Louisiana Republicans passed a new gerrymander on Friday that will eliminate one of the state’s two Democratic, majority-Black House districts ahead of the midterms.
The state Senate sent the bill to GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, who is expected to approve it.
The new map was spurred by the Supreme Court’s decision to narrow the Voting Rights Act, which gave Louisiana the greenlight to redraw its majority-minority districts and kicked off new gerrymanders in other GOP-led southern states, like Tennessee.
Friday’s result is a major win for Landry and for President Donald Trump, further extending Republicans’ gains through mid-decade redistricting this cycle.
Rep. Cleo Fields’ (D-La.) district has been completely erased in the new map, while Rep. Troy Carter’s (D-La.) blue-leaning district has been redrawn to mostly mirror the seat he won in 2022.
Fields’ district snaked across the state from Shreveport to Baton Rouge, while Carter’s seat was largely based around New Orleans.
In order to pass the map for this year’s midterms, Landry used his executive authority to declare a state of emergency and canceled May primary elections for House races, something that has cost millions of dollars and led to widespread confusion. Louisiana’s House primaries will now take place on Nov. 3, with any necessary runoffs stretching to December.
Some GOP members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation were not pleased with the new map. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) recently called it a “Frankenstein looking thing” that “was NO DOUBT drawn up by a very small handful of guys in a secret room.”
His post caught the attention of state House lawmakers when their chamber approved the map on Thursday. Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus Chair Edmond Jordan, a Democrat, joked on the House floor that “hell has frozen over” because he agreed with Higgins.
Louisiana’s one-seat gain comes as other states Georgia like and most recently South Carolina declined to pursue redistricting or put it on hold until the 2028 cycle. The redraw spree first kicked off last summer in Texas and has spread to 10 states, some of which are still held up in court.
There will almost certainly be legal challenges in Louisiana, and potentially from the same plaintiffs in Louisiana v. Callais, who have already argued in court filings that the one remaining Black-majority district is unconstitutional.
Former Gov. Bill Walker and his wife Donna wave campaign signs on Aug. 15, 2022, at the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and the Seward Highway in Anchorage. Walker is a fan of the state’s new ranked-choice system. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said Thursday that he is considering whether to formally file as a candidate for governor on Monday, the deadline to enter the 2026 race.
Walker and former Department of Revenue Commissioner Randy Hoffbeck filed letters of intent with the Alaska Public Offices Commission on Thursday, a necessary step before officially registering as candidates with the Alaska Division of Elections.
Both would run as independents if they decide to register, Walker said.
“We’ll meet a few times more over the weekend,” Hoffbeck said. “We both feel very strongly that we need to raise the level of discussion on a (state) fiscal plan and the gasline, but our consideration is: Can we move the needle? Is this the best use of our time and resources?”
The deadline to file as a candidate in this year’s statewide elections is 5 p.m. Monday. If Walker formally becomes a candidate, he would be the 19th in this year’s race.
Walker, elected as an independent in 2014, served four years in office. When he ran for re-election, a scandal involving then-lieutenant Gov. Byron Mallott caused Mallott to resign less than a month before Election Day 2018. Walker suspended his re-election campaign, and Republican Mike Dunleavy went on to be elected, defeating Democratic candidate Mark Begich in the process.
Walker ran for re-election in 2022 against Dunleavy and Democratic candidate Les Gara. Dunleavy won that race but is term-limited and cannot run again. That’s led to a wide field of options for the 2026 election.
“There’s a flavor for everybody, no question about that,” Walker said.
During his term in office, Alaska experienced a sharp drop in oil prices that led to a fiscal crisis. Walker slashed the state’s budget and vetoed a portion of the 2015 Permanent Fund dividend, becoming the first governor in state history to do so.
Since then, successive editions of the state Legislature have set the annual dividend amount themselves, rather than using a formula.
During Walker’s term, he proposed a comprehensive state fiscal plan that would have shifted Alaska away from a reliance on oil revenue, but lawmakers failed to adopt it.
In his final year, legislators approved one aspect, an annual transfer from the Alaska Permanent Fund to the state treasury. That transfer is now the No. 1 source of general-purpose revenue for the state, used for dividends and services alike.
By phone on Thursday, Walker said he was concerned about a state fiscal plan in 2014, and he still is.
“They got some of it passed but not enough of it,” he said, referring to the proposal he made while in office, “and so we need a fiscal plan. I haven’t heard a lot of discussion on the campaign trail from (other candidates) about what they’d do on the fiscal side, and — well, I’m not a very good spectator when there’s work to be done.”
Hoffbeck, who would serve as Walker’s lieutenant governor, was his revenue commissioner from 2014 through 2017, when he resigned to become an interim minister, working at churches whose ministers had recently departed.
“It won’t be an easy job, but you know, we can sit back on the sideline and just complain, or we can get involved and actually try and do something, and I think that’s kind of where Bill and I are at,” Hoffbeck said. “I like being retired, I like what I’m doing right now, but I’m also frustrated with what I’m hearing and seeing, and so, I guess at some point in time you’ve got to stop talking and do something.”
In addition to the surprise possible return of Bill Walker, the last days before the candidate filing deadline have brought a flurry of lieutenant governor candidate announcements.
Democratic candidate Tom Begich announced former U.S. Department of Agriculture official Julia Hnilicka as his running mate on Wednesday, while Republican candidate Adam Crum declared former healthcare CEO Robert Craig as his choice for lieutenant governor on Thursday morning.
Hours after that, Democratic candidate Matt Claman said Sarah Skeel, former chief administrative officer of Providence Alaska Medical Center, would be his lieutenant governor pick. Independent candidate Meda DeWitt has scheduled an announcement event on Saturday.
If a gubernatorial candidate does not have a registered lieutenant governor candidate by 5 p.m. Monday, they are ineligible to run.
Registered candidates have until June 27 to drop out. If a candidate for governor withdraws, the lieutenant governor candidate may take their spot and pick a new lieutenant governor. A lieutenant governor candidate who withdraws may be replaced with another.
Candidates for Governor
Former state Sen. Tom Begich (Democratic) with Lt. Gov. candidate Julia Hnilicka (Democratic)
NOTN- Juneau’s got a busy few weeks ahead as the city prepares for the arrival of the 2026 Canoe Journey and continues discussions on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida will welcome canoes ashore Tuesday, June 2, during the 2026 Canoe Journey Landing in Juneau ahead of Celebration.
Community members, families and visitors are invited to gather for the event.
One landing is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Áak’w Kwáan Landing at the Auke Village Recreation Area. Parking at Auke Rec is limited, and shuttle service will run from the University of Alaska Southeast between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
A second landing is planned for 2 p.m. at the Huna Totem Corp. lot at Egan Drive and Whittier Street downtown.
Celebration begins June 3-6, held by Sealaska Heritage Institute, the theme this year is “Enduring Strength.”
Several city meetings are also scheduled Wednesday, June 3.
The Juneau Commission on Sustainability will hold a regular meeting at noon via Zoom. The Eaglecrest Board Sales and Communications Committee also meets at noon by Zoom.
Later in the day, The Assembly Finance Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. in Assembly Chambers, with participation also available through Zoom and YouTube livestream, this is ahead of the June 8 Assembly meeting, which city officials say is the final opportunity for public input on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget before adoption.
On May 20, the Assembly Finance Committee adopted nearly $4.7 million in proposed reductions to the budget. The reductions included cuts to partner agency grants, capital projects, city services and the restricted budget reserve.
The Assembly also introduced four ordinances May 27 that would amend the city’s Sales Tax code and generate additional tax revenue.
Those ordinances will also be discussed during the June 8 meeting.
The Assembly must adopt a final budget by June 15.
Next week marks what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday.
The occasion has sparked renewed interest in the screen icon’s turbulent life and times.
Of course, Marilyn is different from other stars of her era in that the public’s fascination with her brief career has never really waned.
But despite the decades of scrutiny, new claims are still being made about Marilyn, and the latest involves the other biggest star of the 1950s.
Actress Marilyn Monroe poses for a portrait laying on the grass in 1954 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Baron/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Yes, according to Byron Raphael, a friend and employee of Elvis Presley’s, the King of Rock and Roll and the Queen of the Silver Screen enjoyed a “glorious” one-night stand.
“Elvis had never seen Marilyn, then in the early summer of 1960, the two most explosive and legendary sex symbols of their era sized each other up in the street in front of a soundstage at Twentieth Century Fox, and came away unnerved,” a source close to the situation recently told Radar Online.
In newly resurfaced comments, Raphael recalled that Elvis approached Marilyn “in his usual self-deprecating way, his soft baritone edged in southern charm” and said, “‘Hello, my name is Elvis Presley. How are you, Miss Monroe?’”
“Elvis asked her if she would like to come to a party that he was giving the next night,” Raphael shared with Alanna Nash, author of Baby, Let’s Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him.
“She looked at the guys and said ‘I’m sorry. I can’t, but thank you’ and kind of dashed away. He was very embarrassed, but I think she turned him down because she felt it was too public,” he added.
At the time, Monroe was married to the legendary playwright Arthur Miller, but according to Raphael, the marriage “wasn’t going well.”
“But, as marriages go in those days, in New York, you had to be very careful, because there was fault divorces, rather than no-fault divorces,” Raphael explained.
“Adultery could not only mean money, but tremendous scandal.”
Raphael claims he was there on the fateful night when Elvis and Marilyn crossed paths for the second time — and tumbled into bed together.
“They came together and, without saying a word, started kissing,” Raphael recalled.
“I was in shock and I didn’t know what to do. Then Marilyn, who was about 10 years older, said, ‘You’re pretty good for a guitar player.’ “After two minutes, they went into the bedroom, and I didn’t know if I was supposed to leave, or stay and wait for them, so I sort of just dozed off.”
But Raphael was “startled awake” by the bedroom door opening and Elvis and Marilyn walking out “stark naked.”
While it was certainly (allegedly) a night to remember, Raphael says he never mentioned it to another soul while Presley and Monroe were still alive.
“A few days later, when I mentioned Marilyn to Elvis, he said, ‘She’s a nice gal, but a little tall for me,’” he said.
“I knew that this was the sort of thing that could ruin their careers. They were two of the most famous people in the world, and Marilyn was still married to Arthur Miller at the time — so I never said a word.”
It’s a testament to the enduring power of Marilyn’s legacy that 64 years after her death, claims about her love life can still make headlines.
FILE - North America's tallest peak, on Aug. 12, 2025, in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer,File)
FILE – North America’s tallest peak, on Aug. 12, 2025, in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer,File)
AP- Rescuers are trying to reach four climbers who fell on Alaska’s Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak, the National Park Service said Thursday.
The climbers’ conditions weren’t immediately known following the fall, which was reported to Denali National Park and Preserve rangers overnight, and rangers were seeking a weather window to allow them to reach the area by helicopter, a statement from the agency said. The four climbers were part of a seven-person team.
The three others climbing attended to those who fell, and then returned to camp, the statement says. The fall occurred near Denali Pass, at about 18,200 feet (5,547 meters). The climbers returned to an area known as high camp around 17,000 feet (5,181 meters), the statement says. McKinley stands at about 20,310 feet (6,190 meters).
Park officials have been in contact with the three climbers, said Scott Carr, a park service spokesperson. He said additional information would be released “if and when it becomes appropriate.”
Over the years, many climbing injuries and deaths have occurred on the traverse between the high camp and Denali Pass, mainly resulting from unprotected falls, according to the park.
Park rangers and mountain guides install and maintain snow pickets — which are used to help build anchors for extra protection on areas like steep slopes — between the high camp and Denali Pass, the park says. Climbers are urged to have their own pickets in case the protection placed by rangers and guides is missing.
Weather conditions didn’t improve the way rescuers had hoped. Carr said late Thursday that conditions throughout the day had been variable, with low cloud ceilings and limited visibility, and that authorities were still awaiting an opportunity to safely fly.
“Helicopter operations will start when a weather window opens up,” he said.
A typical climbing season for Mount McKinley begins in late April and continues into mid-July, according to the park. There were 516 climbers on the mountain as of Thursday, Carr said by email.
On Wednesday, two climbers as part of a separate incident were evacuated from the mountain by helicopter around 11 p.m., but the park service said it did not have additional information to share.
The following article has been written by the President and CEO of Goldbelt Inc. and is not a neutral news report.
The Goldbelt Aani Concept Image, provided by Goldbelt Inc.
Juneau is at an inflection point. Rising costs, aging infrastructure, and shrinking resources are forcing tough decisions about whether our community will remain sustainable for the next generation. Goldbelt will lead a path to prosperity.
Goldbelt was created through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), legislation that resolved Indigenous land claims by creating corporations, instead of reservations, and returning select lands to Alaska Native people through regional and village corporations. As Juneau’s Alaska Native corporation, we selected parcels from our ancestral homelands that were important to our people and that we are responsible for stewarding these ancestral lands today.
Under ANCSA, these lands are not taxed until they are developed. That structure was designed to support long-term economic opportunity for Alaska Native people and to keep Native land in Native hands.
As Juneau’s Alaska Native corporation (ANC), owned by Tlingits of the Áak’w Kwáan and T’áaku Kwáan, Goldbelt’s responsibility is to the Indigenous people who make up our shareholder base. Our shareholders will always be our top priority. Unlike a publicly traded company, our responsibility does not end with dividends. It includes building systems and infrastructure that support our shareholders and the broader community.
As an example, when Goldbelt invested $10 million in a revenue-sharing agreement with the City and Borough of Juneau on the Eaglecrest gondola project, it did so because it was a strong investment for our shareholders. It also reflects an investment in our community. We believe that a prosperous Juneau depends on a sustainable, year-round outdoor recreation facility at Eaglecrest.
The Goldbelt Aaní port project on the backside of Douglas is another example of investment that serves our stakeholders while supporting the community. The port reflects decades of planning by Goldbelt and its shareholders for development of our ANCSA lands. Not only will it create local jobs and produce profits that remain here in Juneau, the project will enhance borough infrastructure with upgraded utilities and a new wastewater treatment facility on Douglas Island.
Once developed, the port is expected to become one of Juneau’s largest taxpayers. That revenue supports schools, infrastructure and the services residents rely on every day. Sustainable, thoughtful development supports jobs, strengthens the economy and contributes to a stable tax base.
Goldbelt is a forever company supporting people who have been here since time immemorial. We are here to stay and to contribute to Juneau’s long-term economic stability because this is where our people live. We operate businesses around the world, but our headquarters and our home are in Juneau. We invest our profits in Juneau’s future. As an Alaska Native corporation, those investments stay with our people and our lands, adding long-term value for locals instead of flowing to outside investors.
Goldbelt wants to help build a future where families choose to stay in Juneau, where people have confidence in the economy, where children are raised, and people invest in their future now and forever.
Author bio
McHugh Pierre is President and CEO of Goldbelt, Inc., Juneau’s Alaska Native corporation, owned by Tlingit shareholders of the Áak’w Kwáan and T’áaku Kwáan.
Late-afternoon sunlight bathes the ConocoPhillips building in downtown Anchorage on March 10, 2026. A legal dispute over confidentiality of data from exploratory wells drilled by ConocoPhillips in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska came down to interpretations of the federal Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act. The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is seeking to release the information publicly, and an appeals court ruled in the state’s favor. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
The state of Alaska has the right to make public data from exploration wells drilled by ConocoPhillips in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, an appeals court has ruled.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, issued Wednesday, overturns a 2023 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason that allowed well data to remain under wraps.
At issue is a collection of wells drilled in the reserve, which is federal territory. ConocoPhillips argued that data confidentiality is explicitly guaranteed in federal law and that federal law supersedes state law, but the appeals justices disagreed.
On the National Petroleum Reserve, “Alaska has its own authority to gather — and disclose — data collected from oil and gas exploration, authority that it exercised even before Congress opened the Reserve to private exploration,” the appeals court ruling said.
The Indiana-sized National Petroleum Reserve is of keen interest to energy companies. It is underlain by a formation called the Nanushuk, the source of oil for ConocoPhillips’ huge Willow project, which is under development, the Santos-operated Pikka project, which recently started production, and other prospects. A lease sale held in the reserve in March, the first since 2019, drew a record $163 million in high bids.
Under state law, data from exploratory oil and gas wells is to be disclosed publicly after those wells are completed. State law provides for a 24-month period of confidentiality, after which the AOGCC is to make the data publicly available, unless the Department of Natural Resources commissioner grants an exemption to keep the information confidential for a longer period.
After ConocoPhillips’ request for a DNR exemption was denied, the company in 2022 sued the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to keep the data confidential.
ConocoPhillips argued that the federal Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act expressly prevents the AOGCC and Gas Conservation Commission from disclosing data from the wells, which were drilled on federal leases.
Gleason’s March 8, 2023, ruling came to a slightly different conclusion that nonetheless backed ConocoPhillips. She found that the federal law implicitly protects data confidentiality, despite state law.
The appeals court judges agreed that the federal law has no explicit restriction on state release of well data, but they drew a different conclusion from that finding than Gleason did.
For the state, the appeals court ruling is a victory that is good for future development, Acting Attorney General Cori Mills said in a statement.
“Alaska relies heavily on our resources and resource development. We are also stewards of those resources for the citizens of Alaska. Alaska’s law both allows resource development now, and encourages further development and exploration in the future. We’re pleased that the Ninth Circuit recognized that federal law has not overridden Alaska’s balanced approach,” Mills said.
ConocoPhillips is still considering its next steps, a company spokesperson said. “ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. has received the court’s decision and is evaluating it. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. has not decided on whether to appeal the decision,” company spokesperson Megan Olson said by email.
The well data that is the subject of the case remains confidential, according to court documents. Confidentiality has been maintained all the time that the court case has been active.
