Latest news with #Alaskans'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Alaska senators have a chance to protect Medicaid and safeguard vital services for Alaska's youth
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan gives an annual address to the Alaska State Legislature on Mar 20, 2025 (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) After Alaska's U.S. Rep. Nick Begich cast a vote to advance a budget reconciliation package that would be catastrophic for Alaska, we are counting on our senators to step up. With a narrow balance of power in the U.S. Senate, if U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has the courage to work with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, he can help stop this unprecedented attack on health care and core Medicaid services. President Donald Trump and Republicans are trying to cancel Alaskans' Medicaid health coverage to finance tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, and those elitists will succeed if our senators don't fight back. Alaska has one of, if not the highest rates of suicide, child abuse, domestic abuse, and sexual assault in the nation. Many of the victims utilize services that are funded by Medicaid. This may include individualized therapy and family therapy, intensive behavioral support in community and school settings, case management that secures outside resources for families in need such as food stamps, housing, therapeutic foster care placements, and reunification with families or adoption. Without access to these services, Alaska's suicide rates could climb, crime rates could increase, and more children could enter foster care without the supportive treatment they need to navigate their trauma. As a frontline mental and behavioral health worker, I worry for the youth I serve and how lack of available services and strained capacity will impact their growth. I worry that in the future, I may see youth that I have served living on the streets, turn to drugs to cope, or succumb to suicide. This month, Anchorage lost the Crisis Recovery Center that provided emergency care to teens experiencing mental health crises. Can we really afford to lose anything more? Our senators have the chance to ensure the youth of Alaska have a safe and stable future. Based on public statements, U.S. Republican Senators Murkowski, Lisa Collins of Maine, and Josh Hawley of Missouri all oppose cuts to Medicaid. Sullivan could be a deciding vote. Will he vote in lockstep to give Outside billionaires a tax cut financed by stealing Alaskans' health coverage, or will he stand up for his adopted state? The stakes could not be higher.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Large crowd gathers at Anchorage's Park Strip for May Day rally
May 2—More than 500 people descended on Anchorage's Delaney Park Strip on Thursday, bringing together supporters of more than a half-dozen organizing groups focusing on workers' rights and health care, among other issues. The gathering was one of more than a dozen protests and rallies around the state and hundreds more nationally and internationally. Dozens of people raised signs, covering a wide swath of topics including support for Ukraine, federal workers and students. There were signs lambasting Elon Musk, and the Trump administration's recent controversial policies regarding deportation and changes to the military. May Day has evolved into a holiday celebrating labor and is also International Workers' Day. Joelle Hall, president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, said the rally was important as a support system as well as to communicate to elected officials many Alaskans' dissatisfaction with how workers have been treated. "Today, my heart is thinking about federal workers who have lost their right for collective bargaining," she said. "With the stroke of a pen, decades of protections (have disappeared). These are our neighbors who have lost their jobs. And for what? To give a tax benefit to who? This is just insanity." (A federal judge last week temporarily blocked the executive order aiming to end collective bargaining for many federal workers.) Amy Holonics, a retired teacher who came to Alaska working as a park ranger, held a sign that read "Fund Science Not Billionaires." She said the sign referred to recent actions from President Donald Trump's administration that halted research and eroded food and drug safety. She said maintaining a strong federal workforce was important to her. "That's how I came to Alaska in 1985 and I've been here ever since," she said. "I believe in the Park Service, my family has worked for the Park Service 75 years or more. It's a robust organization and when people travel, they go to parks." Other organizing groups for the rally included NEA-Alaska, the 907 Initiative, Alaska Forward, Protect Our Care and Planned Parenthood, among others. [Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR] Education was major point of emphasis for people at the rally, with attendees raising signs advocating for increasing the Base Student Allocation and supporting educators. NEA-Alaska President Tom Klaameyer spoke to the crowd, focusing on how to turn their collective dissatisfaction into action. "People show up, they rally and sometimes that can be kind of an echo chamber," he said. "Unless you take that movement beyond your own personal feelings and thoughts and emotions, and you do something about it — we can come here every day and talk to ourselves, and if that's all we do, it won't make schools better for kids." Suzan Mullane wore a shirt that said "Educate Don't Capitulate Hands off Harvard." Last week, the university sued the Trump administration for threatening to freeze more than $2 billion in grants. Mullane said she was at the rally to show support for continued funding of preschool and to protect higher education. While rally speakers focused on labor, education and health care, there were a number of other focuses from attendees in the crowd. Eagle River's Richard Rearick said that range of protests shows how broadly actions by the Trump administration have impacted Alaskans. "Everybody has been affected one way or another, but really, we're all affected in totality, by what he's doing," Rearick said. "And I think that we need to come together and show our presence, show our objection to what he's doing." Trysten Walker, who held a sign supporting transgender rights, also had concerns about potential misconceptions about autism by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "They're creating a perception that will vilify people that don't really deserve it," Walker said. Robert G. Lopez, a 40-year Anchorage resident, was rallying against cuts made by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, creating uncertainty for services like the Meals on Wheels program. "They're taking food out of the elderly's mouth and taking money from the disadvantaged people," he said. "What happened to (the principle) of Christianity? Jesus would help the poor, feed the starving."
Miami Herald
21-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Sullivan and Begich ramp up fundraising ahead of 2026 elections
Laying the groundwork for 2026 reelection campaigns, U.S. Rep. Nick Begich and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan each reported raising around $800,000 in the first three months of the year, according to campaign finance reports filed recently. Begich reported bringing in more than $824,000. Nearly $272,000 - a full third of his haul - was transferred to his account from political action committees working to maintain the Republican majority in the House, including ones called Defend Our Majority, Grow the Majority and Emmer Majority Builders. No other candidates so far have announced they are running against Begich in next year's election, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified Alaska's lone U.S. House seat as a so-called "district in play" for the 2026 election cycle, signaling Democrats' readiness to fund an effort to unseat Begich. Begich unseated Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola in the November election. Peltola has since joined a lobbying firm, and has not announced any plans to run in 2026. In a statement earlier this month, DCCC chair Suzan DelBene said the committee "is already working to recruit authentic and battle-ready candidates in Alaska who reflect the state and will work to better Alaskans' lives." Begich reported raising more than $227,000 from political action committees, including ones associated with ConocoPhillips, Alaska Airlines and GCI, among others. Most of the individual contributions reported by Begich came from out of state. Paul Smith, a Begich campaign spokesperson, attributed Begich's out-of-state support to his legislative agenda. Begich has taken up national issues in Congress, including with a bill to establish a national bitcoin reserve. Despite focusing his fundraising Outside, "Begich is a champion for Alaska, having already spent time in Ketchikan, Juneau, Kodiak, Anchorage, the Mat-Su, and Fairbanks," Smith wrote. Begich's Alaska supporters include lobbyist Kristopher Knauss; GCI executive Ronald Duncan; Goldbelt Inc. executive Pierre McHugh; Arctic Slope Regional Corp. Chairman Crawford Patkotak; and lobbyist Michael Pawlowski, among others. Sullivan reported nearly $800,000 in receipts this year, of which roughly $540,000 was transferred from or contributed by political action committees. Sullivan's individual contributor list includes a who's-who of executives and billionaires with Alaska interests and investments. His campaign backers include Michael Wirth, chief executive of Chevron; oil geologist Bill Armstrong; multiple ConocoPhillips executives; Santos executive Joe Balash; GCI President Ronald Duncan; Enstar President John Sims; Furie owner John Hendrix; Calista Corp. President Andrew Guy; AT&T executive Jenifer Robertson; and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Chief Executive Natasha Singh, among others. Sullivan also received the maximum allowable contribution from Paul Singer, a hedge fund billionaire who previously flew U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to Alaska on a private jet, according to reporting from ProPublica. Sullivan reported spending $94,000 on campaign-related expenses in the first three months of the year, leaving him with $2,800,000 at the end of the quarter. Sullivan's biggest expense was $27,500 on fundraising consulting. Begich spent around $260,000, leaving him with nearly $670,000 at the end of March. Begich has paid nearly $70,000 to WinRed, a fundraising platform associated with Republican candidates. He spent nearly $54,000 on mailing services, and more than $26,000 on fundraising. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sullivan and Begich ramp up fundraising ahead of 2026 elections
Apr. 20—Laying the groundwork for 2026 reelection campaigns, U.S. Rep. Nick Begich and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan each reported raising around $800,000 in the first three months of the year, according to campaign finance reports filed recently. Begich reported bringing in more than $824,000. Nearly $272,000 — a full third of his haul — was transferred to his account from political action committees working to maintain the Republican majority in the House, including ones called Defend Our Majority, Grow the Majority and Emmer Majority Builders. No other candidates so far have announced they are running against Begich in next year's election, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified Alaska's lone U.S. House seat as a so-called "district in play" for the 2026 election cycle, signaling Democrats' readiness to fund an effort to unseat Begich. Begich unseated Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola in the November election. Peltola has since joined a lobbying firm, and has not announced any plans to run in 2026. In a statement earlier this month, DCCC chair Suzan DelBene said the committee "is already working to recruit authentic and battle-ready candidates in Alaska who reflect the state and will work to better Alaskans' lives." Begich reported raising more than $227,000 from political action committees, including ones associated with ConocoPhillips, Alaska Airlines and GCI, among others. Most of the individual contributions reported by Begich came from out of state. Paul Smith, a Begich campaign spokesperson, attributed Begich's out-of-state support to his legislative agenda. Begich has taken up national issues in Congress, including with a bill to establish a national bitcoin reserve. Despite focusing his fundraising Outside, "Begich is a champion for Alaska, having already spent time in Ketchikan, Juneau, Kodiak, Anchorage, the Mat-Su, and Fairbanks," Smith wrote. Begich's Alaska supporters include lobbyist Kristopher Knauss; GCI executive Ronald Duncan; Goldbelt Inc. executive Pierre McHugh; Arctic Slope Regional Corp. Chairman Crawford Patkotak; and lobbyist Michael Pawlowski, among others. Sullivan reported nearly $800,000 in receipts this year, of which roughly $540,000 was transferred from or contributed by political action committees. Sullivan's individual contributor list includes a who's-who of executives and billionaires with Alaska interests and investments. His campaign backers include Michael Wirth, chief executive of Chevron; oil geologist Bill Armstrong; multiple ConocoPhillips executives; Santos executive Joe Balash; GCI President Ronald Duncan; Enstar President John Sims; Furie owner John Hendrix; Calista Corp. President Andrew Guy; AT&T executive Jenifer Robertson; and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Chief Executive Natasha Singh, among others. Sullivan also received the maximum allowable contribution from Paul Singer, a hedge fund billionaire who previously flew U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to Alaska on a private jet, according to reporting from ProPublica. Sullivan reported spending $94,000 on campaign-related expenses in the first three months of the year, leaving him with $2,800,000 at the end of the quarter. Sullivan's biggest expense was $27,500 on fundraising consulting. Begich spent around $260,000, leaving him with nearly $670,000 at the end of March. Begich has paid nearly $70,000 to WinRed, a fundraising platform associated with Republican candidates. He spent nearly $54,000 on mailing services, and more than $26,000 on fundraising.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada's LNG industry set to take flight as interest reignites in Alaska megaproject
CALGARY — Hundreds of kilometres up the Pacific coast from where Canada's first liquefied natural gas export terminal is set to start up this summer, a monster lays dormant. Alaska has long had ambitions to ship its natural gas to international markets, but the cost and scale of such an undertaking has held it back for decades. But there's been renewed interest in the megaproject since U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office devoted to Alaska resource development. State officials, including Gov. Mike Dunleavy, have been busy in recent weeks trying to woo potential Asian buyers of the gas under long-term contracts. Industry experts have doubts the Alaska behemoth will awaken this time, but they say Canada must be mindful of the threat it could pose to its own nascent LNG industry. 'If there's a time to build it, now would probably be your best bet,' Enverus senior analyst Josephine Mills said of the Trump administration's keenness on Alaska gas and the Republicans' control of Congress. 'But then again, this has been being talked about for the past 30, 40 years. It's by no means a new project. So definitely I think it would be faced with a lot of hurdles to come.' With an estimated price tag of US$44 billion, Alaska LNG would see a 1,300-kilometre pipeline traverse the state from north to south, passing through treacherous terrain to deliver an average of 3.5 million mmBTU a day of gas to a liquefaction plant in Nikiski, south of Anchorage. The project also includes a carbon capture plant by the gas fields on Alaska's North Slope. Some of the gas would be for Alaskans' needs, but most would be loaded onto tankers and sold across the Pacific, the same markets Canadian LNG developers want to tap. 'It would be beneficial to Canada to not have Alaska LNG be built,' said Mills. But if it did go ahead — and that's a big if — it would be after 2030, she added. Late last month, the state corporation behind the massive endeavour, Alaska Gasline Development Corp., signed Glenfarne Group as lead developer on the project. Glenfarne, a U.S. builder of energy infrastructure, now owns 75 per cent of the project, AGDC holding the rest. A final investment decision on Alaska LNG is expected some time this year. Kent Fellows, an economist with the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, said contracts to buy LNG are signed before plants start up and usually span several years. So the trade chaos Trump has unleashed with a bevy of tariffs against one-time allies does the Alaska project no favours. 'It can be really costly to make some of these investments if you're not sure that trade relationship is going to be stable going forward,' Fellows said. 'One of the huge advantages that the United States had up until about 12 months ago (is) they had a reputation for being a very stable economy, being an economy that believed in global free trade.' If Alaska LNG is somehow successful in sewing up contracts with Asian buyers, it makes it harder for B.C. projects further behind in development to secure enough demand to justify their own plants. "With an LNG market, that competition happens at the time the facility is built, so timing the market can end up really, really important," said Fellows. However, the CEO of Canada's biggest natural gas producer said there should be plenty of interest to go around. Mike Rose, who heads up Tourmaline Oil Corp., foresees worldwide demand soaring by up to 50 million mmBTU by 2035. "We won't be oversupplying because there might be a project that comes on in Alaska," he said. "We need all of them." In a speech to Canadian Club Toronto last week, TC Energy chief executive François Poirier said he'd like to see a "Team Canada" approach to developing LNG. TC Energy built the pipeline that ships gas across B.C. to the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat. "In Alaska, the U.S. administration is today working toward signing (memorandums of understanding) for LNG with countries like Japan and South Korea," Poirier said. "The governor of Alaska has travelled himself to Asia to line up customers and investors for Alaskan LNG, and guess what? He returned from his trip with an agreement from Taiwan." Poirier said no matter which party wins the April 28 federal election, it will be key for the prime minister, premiers, businesses and Indigenous leaders to show a degree of alignment similar to the U.S.. "Collectively, we'll have to travel to Asia and market ourselves and underscore that Canada is back in business and is a good risk to take." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP, TSX:TOU) Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press
