#akleg Ten years of Hello Alaska with my buddy @matt.akmemo.com. Episode recorded back in October. helloalaska.pizza/podcast/093-...

The past few months have been a hard, dark and chilly way to cap off the year, and that's before we factor in Alaska's colder-than-usual winter. But the days are getting longer, and the #akleg is right around the corner, so let's get back to the newsletter game. My latest:

without fail every single cute animal picture I show my partner is a memorial for a dead pet…

Skipping the usual press conference, Gov. Dunleavy rolled out a final-year budget that’s mostly status quo — and wildly unrealistic. A $3,650 PFD, a $1.8B deficit, no new revenue and no real plan. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/12/17/d...

Hidden in a must-pass funding bill: the beginning of the end for “Temu weed.” Intoxicating hemp products that dodged cannabis rules will be banned nationwide in 2026. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/12/15/f...

It’s a little windy today.

From doodling and DIY cardboard dolls to apprenticing at Anchorage’s women-run tattoo collective The Coven, artist Lou Donnellan is honing her craft in realism and fine-line work — and finding inspiration in a community of supportive, skilled tattooers. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/12/02/c...

clarence thomas has no jurisprudential argument, he just hates women and thinks the constitution doesn’t protect a varia suit

🔫

New — I wrote about the myriad ways journalism’s moral rot manifests, and how our crumbling institutions have created the conditions for it to fester:

the verge's follow up reporting on the nonexistence of the trump phone is excellent commitment to the bit www.theverge.com/news/820887/...

Palmer Republican Sen. Shelley Hughes, one of the preeminent purveyors of trans panic in the #akleg, is resigning effective tomorrow at 5 p.m. so she can focus on her run for governor. Her resignation follows GOP Wasilla Sen. Shower, who left the job to run with Republican Bernadette Wilson.

"Division of Public Assistance Director Deb Etheridge said Tuesday that no state funds had been issued to SNAP recipients through the EBT cards due to constantly shifting federal guidance." She said ~$2.5 million in state funds for food banks is set to go out later this week.

They were already working mandatory overtime & using outdated equipment in one of the most stressful jobs in the country. This sort of response is amateurish and unacceptable. I am so sick of this sort of language from DOT.

Hey all — I’m trying to take some time off this week, so please stop making news. #akleg #Alaska

If you die in sudoku you die in real life

Until the sun burns out

While SNAP funding hangs in limbo, Alaskans held a food drive outside Rep. Nick Begich’s office — slamming GOP leaders for “starving our community” during the nation’s longest shutdown. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/11/07/g...

If you are dealing with a lapse in SNAP benefits in Alaska: The Food Bank of Alaska has a list of food resources - for Anchorage & Mat-Su here's a list of hot meals and food pantry hours: foodbankofalaska.org/hubfs/Websit...

Thanks to Anchorage Reddit for pointing out how the Anchorage snowplow map includes the names of equipment: Darth Grader Taylor Drift Plowasaurus Rex Big Leplowski Snowbi-Wan Kenobi and Sorry, Kids

Trail Blazers: After moving from South Korea to Alaska, Wongi Kim discovered a love of the outdoors — climbing, biking and fishing. Now, he’s redefining what adventure means and finding joy in slowing down.

Nearly 70,000 Alaskans could lose SNAP benefits this weekend amid the federal shutdown, just as the state recovers from Typhoon Halong. Advocates warn of strain on food banks and call for community support.

While politicians bicker, families go hungry. Murkowski tried to fund SNAP during the shutdown — Sullivan voted no. Meanwhile, kids are left with only tricks, no treats. Illustration and commentary by Holly Todd.

"Space Trucker Bruce" is a locally made sci-fi film about a space trucker hauling hog fat through the galaxy who picks up a hitchhiker whose ship has broken down. Hijinks ensue.

Grapevine reports of suspected roofying, or date rape drugging, at the bars in Juneau this weekend, please be aware this Halloween. Sadly, this predatory behavior is nothing new in Alaska. I wrote about it in 2023 - watch out, and call out the creeps if you see them. www.kbbi.org/local-news/2...

Turning CBD into THC? A new “innovation” has Alaska’s cannabis regulators scrambling — and one company facing fines, product destruction and industry backlash.

About 170 dogs have been rescued from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, two of the communities hardest hit by this month's storm in Western Alaska. Rescuers anticipate more to come. www.adn.com/alaska-news/...

I got nothin' to add to this.

Think horror games are all jump scares? Not these. Matt Buxton's bi-weekly column The Great Indoors dives into multiplayer “horror” games that are more goofy chaos than terror. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/10/23/t...

Always read Will's columns Gift Link share.inquirer.com/8lC7CX

Here's a screenshot!

President Trump has approved a federal disaster declaration for Western Alaska. His social media post doesn't answer a crucial q for survivors — is he granting access to Individual Assistance? (But it does recount his election victories in Alaska!) Stay tuned for more ...

Homer Mayor Rachel Lord says recent high tides caused new erosion along the Spit Road, including sand loss and damage to infrastructure. ADOT has assigned a project manager to develop long-term coastal protections using $1.5 million in state funds.

Congress Sends Unemployed Americans 40 Million Boxes Of Saltwater Taffy From Vacation https://theonion.com/congress-sends-unemployed-americans-40-million-boxes-of-1844729789/

Quick preview of numbers being released tomorrow… special for my Bluesky peeps: Alaska Survey Research October 10-15, 2025 N=2,083 adults (1,957 RV, 1,708 LV) 2026 Alaska US Senate (LV) Mary Peltola (D) 48% Dan Sullivan (R) 46% Undecided 6% Sullivan’s negative hits 50% for the first time.

My latest for the Memo looks at the fallout of Typhoon Halong, the long road to recovery and how it showcases both the best — and worst — of public service of this moment. #akleg

Anchorage No Kings.

Protesters stand and turn their backs to US Sen. Dan Sullivan during his address to the Alaska Federation of Natives conference. Signs read: "Medicaid Matters" + "Public radio saves lives" Sullivan does not acknowledge or stop speaking

“To be brutally candid, due to the proactive cancellation of this grant, $20 million of hardworking U.S. tax dollars are currently sitting in the U.S. treasury instead of swept into the Kuskokwim River,” EPA press secretary Brigit Hirsch said. Monsters. #akleg

A note (posted to FB) from one of the school teachers who stayed behind in Kipnuk. About 50-100 people stayed behind. This is a good update (from a couple of days ago) on how things were handled with the Typhoon Dogs.

i’m so sick of this cowardly use of language.

What an insult to all Alaska. This is outrageous.

The City of Seldovia says its drinking water didn’t meet treatment standards in August due to high turbidity levels — which can indicate reduced filtration. Officials say it’s not an emergency and there’s no known contamination, but they’re monitoring chlorine levels closely.

Sage Smiley, news director of KYUK in Bethel @sgsmly.bsky.social briefs NPR on the evacuation and devastation of western Alaska. People are not just displaced from their homes but also their traditional ways of life. www.npr.org/2025/10/16/n...

If you run an illegal, unregistered towing service and crash into a customer’s ATV, you’re probably going to have a bad time. #Alaska

RIP Dave Bronson’s tenure as Anchorage Airport Director. He woulda loved doing this.

Homer’s City Council election results are now certified — after officials discovered 222 properly secured ballots that hadn’t been counted in the initial canvass. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/10/15/h...

We don't need no stinking badges

The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that the Republican Governors Association must finally answer state campaign finance regulators’ questions about its role in Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s 2022 re-election. thealaskacurrent.com/2025/10/14/a...

Amid tight budget picture, $50 million investment draws scrutiny from legislators and governor, reports James Brooks for the @alaskabeacon.com