← Alaska News Nightly - Alaska Public Media
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- [00:00]
Eric Stone
Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from Siri, an Alaska Native corporation with operations and investments spanning five continents, 45 states and two US territories.
- [00:19]
Liz Ruskin
We failed to help all those who are facing these shockingly, completely unaffordable increases.
- [00:27]
Casey Grove
An effort in Congress to extend health care subsidies fails, even with support from both of Alaska's senators. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Thursday, December 11th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, Governor Dunleavy warns about a fiscal cliff as he rolls out his proposed budget.
- [00:45]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Drawing down our savings is not a sustainable plan, nor is using your PFD year after year.
- [00:52]
Casey Grove
Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly. Both of Alaska's U.S. senators crossed the aisle today to vote to advance a Democratic bill that would have extended health insurance subsidies for three years. The Alaskans and two other senators were the only Republicans to back the plan, and it failed to get the 60 votes it needed. As Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin reports, Senator Lisa Murkowski's vote was not a surprise, but Senator Dan Sullivan's was.
- [01:22]
Liz Ruskin
Murkowski has been saying for months that Congress needs to extend Affordable Care act enhanced subsidies beyond the year expiration date. Otherwise, she says, millions of Americans and 24,000 Alaskans who buy subsidized plants will see a massive price hike. Murkowski took to the Senate floor after the vote and said the Senate failed.
- [01:45]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
We failed to work together.
- [01:46]
Liz Ruskin
We failed to reach consensus. We failed to help all those who are facing these shockingly, completely unaffordable increases in their health care premiums. And as they're looking at the new year, she says senators should keep trying to pass an extension before open enrollment closes next month. Sullivan's vote for the Democratic bill was unusual since he rarely bucks GOP leadership or President Trump. He has said in recent months that he's working on a plan for extending and reforming the enhanced subsidies. But Sullivan has voted repeatedly against extensions and over the course of his Senate career argued that Obamacare should be re repealed entirely. Sullivan did not respond to an interview request, but his office issued a statement in which he again castigates Obamacare as unaffordable and portrays the enhanced tax credits as partisan Democratic slapdashery. Nonetheless, he voted to extend the subsidies because he says their expiration would hurt hardworking Alaskans. He says he'll continue trying to forge a compromise. Alaskans already face some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, and Sullivan is up for reelection next year.
- [03:05]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
He's feeling the heat.
- [03:06]
Liz Ruskin
Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft says Sullivan cast a cynical vote.
- [03:12]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
He's voted I think seven times in the last two months against it. And now when he knows it's gonna fail, votes for it? Are you kidding me?
- [03:22]
Liz Ruskin
The Democratic Party, both national and state, has been hitting Sullivan hard on this issue. They've launched digital ad campaigns claiming Sullivan is to blame if Health skyrocket in January. A Republican plan to substitute health savings accounts for the expiring tax credits also failed to advance Thursday, despite the votes of both Alaska senators. If the enhanced subsidies expire, Alaskans will face especially steep increases. According to the Health Policy Research Group KFF, a 60 year old Alaskan earning $78,000 a year could see a nearly 300% increase in premiums. Reporting from Washington Washington, I'm Liz Ruskin.
- [04:08]
Casey Grove
Governor Mike Dunleavy released his proposed budget today, setting the stage for months of debate in his final legislative session as governor. The governor's proposal leans on drawing more than a billion dollars from savings to fund a budget that includes paying Alaskans a $3,600 permanent fund dividend, Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone reports.
- [04:27]
Eric Stone
For the first time in his seven years as governor, Dunleavy did not hold a news conference to lay out his proposed budget. Instead, he posted a six minute video to YouTube and a 90 second Facebook reel reading pre.
- [04:39]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Here are the examples of the larger budget items proposed in this year's budget. A full permanent fund dividend as called for in law. Full funding for K12 schools and school transportation. Continued funding for public safety.
- [04:54]
Eric Stone
That full dividend would be roughly $3,600 per Alaskan, but it's unlikely to materialize. Dunleavy's budget requires spending more than a billion and a half dollars from the state's primary rainy day fund. That's about half of the state's savings, and it's remarkably similar to the deficit Dunleavy proposed last year. This year, though, Dunleavy himself says the state's persistent budget gap is untenable.
- [05:16]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Drawing down our savings is not a sustainable plan, nor is using your PFD year after year a sustainable plan.
- [05:24]
Eric Stone
Since oil prices Collapsed in the mid 2010s, Alaska has struggled to make ends meet. That's despite efforts to slash government spending and the 2018 decision to use permanent fund earnings to fund state programs like state troopers, jails and public schools. Dunleavy says he'll introduce his latest attempt at a plan to stabilize the state's finances sometime next month. A 10 year plan released alongside the budget includes about $1.6 billion in unspecified, quote, new revenue measures starting in mid-2027. His office declined to say what those would be and also declined a request to interview the governor.
- [05:56]
Casey Grove
Quite frankly, he's out of time.
- [05:58]
Eric Stone
Sitka Senator Burt Stedman is a Republican who co chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee. He says lawmakers tried to reduce the state's budget deficit during this year's session and Dunleavy said no.
- [06:08]
Casey Grove
We tried to take a couple of.
- [06:09]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Small steps to deal with some revenue.
- [06:14]
Casey Grove
Enhancements or taxes and then hold back.
- [06:18]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
The spending and he vetoed the revenue measure. So I'd like to see what he puts on the table.
- [06:24]
Eric Stone
And Stedman says there's not much fat left to trim when it comes to state services. So he's skeptical Dunleavy will be able to push through a resolution to the decade long issue during his final year in office. Steadman says the governor's decision to again propose spending half the state's savings on large permanent fund dividends is unwise with oil prices stubbornly low.
- [06:43]
Casey Grove
If we would have followed his plan after this year, we'd be completely broke. So it's not acceptable and we're going to have to work through our process.
- [06:52]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
And like I said, we need to.
- [06:53]
Casey Grove
Veto that one and a half billion dollar deficit.
- [06:56]
Eric Stone
Steadman says he'd like to see a balanced budget, not a draw from savings. He says he doesn't want to see the permanent fund dividend smaller than this year's $1,000 payout. But he says low oil prices will make that difficult to achieve. Anchorage Democratic Representative Andy Josephson, who co chairs the House Finance Committee, isn't quite as put off by the drawdown. But he says he wouldn't use it to pay a large dividend.
- [07:18]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
That isn't how I would spend half of the cbr, right, for example, but I might still spend half the cbr.
- [07:26]
Eric Stone
He says he sees lots of needs around the state.
- [07:29]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
The municipality of Anchorage's school district needs $75 million to maintain the status quo and funding of K12. That's where I would spend the money. That's example one.
- [07:40]
Eric Stone
He says he'd also like to see the state invest in capital projects and beef up things like the division of Public Assistance. Like Stedman, Josephson says he's viewing the governor's forthcoming fiscal plan with a skeptical eye.
- [07:51]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Look, he told me and others 2 years ago he's filing a sales tax bill he never did.
- [07:57]
Eric Stone
Lawmakers returned to the Capitol on January 20th. Reporting in Juneau, I'm Eric Stone, an.
- [08:02]
Casey Grove
Alaska native group and conservation groups filed a lawsuit today to stop ConocoPhillips large winter exploration plans on the North Slope. The Trump administration approved the plan last month in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska. The Anchorage Daily News reports that Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic and the other groups argue in the lawsuit that approval was done illegally without conducting proper analysis to protect the tundra and wildlife. They say that includes caribou that families hunt for food. They also say a one week public input period was inadequately short. ConocoPhillips said in a statement that the lawsuit could hurt investment and jobs in Alaska. Conoco said in the statement that it feels confident with its plans and permits and looks forward to completing its work within Alaska's limited winter exploration season. The oil company earlier this year announced plans this winter to conduct an unusually large exploration program near its giant Willow discovery that is currently under development. It plans to drill four exploration wells near Willow and conduct seismic exploration across 300 square miles south of Willow that could lead to future drilling. The project is expected to employ several hundred workers with planes landing on ice airstrips and an array of trucks, vans and heavy equipment making thousands of trips. Some 60 miles of ice roads and ice foundations for drilling will also be built, plus 10 miles of snow roads, according to the company's plans. Still to come on Alaska News nightly, combatants from around the state gathered in Juneau last weekend for the latest AK beatdown.
- [09:37]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Fighting out of the blue corner. We have a man fighting out of Ketchikan, Alaska.
- [09:42]
Casey Grove
That's ahead. Stay with us. The Kuskokwim river community of Nabuskiak has regained power after four days without electricity. The outage began on Saturday following ice storms over the weekend. The state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reported that contractors working in Kipnuk arrived in the community on Tuesday to make repairs. Nabuskiak's tribal chief, Sharon Williams, says the issue with a pole line originally occurred during ex typhoon Ha Long. She says the line sparked during the October storm and was not repaired. Williams says it appears the ice over the weekend overwhelmed the already damaged power line. As of Wednesday afternoon, power has been restored to the entire village. However, the community remains without water. Williams says more water pipes have burst as a result of the outage and that remote maintenance workers from Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation have been on site to assess the issue. She says some community members have gotten water by plane through the association of Village Council Presidents or by snow machine trips to grocery stores in Bethel. Well, winter has arrived in southeast Alaska, bringing freezing temperatures and enough snow to break some daily records in a few communities. Jeff Garman is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau.
- [10:58]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Typically, what's over in British Columbia we're getting so it didn't stop at the mountains. It decided to come for a visit in Alaska.
- [11:08]
Casey Grove
The community of Wrangell got 18 inches of snow earlier this week. Over 15 inches of snow fell in Petersburg. The town received almost eight inches on Monday alone, breaking the daily record for December 8th by almost four inches. Then seven and a half more inches of snow fell on Tuesday, which was a couple inches shy of that date's daily record. Garmin says this is more snow than what's typical for a single day. According to historical daily records, the average amount of snowfall is around a half inch. Looking ahead, he says, freezing temperatures are forecasted throughout the region and we're just.
- [11:41]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Going to be in the deep cold for pretty much the next week, garmin.
- [11:45]
Casey Grove
Says there's a chance more snow will fall later this weekend and early next week. The City of Kenai might become the latest Peninsula government to move its local election day from October to November. The move would keep city and Kenai Peninsula borough elections aligned, saving some money during a work session last week, City Council members were for the change. But under Kenai's charter, residents have to make the change through a ballot question. That means holding a special election or waiting until next October's regular election, Kenai City Clerk Shelly Saner says. Without the change, regular elections would cost about $33,000 to run. Realigning the city's election with the boroughs would slash the cost of regular elections to about a third of that.
- [12:37]
Clarice Larson
It was a convenience and it was also a cost savings to the city because we got the ballot quantity printing discount that the borough was getting when they ordered it.
- [12:47]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
They used their equipment to program our elections and it was an overall convenience.
- [12:52]
Clarice Larson
For everybody within the borough and the city to do this together.
- [12:56]
Casey Grove
Holding a special election would cost the city about $25,000. Deborah Sounart is one of multiple City council members who favors a special election.
- [13:05]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Is just cost prohibitive to try and run $32,000, $33,000 and upwards on our own year after year.
- [13:15]
Casey Grove
At the borough level, the change to November was popular. Almost two thirds of borough voters supported it on their ballots in October, their last October ballots. The ballot question was the result of a citizen initiative. Proponents wanted to align local elections with state and federal elections, which they think will help boost notoriously low local turnout. Although Kenai council members generally favored a Special election one won't be held until they pass legislation setting the date and allocating money. Lynx thrive in boreal forests with dry, long, cold winters. But every once in a while, when prey is scarce, they make their way elsewhere, including the wetter and warmer Chilkat Valley. Just a few years ago, local trappers caught more lynx in the Haines area than had been recorded in decades. That sparked an effort by local researchers to uncover more information about links in the region. The Alaska Desk's Avery Elfelt reports.
- [14:12]
Avery Elfelt
On a crisp day in mid November, two wildlife biologists parked along the Haines highway and bushwhacked into the Tocshnook Mountains.
- [14:20]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
So this area that we're in is in this steep canyon, low tree line at the base of an avalanche chute.
- [14:29]
Avery Elfelt
That's Kevin White, a Haines local and mountain goat biologist with the University of Southeast Alaska. The purpose of the hike was to pull photos off two cameras strategically positioned to capture lynx. But they also regularly snap photos of other wildlife.
- [14:43]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
There's a porcupine brown bear.
- [14:48]
Avery Elfelt
It looks like the two cameras are among dozens spread throughout the Chilkat Valley looking for clues about links in the region. Leading the effort is Liz Hofer. She splits her time between Haines and Haines Junction in Canada. She studied lynx and other wildcats in the neighboring Yukon, plus countries ranging from Switzerland to Yemen. Now she's doing the same in the Chilicat Valley with the help of a small army of volunteers, including White. Hover says the area is far from a lynx hotspot, but it does draw the cats from time to time. The main question she wants to explore is whether lynx could adapt or already have adapted to the Chilkat Valley, where they at least don't seem to be a resident species.
- [15:29]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
That resource of salmon is just outstanding to me to think of as. But that's only one of many, so I just can't believe that they wouldn't do well.
- [15:39]
Avery Elfelt
Hofer says lynx likely come to Haines from the Yukon due to population cycles of their favorite meal, the snowshoe hare. Hares are abundant in the Kluane area just over the border, and their populations grow over the course of about a decade before crashing amid predation. Lynx populations follow that cycle, increasing in size alongside hares. But Hofer says when hare populations nosedive, lynx respond in one of three ways. They starve, they shift their hunting strategies.
- [16:08]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Or the third ones just walk about. They just start walking.
- [16:13]
Avery Elfelt
Some make it all the way to Haines. That's what happened not too long ago. Local trappers harvested more than two dozen lynx in the years 2019 and 2020, according to state records. That's compared to 0 or 1 or 2 lynx most other years. Now hare populations in the Yukon are on the rise yet again, and Hofer expects the pattern could repeat, with lynx dispersing and potentially making their way to the valley within the next two to three years. This peak, she says, may be very.
- [16:43]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Big because of the the signs that say that the Kluane region, the Yukon region links will be high this time.
- [16:55]
Avery Elfelt
Dozens of cameras will already be set up in key wildlife corridors to capture them in action. Here's Wide again, the Haines wildlife biologist.
- [17:03]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
It will also be valuable to learn about like where are the hotspots when.
- [17:09]
Eric Stone
They are in the area and what.
- [17:11]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Are the habitat conditions like?
- [17:13]
Avery Elfelt
The project isn't limited to cameras. The researchers have also asked the public to immediately alert them if they spot lynx or lynx tracks. Hofer says she's also in conversation with local trappers about selling carcasses for research purposes or allowing the team to take tissue samples. Both could provide insight into what exactly the lynx feed on while in the valley, she says.
- [17:36]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
So we have some. We have some more tricks up our sleeve.
- [17:39]
Avery Elfelt
Hofer is particularly curious about salmon and thinks the Chilcot River's fall chum run could serve as an excellent food source headed into winter. The area is also home to some snowshoe hares, she says. Indeed, mid hike, a hare darted across the mountainside. It was bright white against the moss covered forest floor.
- [17:58]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Oh, there's the hare, just running. My hair just turned fully white. Oh, no way he's fully white. Oh, that's cool. Totally cool. Perfect timing.
- [18:08]
Avery Elfelt
Over says tagging and tracking links would perhaps be the best way to answer her questions, but that's currently out of reach. Her hope is that whatever information they do turn up might spur a more comprehensive study down the line. Reporting in Haines, I'm Avery Elfeldt.
- [18:25]
Casey Grove
A grassroots effort to provide aid to Ukraine began in western Alaska over two years ago. Now it's an effort that stretches over two continents and as Kanom's Wally Rana tells us, some of the funds were raised over pancakes.
- [18:38]
Wally Rana
Mark Hayward is a veteran who served in the US Army Special Forces as a medical sergeant. When the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, he says he felt called to serve as a combat medic for Ukraine's International Legion.
- [18:50]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Crossed the border into Ukraine in early March of 2022. And I've been going back intermittently since then. But what I'm doing now is almost continuous boots on the ground work. Based out of Mykolai of Ukraine, Hayward.
- [19:04]
Wally Rana
Began traveling between his home in Nome and Ukraine. Although he didn't end up serving as a combat medic, he says he's helping in other ways.
- [19:11]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
I didn't wind up filling that role because I got requested to put together a team of trainers who could teach Ukrainian Marines in Mykolaev how to use the Javelin and NLA missiles.
- [19:28]
Wally Rana
In the months following the start of the war, Hayward helped start the charitable organization Alaska 2 Ukraine. A big portion of the funds, he says, comes from Nome.
- [19:37]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
The first ambulance that I delivered was paid for entirely by donors from Nome who got together at a pancake breakfast at the VFW and gave my wife an envelope full of cash saying, hey, we want to help Mark in Ukraine.
- [19:56]
Wally Rana
Hayward says all of Alaska to Ukraine's leadership team and many key supporters have ties to Alaska, like Gnome resident Roland Trowbridge. The two traveled to Ukraine together last year.
- [20:05]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
In 2024, Roland Trowbridge went over to Ukraine with me, looked at a couple of things and said, you know, I bet we can help out with some of the technology solutions. And we wound up starting a little workshop for drone jammers in Nome's old hospital there on Fifth Avenue.
- [20:27]
Wally Rana
Earlier this year, Hayward traveled to Ukraine with the new project in mind. This time, he interviewed Ukrainian Christians about practicing their faith in wartime.
- [20:35]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
The two principles that I keep coming into contact with as I interview people all over Ukraine are the principle of forgiveness, which is something I wrestle with, and the principle of gratitude.
- [20:49]
Wally Rana
Elijah is a pastor From Mykolaiv, about 250 miles southeast of the capital of Kiev. He says although the city of nearly half a million people is resilient, the community suffered during the first months of the war.
- [21:01]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
We have no general things in our church because we even cannot spend time together because of daily shooting, bombing, attacking. And we have no Sunday ministries or different ministries, but we have daily zoom calling.
- [21:20]
Eric Stone
We pray all the time.
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Wally Rana
Hayward returned to the US for Thanksgiving with his family, but plans to be back in Ukraine by Christmas. He says Alaska to Ukraine's work is just getting started as the war rounds out its fourth year. And Noam, I'm Wally Rana.
- [21:47]
Casey Grove
Last weekend, hundreds of Juneau residents braved the heavy snowfall and icy roads to make their way to a fight night downtown. Despite the blood spilled, Organizers of the 40th AK Beatdown say the event is family friendly and promotes community and exercise, especially during the cold and dark winter months. KTOO's Clarice Larson was there and has this story.
- [22:08]
Clarice Larson
Many retirees tend to spend their leisure time volunteering, reading books or playing pickleball. But 69 year old Jack Jackhammer Duckworth spent his Saturday evening in a boxing ring at Elizabeth Piracevich hall, facing an opponent half his age.
- [22:24]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Fighting out of the blue corner, we have a man fighting out of Ketchikan, Alaska with a record of 10, 3 0. Let's give it up for Jack Duckworth.
- [22:35]
Clarice Larson
Duckworth was the oldest of 22 male and female boxers and MMA fighters between ages 16 and 69 who participated in the AK Beatdown's 40th Fight Night in Juneau on Saturday. Like Meg Thrilla from Manila, Miranda William the Wolfman Atlas and Jamie the Flatliner Lechester, AK Beatdown is a Juno based fighting league that hosts family friendly fight nights that feature local and Alaska fighters. Duckworth ultimately got knocked down in the second round, but he said he still had fun.
- [23:10]
Casey Grove
I love it. I started doing taekwondo at 25, so I've been teaching for all these years and doing the boxing I totally support.
- [23:20]
Clarice Larson
And he wasn't the only Duckworth fighting. His son and grandson were also in the ring that night. The family traveled from Ketchikan to partake in the event. He says fighting is the Duckworth way.
- [23:31]
Casey Grove
Well, that's why I'm doing it, just so we could all be on the same card.
- [23:34]
Clarice Larson
Professional fight nights like these have taken place in Juneau since at least the late 90s under different organizers. Cindy Isaac is the current owner of AK Beatdown. The show took a five year hiatus but returned last year. Now Isaac says it's back and better than ever.
- [23:51]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
It's definitely got a fan base. It's had the same following that comes all the time. It's just all around a healthy sport. I think the community loves UFC and so it's just kind of carried through.
- [24:02]
Clarice Larson
Saturday night's show was completely sold out of its more than 450 tickets in just one day. Isaac's crew transformed Elizabeth Peratrovich hall from an empty ballroom into a fighting arena. Dozens of tables and hundreds of chairs surrounded a professional fighting ring in the center of the room.
- [24:21]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Yeah, no, we really try to be super professional. We have medics here, we have trained foreigner coaches. Our judges have been the same judges from day one, so it's very consistent. We have the referees.
- [24:32]
Clarice Larson
Spectator Brian McFadden sat at one of the tables. He fought in previous fight nights, but on Saturday he was there to celebrate his 34th birthday alongside his children and family.
- [24:44]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
This is so far my favorite beatdown since I don't have to fight in it and I just get to enjoy the livelihood and the energy.
- [24:51]
Clarice Larson
McFadden says the event offers something for fighters to work and train for in Juneau, especially during cold winters.
- [24:58]
Governor Mike Dunleavy
Yeah, I think it's a great asset to the fighting community. It gives people in the community the ability to meet up every few months and do this for real.
- [25:09]
Clarice Larson
Isaac, the event organizer, says more events are planned for next year. He's excited to see the sport continue to expand in Juneau. In Juneau, I'm Clarice Larson.
- [25:19]
Casey Grove
And finally tonight, a correction to a story last night about the governor's fiscal planning, which misstated that Alaska is the only state with no state level income or sales tax. In fact, as of this year, it is one of two. New Hampshire recently did away with its interest in dividends tax, which is a type of income tax. And that is all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories, we're online@alaskapublic.org and wherever you get your podcasts. We had reports tonight from Liz Ruskin in Washington, D.C. eric Stone and Clarice Larson in Juneau, Samantha Watson in Bethel, Katherine Rose in Sitka, Ashlyn o' Hara in Kenai, Avery Elfelt and Haynes and Wally Rana in Nome. Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde, Madeline Rhodes is our producer and NK Casey Grove. Good night. This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.