www.alaskabookmarks.com - What's up in Alaska? News and interesting links from The Last Frontier

Jaylen Brown expresses mixed feelings in first official statement after trade to 76ers

Jaylen Brown publicly addressed his stunning trade from the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, describing the move as both emotional and motivating after spending a decade with the franchise.As reported on Wednesday, the Celtics sent the five-time All-Star wing to Philly in exchange for veteran forward Paul George alongside substantial draft assets, including two future first-round draft picks and two second-round selections. Brown, 29, departs as one of the most accomplished

Alex Ovechkin retuning to Capitals for 22nd NHL season with one-year contract

Alex Ovechkin will return to the Washington Capitals for a 22nd NHL season after signing a one-year contract, ending months of speculation about whether the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer would retire. The incentive-laden deal carries a $4.25 million average annual value, including a $1 million base salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and performance bonuses tied to games played that could increase its overall value. Ovechkin, who turns 41 in September, announced his decision by sayi

Metallica’s ‘All Within My Hands’ foundation donates $100K to aid Venezuelan earthquake relief efforts

Metallica’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, has pledged $100,000 to support emergency relief efforts in Venezuela following a pair of intense earthquakes that hit the country on June 24. The philanthropic foundation is channeling the funding through its long-standing partner Direct Relief, who is working alongside municipal and regional bureaus to coordinate and deploy critical medical supplies and basic healthcare assets to hard-hit municipalities.Venezuela was struck by sequ

Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley and NE-YO to headline the America250 Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show

Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley, and NE-YO will headline a major musical celebration from One Times Square on Friday, July 3, as part of a national celebration counting down to the Fourth of July and the United States’ 250th anniversary. Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan will host the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” an event organized by America250, the nonpartisan congressional commission responsible for directing the country’s semiquincentennial celebrations. The production aims to

Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley and NE-YO to headline the America250 Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show

‘GMA’ summer concert series to feature Keith Urban, Coco Jones, YEONJUN, Sublime & more

ABC’s “Good Morning America” has announced the lineup for its 2026 Summer Concert Series, bringing a mix of country, pop, R&B, K-pop and rock acts to the program’s new downtown Manhattan studio throughout the summer. The annual series has become a summer staple for television audiences, regularly featuring major touring artists and award-winning performers while helping promote new music releases, as “Good Morning America” kicks off another season of live

‘GMA’ summer concert series to feature Keith Urban, Coco Jones, YEONJUN, Sublime & more

I'm not sscared of dyin'

I'm not sure what to say about this without sounding maudlin, but when my current anthem, BeeGees' "Stayin' Alive" has run its course, this is the next song on the playlist.  Written by Laura Nyro"And When I Die" - In Remembrance of David Clayton-ThomasOne of the most memorable performances of David Clayton-Thomas's remarkable career was "And When I Die," the powerful 1969 hit by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Ironically, a song with such a sobering title became one of the most life-affirmi

Alaska lawmakers roll out draft compromise tax cut bill for the proposed AKLNG gas line

Conference committee members include House Speaker Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, Reps. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and Sens. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, and Mike Cronk, R-Tok, who unveiled a draft compromise bill for the proposed AKLNG gas line project on July 2, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)House and Senate conference committee members unveiled a draft compromise bill on Thursday for the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project, p

Man sentenced to 87 years for 2019 murder of missing Homer woman

Kirby Calderwood was sentenced on July 2 for the murder of Anesha “Duffy” Murnane

AIDEA looks to do business with investment firm promoted by Crum

AIDEA needs to provide Alaskans with information on what business it intends to conduct with an investment firm that former Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum claimed to have helped set up before he quit his state job in 2025 to run for governor.The AIDEA agenda for its July 8 “special” board meeting suggests that AIDEA is about to do business with the company. It also says that the topic will be discussed in secret.As is typical with AIDEA, there is no public information to determine what exactly t

Alaska’s native bees: tough, diverse and built for the North

A mining bee is seen on a flower on Nov. 15, 2015. (Photo by Peter Pearsal/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)If you kneel in a patch of early summer tundra and listen closely, you may hear a faint, steady buzz rising from the mosses and dwarf shrubs. It’s the sound of Alaska’s native bees — a diverse, resilient group of pollinators that have evolved to survive some of the harshest conditions on the planet.While many people picture honeybees when they think of pollinators, Alaska’s story is differen

OPINION: Fourth of July is a good time to talk about taxes

I’m sorry to say this column is about taxes. Oil and gas taxes. Corporate taxes. Legislative debate over taxes. If you want to read about the World Cup or salmon fishing or summer recipes for the best potato salad, this is not your cup of iced tea.

Seward pilot rescues pair of harbor seals near Cordova

Two harbor seal pups found abandoned in the Cordova area are being treated at the Alaska Sealife Center (ASLC) after a Seward pilot volunteered to make two nearly 300-mile rescue journeys.ASLC officials said pilot Duke Marolf and his wife Pamela Eiting transported both pups, who were found separately, to the center in Seward last month. The first pup was found in the water outside of Cordova with injuries suggesting she had become entangled in a gillnet. Presence of a fresh umbilical cord indica

America’s 250th birthday is on sale. Where’s all that merch money going?

Merchandise tied to America’s 250th birthday is sold in a stall at Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2026. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — What’s more American than apple pie? Capitalism. And an array of merchandise and influence is on sale for the 250th birthday of the United States.An America250 $275 Liberty Lux American Prosperity decorative throw pillow, anyone? How about a $25 Freedom 250 youth tee?America250, a commission creat

US labor market weakened in June

Empty tables line the pier at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, where a drop in Canadian visitors has affected business. Nationally, leisure and hospitality jobs dipped 61,000 in June, reflecting slower seasonal hiring. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)Job growth slowed in June to an increase of 57,000 after three straight months of gaining more than 100,000, according to a new report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Job gains were also revised down from 172,000 to 129,000 for May

Free legal aid services in Alaska get a boost from state and foundation funding

The state courthouse in Nome is seen on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)More Alaskans are set to have access to free legal aid as Alaska’s largest provider of legal assistance for civil cases gets a boost in short and longer term funding from the state and the Rasmuson Foundation. The Alaska Legal Services Corporation is a nonprofit that helps Alaskans with civil legal issues such as housing, public assistance, family law like custody disputes and protective orders, wills and

Will betting on wildfires lead to arson?

A firefighter watches as the Gifford Fire burns on Aug. 6, 2025, in Los Padres National Forest in California. Across the country, state officials say they’ve lost access to Forest Service grants to protect communities from wildfire, following a federal update to terms and conditions seeking to force agency partners to pledge compliance with President Donald Trump’s views on immigration, gender and DEI programs. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)Editor’s note: The California-specific wildfire be

OPINION: Alaska has a rare opportunity to transform rural health

When people hear that Alaska has been awarded $272 million per year for five years through the Rural Health Transformation Program, one of the first questions they ask is simple: What are we going to do with it?