Alaskans: I'm working on a story on the unprecedented 12 schools closed last month across Alaska, due to budget cuts. If you are a student, parent, or teacher affected I'd love to speak with you about the experience, and your plans for next year. DMs open or email [email protected]

be a man, die in a national park

Sen. Kiehl on AKLNG's reliance on changes to federal highways: "Uncle Sam has rules for those that would make the Byzantines blush." AGDC's Richards concedes it's an issue. The state's working on it, but developers will be paying. Kiehl says they should plan on an extra 40%. #akleg

And now, for something silly.

A psalm for the independent journalist: "There was never any part of me that craved market domination or frankly, to be anyone’s boss. Perhaps that reveals a lack of ambition that will hurt me in the end."

🧵 Senate Finance is underway with its much-anticipated first hearing with Glenfarne, the AKLNG developer that senators have regularly accused of not being forthcoming about the details of the project while asking for significant concessions from the state. 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/... #akleg

latest update to the alaska stylebook:

Eagle River Rep. Jamie Allard to Glenfarne's Adam Prestige after getting a non-answer on the estimated cost of the AKLNG project: "I'm just gonna ask you flat out, we're on public record, what do you want me to tell my constituents?" #akleg

🧵 House Finance is underway with today's hearing on the AKLNG subsidy bill. They're hearing again from Glenfarne, the developer that Dunleavy's working with to advance the project. 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/... #akleg

The Trump admin's next planned lease sale for potential oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (where the Porcupine caribou herd goes to calve) is slated for later this week. People on both sides of the border are working to try to stop the area from being drilled:

checking out the candidate filing list.... #akleg #akgov

Amazing addtl detail about Scott Pelley telling off Nick Bilton (via NY post) “You wouldn’t do very well in a ’60 Minutes’ interview," Pelley said. "Scott, I’m not intimidated by you,” a ticked-off Bilton said in response. “Enjoy the bagels,” Bilton added before getting up and leaving the room.

womp-womp this marks the second statewide race that the lieutenant governor has dropped out of

🧵 Senate Finance is already underway with another AKLNG hearing with state chief economist Dan Stickel. It's a follow-up hearing where they're addressing questions from prior hearings. A lot of questions about the assumptions underlying the modeling and whether Phase 1 works. #akleg

Hey! I finally blocked out enough time to catch up on how (most) of the first full week of the #akleg special session on the pipeline is shaping up. While Dunleavy is taking the "What are ya, CHICKEN!" approach, most legislators are getting into the details and raising concerns about what's next.

Trying to use the online version of photoshop that's all brainrotted with AI has got to be one of the single most aggravating experiences in a while.

Waking up to the news that my former boss Josh O’Connor — who jumped from Carpenter Media to the former Frontiersman owner Wick Communications before things went from bad to worse — has been exorcised from Alaska journalism was *sublime*.

Of all the things about the AKLNG project that bother me as a policy-focused #akleg nerd, it is that the subsidiary company is named "8 Star Alaska" and not "Eight Star Alaska" that bugs me the most. What, was "8⭐️AK" not available?

Pope Releases Encyclical On Perils Of Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Strategy

#akleg Julia Hnilicka announced as Tom's running mate. My swiss cheese brain riddled with AK political ephemera: Is that the House candidate who shut down Jeff live on air when he offered to date her? "...Perfect response. You're going to be a great politician." www.youtube.com/live/4kzeK29...

you ever just quote homestar runner in your head while going about your daily indignities or are you younger than 38

Dang! The Mat-Su Sentinel, the plucky local news start-up, just took over the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, the area's long-neglected legacy newspaper. Editor/Founder Amy Bushatz: "I just couldn’t stomach the idea of letting that legacy disappear or watching it pass to another outside owner."

Report: Dad Wants To Show You Where Fuse Box Is https://theonion.com/report-dad-wants-to-show-you-where-fuse-box-is-1819577825/

In the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, has not slowed down with picking the AKLNG project. Right now, he's on financing in case the pipe never actually fills up. "I'm just going to sound like I'm bitching about everything, but I got a couple sniffles here, you know." #akleg

Senate Finance is already underway with its hearing on the AKLNG project. They have Chief Economist Dan Stickel up today. It sounds like a pretty ground-level overview, and I really need to catch up on some writing, so I won't be live posting too much today. #akleg www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/...

hey @alaskasnewssource.com you have a typo

Here's an easier-to-follow reader of the afternoon thread covering the House Finance Committee's continued hearings on the AKLNG project: tbsky.app/profile/matt... #akleg

🧵 House Finance is underway with its afternoon hearing on the AKLNG project. They're sorta a few days ahead of the Senate Finance Committee in terms of who they're hearing from. Today it's invited testimony from the borough mayors. 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/... #akleg

And yet again I ask how the airports getting these new flights will have the gates to handle them. How airline ground crews will handle them. How airline schedules are supposed to shift on a dime to handle them. And how, for the love of God, our already stressed ATC is supposed to handle this mess.

#akleg Looking through some old messages and found this gem from 2015. Senator Dunleavy complaining about key legislation being introduced by the governor on day 56 of the session. Cut to 2026 and Governor Dunleavy introduced his signature LNG bill on day 60.

GOP Rep. Allard laments that Canada — "what I would call a borderline socialist country" — just inked a new LNG export deal. "If Canada can do it," she says, then why can't greedy Alaska lawmakers get out of the way! She then says AKLNG will give people purpose and cut back on suicides. #akleg

Some Alaska officials are pushing to turn the state into a hub for AI data centers, tying massive energy and gas projects to growing tech demand — a shift that could reshape the state’s landscapes, energy use and economy for decades. Illustration by Holly Todd.

Hmm, wonder how oil prices are doing... #akleg

Translation: We haven't bothered to see how many people were committing fraud, or people who genuinely were in need. And we do not care at all. Bullshit like this is why you should never, ever call Trump "populist." His policies are against people, not for them. Populist does not mean vulgarian.

This shift to device-run AI agents, especially on the newer Mac hardware, at least for me, casts a lot of doubt on Alaska Gov. Dunleavy's gettin' all binky bonky for data centers. Alaska loves nothing more than catching onto fads a few years too late. #akleg

🧵 Senate Finance is already underway with its hearing on the AKLNG project. They're continuing with Nick Fulford, a consultant with GaffneyCline. From previous hearings, he's said changes are needed to advance the project, but not likely as deep as claimed. 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/... #akleg

Fulford says there is talk of loan guarantees, but yes, his read is correct. “I think Asian countries are being encouraged to enter into agreements for American LNG, including Alaska, but currently there doesn’t appear to be a tangible federal step to help the project.” 🙃

🧵 Senate Finance is getting underway now. It’s their first hearing of the special session, and they’re scheduled to run through the rest of the week to continue reviewing the AKLNG project. (They ARE in Juneau.) 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/wa… #akleg

Tuesdays.

Here’s a more readable version of today’s live thread covering House Finance’s meeting with its oil and gas consultant about the AKLNG project: tbsky.app/profile/matt.a… Key takeaway: AKLNG doesn’t have the best fundamentals and probably needs a tax change, but not as deep cuts as claimed. #akleg

🧵 Hey! The second hearing of the #akleg special session on the governor's pipeline subsidy bill is getting underway with House Finance... and only now, as I'm opening the video feed, do I realize it's in Anchorage! 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/...

The #akleg session ended Wednesday night, buoyed by higher-than-expected oil prices, but summer break will have to wait for the governor's immediate special session on subsidies for the AKLNG pipeline project. My latest from the newsletter:

Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, serenades lawmakers and staff in the Capitol stairwell celebrating the end of the legislative session.

BREAKING: New AK Governor numbers! We have new numbers for you, but before we look at them, let’s back up 4 weeks and look at the results from last month, so we can see how things have shifted. It’s super interesting! OK, these were the top seven vote getters in the primary race in April... 🧵1/7

🧵 Oh, right. The House Finance Committee is still holding its hearing on the AKLNG bill. Basically, another overview from the state. 📺: www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/... #akleg

Great reporting by KYUK - "Added fuel costs for rural families will hamper subsistence activities that are normally in full swing as the first fuel barges arrive in the region. Price increase impacts would ripple through all goods and services." www.kyuk.org/economy/2026...

🧵 It's the first day of the special session on the AKLNG pipeline subsidy bill... and both the House and Senate are delayed to the call of the chair. 📹: www.ktoo.org/360TV/#page=... #akleg

That's a wrap on the #akleg 2026 regular session! If you appreciate my coverage and want more wonkery (especially of the special session): I do a newsletter! akmemo.com And a podcast! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... And have a tip jar! www.akmemo.com/tip-jar And, as always, LOOK AT THIS DOG!

After a far more sentimental final floor session, the House has adjourned Sine Die, thus formally marking the end of the regular legislative session. They'll be back for a special session tomorrow, but it doesn't sound like things will be moving fast. #akleg

She did it! She SAID THE THING! Rep. Underwood: "I just never thought in a million years that I would get to spend another hour with you guys, another 30 days with all of you, trying to pass gas, and I feel like we are going to do it. We are going to do it! ... Let's pass some gas!" #akleg