Tag Archives: Alaska

The Associated Press reports: Republican Nick Begich has won Alaska’s U.S. House race, defeating Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola to claim the seat once held by his grandfather. Begich was among the opponents Peltola defeated during her special and regular election wins in 2022, following the death of Republican Rep. Don Young. Wednesday marked the deadline for elections officials to receive …

From the Justice Department: An Alaska man was arrested yesterday in Anchorage for allegedly threatening to injure and kill six U.S. Supreme Court Justices and some of their family members. According to court documents, between March 10, 2023, and July 16, Panos Anastasiou, 76, sent over 465 messages to the Supreme Court through a public website the court maintained. “We …

Alaska Public Media reports: Joshua Kindred, who resigned as a U.S. District Court judge for Alaska last week, had an “inappropriately sexualized relationship” with one of his law clerks, engaged in “unwanted” sexual conduct and then lied about it to the chief judge, according to the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit. The findings are summarized in a 30-page order, …

USA Today reports: Climate change is taking a dramatic toll on glaciers in Alaska: Glacier melt in a major Alaskan icefield has accelerated and could reach an irreversible tipping point earlier than previously thought, a new scientific study released this week suggests. Alaska has some of our planet’s largest icefields, and their melting is a major contributor to sea-level rise. …

CNN reports: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, aghast at Donald Trump’s candidacy and the direction of her party, won’t rule out bolting from the GOP. The veteran Alaska Republican, one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, is done with the former president and said she “absolutely” would not vote for him. Asked if she would …

NBC News reports: Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Saturday she “could not” vote for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election should he win her party’s nomination again — but that also doesn’t mean she could cross party lines for President Joe Biden, either. “I could not” vote for Trump, Murkowski said in a phone call with NBC News …

The Hill reports: The State Department brushed off reports of Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering his government to look into the nation’s former “real estate” abroad, saying Alaska would be staying in American hands. Putin signed a new decree last week to allocate funds for the research and registration of Russian property overseas, including that in former territories of the …

Alaska Public Media reports: A former Ketchikan church leader was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 30 more suspended by a local judge last week, in a high-profile case of child sexual abuse. Earlier this year, 72-year-old Dwight “Chris” John was charged with 14 counts of first-degree, second-degree and third-degree sexual abuse of a minor, as well as three …

The Anchorage Daily News reports: U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola’s husband, Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., died early Wednesday morning after a plane crash in Alaska, according to a statement from her office. Mary Peltola is returning home to be with their family, according to the statement. The only aviation fatality in Alaska reported Wednesday involved a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub that …

Politico reports: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is endorsing Donald Trump, giving the former president the support of a governor whose state is expected to hold its nominating contest on the all-important “Super Tuesday” primary date. The former president has been aggressively courting the support of prospective endorsees; he recently spoke by phone with Dunleavy, whose state is expected to hold …

Via press release from the Alaska State Troopers: On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the Alaska State Troopers received a report of sexual abuse of a minor. Investigation revealed that Dwight Chris John, age 71 of Ketchikan, sexually assaulted a minor at different times, over a period of seven years. The sexual assaults occurred in Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island. …

Alaska Public Radio reports: Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s adviser on “pro-family” policies resigned Tuesday after revelations that he made incendiary and offensive statements on a podcast. A review of more than 100 hours of recordings by Alaska Public Media and APM Reports found that Jeremy Cubas defended Adolf Hitler’s views on “living homogeneously,” boasted that he uses a vile …

Anchorage’s NRP affiliate reports: An Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica investigation published last week revealed the attorney general directed the Alaska Commission for Human Rights to void equal protections for LGBTQ Alaskans in areas like housing and financing. On Wednesday, the state’s first-ever out, queer lawmakers sponsored a bill in the Alaska House to enshrine anti-discrimination protections in law. For …

Pro Publica reports: In June 2020, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that workplace discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity was illegal, Alaska quickly moved to follow suit. But a year later, the Human Rights Commission quietly reversed that position. It deleted language from the state website promising equal protections for transgender and gay Alaskans …

The Associated Press reports: An Alaska lawmaker with a history of incendiary remarks was censured by the state House Wednesday after he said it has been argued that cases of fatal child abuse can be a “cost savings” because the child won’t need related government services. The House voted 35-1 to censure Republican Rep. David Eastman of Wasilla, with Eastman …

The Anchorage Daily News reports: Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman sparked outrage online after asking whether there could be economic benefits from the death of abused children. “It can be argued, periodically, that it’s actually a cost savings because that child is not going to need any of those government services that they might otherwise be entitled to receive and …

The New York Times reports: The Pentagon downed an unidentified object over Alaska on Thursday night at the order of President Biden, according to a U.S. official. The U.S. official said it was not confirmed if the object was a balloon, but it was traveling at an altitude that made it a potential threat to civilian aircraft. Mr. Biden ordered …

The Fairbanks Daily News reports: A local youth pastor indicted Wednesday on one count of felony second-degree sexual abuse of a minor was arrested Friday after turning himself in to Alaska State Troopers. David Duffett, 45, is listed on the Bible Baptist Church of Fairbanks’ website as the youth director, bus ministries director and teacher of the Teen Church and …

From the Justice Department: Five members and associates of a white supremacist gang were sentenced in Alaska this week to life in prison without the possibility of parole for racketeering, including murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping, and other offenses. The person formerly known as Timothy Lobdell, 46, who legally changed his name to “Filthy Fuhrer” (Lobdell); Roy Naughton, aka …

The Anchorage Daily News reports: A polar bear killed a woman and boy Tuesday afternoon in the Northwest Alaska community of Wales, according to Alaska State Troopers. Troopers received a report of a polar bear attack around 2:30 p.m. According to initial accounts, a polar bear came to the village and chased several residents. The two people who were killed …