Volunteers are circulating a ballot initiative petition this week to reduce the senior
property tax exemption from $300,000 to $200,000.
Reducing this exemption is necessary in order for our government to fully fund essential
services without depleting our town’s savings. If 297 signatures are gathered by Aug. 12, voters will have the opportunity to decide this matter in the October municipal election.
A Haines voter initiative in 2024 that increased the senior property tax exemption…
My motto was “Fill the Barn” and we did just that for the 2026 Southeast Alaska State Fair. It wasn’t just me though. I wish there was room here to print the names on my list of more than 60 people who joined in the fun of building pens, hutches, cages, painted fences, and cared for the animals, as well as those who sponsored this project, and the animal owners who trusted us with their…
Some grocery stores may offer hot food, but only this New York chain accompanies its fresh eats with suit-clad singers belting out Sinatra from the aisles.
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Liquor and liqueurs each carry unique traditions of production and consumption – and these two distinct drink styles offer plenty to unpack.
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Tarik Skubal is a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the Dodgers are reeling. Following a 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon, the Dodgers have now lost six consecutive games. They also lost Skubal’s debut in Dodger blue on Tuesday night and are going through their longest losing streak of the season. Furthermore, the Dodgers (69-46) have lost 15 of their last 25 games and have been knocked off the pedestal by the Milwaukee Brewers (70-43) for the best record in both the National League and MLB altogether. What gives? Colin Cowherd, for one, thinks this dry spell is exposing the Dodgers as a flawed club. “Stop staring at the paint job. Look under the hood: the Dodgers are a mess,” Cowherd asserted on Wednesday’s edition of “The Herd.” “The Skubal acquisition was much more life-raft than adding a helipad to the yacht. … The Dodgers have bullpen issues and age issues.” As for some of the struggling bats, star shortstop Mookie Betts is having arguably the worst offensive year of his MLB career. He entered the team’s Wednesday afternoon game against the Cubs with a .223/.280/.390 slash line. Right fielder Kyle Tucker, who the Dodgers signed to a four-year, $240 million deal in the offseason, entered Wednesday with a career-low in batting average (.243), slugging percentage (.381) and OPS+ (101); center fielder Andy Pages — who blasted 10 home runs, drove in 39 runs and boasted a .304/.357/.530 slash line over his first 46 games this season — entered the day with a .245/.318/.405 slash line over his last 67 games. Over the last 30 days, the Dodgers are 20th in MLB in runs (93), tied for 21st in on-base percentage (.306), tied for 17th in home runs (26), tied for 15th in slugging percentage (.399) and 12th outright in hits (196). Meanwhile, on the rotation front, left-hander Blake Snell has made one start this season due to shoulder and elbow injuries; right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been limited to seven starts due to a back injury; second-year starter Roki Sasaki has struggled to turn a corner, finding difficulty in finishing off hitters and sporting a 4.64 ERA and an 89 ERA+. In the bullpen, closer Edwin Díaz, whom the Dodgers signed to a three-year, $69 million deal in the offseason, recently returned from a roughly three-month absence due to elbow surgery; as a collective, Los Angeles is 16th in the sport in bullpen ERA (4.08) and has blown 16 save opportunities. “This team is winning on the margins the last two years, and now they’re broken,” Cowherd said. As for their championship success in recent memory, the Dodgers were just the third seed in the NL playoffs last season. They trailed the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 in the World Series and 4-2 in the eighth inning of Game Seven before pulling off the series comeback. Still, Los Angeles is seeking to become the first MLB team to three-peat as World Series champions since the New York Yankees did so from 1998-2000.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
It’s a big deal for a restaurant’s menu item to be considered one of the top fast food chicken releases of the year. That honor was bestowed upon this chain.
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Fired federal workers formerly with the U.S. Forest Service based at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau speak at the Alaska State Capito; on March 21, 2025, about their experiences. The Forest Service was among the federal agencies in Alaska most heavily affected by job cuts. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska lost a higher percentage of its federal workforce last year than almost all U.S. states to sweeping Trump administration cuts, according to a newly published analysis by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
By the end of 2025, Alaska’s federal workforce was 10.5% smaller than it had been at the end of the prior year, according to the analysis, published in Alaska Economic Trends, the monthly magazine of the department’s research section. In the fourth quarter of 2025, after many workers accepted buyouts or early retirement, the state’s federal workforce had dropped by 1,607 from the total in the fourth quarter of 2024, to 13,767 from 15,374 the year prior, according to the analysis.
The job losses came through mass firings and cuts made by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, the government-reducing campaign led by trillionaire Elon Musk that started shortly after Donald Trump took office for his second term. To a large extent, job losses were concentrated at the end of the year.
Calculated by the annual average, Alaska lost about 4.5% of its federal jobs in 2025. Only Maryland, which lost 6.5% of its federal jobs, and New Mexico, which lost 5.8% of its federal jobs, lost more.
Federal job losses reduced Alaska’s total earnings by $36.5 million on average in 2025, according to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development analysis, and they brought federal employment in Alaska to the lowest level since at least 1990.
Much of the cutting in Alaska came in the U.S. Department of Defense’s civilian workforce. Calculated by annual average, 340 defense related jobs were lost to the DOGE cuts, but the fourth-quarter loss was calculated at 755 jobs.
The large amount of job losses in the Department of Defense category was a bit surprising, said Karinne Wiebold, the state labor economist who wrote the Trends article. “I assumed early on that the DoD might be one of the less affected departments and that our strong military presence might insulate us,” she said by email.
Federal agencies that sustained high numbers of job losses included the U.S. Forest Service, which had 180 fewer employees at the end of 2025 than in late 2024, the Bureau of Land Management, which had lost 133 jobs at the end of the year, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which had lost 101 of its workers by the end of 2025.
Job losses in the Forest Service and NOAA have affected important Alaska industries and services, including fishery science, weather forecasting, scientific research and tourism.
The fallout from the job losses continues, and the public does not yet have a complete picture, Wiebold said. “I do think the public is aware of the federal job losses and that they have been deep and a bit unpredictable,” she said. “I don’t know if the public generally understands what the ramifications of the cuts will be — federal employees perform a wide variety of oftentimes highly specialized work.”
Certain parts of the state were harder hit than others. The Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, which has been reliant on military-related employment, and parts of Southeast Alaska, where employment related to the Tongass National Forest is important, are among those regions with steeper job losses by percentage, according to the analysis.
Alaska’s ranking among states hit by DOGE-related job cuts could change, Wiebold said. Data from this year has yet to be fully analyzed, she said. “Even in the first parts of 2026, there are reports of the rankings shifting somewhat,” she said.
You may have noticed that your refrigerator has something called Sabbath mode (your dishwasher may have this too). This is what it means and what it does.
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As we previously reported, Perez Hilton was hospitalized amid what appeared to be a mental health crisis on Tuesday.
The circumstances that led to Hilton’s apparent act of self-harm — which was documented on a TikTok livestream — remain somewhat hazy.
But a new report about Hilton’s finances adds some heartbreaking context to a series of events that have already left many fans and fellow creators deeply concerned.
According to TMZ, the longtime celebrity blogger had been quietly dealing with mounting financial pressure in the months leading up to his hospitalization, with medical bills and a dramatic decline in income reportedly taking a significant toll.
The outlet reports that Hilton — whose real name is Mario Lavandeira — had confided to people close to him that he was struggling to stay afloat after a string of serious health setbacks earlier this year.
A bout of sepsis reportedly led to a lengthy hospital stay, followed by additional complications that required emergency surgery just weeks later. Those medical emergencies not only sidelined his ability to work, they also left him facing enormous expenses.
Friends told TMZ that Hilton had become increasingly worried about supporting his family, describing him as the sole breadwinner for his household.
The financial strain reportedly compounded an already difficult period marked by health issues and a recent move back to Miami with his three children.
The revelations come one day after authorities responded to Hilton’s Miami home following a deeply concerning social media livestream.
Deputies ultimately transported him to a hospital, where he is receiving medical care. His family later confirmed that their focus is on his recovery and asked the public to respect his privacy during this difficult time.
In a statement shared Wednesday, Hilton’s loved ones thanked supporters for the outpouring of concern.
“We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being,” the statement read, adding that updates will be shared if and when appropriate (via TMZ).
While Hilton built his name as one of the internet’s most influential celebrity gossip figures during the 2000s, the media landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade.
Like many independent digital publishers, he has spoken openly about declining traffic and the challenges of adapting to shifting algorithms and audience habits. Combined with significant medical expenses, those factors reportedly created an overwhelming financial burden.
For now, those close to Hilton are asking for compassion rather than speculation. The circumstances surrounding his hospitalization have prompted an outpouring of support from fans and fellow entertainers, many of whom have emphasized that his health and recovery are what matter most.
If you or someone you know is struggling or experiencing emotional distress, help is available. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Perez Hilton Was ‘Stressing Out Over Money’ Ahead of Mental Health Crisis was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
6LACK has unveiled the music video for “I Guess,” featured on his celebrated new LP Love is the New Gangsta.
Directed by Cameron Dean, the music video features the Atlanta-raised crooner singing on an ornately decorated set, surrounded by beautiful flowers and white walls with no decorations outside of his lyrics graffiti’d in black spray paint. The backdrop shifts from this aforementioned set to a cloud-covered field and a simple blue set design. The clip also features a guest appearance from a rather massive brown bear.
“I Guess” features production from Dos Dias, Childish Major, Trey Lander, and Justin Cho, and includes some of 6LACK’s most provocative lyricism on Love is the New Gangsta. Recalling a relationship gone wrong, he croons: “Baby, it’s me, open the gate/ She opened the door, the weapon was raised.”
The music video for “I Guess” joins a potent collection of visuals from Love is the New Gangsta tracks, including “On Me,” which features R&B singer Odeal; “RUNNING LATE FREESTYLE”; “All That Matters” featuring AZ Chike and Leon Thomas; and the 2 Chainz-assisted “Sunday Again.”
6LACK is gearing up to bring Love is the New Gangsta on the road. In September, he’ll embark on the European stretch of his 10 Years of 6LACK Tour. The run begins on September 8 in Oslo, Norway.
The headlining run will find the artist hitting venues in cities like Copenhagen, Berlin, Frankfurt, Brussels, Paris, Manchester, Dublin, London, and more. From there, 6LACK will head to North America, where he’ll visit cities like Portland, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, and Brooklyn.
Love is the New Gangsta features some of 6LACK’s most emotional songwriting to date. Many of the songs were inspired by conversations he was having with Childish Major. He explained to Rolling Stone: “I just started to vent and have open conversations about what I was going through, and we just knew we had to make an album about it. It was like this ongoing session of therapy, accountability, and being creative.”
Listen to 6LACK’s “I Guess” here.
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