If you think you’ve missed your chance to book a European family vacation this summer—think again. From the United Kingdom and Greece to Portugal, France and beyond, Europe is still within reach, even for families who haven’t finalized their travel…
Category: Alaska News
What a weekend at The Oaks Waterfront Hotel on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is like, from the rooms and restaurant to the waterfront amenities and nearby towns.
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Americans are looking to squeeze in one last vacation before summer ends, with many saying they still haven’t taken a trip this season, according to new research. The survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of CheapCaribbean…
A torn Styrofoam cup emerges with other trash from a melting pile of snow on April 26, 2026, in a parking lot by Northern Lights Boulevard in Midtown Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
This year, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have eliminated the use of polystyrene, best known as Styrofoam, in Alaska. We are interns at Alaska Community Action on Toxics, a nonprofit focused on the impacts of toxic chemicals and plastics on people’s health, the environment and Indigenous ways of life. We are still fighting to end the use of polystyrene — and we are tired of empty promises from politicians like Dunleavy.
We represent young women, scientists and Native peoples. Our voices are often left out of the conversation, yet we have the most at stake. Repeatedly, older generations tell us: “Sorry for the mess we’ve left you.” However, change can only be accomplished through collective and intergenerational action, and we need all ages to help now.
ACAT’s Environmental Health and Justice Program Director Vi Waghiyi from Savoonga always says: “These are burdens we did not create.” Yet they will greatly interfere with our traditions, identities and abilities to live healthy lives. Our Executive Director, Pamela Miller, also published an op-ed in the Anchorage Daily News about how senseless Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 25 was.
Now, Alaska is falling behind other states: twelve states already passed statewide legislation to eliminate polystyrene. California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado have banned polystyrene packing peanuts, coolers and other food service products. More than 250 U.S. cities and counties already banned or placed restrictions on polystyrene. Even McDonald’s eliminated its polystyrene packaging in 1990.
Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage and a supporter of the vetoed bill, emphasized the popularity of such measures on the House floor: “Three-quarters of Americans are concerned about plastic foam litter. Over 70% of Americans would support a national ban on foam food ware.” Several local Alaskan businesses submitted letters of support throughout the session, and the bill had bipartisan support, but this support seems to be futile.
Polystyrene contains the chemical styrene, a probable human carcinogen. Styrene has been linked to impaired nervous system function, increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma cancers, vision and hearing loss, and poor memory and concentration. Chemicals from polystyrene can leach into food and beverages, especially when heated. For example, the heat and acidity in hot coffee trigger chemical leaching from polystyrene cups, then these chemicals are absorbed by the fat in milk or cream, which is easily ingested by humans. Multiple studies in the 1980s found styrene in 100% of the human fat tissues they sampled, and polystyrene production and use has only increased since then. Many Alaskans have likely already experienced health harms from this ubiquitous leaching.
Alaskans rely on land and water for livelihood, nourishment and culture. Nationally, roughly 63% of the commercial seafood harvest is from Alaska. But in the ocean, polystyrene breaks down into microplastics from exposure to sunlight, waves and wind. Studies have detected high levels of microplastics in Alaskan waters, harming wildlife, contaminating ecosystems and threatening the population viability of commercial and subsistence fish. Wildlife often mistake floating foam debris for prey, then eat polystyrene or feed it to their young. This fills their bellies with plastic, causing lack of hunger, starvation and permanent injury.
Further, polystyrene is effectively not biodegradable: it takes hundreds of years to decompose, if it decomposes at all. High wind and wave action breaks foam blocks into tiny beads that are practically impossible to clean up. This foam travels through waterways, causing harm all over the globe. Over 10 years ago, polystyrene and related materials were found in 23 of 28 beaches sampled throughout the Gulf of Alaska; notably, no beaches were free from debris.
Alternatives to polystyrene include reusable serviceware, recyclable packaging and compostable products. Materials such as paper, cardboard and plant-based plastics are now common substitutes, and these options are more sustainable for food service providers and consumers alike. Some businesses are voluntarily opting out of polystyrene: Green Alaska Solutions provides plant-based, compostable alternatives for restaurants, businesses and events statewide, including rural villages. Their business partners highlight higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, with up to 15% increases in repeat customers after switching to compostable packaging.
ACAT and its partners will continue to work with policymakers on legislation to eliminate polystyrene in food packaging. Local businesses in Alaska would save money and avoid penalty fees by acting now to adopt alternatives in anticipation of a state or federal ban. The municipalities of Bethel, Cordova and Seward have already successfully enacted bans on polystyrene food containers.
To avoid polystyrene in your daily life:
- Bring an insulated metal mug for coffee instead of drinking from a hot foam cup — disposable lids are often also made of expanded polystyrene or other plastic.
- Bring a metal container to pack hot food leftovers into instead of polystyrene food containers from restaurants.
- Use shredded paper, perforated cardboard, or newspaper to pack items for shipping or moving instead of foam packing peanuts.
- When renovating or building a structure, choose a non-toxic insulation that does not contain polystyrene.
Our faith in public institutions depends on what those institutions do.
As we watched this carefully considered, bipartisan bill get dismissed without any convincing public justification, we took away a discouraging message. Years of testimony, scientific evidence and legislative work can be set carelessly aside, even when the proposed solution is reasonable and beneficial.
We do not want cynicism to be the lesson we take from this experience. We remember fishing, swimming and enjoying clear rivers and oceans free from plastic and pollution. We will continue to fight for these reforms so that our children will too.
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Assembly members will discuss a request for proposals for Port Chilkoot Dock for the second time at the Aug. 11 Haines Borough Assembly meeting. And, the borough clerk’s report confirms that two citizen initiatives are making their way through town. The Chilkat Valley News’ Will Steinfeld joins KHNS reporter Melinda Munson.
Melinda Munson: Will, thanks for joining us. Let’s talk about what is on the agenda for Tuesday’s Haines Borough Assembly meeting. Let’s first talk about the cruise ship dock.
Will Steinfeld: Where we left this last time was the borough manager and the assembly plan to write up a draft of what they call an RFD, a request for proposal for management of this dock. So the general idea was, we’re going to go put out this call for whatever private companies are out there who are interested in some sort of deal to lead this dock, manage the dock, whatever they can dream up. And then the borough would have the freedom to go through the proposals, see if any feel like good fits or good deals, and then proceed from there.
And so we’re kind of at the same step in the process this week, except now there is actually a draft of this RFP document that the borough staff have drawn up. And Assembly are going to take a look at it and maybe approve it. They could go in any direction. I think they could approve it or edit it.
It does give us new information about what this RFP process will look like. It’s really open ended as we heard last time, so it doesn’t really have strict guidelines about what the proposals need to look like exactly. It gives outside entities the freedom to offer what they want to offer.
It does require specific information. If this RFP goes out and goes out as written, we’ll hear from companies about financial information, how they plan to handle specific aspects of managing the dock, like how they’re going to schedule shifts. So this is all stuff the boroughs ask for, and we’ll hear from assembly members if they think anything’s missing, or if they think the process isn’t right. And then maybe the RFP process will start after the meeting.
Included in the document is the wording “ship scheduling.” Can you explain why that could be a little bit complicated in Haines?
The whole idea of putting this dock out for management is complicated because there are companies that feel like there’s prior history, and they already have an interest in what’s happening here. It’s not just starting with a blank slate and asking people to come in and give their best offer.
You mentioned the ship scheduling. That’s currently done by Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska. They don’t have a contract with the borough, but they do a lot of the management of the dock right now, including the ship scheduling.
The borough retains ownership. The borough collects the fees. But Cruise Line Agencies provide some of the staff who coordinate logistics of landing at the facility. Also the infrastructure like fenders that are at this dock. So they made a point to come and talk to the borough staff when this whole Global Ports thing kicked off to say, ‘Hey, we already do a lot here.’ And Global Ports coming in, or now a different company that responds to this RFP could change things.
Global Ports itself has said that they feel like they’ve already invested a lot into this process and had asked for some kind of return should the borough go out and open up this offer to other companies. And it doesn’t really seem like the borough has given them that – I hesitate to say special treatment – but it sounded like they were asking for some kind of differential treatment in the RFP process. Asking for the ability to match any other company’s best offer.
So, you know, if other outside companies that haven’t been involved come in, they’ll be entering this kind of network of relationships that already exists surrounding this facility.
Will, Haines residents can expect to see two petitions going around town, hoping to get enough signatures to be on the ballot. Tell us about those petitions.
These petitions are going to need 279 signatures from registered voters to be on the ballot. If they’re on the ballot, then the voters will decide if they pass.
The first is to repeal the seasonal sales tax that passed at last year’s election. So that’s the one that raises sales tax in town in the summer and lowers it in the winter – and exempts groceries in the winter. And if this gets on the ballot and then the voters approve it, it would just roll back the sales tax system to how it functioned before last year’s election.
And then the second one is to lower the senior property tax exemption from $300,000 exempt property value to $200,000. The mayor, Tom Morphet, wrote a letter in the Chilkat Valley News, a letter to the editor last week, making a case for this. And he says that the borough needs to collect more revenue for what he calls essential services. And he says this does that. It brings in more money, but it still maintains at least $200,000 of exemption for seniors.”
The post Listen: Assembly to discuss cruise dock deal, new initiatives headed to the ballot appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.
By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon
The U.S. Department of Education is expected to award $41.3 million in grant funding through the Alaska Native Education Program to 26 Alaska grantees after some delay, according to an announcement from Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
The grant funding was expected on July 1, but has been delayed more than a month. Grantees alerted Murkowski’s office they had not yet received the funding, prompting Murkowski to press the U.S. Sec. of Education Linda McMahon to release the awarded funding, according to the statement on Aug. 5.
“Last week, I raised this issue with Secretary McMahon, and I’m pleased she agreed to expedite the obligation of the funds for the Alaska Native Education Program grants that Congress appropriated earlier this year,” Sen. Murkowski wrote.
The Alaska Native Education Program provides federal funding to “meet the unique education needs of Alaska Natives” and to support education programs to benefit Alaska Native people, according to the program website.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Education’s grant office for the program did not give a reason for the delay or specify when the funds will be dispensed after a query on Friday.
The grants are awarded to Tribes, tribal organizations and school districts with a majority of Alaska Native students to support a variety of initiatives across a three-year grant period.
“Grants provide, for example, culturally relevant curriculum, tutoring and other academic supports, indigenous language revitalization, workforce development opportunities, teacher professional development, postsecondary planning and support, and success, early childhood education, and afterschool programming,” Murkowski said in the statement.
“I will continue to champion this program and work with the Department to ensure this funding is administered more expeditiously going forward,” she said.
Grantees include several early learning and literacy programs. Millions are slated for Indigenous language, art, science, and medicine including $2.1 million for the Baby Raven Reads project by Sealaska Heritage Institute and $1.4 million for tutoring and college readiness programs through the Rural Indigenous Students College Readiness Alliance launched by the Bering Strait and Lower Kuskokwim School Districts, two of Alaska’s largest, rural districts.
Rosita Kaaháni Worl, president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, a Native non-profit corporation focused on Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures, said her organization was one of the grantees that alerted Murkwoski’s office to the delay. Sealaska has not received its grant funds yet.
Worl said in an interview Friday that federal funds and support for Alaska Native communities is critical, given Alaska’s history of suppressing Native education and language.
“So these programs have helped us overcome the effects of that kind of suppression,” she said. “Our data shows definitely that it promotes and enhances Native education, and we show that through all of our evaluations…it’s led to higher academic performance.”
She said SHI has seen success in early childhood programs like Baby Raven Reads project and initiatives to support students continuing education, which reduces drop out rates. “We’re still behind non-natives, but we’re gaining ground,” she said.
Worl said the federal support helps Sealaska Heritage Institute provide annual funding for education across Southeast Alaska where state funding has fallen short. SHI provides $1 million each year to the Juneau School District and $2 million annually to the University of Alaska Southeast, as well as funding to support school districts across the region for teacher training, arts and language programs.
“It’s a program that has proven benefits,” she said. “There, there’s no doubt about it.”
NOTN- Federal officials say they are preparing both short- and long-term defenses as another glacial outburst flood is expected to hit Juneau’s Mendenhall River in the coming days, continuing a pattern of annual summer flooding that has put homes and lives at risk.
In a briefing Thursday, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has strengthened temporary protections ahead of the anticipated 2026 glacial outburst flood, and they’ve been gearing up to launch an unprecedented effort to drain water from Suicide Basin, the source of the destructive floods.
Sullivan said the Corps and local partners have invested about $45 million to make Hesco barrier floodwalls along the Mendenhall River taller and wider, and deployed roughly 40% of the Corps’ global pump inventory to Juneau as a backup if the river overtops or breaches the barriers.
“The fact that one of America’s capital cities in our country floods every summer at the risk of not only property but lives, you know, these floods are very risky for not just the safety of our own citizens, it’s a huge, unique challenge.” Sullivan said.” “The Corps of Engineers now has deployed 40% of all the pumps in the Corps of Engineers inventory for the world… in Juneau, just in case.”
Telle said the Corps will move quickly after this year’s flood to seek private-sector proposals for a faster, less costly way to evacuate water from Suicide Basin.
“We believe that evacuating water from Suicide Basin is fundamentally the best way to prevent this from happening in the future,” Telle said, ““We have a phenomenon here in Juneau that’s unlike any other in our entire portfolio.”
According to stories by both KTOO and the Juneau Independent, a local mining executive presented ideas that could cut the cost in half of teh proposed Lake Tap solution in half, groups like Juneau Flood Solutions have supported this effort.
Officials warned the public not to be complacent even with higher barriers in place, saying debris impacts remain a major threat and urging residents to treat the coming flood as a serious safety risk.
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Editor’s note: This article, initially published Friday, was updated Sunday morning with a statement from Zuckerberg.
A small cruise ship operating in Southeast Alaska made an unexpected detour on Monday night to help a 21-foot skiff that ran out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau.
Michael Love, a software developer from New York City, was a passenger aboard the cruise ship and described the event on social media.
What got his attention the most wasn’t the rescue itself — it was when the captain announced that the yacht of billionaire Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg was closer and hadn’t answered the radio call for help.
“There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this,” he said in a post on the social media network Bluesky.
Vessel tracking services in the area back up that account — they show the $300 million, 387-foot yacht Launchpad slowing to a halt outside Farragut Bay as the UnCruise Adventures ship Wilderness Legacy steams around and past the Launchpad, stops at the apparent site of the skiff, then tows it into sheltered Farragut Bay.
Through a Bluesky message, Love said it was nice to be on a boat that was engaging with its surroundings in a positive way.
“Frankly, if I was Mark Zuckerberg I would be absolutely ecstatic at a chance to do something helpful for someone in need and maybe get some good PR out of it,” he said.
Social media accounts responding to Love’s account accused the yacht’s crew of violating international agreements that mandate aid from the nearest ship to one in distress.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Marine Exchange of Alaska, which monitors ship traffic in Alaska, there was no distress call — just a general request for assistance.
Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Shannon Shepard said by email that the Coast Guard heard the call for help just after 9:30 p.m. Monday night.
“At approximately 9:56 p.m., the Coast Guard determined they were not in distress and issued a marine assistance request broadcast on their behalf,” she said.
John Hollingsworth is the chief operations officer of the Marine Exchange, which is based in Juneau and repeated the broadcast.
“We did assist the Coast Guard with callouts on our radio and (were) able to hail the Wilderness Legacy who ended up rendering assistance,” he said.
“From my experience, I know that situations like this contain myriad details for the vessels involved, so the AIS (tracking) snippet you obtained only reveals one of those details,” he said by email. “I do know that Wilderness Legacy is an UnCruise vessel and is very familiar with Alaska waters, so that may have contributed to them rendering assistance quickly.”
No information was available Friday about who may have been aboard the Launchpad on Monday evening. The Launchpad has been in Southeast Alaska for much of the summer.
After the initial publication of this article, a spokesperson for Mark Zuckerberg emailed a statement: “Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident. As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe.”
The Wilderness Legacy’s detour is the second incidence of aid rendered by a small cruise ship in Southeast Alaska within two weeks. On July 30, the National Geographic Quest assisted a family who had to swim to shore in Glacier Bay National Park after a humpback whale sank their sailboat.
Dan Blanchard, who owns UnCruise, said he wasn’t initially aware of the Wilderness Legacy’s detour because “this kind of aid is such a common thing that it does not always rise to my attention.”
Sarah Scoltock, a spokeswoman for UnCruise, said the Wilderness Legacy was able to refuel the skiff after towing it into a sheltered area.
“The next day the (Wilderness Legacy’s) captain, Sean Manske, contacted them and received word they made it safely to Petersburg,” she said by email.
Then-Speaker of the House Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, listens to a speech on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, during final debates on Alaska’s state budget. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, will pay more than $2,000 to settle a series of campaign finance complaints filed by a former chair of the Alaska Republican Party in 2025.
The Alaska Public Offices Commission approved the final consent agreement July 28. Under the terms of the agreement, Stutes will pay a penalty of $2,643.50 and repay her campaign $13,869.44 to settle complaints regarding improper campaign finance reporting and improper campaign spending in the 2020, 2022 and 2024 elections.
Investigating the complaint by Randy Ruderich against Stutes, the commission said the Kodiak legislator responded promptly to requests for information, and that there was “nothing to indicate” that serious violations identified by Ruderich were “intentional or provided a personal benefit to the candidate.”
Stutes, who has represented Kodiak, Cordova and parts of the Gulf of Alaska coast since 2015, is running for state Senate this year, seeking to replace Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak. Two other Republicans are also running for the seat.
By phone, Stutes said Ruderich informed her about the complaint before he sent it to APOC, and she ended up being the one informing regulators about the issue.
The issues were the result of innocent mistakes, and she’s actually grateful to Ruderich for pointing them out, she said. She’s no longer trying to keep her own campaign accounts and has hired a professional.
“What gave me the most satisfaction of all this was saying to Randy Ruderich, ‘I really appreciate you calling this to my attention because if you didn’t, I’d still be making those mistakes, and then it would be a great big mess.’”
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