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Alaska Senate approves gas pipeline tax break, but governor and others indicate it isn’t enough

Senators consider an amendment to House Bill 381 during a break in debate on Friday, June 19, 2026. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)The Alaska Senate has approved a multibillion-dollar tax cut for the developers of the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline, but some changes adopted late Friday by the Senate reduced the size of the break.Speaking to reporters after the 12-8 Senate vote, Gov. Mike Dunleavy and House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, said the Senate amendments — unles

Miner severs power and fiber optic cable, causing phone and internet outage

By Diana Haecker A fiber optic cable that was severed along with the power line at Swanberg Dredge on Tuesday, June 16 at noon, has since caused a widespread outage of phone and internet service for Fastwyre customers. The resulting power outage was restored soon after the incident, but repairing the fiber optic cable is taking longer. As of Friday, Fastwyre technicians were on the ground in Nome, working on repairs. The outage was caused when gold miner Kenny Hughes, who last week began gold m

Glenfarne, AGDC seek to stiff Fairbanks on spur line tariff

Something important happened this week on the gas pipeline.The “Build the Line!” cheerleaders in Fairbanks and elsewhere parroting Glenfarne propaganda without examining any details didn’t notice.The sloganeers were so busy getting angry at legislators they didn’t object when Glenfarne asked for a “technical amendment” that would make the Fairbanks spur line more expensive for Alaska customers of the gas pipeline.The dream of cheap energy is founded on the notion of immense LNG exports to Asia.

Unions thought they had binding deal for PLA; not so says Glenfarne

The Senate amended the gasline bill Friday to include provisions for a project labor agreement.The amendment was needed Sen. Bill Wielechowski said, because the labor unions that had negotiated and recently celebrated the signing of a project labor agreement thought that the deal with binding.But Glenfarne and Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced later that it was not binding, Wielechowski said.Here was what the IBEW said June 11:Glenfarne said the agreement it signed is not binding, but it “provides a

This Alaska Business: Alaska Flag and Flagpole

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence gave Alaska Flag & Flagpole plenty of time to stock up on a special Betsy Ross design. The newest episode of This Alaska Business inspects the shop in Midtown Anchorage that's also ready for last-minute flag needs.

Senate votes to close Hilcorp loophole again, as gasline bill advances

By an 11-9 vote, the Alaska Senate moved to close the Hilcorp loophole as part of a gas pipeline bill on the last day of the legislative special session, with a second special session perhaps to follow Saturday.It’s the easiest oil tax vote in the history of Alaska oil tax votes. The provision would mean that Hilcorp would pay the same tax as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, a tax it avoids because it has a corporate structure that was not envisioned by the Legislature decades ago when tax laws we

Dunleavy vetoes nine bills, but Alaska lawmakers override two in special session flurry

Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks in favor of the veto override on Senate Bill 41 on Friday, June 19, 2026. Watching at left is Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy extended his record-high veto rate Thursday by vetoing nine of the 82 bills passed by lawmakers in the second year of the 34th Alaska State Legislature.Among the vetoed bills were measures that would have provided mental health lessons to kids in public schools, created a

South Korea tops Alaska’s list of unofficial second teams for FIFA World Cup 2026

<p>Alaska is home to 3,188 foreign-born South Korean residents </p>

Appanage Fishing

Appanage Fishing is proof that the best lures are born on the water, not in a boardroom. Don Habeger started this Juneau-based tackle company after decades of fishing Southeast Alaska, and his Scent Striker lineup has been earning loyal followers among serious salmon and halibut anglers ever since. “I love fishing,” says owner Don Habeger. © Carol HabegerIt takes a brave individual to try and break into the tackle-manufacturing world that is full of countless options and established behemoth man

State AG asks Alaska Supreme Court to compel Fairbanks district to open charter school

Pearl Creek Elementary School is seen on June 3, 2025. The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District decided to close the school at the end of the academic year. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)Alaska’s acting attorney general filed an emergency petition with the Alaska Supreme Court to compel the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to open a charter school whose application the district previously denied.The petition comes one day after a Fairbanks judge denied a preliminary in

Federal government appeals decision that blocked oil drilling in Alaska caribou protection area

One caribou in the Teshekpuk herd approaches another on June 27, 2014. The herd, which spends the entire year on the North Slope, uses land adjacent to Teshekpuk Lake. (Photo by Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)The federal government is continuing to push for oil drilling in a North Slope conservation area intended to protect caribou.Last month, the U.S. Department of the Interior asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason

Dubai Chocolate Brownies

If you’ve been curious about the Dubai chocolate trend but don’t know where to start these Dubai Chocolate Brownies are the answer. They’re easy to make, give you the taste of Dubai chocolate, and a stellar dessert everyone loves. Or will, once they try it! They start with a box mix brownie base, get topped...The post Dubai Chocolate Brownies appeared first on Little House Big Alaska.

Juneteenth reminds us of Black Americans’ long struggle for education following end of slavery

Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of former slaves, with a line of girls from the Daytona Normal and Industrial School for Negro Girls that she founded. Daytona Beach, Florida, 1905. (Photo retrieved from the Library of Congress)The abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass is known for many things, but perhaps among the most significant is his views on education’s relationship to slavery. Douglass himself was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818.Douglass described in his 1845 autobiography ho

A bird and a puzzling sound lead to discovery

Bird collections manager Jack Withrow holds two species of snipe from the University of Alaska Museum of the North collection. A Wilson’s snipe is in his left hand. A common snipe is in his right hand. Photo by Rod BoyceBy Rod BoyceI walked around outside our Two Rivers home early one morning, as I sometimes do. It was mid-May and we — that’s my wife, Julie, and me — were about ready to head to work.The birds had recently returned. While waiting to get in the car, I heard American robins, black-

Cordova Covered Spaces Project takes steps toward first installation

Cordova is well on its way to building a new covered pavilion at the Veterans Memorial site at the Breakwater Trailhead Park. It’ll be the first major undertaking of the The Cordova Trail and Covered Spaces Project, a community-driven nonprofit with a mission to install new covered spaces on existing parks, trails and roadways in town so people can better enjoy the outdoors, especially during adverse weather. “Everyone is very excited about the future covered spaces, and also wonder why covered

U.S. scientific instruments in oceans off Alaska and elsewhere to remain in place

A glider is deployed in the Gulf of Alaska as part of the National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatories Initiative program. Gliders are autonomous underwater vehicles that can gather data for weeks or months. The glider was deployed as part of Global Station Papa Array, a collection of instruments positioned in the Gulf of Alaska through the Ocean Observatories Initiative. (Photo provided by the Station Papa Science Team)Hundreds of sophisticated monitoring instruments will remain in place i

Switzerland surges late for dominant World Cup Victory vs. 10-Man Bosnia in LA

Switzerland surged to its first victory of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in Group B after a late offensive outburst transformed a tense, scoreless contest. Playing before a heavily pro-Bosnian crowd at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the Swiss broke through in the 74th minute when substitute Johan Manzambi, 20, opened the scoring shortly after entering the match.Bosnia’s hopes faded further when defender Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for denyin

Millions celebrate the Knicks’ historic NBA Championship with ticker-tape parade in NYC

A sea of orange and blue filled lower Manhattan on Thursday, as millions of basketball fans marked the New York Knicks NBA championship with a ticker-tape parade to celebrate the team’s first NBA title in 53 years. City officials predicted the parade could rank among the largest celebrations in New York City history.The historic celebration followed the team’s decisive 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 the previous Saturday, securing the title behind a spectacular 45

Pearl Jam, Tyler Childers and Maná lead lineup for Ohana Festival’s 10th Anniversary celebration

Ohana Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 10th anniversary event, bringing a packed roster of major artists to Doheny State Beach from September 25–27.Headliners for the oceanfront festival include Pearl Jam, Tyler Childers, Maná, and Eddie Vedder alongside special guests. Other featured acts include Pixies, Alabama Shakes, Fontaines D.C., Billy Idol, Rilo Kiley, Jon Batiste, Bad Religion, and Men I Trust. Additional performers include Courtney Barnett, The Front Bottoms, Tom Odell, Otobok