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Anchorage Democratic Sen. Forrest Dunbar will be able to attend the Aug. 2 special session of the Alaska Legislature, he said late Tuesday in a post on Facebook.
Dunbar, a member of the National Guard, is deployed to Poland on active-duty service but received a federal waiver that will allow him to return to Alaska for legislative work.
Dunbar’s attendance is critical for lawmakers who hope to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s decision to veto millions of dollars in public school funding from this year’s state operating budget. Despite his attendance, the outcome remains uncertain, and Dunleavy has the option of canceling the session.
It takes 45 votes to override an Alaska governor’s budget veto, and Dunbar was one of 46 legislators who voted in May to reverse the governor’s decision to veto a bill increasing the state’s public school funding formula.
That formula is subject to the state’s annual budget process, and Dunleavy chose to only partially fund it, causing a wave of cuts to services at public schools across the state. Dunleavy had said he would not agree to the full funding increase without the Legislature adopting other policies he’s proposed.
Many legislators hoped to override that second veto in January, when the regular legislative session reconvenes, but Dunleavy called a special session for Aug. 2, forcing an early vote.
Writing on Facebook, Dunbar noted that he had previously requested to be excused from the Legislature during his National Guard service, “however, the Legislature obviously does not control the actions of the governor.”
Dunbar said he began seeking a formal waiver that would allow him to use his personal leave, pay for his own plane ticket, and return to the state for the special session.
“I am pleased to report that the commanding general to whom our unit now reports has indeed granted that request,” Dunbar wrote. “I plan to return to Alaska for the start of the special session, and I will be voting yes to override, so that our students have the funds they need to avoid catastrophic cuts to their schools.”
For weeks, it hadn’t been clear whether Dunbar would be able to obtain the rare dispensation needed to return to Alaska.
“In general, a service member on federal Title 10 mobilization orders is required to complete the full term of their deployment,” said Dana Rosso, a spokesperson for the Alaska National Guard, by email. “Any early release or temporary return would require approval through Department of Defense and U.S. Army channels and is only considered under exceptional circumstances — such as serious medical or family emergencies — while taking mission requirements and federal law into account.”
Rosso said there was no way for a state official — such as the governor or adjutant general — to issue the waiver.
“Any early release or temporary return would require approval through Department of Defense channels, typically at the Secretary of the Army or Secretary of Defense level,” he said. “These waivers are rare and only considered under extraordinary circumstances, such as serious medical issues, family emergencies, or extreme humanitarian situations.”
Dunbar’s chief of staff, Arielle Wiggin, said by email that it wasn’t clear until recently whether the commanding general of the U.S. Army’s V Corps — Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza — would grant the waiver.
Even with Dunbar’s attendance, it isn’t clear whether the governor’s budget veto will be overridden or sustained.
In a closed-door meeting shortly after issuing a proclamation that called the session, Dunleavy asked members of the House’s Republican minority caucus to stay away from the first five days of the special session, the period when the Alaska Constitution requires any override vote to take place.
The date of the special session also coincides with the National Conference of State Legislatures, which several lawmakers were expected to attend.
Other legislators were scheduled to work or attend family events during the period.
Since the governor’s announcement, many have said they will be canceling their plans in order to attend the special session. Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage, will return from a trip to Vietnam, he said, and vote in favor of the override.
Some Republicans aligned with Dunleavy on the issue, including Reps. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, and Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, have said they will follow his wishes and stay away.
Of the 46 legislators who voted this spring to override the governor’s veto of the education funding formula, all but a handful have committed to supporting a budget veto override as well.
Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, said he will attend the special session but declined to say how he would vote on the budget issue. House Minority Leader Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, said she has not made up her mind.
Republican Reps. Julie Coulombe and David Nelson of Anchorage, and Bill Elam of Nikiski, could not be reached by phone on Wednesday.
The governor’s legislative director is keeping close track of the number of potential “yes” and “no” votes for a veto override, and it is possible that the governor could cancel the special session.
After Dunbar’s announcement, Alaska Democratic Party chair Eric Croft issued a statement calling the timing of the Dunleavy-called special session “one of Dunleavy’s many dirty tricks.”
“There is nothing Dunleavy won’t try to further his anti-education political agenda, including taking advantage of a legislator’s active commitment to the military. We’re grateful for Senator Dunbar’s service to our country’s security and Alaska. If not for his dedication to his constituency, we may have seen our persistent efforts to fund education fail yet again,” Croft said.
Asked about Croft’s comments, Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner reiterated a statement that Dunleavy made on July 2, when he declared that the special session would be devoted to education reform and an executive order creating the new Alaska Department of Agriculture.
“Enacting a few necessary reforms to our public education system can elevate those children struggling in Alaska’s school system,” Dunleavy said at the time. “As elected officials we must do all we can to put the next generation on the path to a successful and prosperous future, and that starts with a solid public education.”
AP- A small plane that crashed in 2023 while carrying moose meat for hunters in remote western Alaska, killing the husband of former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, was overweight for takeoff and encountered drag from a set of antlers mounted outside, federal investigators said in a report released Tuesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in its final report on the crash that killed Eugene Peltola Jr., who was the only person on board the aircraft, listed several factors among its probable cause findings. They included decisions by Peltola to fly the plane above its maximum takeoff weight and affix a set of moose antlers on the right wing strut that caused a drag, along with turbulent flight conditions in the area.
Downdrafts, “along with the overweight airplane and the added drag and lateral weight imbalance caused by the antlers on the right wing, would likely have resulted in the airplane having insufficient power and/or control authority to maneuver above terrain,” the report states.
The Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub crashed Sept. 12, 2023, northeast of the small western Alaska community of St. Mary’s. Peltola had days earlier taken five hunters, a guide and equipment from the community of Holy Cross to an airstrip at St. Mary’s. The group set up camp next to the runway, which was near hilly terrain and about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of Holy Cross, the agency said.
The day before the crash, the group got a moose and made plans with Peltola, via satellite messaging devices, for him to transport the meat, the NTSB said. On the day of the crash, Peltola had already picked up a load of meat and had returned for another. He did not use scales to weigh the cargo, the agency said.
Two hunters were at the site when the crash occurred and provided aid to Peltola, the agency previously reported. Peltola died of his injuries within about two hours, the agency said.
“Given the remote location of the accident site, which was about 400 miles from a hospital, and accessible only by air, providing the pilot with prompt medical treatment following the accident was not possible,” Tuesday’s report states.
The agency said carrying antlers on the outside of a plane is a common practice in Alaska but requires formal approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, with a notation in the plane’s logbooks. “There was no evidence that such approval had been granted for the accident airplane,” the report states.
Peltola was a former Alaska regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and worked for decades for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He had received his commercial pilot’s license in 2004, requiring him to use corrective lenses at all distances, according to an FAA database.
His death came almost exactly a year after Mary Peltola was sworn in as Alaska’s lone U.S. House member, following a special election for the seat. Mary Peltola, who is Yup’ik, was the first Alaska Native in Congress.
She won a full, two-year term in November 2022 but lost her reelection bid last November. She has kept a relatively low public profile since then.
Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Alaska District and the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) will host a public information session on Wednesday, July 30, to share updates on a technical study focused on long-term flood mitigation in the Mendenhall Valley.
The session will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at Thunder Mountain Middle School in Juneau. The event is open to the public and intended for anyone interested in learning more about ongoing efforts to address the risk of glacial lake outburst flooding from the Mendenhall Glacier.
The evening will include a brief presentation by USACE’s Civil Works Branch, which is leading the technical study, followed by a public question-and-answer session. The Corps’ Emergency Management Program will not be in attendance.
Representatives from CBJ, Tlingit & Haida, the National Weather Service, the American Red Cross, and the University of Alaska Southeast will also be on hand to provide technical information and resources related to flood preparedness.
The $4.75 million study is fully funded by the federal government and aims to evaluate long-term options for reducing flood risks in the Mendenhall Valley.
The Mendenhall Valley is one of the city’s most densely populated residential areas, current water levels as of July 21 are sitting at 1,290 feet. That’s 81 feet below the basin’s overflow point, which experts expect to reach by mid-August if the current pace continues.
Water levels tend to rise more quickly during warm weather and rain events, and the USGS warns that large iceberg movement may cause data spikes.
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Former state Rep. David Eastman has won his lawsuit against Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the state of Alaska, successfully challenging the governor’s decision to allow a bill to become law last year.
In the suit, Eastman — a Republican from Wasilla — challenged the constitutionality of Senate Bill 189, citing a clause of the Alaska Constitution that requires lawmakers to limit bills to a single subject.
In the final hours of the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers combined several other bills into SB 189. Dunleavy and the executive branch had no role in the crafting of the bill, but because the governor allowed the bill to become law without his signature, the suit named him as a defendant.
On Tuesday, Juneau Superior Court Judge Larry Woolford signed an order declaring that the bill “was passed by the 33rd Alaska Legislature in violation of Article II, Section 13 of the Alaska Constitution and is therefore void.”
Woolford’s order also awards Eastman $20,250 in costs and attorney fees. Eastman was represented in the suit by attorney Joe Geldhof.
The legal victory has limited immediate impact because lawmakers this year re-passed all the bills that were combined into Senate Bill 189. Woolford’s order “does not address and has no effect on subsequent legislation repealing and reenacting the provisions of SB 189.”
Its biggest impact may be to constrain current and future legislators, preventing them from repeating the kinds of legislative logrolling that have become commonplace in the final days of each two-year legislative cycle.
Because bills die at the end of the legislative cycle and few bills pass both House and Senate, it has become common for lawmakers to make last-hours amendments that combine bills in an effort to speed them across the legislative finish line.
“We are pleased to have resolved the Eastman v. Dunleavy case, which challenged a bill on the grounds of violating the single subject rule,” Attorney General Treg Taylor said by email on Tuesday.
“Following the filing of the lawsuit, the Department of Law sought to provide the Legislature with an opportunity to rectify this by breaking the bill into separate pieces of legislation. Fortunately, the Legislature successfully completed their work prior to the conclusion of the case, avoiding confusion on the laws enacted,” Taylor said.
No appeals are expected.
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Rachel Zoe has filed for divorce following her separation announcement.
The fashion icon who defined the 2000s made her relationship famous on her long-running Bravo series.
Now, after more than a quarter of a century of marriage, it’s coming to an end.
There is a non-zero chance that her split may become fodder for her return to reality television. In the meantime, here’s what we know:
It’s official: Rachel Zoe and Rodger Berman are divorcing
On Tuesday, July 22, TMZ reported that Rachel Zoe is moving to end her longtime marriage to Rodger Berman.
According to her divorce filings, she filed on Monday, July 21, in Los Angeles.
The split, however, is not new. In September of 2024, the former couple revealed that they had separated.
They parted ways months before that announcement.
In court documents, she lists the date of separation as June 27, 2024.
Many states burden citizens with lengthy — even one-year — separation requirements before a divorce filing.
This is not one of those brief celebrity marriages that fizzles out overnight.
Zoe and Berman wed in 1998. They have been married for over 26 years.
Why are they getting a divorce?
In her divorce filing, Rachel Zoe cites irreconcilable differences.
She is asking the court to restore her former legal name.
Zoe and Berman share two children. Their eldest son, Skyler, is 14 years old.
Their younger son, Kaius, is 10.
Zoe and Berman met in 1991. The two were attending Georgetown University together.
Seven years later, they were married. That was before she became a household name.
Irreconcilable differences is the catch-all for no-fault divorce.
Which is to say that we do not know why they are divorcing, except that they no longer wish to be married. That is ample reason for anyone.
Who is Rachel Zoe again?
Rachel Zoe is one of the most influential fashion designers on the planet.
If you were a Hollywood it girl in the mid-2000s, she more or less defined your look (even if she did not personally dress you). Her style defined a decade.
From 2008 until 2013, Zoe and Berman’s relationship became familiar to fans on The Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo.
Lifetime also launched Fashionably Late with Rachel Zoe. More recently, she has made a return to Bravo.
There’s no word yet on whether or not Zoe’s divorce will factor into her storyline on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. But she is filming the current season.
Rachel Zoe Files to Divorce Rodger Berman After 26 Years of Marriage was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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Little People. Big World.
Huge and surprising news!
On Tuesday, former TLC personality Matt Roloff announced over social media that he and long-time fiancee Caryn Chandler had called off their engagement, opening up to fans as follows:
“Hi everyone, I have some tough news to share. Caryn and I have decided to part ways & end our engagement. Life’s a continued journey and this is the right step for us at this time.”
Roloff and Chandler started dating way back in March 2017 and got engaged six years later.
Little People, Big World viewers saw their romance play out during this time on the small screen, as Caryn played a significant role on Matt’s family’s program.
We never sensed any real tension between the couple, although rumors of a split did surface in the spring of 2024.
In his message on July 22, meanwhile, Roloff made a point to emphasize that things between him and his now-ex “remain amicable,” adding:
“[We] will always appreciate the many wonderful memories we have shared. Your support means the World to me and I’m committed to moving forward with positivity and trust in the path ahead. Much love to all.”
Matt, of course, shares four children with ex-wife Amy — and also shared time on Little People, Big World with her for over 20 seasons.
They divorced in 2016, yet have stayed prominent parts of each other’s life, even in the wake of Matt’s engagement and in the wake of Amy marrying Chris Marek years ago.
“We’re cordial, we’re respectful. We can be in each other’s company,” Amy told Us Weekly in February 2024 about where she stood with Chandler.
“We can enjoy that time. I wouldn’t say we’re going to be best friends or anything.”
In general, this is a time for change when it comes to Matt Roloff.
He’s been trying to sell at least a portion of his farm in Oregon for years, and it seems quite evident at this point that Little People, Big World will not be returning with any new episodes.
“Our family, we love each other…there’s been ups and downs as you can imagine but I think — all in all — I think we’ve accomplished some good things,” Roloff said last May about the (strong) possibility of the show coming to an end, continuing as follows:
“I feel very secure in what we’ve put on air — so the idea of not doing any more TV at all sounds fine by me.
“400 episodes or something, you kind of feel like you’ve done it [all], so if there comes a circumstance where we feel like we need to share more, [if] the opportunity comes up, maybe.”
Perhaps Matt will also use the near future to attempt and fix his relationship with son Zach.
In a stunning public call-out back in May 2022, Zach trashed his dad as a manipulating coward, alleging that Matt’s basis for NOT giving his kids a chance to purchase the family farm before the sale was opened up to the public was total nonsense.
“This post is extremely misguided and false. My dad is manipulating the narrative right now before the season comes out,” Zach wrote online at that time.
Father and son appeared to disagree on whether or not Zach was given a chance to purchase this land prior to it going on sale; and/or on whether his dad was willing to give him any sort of discount.
On his final episode of Little People, Big World Zach said of his relationship with his dad:
“That ship’s all sailed. There’s not much of a relationship. It’s just doing our own thing. Time might even it out, but everything will be healed, it’ll just be different.”
Matt Roloff Confirms Shocking Split from Fiancee Caryn Chandler: Yup, It’s OVER! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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Trisha Paytas has welcomed her third child.
The famous YouTuber has also revealed their unorthodox name choice.
This time, the childbirth did not coincide with the death of a royal (or a pope). That hasn’t stopped the immediate jokes about other celebrity deaths, however.
Below, you can see Trisha’s announcement, the eye-popping baby name, and even photos of the little sweetie.
Trisha Paytas now has three children!
On Tuesday, July 22, Trisha Paytas took to her Just Trish podcast to confirm some exciting news.
They and husband Moses Hacman have welcomed their third child.
Trisha detailed that it was a “traumatic birth” and that it happened on July 12.
Just days before welcoming Baby #3, Trisha took to TikTok on July 8 to list several potential baby names.
“I like Lemon and I like Papermate … I like Squeezie and Squooshie,” they threatened. “I also like Rainbow Sherbet.”
Is she joking? Maybe. But Trisha and Moses’ daughters are named Malibu Barbie and Elvis, so you never can tell.
What did Trisha Paytas name Baby #3?
One of the most popular fan theories, which Trisha discussed on her podcast, was that she would name her third child Poseidon.
That is a dignified name, though religious baby names can be hit-and-miss.
Instead, she revealed that her son’s name is Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacman.
Trisha Paytas shares that her baby’s name is Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacman.
— Pop Base (@popbase.tv) July 22, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Aquaman is not even the fictional DC superhero’s name, but a title carried by multiple characters (primarily by Arthur Curry).
This means that this is an incredibly unique baby name.
As Trisha has stated in the past, a baby name has to excite her to the point of envy.
Truth be told, many people feel that way. But many people may feel excited to the point of envy by different names.
Welcome to the world, baby Aquaman!
Malibu, Elvis, and Aquaman enter the world with a complex legacy. Why? Because of the supposed “Trisha Paytas baby curse.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s death happened to coincide somewhat with Baby #1.
Though King Charles has clearly missed the window to reincarnate as her second child, his cancer diagnosis did have some social media users joking along those lines at the time.
This spring, the joke was that Trisha was expecting the reincarnation of Pope Francis.
This is mostly, mostly just a meme — a joke to make about powerful people who die and a YouTuber who picks sensational baby names.
Trisha Paytas Welcomes Baby #3, Reveals Super-Unique Name was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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After weeks of hype, Scheana Shay’s debut memoir hit stores today.
The former Vanderpump Rules star has been spilling a whole lot of tea while promoting the book, including the bombshell revelation that her husband, Brock Davies, had an affair while she was pregnant.
But if you were worried that Scheana would be fresh out of gossip by the time of the book’s publication, fear not:
Scheana Shay says she’s slept with many famous men
For example, at one point in the book, Scheana offers a full list of famous dudes she’s hooked up with:
“I said to myself, okay Scheana, you’ve tried dating (or at least hanging out and hooking up with) all of these celebrities — Jesse Metcalfe, Eddie Cibrian, John Mayer, Shemar Moore, Josh Hopkins, Shane West, Jesse McCartney, JC Chasez, Adrian Grenier, Ricardo Chavira, William Tell, two actors from The Notebook, and a few NFL, NBA, and MLB players, to name a few — and that’s not really working out,” Shay writes (via Too Fab), adding:
“It’s time to switch things up and date someone who’s under the radar: I didn’t want any of the fanfare or complications that came with being linked to someone famous. I wanted to be with someone who was grounded.”
Scheana had quite the roster
Obviously, we knew about Scheana’s affair with Eddie Cibrian. And she’s mentioned hooking up with John Mayer on multiple occasions.
But Vincent Chase himself? John Tucker of John Tucker Must Die Fame? Multiple Notebook bros? So many professional athletes that she didn’t even bother listing them all?!
Clearly, Scheana had a taste for famous dudes and a talent for making her smalltown dreams come true.
In fact, she says that when she looks back, even she can’t believe what a magnet she was for attention from male celebrities.
“I feel like if a 40-year-old Scheana was single and not a mom, I couldn’t get the guys I used to get. I don’t know how I did it in my early 20s — people don’t believe me!” she recently told Us Weekly, adding:
“It was such a different time. Social media has completely changed the life of celebrity, privacy, going out. [In the past], any night you could be at a club and like, ‘Oh, I’m at Leonardo DiCaprio’s table.’ And then Cuba Gooding Jr. walks up. Now Justin Timberlake’s here — and I’m just the girl at the table. What is life?’”
With the exception of Cibrian (who concealed his marriage to Brandi Glanville), Scheana had nothing but nice things to say about her famous hooukup partners.
For example, she described Mayer as “very much a gentleman,” though in her book, she recalls that he was “into phone sex.”
She says she still runs into Mayer from time to time — but needless to say, they’re not as intimate as they used to be.
“One time I awkwardly gave him a hug,” Shay recalled. “The last time I saw him, it was a handshake.”
Scheana married Brock back in 2021, and while the relationship has obviously had its ups and downs, she seems committed to making it work.
Hopefully, Brock will take this latest revelation as a reminder that Scheana can easily upgrade if he messes up again!
Scheana’s literary debut, My Good Side, is available now! Sounds like a heck of a spicy read!
Scheana Shay Lists a Dozen Famous Dudes She’s Hooked Up With: ‘I Don’t … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip