching the stove Pat and Tim were concerned about our first-day trajectory toward fire I had predicted difficulties; mixing nylon tents and woodstoves takes practice I was sympathetic and loaned the guys my spare mattress and cotton blanket a researcher named Jani Radebaugh and her cheery young student Emma Gosselin accompanied us criss-crossing nearby dunes and inter-dunes at slow speed their GPR and Ohm-Mapper units went on the blink (or no blink) and we had to return to camp to thaw things out though she mostly had to stay in camp and download data we gathered The drill team was having a tough go of it making slow and no progress with a hand auger until finally Pat had Tim take over more cooking and wood duties and he worked long hours to help the team get down past caving sand and frozen layers glancing in that direction like a hungry wolf and Cynthia and David were relentless in their desire for more data I’d been waiting 15 years for their return in my efforts to make this work out for her and her team we gathered in the chilly meal tent to eat great food Tim and Pat somehow cooked tell stories and plan out the following day’s work I brought along my muktuk and dried caribou and did my best to hide my bad hip and other infirmities I was feeling a surprising number of years piling up around me I went ahead and took advantage of my elder status “You people don’t respect the cold enough,” I said But David began carrying big batteries in his jacket — and in mine — and Cynthia asked me to help drag a GPR unit into her and Jani’s tent to thaw I overheard Cynthia telling the group that I’d taught her to shoot a rifle and a pistol Faint memories drifted back: the Anchorage Museum had shown Cynthia and my photographs; they’d flown us at separate times to Anchorage to present our work How and when had my life gotten so convoluted that I forgot all this “I remember you soldering broken wires on the GPR with a Bic lighter,” David said “I don’t know how many times I’ve told that story It made me feel good — trusted — and I went out and banged ice out of my sled to haul one more load of water from the creek I drove to the top of a dune for a few minutes to watch the mountains settle in after sunset then the props whirred and it shot north to map another dune I checked to see if the Starlink reached this far The mixed scene felt incongruous and made me think of my brother Kole and I reading science fiction novels when we were kids: Kole liked “Dune,” and “The Martian Chronicles,” and Edgar Rice Burroughs books gnawing the boiled hairy skin off the tails My primitive hunter-gatherer past felt close Even the concept of studying this ancient sand to try to understand the surface of Mars felt different and I realized those little boys would have seen this life of mine as a science fiction and I took one more photo of the distant mountains before I headed back down to continue my chores in the cold and falling darkness wilderness guide and is the author of the best-selling novel “Ordinary Wolves,” and most recently the nonfiction book “A Thousand Trails Home: Living With Caribou.” He lives in Northwest Alaska and can be reached at sethkantner.com 2025The Anchorage School District Education Center (Loren Holmes / ADN) The Anchorage School Board will consider revising its budget for next school year to reverse most cuts to classroom teachers and popular programs a “cautious bet” that assumes additional state funding passed by the Alaska Legislature on Wednesday will survive the board and I are supporting a calculated and managed risk because of what happened in Juneau earlier today it seems like there’s very strong support for a bill,” Anchorage School District Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said Wednesday but lawmakers have said they believe they have the votes this time to override a veto The school board’s Finance Committee chairperson, Kelly Lessens, at the meeting presented a proposed revision to the budget she drafted with board member Carl Jacobs and board president Andy Holleman that assumes at least a $560 BSA increase to support our students to the best we can noting that the BSA increase would be $1,800 if lawmakers accounted for inflation-adjusted dollars over the last 10 years but it doesn’t do what truly our students need and deserve.” In February, before the school board approved the FY26 budget board members unanimously voted to include an amendment that committed the district to reversing most cuts if the Alaska Legislature increased the BSA in state statute by a minimum of $1,000 before the district’s deadline for issuing layoff notices Lessens’ proposed budget revisions were in line with “the spirit” of that amendment The proposed budget revisions restore about 272 of the 380 full-time positions that would be cut 25 staff members who support the gifted program class sizes across all grades would increase by one and many are absorbed by retiring or resigning teachers and declining enrollment rates The updated budget would also bring back beloved programming the IGNITE program for gifted kids and Battle of the Books for elementary schoolers The idea was to do something quickly to provide some security for staff whose positions have been eliminated in the upcoming budget and for whom there are no vacant positions they can fill About 84 staff members do not have a placement for next year Anchorage School District Chief Human Resources Officer Martin Lang said during the meeting That means that of 188 staff members who were given “displacement” notices in late March about 100 of them have been reassigned to vacant positions at other schools in the district Lang said those relocations could likely still be walked back if additional funding comes through soon “If we don’t have any additional revenue in the coming weeks then we will have to begin notifying those groups of layoffs before the end of the school year,” Lang said He added that a minimum $250 BSA increase would allow the district to save its 84 educators currently without positions next year and “at least communicate to that group of individuals: ‘you have a job next year We’re not yet able to tell you where exactly but we’re not moving in the direction of layoffs.’” The finance committee unanimously voted to recommend the budget revision to the school board to discuss at their upcoming meeting on May 6 Lessens also said the recommendation will include a second part: meeting again once state education funding is guaranteed to discuss allocations should the BSA increase be greater than $560 Jenna Kunze covers Anchorage communities and general assignments She was previously a staff reporter at Native News Online wrote for The Arctic Sounder and was a reporter at the Chilkat Valley News in Haines That store has the highest level of pedestrian customers of any in Anchorage Where are these people supposed to go to buy food and especially pharmaceuticals The rest of us can drive halfway around town I have been going there since I was a little kid which actually had a “brass ring” dispenser On the corner of 13th Avenue and Gambell Street was a year-round fireworks stand where you could buy M-80s It was eventually changed to a Pay and Pak and then a Safeway eventually returning to its roots as Carrs apparently it isn’t the colorful nature of the customers I saw this problem in action about a month ago Security and a staff member had a woman cornered with her coat obviously stuffed with goods They were telling her to take the products out “I know the store policy is that you can’t touch me,” and she walked past them and out of the store I talked to the security guy and asked about calling the police He said they wouldn’t do anything about it I saw her meeting up with four or five others in the parking lot where she was dispensing her loot Have we so enabled and even enshrined the homeless where they feel they are entitled to take what they want Earlier opinion: The closing of the Fairview Carrs is a failure of corporate citizenship U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was the commencement speaker and was able to share the day with her father, Frank Murkowski, 92, a former Alaska governor and U.S. senator, as he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Bill Roth is a staff photojournalist at the Anchorage Daily News. Opens in new windowAnchorage Daily News we are already beginning to feel the economic crisis from the destruction of our federal agencies and loss of institutional knowledge and research — especially regarding our extreme weather This includes infrastructure projects in villages and hub cities and much needed upgrades to energy and broadband across our state The success of Alaska’s economy depends heavily on delivery of services by federal employees Current and former federal workers are our neighbors The hardworking employees that I’ve had the honor to work alongside are thoughtful public servants The federal workers who have decided to leave service under duress and accept one of the multiple iterations of the Deferred Resignation Program are eligible to continue receiving pay and benefits through Sept This process is not saving federal funds or our much-needed services The lack of transparency in this process is a disservice to the American people Former USDA Rural Development Alaska state director 2025Leanne Bulger extends a plastic pipe into a hole in the ground possibly caused by thawing permafrost (Photo by Ned Rozell) Leanne Bulger recently found a new hole in the forest floor on the west end of Fairbanks “Thirteen feet,” she said when the pole finally hit ground she could not see an undergraduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks had hiked to the northeast corner of the campus’s thousand-acre wood on a late April day Six other researchers accompanied her to check out this odd feature of the landscape Bulger first visited a hole in the forest floor that seemed to be exhaling The force and moisture content of that cold breath was so consistent during the previous winter that the hole had built its own little chimney After receiving a tip from a nearby homeowner — me — who had watched the chimney grow over the winter Bulger adopted the site as her own research project Go Iwahana of the International Arctic Research Center insisted she follow her interest and provided her with equipment to learn more On the recent morning a year after her first visit Bulger staged what she called a “geosciences jamboree” with her colleagues The April day was just warmer than freezing with two sandhill cranes croaking overhead as they returned from a winter away but the shrinking snowpack still covered much of the landscape a few of the half-dozen scientists Bulger invited extended the depth of a borehole to 15 feet beneath the ground surface They then pushed thermistors into a plastic pipe they had slipped into that 15-foot hole Initial temperature readings confirmed the ground had remained unfrozen at levels deeper than the seasonal freeze of the first five feet during the past winter That meant this landscape where permafrost existed in the recent past was now free of the frozen ground that had persisted for perhaps thousands of years Bulger used a portable gas analyzer in the original fist-size chimney hole She found that the ground there was exhaling carbon dioxide at a concentration more than 50 times greater than the free air above the hole twice each month hiking out with the 30-pound gas analyzer on her back and dragging a sled of supplies the readings were still 10 times higher than the air above the hole “It’s really strange that one small spot is pushing out so much CO2,” she said The stream of carbon-dioxide rich air is possibly the collective breath of microorganisms now freed from eons of being frozen They may be feeding on the newly available carbon stores of the boreal forest floor It is also possible that the CO2 might be leaking upward from very deep thawing permafrost deposits who has a few times presented a poster with her findings and photos of the UAF campus site people told her of sinkholes or depressions in their yards possibly from the thawing of ground that had been frozen for thousands of years which tells me it’s a recent development,” she said More and more people are now seeking Bulger out to ask about the phenomenon “Now I’m the ‘Hole-in-the-Ground Girl,’” she said two of her colleagues pulled a sled over the ground to measure the subsurface with ground-penetrating radar Another inserted a camera into the original hole finding winged insects crawling deep within the dark and CO2-rich space Bulger wants to return after the snow melts to fly drones over the snowless forest floor to make a precise map of how the land looks now — and how it may sink in the future And she has applied to a graduate program at UAF one where she may take an even deeper look into the mysterious hole in the ground that is likely one of many developing all over Alaska She knows one of her biggest challenges in her new graduate study will be to focus on one aspect that interests her “I started asking just a few questions,” she said Ned Rozell is a science writer with the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks 2025Dimond High senior Marek Hajdukovich listens to his sister Jahnna Hajdukovich-Boese a former Seawolves women's basketball player speak during a signing ceremony becoming the next in his family to play basketball at UAA Photographed at Dimond High School on Tuesday (Bill Roth / ADN) Marek Hajdukovich held his signing ceremony to commit to joining the men’s basketball team at the University of Alaska Anchorage in late April and the program officially announced him as a member of its recruiting class on Friday The Dimond High standout and Alaska hoops legacy had already made up his mind to become a Seawolf about nine months ago While sitting at home weighing which college program was best for him to join he typed these words on his senior night bio: “I’m going to go to UAA.” “I didn’t tell the coaches that yet or anyone,” Hajdukovich said “I said I’m going to go to UAA because that’s the (right) fit for me 6 on UAA’s career 3-pointers list with 173 “I’m just honored to join the legacy,” he said I think it’s a gift to represent my family there My sister being there a couple of years ago it’s just something special to our family and I just want to add to it while adding my own mark at the same time.” Even though he’ll be going to college in the same town he went to high school Hajdukovich plans to live on campus so he can fully live the “college lifestyle.” I’m an adult but I’d still be under my parents’ rules get some roommates and be able to make friendships,” he said Hajdukovich had been in communication with UAA’s coaching staff since the summer heading into his junior year starting with the assistants who were coming to watch his high school games “They’ve all really helped me in this process of becoming a Seawolf and I’ve talked to (head) coach (Rusty) Osborne a lot,” he said Hajdukovich is currently recovering from wrist surgery that he put off for years and wanted to go to a program with a “loving coaching staff” that would not only believe in him but also be patient with him while continuing to develop his skills as a player “I think UAA is just the spot for me,” he said “They have a great facility and they’re willing to work with me to make me better Three of Hajdukovich’s fellow graduating all-state stars from different regions in Alaska committed to play for rival University of Alaska Fairbanks within weeks of each other After teaming up for the first time at the AABC senior all-star game Monroe Catholic’s Jett McCullough and Nome-Beltz’s Finn Gregg will be joining forces in college with the Nanooks [Alaska high school senior all-star game offers glimpse of bright future for UAF basketball] Despite seeing this enticing development and the fact that UAF was recruiting him as well Hajdukovich didn’t waver in his decision to become a Seawolf it’s close to home and all my family lives in town I talked to UAF but it’s been UAA from the start.” Hajdukovich is excited that he’ll get a chance to continue playing against some of his top high school peers for the foreseeable future “We’ve been texting here and there talking about the future Adding so much new Alaskan blood to the storied rivalry between the two programs is something Hajdukovich believes will only “heighten” it moving forward “When you look on the court and you see people you’ve been watching for years in high school it gives it even more of an Alaskan feel,” he said “You have personal relationships with the players on the court and I think fans will be more invested because there’s hometown kids playing for these colleges.” Hajdukovich gives the Seawolves their fifth Alaskan on the roster joining senior Hasaan Herrington of East Anchorage senior Bishop Tosi of Bartlett and sophomore Luke Johnston “We are excited to welcome Marek to Seawolf Basketball,” coach Osborne said in a statement “Having watched him grow up in a family of Seawolves has been fun to witness We really feel Marek is just scratching the surface of his potential He’s had numerous serious injury setbacks which have affected his opportunity to maximize his talents and it’s a testament to his ability that he was able to have an all-state career despite these challenges I have no doubt he will have a tremendous career in Green & Gold We are looking forward to the next 4-5 years.” The Anchorage Daily News asked coaches, parents and student-athletes to report individual college commitments. The following list is a compilation of those responses along with reporting from ADN sports reporter Josh Reed. If you know of a local student-athlete who could be included in a future article on college commitments, email jreed@adn.com or sports@adn.com. Faith Hughes will be competing in soccer at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Lexi Luff will be competing in soccer at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Brooklyn Bailey will be competing in soccer at Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah. Skylar Lind will be competing in soccer at University of Jamestown in Jamestown, North Dakota. Larenz Miller will be competing in basketball at Paul Smith’s College in Paul Smiths, New York. Nico Laliberte will be competing in rugby at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Leiloa Fesolai will be competing in soccer at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Harry Martyn will be competing in rugby at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Noah Robinson will be competing in soccer at Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Washington. Kerra Baxter will be competing in basketball at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Hallie Clark will be competing in basketball at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. Tonya Karpow will be competing in basketball at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Ella Hopkins will be competing in cross country and track and field at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Noelle Buck will be competing in women’s wrestling at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. Kate Seibert will be competing in soccer at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Parker Sullivan will be competing in soccer at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Eleasha Sapon will be competing in volleyball at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Josiah James will be competing in football at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Avrey Campbell will be competing in track and field at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Sarah Dittman will be competing in track and field at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Ayla Ertekin will be competing in soccer at University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama. Kalei Ganotisi will be competing in soccer at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. Evan Hamey will be competing in basketball at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. Sienna Pederson will be competing in basketball at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington. Riley Dudley will be competing in soccer at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington. Tana Carlson will be competing in hockey at College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Mecca Goldsberry will be competing in volleyball at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington. Aaliyah Villafuerte will be competing in softball at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington. Penina Tali will be competing in softball at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington. George Lane will be competing in football at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Sophie Lentfer will be competing in basketball at the University of California, Davis in Davis, California. Ella Boerger will be competing in basketball at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. Faith Mondell will be competing in soccer at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. Robbie Annett will be competing in cross country and track and field at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liam Lierman will be competing in baseball at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Martin Sackerson will be competing in rugby at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Tyler Griffin will be competing in football at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. Nolan Farr will be competing in football at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado. Garrett Bird will be competing in football at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. Layla Hays will be competing in basketball at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Mylee Anderson will be competing in basketball at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Alli Devine will be competing in volleyball at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. Hayden Caldarea will be competing in volleyball at University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario. Travis Thornton will be competing in diving at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. Michael Branham will be competing in swimming at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Morgan Maldonado will be competing in basketball at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Jennifer Nash will be competing in basketball at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Finn Gregg will be competing in basketball at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. Marcus Stockhausen will be competing in basketball at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. Tiahna Guzman will be competing in flag football at Bryant and Stratton College in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Meadow Lewis will be competing in soccer at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Emily Jones will be competing in soccer at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington. Raighen Wendler will be competing in soccer at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington. Brayden Donovan will be competing in rugby at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Myalani Watson will be competing in volleyball at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington. Juan Hernandez will be competing in soccer at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington. Springer Moore will be competing in cross country at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Gideon Lesslie will be competing in baseball at Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minnesota. Kiara Iloilo will be competing in volleyball at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington. Isabella Schuld will be competing in soccer at Chaminade University of Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii. Anna Souja will be competing in soccer at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington. Jan Beck will be competing in swimming at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Logan Cuddy will be competing in nordic skiing at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Caleb Wahlman will be competing in football at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. Trey Demmert will be competing in basketball at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington. Marina Dill will be competing in cross country and track and field at the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage, Alaska. Jada Whitmore will be competing in volleyball at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington. Student Wrestling Development Program (Fairbanks) Kodi Hollis will be competing in wrestling at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. RJ Didrickson will be competing in wrestling at Colorado State University - Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado. Evan Andrew will be competing in wrestling at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Alexia Zacharof will be competing in wrestling at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Emma Marsh will be competing in diving at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Sarah Callender will be competing in wrestling at Alma College in Alma, Michigan. Kenai Lepule will be competing in football at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. Josh Reed is a sports reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. He's a graduate of West High School and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Michael Pese and Tupe Smith enter the Nesbett Courthouse with their son Several Whittier residents from American Samoa accused of illegal voting were arraigned in an Anchorage courtroom on May 2 (Marc Lester / ADN) Dozens of people rallied outside the Anchorage courthouse Friday in support of a family of Whittier residents from American Samoa being arraigned on charges of illegal voting in a case that may have reverberations for a national effort to extend full citizenship rights to people born in the U.S State prosecutors have charged the Whittier residents with illegally voting in local elections contending that because they were born in the territory of American Samoa they are not citizens but nationals and don’t have the right to vote Prosecutors say the family members misrepresented themselves on paperwork The family members — ranging in age from their 20s to 60s — are facing felony charges some of which come with a term of up to 10 years in prison On Wednesday, the Whittier City Council passed a resolution calling for the state to amend the state constitution to allow citizens of U.S territories to vote in local and state elections and “reaffirming its support for equal voting rights” for citizens of the U.S The cases represent the first time American Samoans have been prosecuted “solely on where they happened to be born,” said Neil Weare, the co-founder of Right to Democracy a national nonprofit that advocates for the rights of people living in U.S Attorneys for the group are representing Tupe Smith the first American Samoan family member to be charged with voter fraud and attorneys from the group flew to Alaska for the arraignments people gathered for a prayer and sang “Lo Ta Nu’u,” a traditional song celebrating Samoa before taking a group photo and walking into the Nesbett Courthouse together nine members of the family made a first court appearance and entered not guilty pleas Another member was out of the area and is set to be arraigned next week Several defendants were appointed public defenders after they said they couldn’t afford a private attorney The cases reveal how American Samoans are treated differently one of the people charged and a Whittier volunteer firefighter Pese said he and his family hadn’t expected “this much impact,” but were glad for the support is not only to defend the criminal case against him but to see American Samoans allowed to vote way longer than the state of Alaska has been a state,” he said Pese said that his family has lived in Whittier for more than a decade in 2023 was the first to be charged after she ran for school board The issue has caused “unintended reverberations” in Whittier who also said he attended the rally in Anchorage on Friday as a citizen in support of the family “The large presence implied there was some attempt at intimidation of our community members, and it was unsettling,” he said. In Whittier, more than half of the schoolchildren have parents who are American Samoans, Blair said. “The fear and the unknown — yeah, it’s inevitable it gets to the children," he said. After Friday’s arraignment, the family was headed home to Whittier when they came upon a collision on the Seward Highway near Indian, Weare said. Pese, a trained first responder, jumped out and stopped to help the victim until paramedics arrived. Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers on the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon. Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTMost read by subscribers1 homeless on the streetBy Angela Ramirez Published: May 3 2025An American flag plate sits among trash and debris at a homeless camp in Davis Park last August hundreds of people are being released from their winter shelter of Anchorage hotels to where I believe that Mayor LaFrance was elected to do two things She lucked out on the first and is an utter failure on the second “This is how it starts.” The floating ghettos of Lagos social media posts show drone pictures of structures two stories high surrounded by black spruce Pallet palaces of stolen building supplies Homeless people have neighborhoods just like the rest of us I started noticing her when I moved into a house on 30th and Spenard It’s also an alley for other types of traffic Like she could have been a model for some alt organic clothing line “You don’t want me.” She laughed and walked away I have lived in this part of Spenard for years And I have witnessed my neighborhood’s decline as I have witnessed the trashing of the parks The last three city administrations have kept putting off the most immediate measures for the homeless The first with 12-foot-high chain-link poles set in concrete A second two yards in from that with an 8-foot solid wall for privacy Would you like total strangers to have 24/7 access to your bedroom with slanted metal roofs so they don’t burn Two staff members during the day and three from 10 p.m The homeless who occupy the camp must be registered with it There are bathrooms that have those fancy blue lights and half doors on the stalls to discourage people from shooting up and nodding out in them There is access to water on a motion detector Visitors stay outside the camp in a covered sitting area there are outlets so they can charge their phones so it is less likely to become party central None of this is possible with an administration more in love with process than actual outcomes It is disingenuous for the mayor to use phrases like “transition” or “crisis” when she knew what was happening to the parks the day she filed for office There are whole blocks of parklands gone to burn-scarred waste The hard-working members of Parks and Rec can’t even begin to keep up with the tons of trash they haul out of the woods It will take millions of dollars to rehabilitate the land if they are ever vacated of the homeless I saw her late one night taking out the trash Sometimes when I see something that is both horrible and fascinating That happened when I watched her walk to the corner of Spenard and 30th Her solicitation of opening and closing her legs was immediately effective I figured out where she had been sleeping after seeing her in the neighborhood again A blanket in the dirt by Benson and Dawson Her face a map of all the horrors she has endured Angela Ramirez is an artist who has lived in Spenard for over thirty years The company let people know 30 days before it closes for good on May 10 What will remain is a boarded-up building surrounded by industrial fencing topped by barbed wire The beating heart of Fairview is being torn out to fuel the profits of a giant corporation Albertsons is ensuring the property can never again be used to serve the community’s food needs with a non-compete clause embedded into the sale agreement The mega-corporation will efficiently create a food desert in the eastern half of Anchorage’s urban core This part of Anchorage has the highest population density and the highest percentage of food stamp recipients — all reflecting a predominance of low-income households Life is about to become significantly more challenging for many residents of Fairview This is another example of national corporations refusing to acknowledge their social and civic responsibilities Supreme Court in the Citizens United case decided that corporations were “people” eligible to make immense contributions to political candidates ensuring that policymakers are elected who allow them to prioritize profits over people Corporations are so large now that their decisions ripple out far and wide to community expectations of being a good neighbor They could have reached out to the local community earlier and engaged in a civic dialogue about the need to transition the store out of their asset portfolio This would have reflected an awareness of its unique social responsibilities as a supplier of groceries to ensure that business decisions do not inadvertently create urban food wastelands It would also acknowledge the company understood what the Alaska Constitution states in Article 1: “This constitution is dedicated to the principles that all persons have a natural right to life and the enjoyment of the rewards of their own industry; that all persons are equal and entitled to equal rights opportunities under the law; and that all persons have corresponding obligations to the people and to the State.” Does the decision by Albertsons to give a 30-day notice for closure of a critical community lifeline without any effort to minimize the long-term negative impacts reflect an awareness that they have “corresponding obligations to the people and to the State” For the many residents of Fairview without a vehicle Albertsons’ overwhelming focus on the bottom line and profits will create significant hardship for hundreds of neighborhood residents The corporation has ignored its civic responsibility as a corporate citizen of Anchorage and Alaska to contribute to the betterment of the common good It has willingly ignored the moral and ethical obligations associated with being a contributing member of our community by purposely and knowingly placing hundreds of low-income residents at increased risk of shortened life spans and a worsened existence Albertsons still has an opportunity to make adjustments They could engage the local community in a meaningful dialogue about how their business decisions can be made in a way that recognizes the critical role played by the Carr’s grocery store at 13th and Gambell It could announce a pause on shutting down the store and work with the neighborhood food organizations and the municipality to craft a workable transition strategy One scenario would involve donating the property to the Municipality of Anchorage which through the Anchorage Community Development Authority could coordinate a viable redevelopment game plan in partnership with our current Reconnecting Fairview revitalization effort Given the nature of the surrounding neighborhood transforming the Carrs site into a neighborhood food cooperative would be a reasonable alternative Corporate leadership could demonstrate understanding that the COVID pandemic and the municipality’s decision to transform the Sullivan Arena into a mass walk-in homeless shelter created incredible negative off-site impacts The Carrs store received the brunt of these negative impacts Pilferage rates went through the roof as the city found itself unable to prosecute misdemeanor crimes such as shoplifting Expenses rose significantly during this multi-year period It is important to look at the overall context and recognize how the store was subjected to a severe onslaught of troubled individuals The Sullivan Arena is no longer a walk-in mass homeless shelter but instead is now under new management with a bright future The people of Fairview have made great strides in transforming their part of town One only has to get off the Gambell-Ingra corridor and into the neighborhood to see the evidence Fairview has a tangible sense of place that is appealing to more and more people particularly Millennials and Gen Z individuals We are close to transforming two unsightly vacant lots on Ingra Street into attractive and wholesome community gardens along with our partner NeighborWorks Alaska in a national competition to earn a Reconnecting Communities Grant whose specific focus is revitalization of the Gambell-Ingra Corridor We have a nationally recognized contractor on board and a proactive public engagement schedule over the next 10-12 months to re-imagine the corridor and create a practical We were expecting Albertsons to be a meaningful partner as we work together to restore economic vitality in our part of town There is still time for Albertsons to show its willingness to be a responsible corporate citizen Allen Kemplen is a longtime resident of Fairview represented the area for two terms in the Alaska Legislature served multiple years as president of the Fairview Community Council and is currently council vice president and chair of the Reconnecting Fairview Committee Some of their answers make sense to share with others Let’s start with a novel one: Can you grow corn in Southcentral This is the true Holy Grail of Alaska gardening though you better start your own from seed now as it isn’t readily available locally as starts it is not a crop whose seed you stick in the ground and walk away On my daily walk I see a terrific system: A deep 36-inch-wide container with a plastic tipi wrap system that creates a mini greenhouse Or you can make a plastic tent over a row of corn in your garden It has to withstand winds and be waterable Look for the corn variety that requires the least amount of days These are among the first plants to green up No chemical spot sprays or mass spraying allowed Just mow them if you don’t like their flowers a disturbing question: Are spruce bark beetles It has been a while since anyone wrote anything about them Spruce beetles are always active in these parts We seem to have a tapering population — or maybe they have enough fallen trees to serve them — though it always makes sense to keep an eye on maturing trees Make sure there is adequate air circulation at the base of the tree to up about 6 feet Spruce should get water when you water your lawn they will get watered as you water the lawn those tiny birch leaves tell you to get your watering system up and running as water is all your lawn needs right now hoses and tools should have metal or plastic quick connectors Put an on/off switch at the end of long hoses so you don’t need to constantly go back to the faucet It is bound to rain and rain hard and then maybe we can get permits and clean things up a bit Alaska Botanical Garden: There is so much this organization has to offer gardeners. Don’t delay. Nursery sales and so much more. Vegetables to start from seed: Summer squash, cucumbers and pumpkins. Seeds to get ready to plant next week or so outdoors: Potatoes, peas, spinach, mustard, chard and kale. Jeff Lowenfels has written a weekly gardening column for the ADN for more than 45 years. He earned second place in the National Society of Newspaper Columnists 2024 contest in the Lifestyles category. He is the author of a series of books on organic gardening available at Amazon and elsewhere. He co-hosts the "Teaming With Microbes" podcast. Opens in new windowOpens in new windowADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTMost read by subscribers1 2025Girl Scouts of Alaska Camp Singing Hills (Loren Holmes / ADN) At least 87 federally funded AmeriCorps volunteers were notified this week that their current or upcoming service work in Alaska was abruptly canceled They include out-of-state volunteers set to work at Girl Scout Camps in Chugiak this summer and local aspiring teachers planning to tutor young Alaskans the vast majority of which were allocated to state and national programs through state commissions In Alaska, the funding loss amounts to $1.8 million, according to Katie Abbott, who leads the state commission that funds and supports local AmeriCorps programs, Serve Alaska. Serve Alaska funded five AmeriCorps programs that operated in 18 urban and rural communities across the state AmeriCorps’ interim director said in a message that federal funding had been cut for four of those programs — comprising 43 active volunteers and another 44 in the summer pipeline They were told “the grants no longer effectuate agency priorities,” Abbott said One state grantee remains: The Student Conservation Association an organization that hosts about 40 AmeriCorps volunteers annually to work projects on public lands in Alaska remains intact with about 80 Alaska corps members The loss for residents — recipients of service work — is harder to quantify volunteers and their host organizations said this week according to Abbott: Youths in Nenana will lose their science A number of low-income Alaskans dealing with the criminal justice system — about 35 per volunteer — will no longer have an advocate to connect them with recovery resources and housing aid students will lose their tutors and classroom support and mental health organizations in the community will be left without a workforce for youth community outreach Kids in Ouzinkie will lose their dance coach Koyukuk youths enrolled in an after-school program designed by the AmeriCorps members will miss out Prince William Sound Science Center attendees will lose summer programming 19 Alaska high school and college students — each interested in a teaching career and in the process of securing summer positions tutoring elementary schoolers in STEM — will no longer have an “on-ramp” into the education field said Alaska Afterschool Network’s AmeriCorps program director Tegner was in the midst of onboarding the interns for their summer camp tutoring positions in the Anchorage and Mat-Su areas when the cuts came through four weeks out from the beginning of summer camps have to pivot their programming to account for a diminished workforce and locals counting on a summer intern experience will have to find alternate plans said Alaska Afterschool Network Executive Director Thomas Azzarella He called the cuts a “major disruption,” and said the loss of AmeriCorps funding could mean both failing to keep talented Alaskans in Alaska and missing an opportunity to attract new workers to the state Tegner herself is a former AmeriCorps volunteer who came to Alaska in 2021 and stayed on as an employee and a new Alaskan which is funded through AmeriCorps dollars “I was able to find my whole career (through AmeriCorps),” said Tegner whose educational background was in engineering the thing that I keep thinking about is — Alaska became my home because of AmeriCorps Twenty-three-year-old Morgan Scherrer didn’t want to leave when her team of eight received notice that their 10-month stint in Alaska as young adult AmeriCorps volunteers was prematurely up on April 14 They’d been stationed in Alaska since Halloween with plans to stay through July in rotating service projects in Fairbanks The team had just completed four months of work with the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness They were scheduled to fly to Yakutat on April 24 Forest Service doing habitat restoration and stream management in the Tongass National Forest “I can say without a doubt: My team was most excited for that project,” Scherrer said by phone this week she was on a plane to her hometown in Colorado on April 16 Since returning to their respective homes, Scherrer and her team have been searching for a way to finish their service work, despite a lack of federal support. In just over a week, they had fundraised over $2,000 — about $500 shy of their goal to pay for food and gas and just a third of the money they would have received in stipends from AmeriCorps She said she’s in talks with the Forest Service which may still be able to provide housing she said they’d look to book flights on their own dime as soon as possible our project would have started (on April 28),” Scherrer said the faster we can jump into the work that they need to get done.” Another team of young service workers was days away from their flight to Anchorage to work at two Girl Scouts of Alaska camps in Chugiak for the summer when they were demobilized. They are also looking for a way to complete their service work team leader Alani Rose said by phone from New Jersey this week But Girl Scouts of Alaska CEO Jenni Pollard said the loss of federal support has made it trickier to host the AmeriCorps members even if they do make their way back up to Alaska “We’re still trying to figure this out,” she said AmeriCorps teams have provided “really valuable capacity” in helping the camps with property maintenance preparing for camp season and teaching programming to campers “To not have the AmeriCorps support is very disappointing for Alaska and the organizations that rely on all the services they provide,” Pollard said When scientists announced recently that a volcano outside Anchorage was showing signs of an impending eruption residents Alliana Salanguit and Jesslin Wooliver went looking for protective gear They secured what they needed to protect themselves and their belongings from corrosive ashfall, which can irritate eyes and lungs: KN95 masks window-sealing tape and vehicle air filters Three-year-old Iroh already had booties and a raincoat his owners went online and procured a dog mask and some flashy eyewear small,' and it was the top result," Salanguit said of Iroh's heart-shaped goggles which scientists say is likely to erupt in the coming weeks or months an explosive event could produce ash clouds that reach Alaska's biggest population center That's prompted residents like Salanguit and Wooliver to acquire two types of PPE: personal protective equipment and pet protective equipment The city government has warned about the risk of the ash to humans – particularly to the lungs of small children and those already suffering from respiratory problems But it has also specifically reminded residents about the need to ensure pets' safety – prompting a run on accessories like Rex Specs a brand of high-performance dog eyewear akin to a ski mask that are priced locally at $85 Eye protection and masks "would be helpful," too a spokesman for Anchorage's animal control agency owner Mark Robokoff stocks both Rex Specs and cheaper eye protection called – sorry – Doggles He sold more than 500 pairs total in March and notes that the eyewear comes with sartorial side benefits "It's kind of nice that the goggles are not only a safety precaution "Appropriate for the sidecar of a motorcycle." Before the announcement of the possibility of the eruption "some people just wanted them so their dog could stick their head out the window." "It was an item that was occasionally sold," he said Tracking down dog respirators to sell at the store proved more challenging but they're now en route to AK Bark in sizes small If you're wondering how a dog or a puppy can possibly be convinced to tolerate a respirator Robokoff says there's just one way: getting the dog used to it ahead of time "I don't know how many of my customers are actually going to go to the trouble to do that," he said because if you just try to put one of these on the dog and let them outside it's going to last about three or four seconds." have been following a treat training protocol Iroh gets a reward when the mask gets taken out Iroh happily crunched chunks of freeze-dried even as his owners conceded that donning the mask makes him a "little grumpy." "We're trying to just get him not to associate the goggles with Become an NPR sponsor Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Scientists now say it's likely that the closest active volcano to Anchorage will erupt soon They announced in mid-March that the chances had gone up for Mount Spurr to blow "within the next few weeks or months." And what should Southcentral Alaska residents do in the meantime It’s showing all the signs: There have been recent earthquakes nearby there’s melting snow on its peak and there’s higher-than-normal emissions of volcanic gases “It's almost like we have a checklist of the usual signs that volcanoes give us before they progress to an eruption,” said Matt Haney the scientist in charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory “And now we're seeing all four of those are giving us those indicators.” Mount Spurr is the tallest volcano in the Aleutian Arc a batch of several dozen volcanic islands stretching from Southcentral Alaska along the Aleutian Chain to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East You have to charter a plane to get there and Haney said there’s little infrastructure there beyond the Alaska Volcano Observatory’s monitoring stations The closest community is the village of Tyonek scientists said there were equal chances the volcano would erupt or not Then, on March 12, they said it's more likely to erupt than not But there’s no specific percent chance to apply to it scientists can’t say there’s a 75% likelihood of eruption “We haven't quantified what that is in terms of a percentage,” Haney said “But it is judged to be higher likelihood than this unrest dissipating.” It's unlikely scientists will be able to say we'll see changes in the volcano’s alert level Scientists are watching Spurr for an increase in the four eruption indicators mentioned earlier that would trigger elevating its alert level if we were to see increased earthquake activity increased melting of the snow and ice at the volcano then those would be indications that we would go to the next level in our color code system that doesn’t necessarily mean an eruption is imminent he said Mount Redoubt returned to yellow status after an orange alert in late January 2009 and then in early March 2009 it was reduced to yellow because the tremor declines,” Haney said “Then it went back to orange because there was a small steam-driven eruption It finally ended up erupting between 10:30 and 11 p.m Redoubt’s eruption lasted several months and In the event of a change in advisory – from yellow to orange or from orange to red – the Alaska Volcano Observatory will send out an alert on its website and notify its various community partners, like city and state emergency officials. You can sign up for alerts from the observatory here Residents can also sign up for emergency updates from Anchorage by texting ANCHORAGE to 67283 or signing up online including how close you are to the volcano the size of the eruption and which way the wind is blowing most eruption sounds are at a frequency too low for human ears to pick up “A Spurr eruption similar to those in 1953 and 1992 would likely not be audible for people in Anchorage but would be audible if one were close to the volcano However it wouldn't be advisable to be that close,” Haney said “Ash-producing eruptions can produce volcanic lightning in the ash cloud due to friction between volcanic ash particles which may be audible at further distances.” we have explosive eruptions that fragment magma and shoot ash 50,000 feet into the atmosphere,” Haney said The ash clouds produced by the eruption could move to Anchorage if the wind happens to be blowing out of the west Spurr’s eruption resulted in three explosions The eruptions can last from a few minutes to several hours August and September each lasted approximately four hours,” Haney said The winds during the first and third eruptions blew the ashfall to the north and south of Spurr which was the second of the three explosions the winds were blowing to Anchorage that day and ashfall ensued on Anchorage,” Haney said the city got hit with about an eighth of an inch of ash Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was shut down for about 20 hours We have more about impacts to air travel below Ashfall will be the main concern for Southcentral a spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management “The impacts of a Mount Spurr eruption are unknown,” Zidek said “There's a lot of key factors that will really come down to when it erupts what the wind direction is and other factors that could change where that ash falls and how thick the ash falls.” Zidek urged Alaskans to keep monitoring information from the volcano observatory. The division has also posted a list of frequently asked questions about a potential eruption on its website. While there are communities closer to Spurr than Anchorage like Tyonek and Beluga on the west side of Cook Inlet Haney said they’re still far enough from the volcano that they shouldn’t be impacted by things like mudslides or pyroclastic flows Emergency officials from the Municipality of Anchorage the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and the Kenai Peninsula Borough have held coordinated meetings since October in preparation for a potential eruption Zidek said the division has been speaking with stakeholders across the region local emergency managers and utility companies developing information for people in the pre-eruption phase so they have a good expectation of what a Mount Spurr eruption will look like,” he said the state is mainly asking that people remain informed “Understand that we may see an eighth of an inch to a quarter-inch of ash “It all depends on the eruption and the wind speed so there's a lot of things that where that ash is going to fall The most important step to protect yourself from ashfall is wearing a mask when going outdoors “N95 masks are kind of the preferred mask that people would want to use any type of face covering that prevents ash from entering your lungs is better than no covering at all,” he said “So if it's a surgical mask or an old COVID cloth mask Zidek also recommended avoiding tracking ashfall back inside Pets should have only limited excursions outdoors during ashfall and any ash that falls on them should be cleaned from their coats similar to spring allergens or dust from the sanding of roads Some longtime Alaskans have already experienced ashfall events during previous eruptions of Spurr and Mount Redoubt it's not something that we haven't dealt with before from volcanoes and from other air quality events,” Zidek said “We just need to be aware of it and take some basic steps to protect ourselves.” George Conway said people should reduce the time they spend outdoors in the event of an eruption especially if they have respiratory issues Minerals from the volcano known as silicates get suspended in air by an eruption and they’re sharp and can cause inflammation of the lungs “People that already have respiratory illnesses might be exacerbated but they're both quite harmful if they're inhaled repeatedly or deeply and they can contribute to both acute illness and chronic diseases,” Conway said Conway said there’s also a potential dual harm if Spurr’s eruption coincides with wildfires as smoke from the latter could make air quality even worse Conway suggested people keep a cache of food water and any necessary medication at their homes and shelter in place as much as possible as well as some kind of protective eyewear Cars are at particular risk from volcanic ash which is abrasive and can damage windshields if it’s brushed away try to pour washer fluid over the ash from the windshield and people should try to minimize driving during or after ashfall cars should be stored in a garage or covered when not in use “We recommend that if people do need to drive in ashy areas that they change their air filters or clean their air filters regularly and change their oil more often,” he said Ash is known to shut down jet engines and cause severe damage to plane exteriors a 747 flew through ash from another nearby volcano forcing an emergency landing in Anchorage with 231 passengers aboard Both cargo and passenger flights would be impacted by an eruption Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport spokesperson Lex Yelverton said “(The) severity would depend on magnitude of the event and wind,” Yelverton said “All airlines have their own internal operating practices so for more details I would encourage them to ask airlines directly.” Officials with the Anchorage airport said they are working in collaboration with the Fairbanks International Airport to prepare for an eruption That includes ensuring the airport has extra filters on hand figuring out plans for ash removal and “reaching out to our partners both on- and off-airport to determine transportation and lodging accommodations for any potentially stranded passengers,” Yelverton said Anchorage Disaster Recovery Coordinator Kari Wiederkehr said if ashfall hits the city it would likely coincide with street sweeping season it’s better if it’s wet so it doesn’t kick up a lot of dust,” she said A lot of the city’s response will be based on how much ash is blown into Anchorage There should be ways for residents to see the eruption from a safe distance on a clear day at Anchorage's Point Woronzof it will be almost like a sandstorm with dark ash,” he said onlookers can be in for a different visual spectacle “It can produce a large amount of lightning,” he said It's due to charges getting set up by the ash particles scraping up next to each other.” They’re keeping a close eye on the volcano “We have a local seismic network of 11 stations that bring data back in real time and we are watching it like a hawk,” Haney said and we're looking for particular signs that will be the next step in the progression towards an eruption there will be a minimum of two scientists monitoring Spurr around-the-clock 2025People march during a rally against President Donald Trump on Saturday in Anchorage as part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" protest (Loren Holmes / ADN) A sprawling crowd of protesters extending over multiple city blocks marched through downtown Anchorage on Saturday many carrying signs and rallying against actions taken by President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk to reshape the federal government The protesters in Anchorage gathered at Town Square Park shortly before noon and marched five blocks to the offices of Alaska’s congressional delegation Passing vehicles honked enthusiastically as sign-waving crowds filled both sides of L Street outside the offices of U.S Demonstrators were pushing back on the Trump administration for a variety of reasons, including the president’s sweeping tariffs cuts to the federal workforce and slashed federal grant funding with impacts continuing to ripple through the state Some attendees said it was the biggest protest they’d ever seen in the city based on a photo overlooking the crowd and his prior experience as a biologist counting seabird colony populations indicates at least 3,500 people took part in the rally People were still arriving from Town Square at 1 p.m as some of the first demonstrators to arrive began to leave the area Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add information about other demonstrations across the state and descriptions of the crowd [Alaska Department of Health eliminates 30 positions, dissolves a public health program after federal funding cuts] [Alaska’s US senators split on Canada tariffs with Murkowski opposed, Sullivan in support] [Alaska elections chief ‘reviewing’ Trump order that clashes with state voting deadlines] Loren Holmes is a staff photojournalist at the Anchorage Daily News. Contact him at loren@adn.com. Opens in new windowOpens in new windowADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTMost read by subscribers1 Lisa Murkowski told a room full of Alaska nonprofit leaders that the tumult of tariffs and cuts to federal services under the Trump administration are exceptionally concerning But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice spoke at The Foraker Group’s leadership summit Monday about responding to fear and anxiety in the wake of recent federal workforce and spending cuts and other policies of the Trump administration The Republican senior senator appeared for a 45-minute discussion with Laurie Wolf, president and CEO of The Foraker Group, during its annual leadership summit — the state’s largest gathering of nonprofit and tribal leaders — at a conference center in downtown Anchorage Most dealt with the extreme uncertainty felt by many working in the public sector nonprofit services and social safety net programs since the start of the second Trump administration in January “It seems that just when you’ve made a little bit of progress on one issue that had caused so much anxiety Murkowski was exceptionally candid criticizing aspects of the Trump administration’s approach to implementing policy measures and service cuts some of which she described as “unlawful.” She recounted a frenetic cycle of activity in her office among herself and staff chasing rumors about programming changes to find out if they are true looking for ways to blunt the harm they might do to constituents in Alaska “It is as hard as anything I have been engaged in in the 20-plus years I’ve been in the Senate,” Murkowski said Murkowski said that amid recent rumors that AmeriCorps would be terminated, she’d texted Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to try to register her concerns, but wasn’t clear how effective that kind of access to the White House might ultimately prove. “I share this with you not to say that ‘we don’t know anything,’ but I’m saying that things are happening so fast through this Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE … none of us understand the half of it,” Murkowski said. “It’s literally piecing it together.” Murkowski was interrupted multiple times by applause from the audience. It happened once after she called sweeping cuts to Medicaid in the emerging House budget bill potentially “devastating,” and called health care reductions that would hurt Alaskans a “nonstarter for me.” “There is a growing number of Republicans, which needs to happen, who are saying ‘Medicaid is off the table,‘” Murkowski said. She said she expects there to be discussions of added work requirements for Medicaid recipients in the future, and that she is open to program reforms so long as they do not negatively impact Alaskans. “I’m not saying you can’t touch Medicaid at all,” Murkowski said. “What I hope we’re moving away from is an $880 billion cut to Medicaid. Because if that happens, this is going to be a very, very different state.” “It’s called the checks and balances. And right, now we are not balancing as the Congress,” Murkowski said. She expressed alarm at how the judiciary was increasingly being treated as a partisan entity, saying it was putting America in “a very dangerous place, because you stop believing in the rule of law.” And she called on Alaskans to “be affirmative” in protesting on behalf of programs they want to remain in place so that elected leaders are kept aware of where support and frustration exist among constituents. “I think it’s important the concerns continue to be raised rather than letting the fatigue of the chaos grind you down,” Murkowski said. Among the impacts of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in the last week, Murkowski said she’d heard a lot of worry from constituents about the prices of home goods and the unintended consequences that rising heavy equipment costs could have on the mining sector. But the spiraling, escalatory tariffs with China — now well over 100% on both sides — could devastate Alaska’s commercial fishing sector, she said. “The seafood side. Those on the industry side are more than a little bit anxious. We send a lot of product to China. We get a lot of it back from China. This is something that’s going to be very significant to us,” Murkowski said. Likewise, Murkowski said that potential further cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — above personnel terminations that already took place — could jeopardize fisheries managers’ abilities to make informed decisions about sustainable harvest targets. Murkowski has several other public appearances and engagements this week across the state. On Tuesday, she’ll address attendees at ComFish Alaska in Kodiak, a commercial fisheries trade show. On Friday, she’ll be speaking in Nome as part of the city’s Arctic Investment Summit. Have a question about Anchorage or Alaska history or an idea for a future article Go to the form at the bottom of this story He was like any other soldier serving in the Aleutians during World War II And he was a member of the Communist Party this is a story all about how hard-boiled crime writer Dashiell Hammett’s life got flipped turned from glitzy Hollywood to the gray shores of Adak the “dean of the so-called ‘hard-boiled’ school of detective fiction,” as described in his New York Times obituary he enlisted in the first world war and spent a formative stint with the notorious Pinkerton National Detective Agency prompted by health issues and a general unease with their often vicious methods a foundation for his new career writing mysteries but his career took off with his first novel “Red Harvest.” It was serialized in a crime fiction magazine from 1927 to 1928 then published as a standalone text in 1929 “The Maltese Falcon” (1930) and “The Thin Man” (1934) His take on reality was unceasing shades of gray maladjusted protagonists hurtling themselves through life with all the art of a ball thrown while blindfolded and spinning in place Hammett himself said of his lead characters “I see in him a little man going forward day after day through mud and blood and death and deceit — as callous and brutal and cynical as necessary — towards a dim goal with nothing to push or pull him towards it except he’s been hired to reach it.” and “The Thin Man” became the basis for six films The 1941 film adaptation of “The Maltese Falcon” starring Humphrey Bogart is a classic of studio system-era cinema and a noir standard he was the rare writer featured in movie advertisements there were no fewer than 12 movies based on his works a celebrity familiar to people who hadn’t even consumed any of his works was determined to once again serve in the Army as proven when he pressed through three abrupt denials the Army had little use for a gaunt 47-year-old author no matter his familiarity with the cold-rolled steel of a typewriter he was nearly 6-foot-2 and a meager 140 pounds topped with a shock of admittedly thick white hair Hammett also suffered from active tuberculosis Several severely rotten teeth were the excuse for rejection number three he had the objectionable remnants of teeth removed and successfully enlisted in September 1942 back where I started twenty-four months ago— a private in the United States Army.” Still “So far my middle-aged bones are holding up pretty fair under the strain of romping around on the drill field with a lot of kiddies and I feel fine — have even put on some weight.” And by that following January the esteemed man of letters severely underestimated his perceived utility to the Army He previously spoke of war in terms of excitement and brotherhood “I am big strong man who throw out the chest and laughs at war ‘ha ha!’” But the Army put him to work editing training manuals Enlistees of his age were not sent into combat zones he was reassigned from New Jersey to Fort Lawton at Seattle a staging ground for deployments to the Pacific Theater “Most of the men I came west with have been shipped “The Maltese Falcon” also reached Anchorage that month nearly two years after its original release it played at the Empress Theatre on Fourth Avenue and he was immediately struck by its unique beauty “Alaska is one of the few places that looks just like Alaska,” he pithily declared to Hellman the windswept island in the Aleutian chain and he arrived right as the front moved elsewhere Japanese forces occupied Attu and Kiska in June 1942 A joint American and Canadian operation liberated Attu in May 1943 The Japanese military abandoned Kiska in July and the island was formally retaken on Aug Hammett thus assumed his posting in Alaska would be brief “The new address at the top of this letter is the fourteenth I have had in less than eleven months in the Army and I don’t see any reason for thinking I’ll keep it much longer than I did any of the others.” On Aug “Now that the Japanese are gone from Kiska guesses and hopes about what will be done by or to the Alaska Defense Command but of course none of us really knows anything.” Instead of departing for more illustrious he spent the remainder of the war in Alaska For while Hammett viewed his part in the war as a kind of noble adventure considered a subversive by many powers that be he was among a group of 38 American authors — including John Steinbeck and Eugene O’Neill — who petitioned President Franklin Roosevelt to embargo Nazi Germany But he was also severely critical of capitalism a perspective reflected in his sour depictions of society He despised the Soviet Union and frequently disparaged the Communist Party itself evidence suggests the Army parked many of its more problematic soldiers in the Aleutians out of sight and far from anywhere of wartime consequence there was “an unusual concentration of suspected subversives” stationed in the islands “When I left where we did the basic training they put us on a ship and started us to a place called Amchitka Alaska,” which he described as “God’s forsaken island in the middle of nowhere where trees don’t grow!” He added never got a chance to got to France or Japan or any of these interesting places Soldiers and sailors stationed in the Aleutians widely despised the experience since it combines constant dampness with constant wind and a constant cloud cover which means that what would call for gale warnings elsewhere is just another day in the Aleutians Add to this a cold dampness and the continual overcast of low gray clouds for about 360 days a year and you have one of the most depressing places in the world Navy Petty Officer Walter Stohler spent most of the war in the Aleutians that was a pretty lonely existence up there Some people kind of went a little nutty up there which is straight alcohol and got pretty sick and they was nutty.” [Torpedo juice: The legendary, illegal WWII liquor drunk in Alaska and around the world] “Don’t worry about me going ‘Aleutwacky.’ I can last for the duration and at that time I hope to turn my job over to some civilian service sucker.” From another letter “I know fellows who would enjoy getting shot just for a chance of getting home you can realize what the Aleutians are like.” What Stohler termed “nutty” and Beaton “Aleutwacky,” Spitzer called the Aleutian Stare that produced in soldiers what was called the Aleutian Stare In the early days our company took its meals in the mess of a National Guard Company that had been there a year having arrived with the American invasion on the heels of the Japanese pull-out I thought I had run into a collection of zombies The guardsmen stared into their plates unseeingly and pushed food into their mouths mechanically and marched out dully into the howling snow.” Hammett likewise described his Quonset hut bunk in less than glowing terms filling our hut with fumes of the diesel oil we burn is blowing up through the cracks between the floor and walls in my corner of the hut but it does chill my fingers and the Coca-Cola I keep under my bunk showing there’s some good and some bad in everything.” In another letter You don’t know that’s news.” All of them on Adak were “penned up on an island where they can’t get away from us without swimming in some of the coldest water known to whales.” the aging mystery scribe was the exception or at least was more willing to engage with the positives We scouted the tundra with one eye alert for a theoretical enemy (After all one can flatten oneself just as expertly in a berry patch as elsewhere; and eating doesn’t interfere with one’s alertness—nobody expects to taste the enemy.)” And he had his own take on the Aleutian Stare While others watched their feet and shuffled as in a daze he enjoyed the vistas and walks on the tundra He exhorted one companion to look up and see Mount Moffett “clean and lovely against the sky.” In a 1943 letter to Hellman “One of the things wrong with this Army is that everybody thinks he had a better time in civilian life than he actually did have.” However briefly he even considered living in the Aleutians once all the fighting was tied up He also possessed enough money that he often didn’t worry about cashing in his wages so I won’t have to be going around with only $837.76 in my pockets,” roughly $15,400 in 2025 money having nothing else to do.) Money is a problem here: what to do with it Such gambling as I do usually leaves me a little ahead and you’d get bowlegged carrying back from the PX more than a couple of dollars’ worth of goods.” the complete lack of expectations and his relatively protected status as a famous enlistee contributed to the ambience even less was asked of the celebrated author or to reread all the classics he packed or had shipped up sending more to his daughter Jo than he had before the war His first true assignment was to co-write a history on the retaking of Attu and Kiska the 24-page booklet “Battle of the Aleutians,” rife with illustrations and maps likely didn’t require much effort on his part he successfully petitioned the island commander enlisted men did not respect him; only the brass did.” Hammett’s first name was Samuel the first issue of the Adakian was published on Jan notably including two Black soldiers before the Army integrated “Most of my tentative staff are youngsters who haven’t been up here very long who are fascinated by a chance to work with the old master on something like this respond immediately to any pointless tale.” The newspaper lasted through 1946 well after Hammett had departed the island [From 2015: Deadline Adak: Dashing Dashiell Hammett’s Adak newspaper for the troops] Hammett occasionally penned editorials for the paper meant for the local troops on matters and events of that precise and limited audience His editorial note for the first issue noted If we ever forget it — lower the boom on us.” The May 27 Although they could have spelled his name correctly in the headline he assisted three staff cartoonists — Bernard Anastasia Miller — to collect their best work for the Adakian into a book Hammett obtained the necessary permissions and wrote the introduction “Wind Blown and Dripping,” is a sarcastic masterpiece defeated mood of the average serviceman stationed in the Aleutians it is packed with complaints about the weather When other celebrities visited the Aleutians such as Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland it took nearly a year for most of the Alaska public to learn the famous author was stationed in the north “Famed writer is local G.I.” They additionally noted he “looks Hammett began visiting the other bases around Alaska This included significant time in Anchorage If the Alaskan media were slow to realize Hammett was among them the FBI inquired about the known “Communist Party sympathizer” enlisting in the Army replied that Hammett was still a private citizen as far as they knew did not return to the matter until April 1944 when they investigated Hammett and left him under “casual surveillance.” His first Anchorage experience was like a shock so accustomed was he to the sparseness of the Aleutians after a year and more out on the tip of the world it is a completely satisfactory metropolis “I’ve been too long away from the part of the Army that keeps its shoes shined and its hair cut and wears a necktie and makes neat beds .. I’ll get back into those tidy habits if the war and I last long enough but meanwhile they irk my free and soggy Aleutian soul.” There were train rides to Denali and parties though he quickly gifted it to the Black manager This was likely Corrine Benny Green’s Black & Tan Club on Fifth Avenue Far more effort was expended researching Alaska aviation history travelling through Canada on his way to Fort Dix in New Jersey “The weather is hot as hell after two years in Alaska I suppose — or go back to my north country.” It had been over a decade since his last novel his desire to dive back into those worlds long since diminished were peaceful if not creatively productive He lived on a farm and dabbled in teaching His Hollywood relationships had long since evaporated but there were three separate radio adaptations of his works on the air he co-founded a bail fund for political activists was used to free 11 men appealing a conviction for “criminal conspiracy to teach and advocate the overthrow of the United States government by force and violence.” Hammett was called to testify in 1951 as a trustee of the fund but he refused to name any of the contributors He was found guilty of contempt and sentenced to six months in prison where he was assigned toilet-cleaning duties The House Un-American Activities Committee subsequently investigated him but he was summarily blacklisted everywhere that mattered radio shows were canceled and books went out of print The final indignity was a lung cancer diagnosis in late 1960 While Hammett is not the household name he was in the 1930s and 40s street-level dialogue were pioneering hallmarks of his novels and short stories Now they’re features of shows on Disney Plus His flawed creations influenced and continue to influence fictional character designs “If you were to go merely by the quantity (rather than the quality) of his imitators you could argue that Dashiell Hammett was a more important writer than James Joyce.” And for all that his story is yet incomplete unless it includes a relatively brief sojourn in Alaska Wind Blown and Dripping: A Book of Aleutian Cartoons Dies: Created Hard-Boiled Detectives.” New York Times “Famed Writer is Local G.I.” Anchorage Daily Times Selected Letters of Dashiell Hammett 1921-1960 Stade, George. “Dashiell Hammett.” New York Times, October 16, 1983, https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/16/books/dashiell-hammett.html Stohler, Walter. Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Oral History Project. By Joshua Bell. January 9, 2014, National Park Service. Symons, Julian. Dashiell Hammett. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985. Opens in new windowADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTMost read by subscribers1 Summer is coming and I’m arguing with my boyfriend about how to spend it This will be our first summer together and we both agree that summer in Alaska is the best The late sunshine and long days are so wonderful and we do our best to stay put and not travel out of state between Memorial Day and Labor Day My guy’s an Alaska man through and through and he loves rustic outdoorsy activities I bet he’d say he likes nothing more than a beer by the campfire when his whole body is sore at the end of a long hard day of bushwhacking or hunting or fishing My ideal Alaska summer is probably more about farmers markets I love bike rides and walking on the Coastal Trail and visiting cute little towns that open up during the summer months I also like having a warm shower and bed at the end of the day He’s pressuring me to join him for some real-deal camping trips and I just don’t want to go There’s nothing enjoyable to me about being isolated Meanwhile I’m begging him to give up some of these rustic adventures to spend some weekends with me and his pushback is we have so few summer weekends that it’s unfair of me to ask Congrats: Your yearling relationship survived its inaugural cheechako winter and now approaches its first season of the midnight sun and the fact that you two agree on that is a great starting point to brainstorm and compromise so you can create unique weekend experiences that bring you both joy Because you are going to have to compromise here you will be spending the summer alone — or at least I think you should expect that there will be many weekends where you’re whooping it up at Salmonfest before crashing at an Airbnb while he’s hiking through the wilderness before making camp at midnight And that’s fine; spending some time apart is healthy in a relationship and it’s expected and normal that you have different hobbies But it’s also expected and normal that during a glorious Alaska summer a couple shares some unforgettable experiences So what can you do where you’ll both be happy You need a jumping-off spot — like a rustic rental in Talkeetna or a cozy cabin in Homer — where he can take off during the day for outdoor adventure and epic hiking and the two of you can come together at night for food and fun You each won’t have everything you want but you’ll also each have a lot of what you want — and you’ll have each other Midnight sun maniacs like us can suffer serious FOMO and anxiety if we waste an hour doing outdoor chores and grilling after work feels special because AK summer is magical and fleeting That all is adding to the stress building between you two as you attempt to navigate your first summer together I’m assuming that everything else is great and you both want this to work So there’s a level of compromise you can both make for peace and happiness But there’s also facing reality: You aren’t packrafting down glacier-fed rivers to then shiver by a bonfire and then shivering in a tent in the middle of nowhere and he isn’t wandering around a farmers market for hours making small talk with every gardener and artisan while sipping a rhubarb lemonade Forcing compromise on these extremes will just create more tension You both had friends who share your summer passions prior to hooking up So keep doing those favorite things with them while your partner does their things with their friends instead of dragging one another along The real compromise is agreeing to create a balance and appreciating the importance of reserving some weekday nights and weekends for quality time together This will take communication and planning to discover and explore new things that you can bond over while experiencing together Don’t try tamed-down or shortened versions of your favorite pastimes that will just make the other miserable; go with things that are completely new or foreign that you can make your own or say that was fun but once was enough It’s Alaska — if you can’t find a bunch of different or fun things to do [Wayne & Wanda: My husband inherited a family cabin, but it’s too rustic for me and increasingly costly] [Wayne & Wanda: He’s a night owl. I’m an early riser. Will moving in together break our relationship?] [Wayne and Wanda: Keeping the relationship afloat in the wake of a boat purchase] [Wayne and Wanda: Her ex remains part of their dog’s life, and I feel weird about it] Wanda is a wise person who has loved, lost and been to therapy. Wayne is a wise guy who has no use for therapy. Send them your questions and thoughts at wanda@adn.com. If this new repeal measure qualifies for the 2026 ballot RCV has given Alaskans a better way to express their preferences and it has fostered a less-toxic political climate But that doesn’t mean RCV can’t be improved Let’s start with the obvious: Alaska’s general election ballot has gotten messier voters are asked to rank four candidates for each office — the four top vote-getters from the all-party “jungle” primary But very few voters actually rank all four candidates in any given race A study by the Alaska Division of Elections found that only about 10% of voters did so in the 2022 general election race for U.S And that handful of fourth-place rankings has never changed the outcome in an election in our state Winners were determined before fourth-place rankings were even counted That fourth name on the ballot is a distracting waste of space But a significant number of voters — about 30% in the 2022 U.S That means there is meaningful citizen interest in having three names on the ballot for each race While some have suggested cutting the number to two Three names on the ballot is the sweet spot fixing RCV in Alaska is simple: reduce the number of candidates to be ranked from four to three and less intimidating for the average voter Proposed legislation in Juneau would do exactly that. Sponsored by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Bill 179 would cut the number of candidates to three on the general election ballot Has RCV made a difference in the Legislature’s makeup Independents were relatively scarce in our 60-seat Legislature and voters a way to support them without “wasting” their votes In the last two elections before RCV kicked in RCV may be nudging Alaska politics toward less confrontation and more cooperation through bipartisan coalitions Before 2022 — the first RCV election — there hadn’t been a bipartisan Senate coalition since 2012 We’ve had bipartisan Senate coalitions after both the 2022 and 2024 elections Today’s coalition features nine Democrats and five Republicans working across the aisle to address real issues instead of scoring partisan points It’s what happens when candidates are rewarded for appealing to a broad electorate rather than a narrow party base So let’s not throw RCV out because it isn’t perfect Contact your legislators and urge them to support Senate Bill 179 to trim the candidate count from four to three Simplify the ballot but keep ranked choice voting And if the repeal proposal makes next year‘s ballot Stan Jones is a longtime Alaska journalist with deep experience of this prior discrimination In a recent interview with Ezra Klein of The New York Times historian Steven Hahn laid out an uncomfortable truth: exclusion and expulsion have always been part of America’s political dynamic From the dispossession of Native Americans and attempted extermination of Indigenous cultures our country has repeatedly turned to illiberalism — defining who belongs we look back on them now with shame and remorse This is personal for me because I’ve felt this heartache before current events may remind us most intimately of Indigenous boarding schools and Japanese-American internment My late grandmother was Japanese and Lingít Alaska Native Over my lifetime I’ve heard from people in her generation about the boarding schools they attended her Japanese husband and their young children were forced by our country’s government to leave Alaska and live for several years in internment camps out of state — Alaskans treated as a threat because of their heritage difficult movement to demand acknowledgment and reparations that work culminated in Congress formally apologizing and providing compensation to surviving detainees refugees and foreign-born neighbors is wrong now bravery and determination that drives people to seek a better life in the U.S I’ve seen families willing to risk everything for a chance at finding safety dignity and an opportunity to work hard for their children’s future What kind of nation turns its back on that kind of courage I am ashamed that our country is giving places like this and the governments that run them our endorsement I’ve spoken with leaders across Alaska — in business and community life — and I hear it in their voices The sense that the ground is shifting under our feet on immigration and on so many other things We’ve inherited a country shaped in part by exclusion But we also live in a country shaped by tolerance civic-mindedness and resilience — by people who We’re still here because they didn’t give up What gives me strength in these moments is thinking of my ancestors and how they persevered I’m drawing on their strength to continue to show up as a citizen in an internment camp far from Alaska with little kids to care for But we can learn from it and the people who lived through those injustices lives in Anchorage and is committed to civic engagement and building a better future for Alaska and beyond Wisconsin scored a goal in the first period and added three more goals in the second period to take the home win at the Eagle River Sports Arena Wisconsin’s Beau Altman made 22 saves to earn the shutout win while Anchorage’s Michael Manzi made 17 saves on 21 Wisconsin shots Game 4 in the best-of-five series is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m 2025By Anchorage Daily News Published: 1 day agoHigh SchoolSoccerGirls The Wisconsin Windigo have the upper hand in the series against the Anchorage Wolverines Wisconsin leads the series 2-1 and could clinch the series in the next game The Windigo increased the lead to 2-0 early in the second period when Logan Nickolaus found the back of the net Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music Acclaimed humorist and bestselling author David Sedaris will grace the stage of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (APAC) in Anchorage on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 7:30 PM. Known for his sharp wit and keen observations on everyday life, Sedaris promises an evening filled with laughter and poignant storytelling. Sedaris, whose works like Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim have captivated readers worldwide, will share excerpts from his latest writings, offering insights into his unique perspective on the human experience. His live readings are renowned for their blend of humor and depth, making this event a must-see for fans and newcomers alike. Acclaimed humorist and bestselling author David Sedaris will grace the stage of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (APAC) in Anchorage this month. Pulse Dance Company celebrates 15 years as a driving force in Anchorage’s performing arts scene with a spectacular season finale concert showcasing Anchorage artists and dance makers! Alaska Junior Theater has announced the final show of its “Bold, Bright & Breathtaking” 2024-2025 Season, The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen, a visually stunning production by the beloved Lightwire Theater Alaska Junior Theater has announced the final show of its “Bold, Bright & Breathtaking” 2024-2025 Season, The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen. function closestickysocial(){document.getElementById("foxsocial").style.display="none";}@media(max-width:1024px){.most-popular,.video-row{display:block;margin-top:25px}}Videos and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy Anchorage Capital Advisors L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (NYSE:AMBP - Free Report) in the fourth quarter according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC The firm purchased 1,937,000 shares of the company's stock Ardagh Metal Packaging makes up 3.9% of Anchorage Capital Advisors L.P.'s investment portfolio owned approximately 0.32% of Ardagh Metal Packaging at the end of the most recent reporting period has a one year low of $2.50 and a one year high of $4.26 The firm has a 50-day moving average of $2.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.13 The firm has a market capitalization of $2.18 billion Ardagh Metal Packaging (NYSE:AMBP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday The company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.01 The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter equities research analysts anticipate that Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A will post 0.16 earnings per share for the current year Ardagh Metal Packaging Dividend AnnouncementThe business also recently declared a quarterly dividend This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.96% Ardagh Metal Packaging's dividend payout ratio is currently -1,000.00% Wall Street Analysts Forecast GrowthA number of equities analysts have commented on AMBP shares UBS Group decreased their target price on Ardagh Metal Packaging from $4.25 to $2.75 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $3.35 target price (down previously from $3.60) on shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging in a research report on Thursday Morgan Stanley upgraded Ardagh Metal Packaging from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $3.60 to $3.10 in a research report on Monday Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging from $4.50 to $4.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating three have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $3.44 Enter your email to learn what streetwise investors need to know about the metaverse and public markets before making an investment The page you've requested either does not exist or is currently unavailable Back to the homepage West Anchorage and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé players react to the Eagles’ game-winning goal by senior Hattie Luckasson (5) during the Crimson Bears’ 2-1 loss to the Eagles on Saturday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park The Wisconsin Windigo lead the series against the Anchorage Wolverines The Windigo scored two goals in second period an held the lead 3-2 going in to the second break The teams play each other three more times with the next games on May 6th and May 4th The teams meet again for Game 2 on Saturday Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior defender Reed Maier (19) marks an attack by West Anchorage senior Noah Robinson during the Crimson Bears’ 1-1 tie with the Eagles on Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Hundreds gathered in the rain at Anchorage’s Delaney Park Strip as part of a national rally for May Day on Thursday night The main theme of the event was to support workers but many took the opportunity to criticize the Trump administration Retired high school teacher Brad Fleener said he’d never been to a political rally before but he was concerned that members of Congress weren’t standing up to the president He said he voted for Republicans in the past but stood with a sign that read “Eggs are expensive because all the chickens are in Congress.” Senator Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich’s faces were also on the poster “It’s going to be a political nightmare for a number of states that really depend on Medicaid,” Fleener said “And these two gentlemen have voted not to support it Anne Jensen works with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska She said she came to the rally because she’s concerned about how federal cuts to agencies will impact weather forecasting and aviation safety She worries that those programs will be privatized “The more we understand that we’ve already paid for a lot of those services that Trump’s trying to privatize we’ll have to pay for it again and more,” Jensen said “And his buddies are all gonna profit from it.” Similar rallies were held across the state from road system communities like Soldotna and Fairbanks to more rural areas like Petersburg NOTE: First time signing on? Please register your purchase Here.** This registration is only required on your first login We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription Your current subscription does not provide access to this content Please use the button below to manage your account speaks on Thursday at an event an Anchorage event hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Alaska World Affairs Council held at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts was part of UAA’s community lecture series as she enters the Alaska House of Representatives before her annual address to the Alaska Legislature Dressing room backstage prior to the UAA College of Arts and Sciences lecture series event "A Conversation with Liz Cheney" at Anchorage's Atwood Concert Hall speaking at an Anchorage event on Thursday had harsh words for much of her Republican Party but praise for a rare GOP member who is willing to criticize President Donald Trump: Alaska’s senior U.S “I can’t be here in Alaska and not mention the incredible courage of Sen Lisa Murkowski,” Cheney said near the start of her event held at a packed theater in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts There are very few Republicans who will be consistently counted on to do the right thing And she’s one of a very small group,” Cheney said House member from Wyoming — and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney — spoke at a lecture hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska World Affairs Council She took questions from veteran journalist Elizabeth Arnold Cheney voted to impeach Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and opposed him in other ways who was reelected in 2022 over a Trump-backed challenger Cheney lost her seat in the GOP primary to a Trump loyalist who now represents Wyoming’s single House district That was after Cheney co-chaired the congressional committee that investigated the Jan and after she had been stripped of her GOP leadership role by fellow House Republicans because of her opposition to Trump’s actions including those who attacked police officers — and that Republicans in office have gone along with those pardons saying that they are the party that supports law enforcement please go back and look at the videos of Jan Remind those Republicans that Trump watched the events unfold on television for three hours without trying to stop the riot “He watched police officers get brutally beaten by people who were carrying his flag; they were doing it in his name … And then he pardoned all of those people,” she said The Republican Party as a whole — with a few exceptions like Murkowski — has betrayed its convictions and even the U.S Constitution to become “a personality cult” loyal only to Trump Today’s GOP is “something we haven’t seen in this country before,” she said “The party has walked away from the Constitution,” said the former House member who noted that she grew up as a Republican and cast her first vote for President Ronald Reagan Cheney spent much of her speech calling out House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders of Congress who she said have enabled Trump’s attacks on the rule of law and other bad actions “The problem with Mike is that he’s fundamentally dishonest,” she said And they have enabled rank incompetence and corruption in the Trump administration the most serious of which is Trump’s attack on the rule of law Voters should take action to counter the cult-like devotion that has given Trump and his administration ”carte blanche,” Cheney said “That’s why it’s crucially important that in 2026 the Republicans lose the majority in the House and the Senate,” she said She also called on the audience and public at large to continue protesting Trump administration actions contacting members of Congress and state legislators and even consider running for office to replace bad officials It was a message embraced by the event audience Many of those attending Cheney’s address had walked over to the theater after attending a May Day anti-Trump protest held a few blocks away on downtown Anchorage’s Park Strip the audience erupted in applause and cheers Cheney herself has continued to be politically active since losing her House seat She started a political action committee and has been supporting candidates she believes will counter the Trump movement — most notably who wound up losing the 2024 presidential election titled “Oath and Honor,” that details the confrontations she had with fellow congressional Republicans over the efforts to overthrow the 2020 election results She has also been teaching at the University of Virginia and traveling the country to speak at events like that held Thursday in Anchorage Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Thanks for visiting 2025Hundreds of people gathered on the Delaney Park Strip near downtown Anchorage during a May Day rally on Thursday (Bill Roth / ADN) More than 500 people descended on Anchorage’s Delaney Park Strip on Thursday bringing together supporters of more than a half-dozen organizing groups focusing on workers’ rights and health care The gathering was one of more than a dozen protests and rallies around the state and hundreds more nationally and internationally covering a wide swath of topics including support for Ukraine and the Trump administration’s recent controversial policies regarding deportation and changes to the military May Day has evolved into a holiday celebrating labor and is also International Workers’ Day said the rally was important as a support system as well as to communicate to elected officials many Alaskans’ dissatisfaction with how workers have been treated my heart is thinking about federal workers who have lost their right for collective bargaining,” she said These are our neighbors who have lost their jobs (A federal judge last week temporarily blocked the executive order aiming to end collective bargaining for many federal workers.) a retired teacher who came to Alaska working as a park ranger held a sign that read “Fund Science Not Billionaires.” She said the sign referred to recent actions from President Donald Trump’s administration that halted research and eroded food and drug safety She said maintaining a strong federal workforce was important to her “That’s how I came to Alaska in 1985 and I’ve been here ever since,” she said my family has worked for the Park Service 75 years or more It’s a robust organization and when people travel Other organizing groups for the rally included NEA-Alaska [Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR] Education was major point of emphasis for people at the rally with attendees raising signs advocating for increasing the Base Student Allocation and supporting educators NEA-Alaska President Tom Klaameyer spoke to the crowd focusing on how to turn their collective dissatisfaction into action they rally and sometimes that can be kind of an echo chamber,” he said “Unless you take that movement beyond your own personal feelings and thoughts and emotions and you do something about it — we can come here every day and talk to ourselves Suzan Mullane wore a shirt that said “Educate Don’t Capitulate Hands off Harvard.” Last week, the university sued the Trump administration for threatening to freeze more than $2 billion in grants. Mullane said she was at the rally to show support for continued funding of preschool and to protect higher education. While rally speakers focused on labor, education and health care, there were a number of other focuses from attendees in the crowd. Eagle River’s Richard Rearick said that range of protests shows how broadly actions by the Trump administration have impacted Alaskans. “Everybody has been affected one way or another, but really, we’re all affected in totality, by what he’s doing,” Rearick said. “And I think that we need to come together and show our presence, show our objection to what he’s doing.” Trysten Walker, who held a sign supporting transgender rights, also had concerns about potential misconceptions about autism by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “They’re creating a perception that will vilify people that don’t really deserve it,“ Walker said. Robert G. Lopez, a 40-year Anchorage resident, was rallying against cuts made by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, creating uncertainty for services like the Meals on Wheels program. “They’re taking food out of the elderly’s mouth and taking money from the disadvantaged people,” he said. “What happened to (the principle) of Christianity? Jesus would help the poor, feed the starving.” Chris Bieri is the sports and entertainment editor at the Anchorage Daily News. Opens in new windowOpens in new windowADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTMost read by subscribers1 Here’s how you can helpBy Anchorage Daily News Published: May 1 while they pick up trash during the Spring Ship Creek Cleanup in May 2023 (Emily Mesner / ADN archive) After a relatively gentle spring breakup parks and waterways are once again littered with a winter’s worth of trash The biggest effort, the Anchorage Chamber’s annual Citywide Cleanup begins this Saturday and runs through May 31 including a lake cleanup flotilla and an electronics recycling drive The Citywide Cleanup’s signature orange trash bags are available at various locations starting Saturday the Alaska Aviation Museum near the airport and at Kaladi Brothers locations on Jewel Lake Road You can use the orange bags to pick up trash throughout Anchorage during the month of May but the Chamber suggests starting around your neighborhood or workplace The Chamber has a few other important tips for garbage-picker-uppers: and a high-visibility safety vest is recommended if you’re working anywhere near traffic • Bring along a sturdy plastic container to safely toss sharps like needles • Make sure to respect private property boundaries • Cleaning homeless encampments is not recommended • Don’t leave your orange bags along the road; no one is going to pick them up drop them off for free at the Anchorage Regional Landfill in Eagle River the Central Transfer Station in Midtown Anchorage or other designated spots A full list of bag pickup and free drop-off locations is available on the Anchorage Chamber’s Citywide Cleanup website • Jump in with the Anchorage Chamber’s Citywide Cleanup Kickoff event on May 3 at Westchester Lagoon from 1-3 p.m. • Check to see if your school is participating in the Anchorage School District’s Super Sweeper Saturday on May 10 from 10 a.m Coordinators and Alaska Waste have arranged a bag pickup at their respective schools • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s installation-wide Operation Clean Sweep is taking place from May 12-16 • The annual Ship Creek Spring Cleanup is May 17 Last year’s effort netted a whopping 1,500 pounds of garbage Volunteers are advised to dress in layers for cooler temperatures and bring rubber boots or waders • The Anchorage Waterways Council is organizing a broader creek cleanup from May 15-26 — sign up on their website, and check out the list of locations here • Old computers, TVs, fax machines or other defunct electronics junking up your space? On May 24, the Mountain View Lions Club is hosting an electronics recycling drive from 10 a.m Donations of $5-$15 for larger items are appreciated Are you organizing an additional Anchorage spring cleanup event not listed here Email us at newstips@adn.com and we’ll add it to the lineup