The Alaska Current
@thealaskacurrent.com
We're a nonprofit collective of Alaska journalists, creatives, and content creators providing all the news, politics, and culture that can fit in 665,400 square miles. thealaskacurrent.com
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, is a military veteran and co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Armed Services Committee. (via Alaska Beacon)
‘Our government is out of control,’ Alaska legislator says, calling for end to state aid for ICE - The Alaska Current
Chairs of state military committee ask questions about unconfirmed deployment of U.S. soldiers from Anchorage to Minnesota.
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January 26, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, is a military veteran and co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Armed Services Committee. (via Alaska Beacon)
A UAF student made national headlines after eating another student’s AI-generated art — sparking a broader conversation about AI, protest and performance art. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/26/u...
University of Alaska Fairbanks student arrested after eating AI art - The Alaska Current
Last week, the University of Alaska Fairbanks made national headlines for a student eating another student’s AI-generated art.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:26 PM
A UAF student made national headlines after eating another student’s AI-generated art — sparking a broader conversation about AI, protest and performance art. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/26/u...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy used his final State of the State to give himself high marks — but offered few specifics on the fiscal plan he’s been teasing for months, leaving legislators and Alaskans with more questions than answers. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/26/l...
Light on specifics, Dunleavy says his yet-to-be-introduced fiscal plan ‘could work’ - The Alaska Current
Gov. Mike Dunleavy gave his final State of the State address last week.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Gov. Mike Dunleavy used his final State of the State to give himself high marks — but offered few specifics on the fiscal plan he’s been teasing for months, leaving legislators and Alaskans with more questions than answers. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/26/l...
From documentary photography to ceramics, sound and installation: artist Mekko Harjo talks about exploding his practice — and why collaboration sits at the center of 'a point a place a home.'
Creative Currents: Mekko Harjo - The Alaska Current
Brooklyn-based installation and sound artist Mekko Harjo’s collaborative installation with Jordan Hill, 'a point a place a home', is on view at UAA until Jan. 23.
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January 26, 2026 at 8:02 PM
From documentary photography to ceramics, sound and installation: artist Mekko Harjo talks about exploding his practice — and why collaboration sits at the center of 'a point a place a home.'
Alaska-based multidisciplinary artist Christine Sundly believes everyone has the ability to be creative — and that place shapes process. From Alaska animals to immersive, emotional installations, her work invites joy, experimentation and connection. buff.ly/5nNNWqj
Creative Currents: Christine Sundly - The Alaska Current
Christine Sundly says her artwork looks different based on where she is living.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Alaska-based multidisciplinary artist Christine Sundly believes everyone has the ability to be creative — and that place shapes process. From Alaska animals to immersive, emotional installations, her work invites joy, experimentation and connection. buff.ly/5nNNWqj
House and Senate Republican minorities voted to uphold Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of SB 113, blocking Alaska from joining a multistate compact to collect corporate income taxes from out-of-state online businesses. The override failed 35–25.
With Dunleavy’s sales tax proposal on the horizon, GOP legislators vote down corporate tax bill - The Alaska Current
Legislators from the House and Senate Republican minorities voted en masse to uphold Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto.
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January 23, 2026 at 1:00 AM
House and Senate Republican minorities voted to uphold Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of SB 113, blocking Alaska from joining a multistate compact to collect corporate income taxes from out-of-state online businesses. The override failed 35–25.
Visibility can be life-changing: Sam Goldon didn’t see openly trans people growing up — now they’re helping queer, trans & non-binary folks access the outdoors, build community, and feel at home in their bodies. Hear more about Goldon in this week's Trail Blazers column. buff.ly/ApRmxAG
Trail Blazers: Sam Goldon - The Alaska Current
“You can’t be what you can’t see” is an important mantra for Sam Goldon.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Visibility can be life-changing: Sam Goldon didn’t see openly trans people growing up — now they’re helping queer, trans & non-binary folks access the outdoors, build community, and feel at home in their bodies. Hear more about Goldon in this week's Trail Blazers column. buff.ly/ApRmxAG
Bill Hill, an independent, raised more than $200,000 on his first day in the race. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/22/b...
Begich challenger Bill Hill makes a splash in congressional campaign launch - The Alaska Current
Bill Hill, a longtime commercial fisherman and former superintendent of the Bristol Bay School District, joined the race to unseat GOP Rep. Nick Begich.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Bill Hill, an independent, raised more than $200,000 on his first day in the race. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/22/b...
The Alaska Legislature kicked off its 2026 session on Tuesday with a gloomy outlook thanks to an already-bad fiscal picture, escalating global uncertainty and a litany of headaches caused by lame-duck Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/21/a...
thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/21/a...
Alaska Legislature kicks off with a ‘downer’ of an outlook - The Alaska Current
The Alaska Legislature kicked off its 2026 session on Tuesday with a gloomy outlook thanks to an already-bad fiscal picture.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:30 AM
The Alaska Legislature kicked off its 2026 session on Tuesday with a gloomy outlook thanks to an already-bad fiscal picture, escalating global uncertainty and a litany of headaches caused by lame-duck Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/21/a...
thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/21/a...
Tupe Smith and Mike Pese have become the face of the state’s effort to prosecute nearly a dozen Samoan U.S nationals living in Whittier, cases that attorneys say boil down to honest confusion over the voting rights of people from American Samoa.
As the State of Alaska remains hellbent on prosecuting Samoan US nationals for voting, Alaskans rally around Whittier couple - The Alaska Current
On a chilly Thursday afternoon outside the Boney Courthouse in downtown Anchorage, Tupe Smith and her husband, Mike Pese, were joined by members of Alaska’s Samoan community and those outraged by the…
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January 19, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Tupe Smith and Mike Pese have become the face of the state’s effort to prosecute nearly a dozen Samoan U.S nationals living in Whittier, cases that attorneys say boil down to honest confusion over the voting rights of people from American Samoa.
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola announced her plans to challenge right-wing Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan this week, and polling suggests she has a slight edge heading into the high-stakes campaign. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/14/p...
Poll: Peltola opens race for U.S. Senate with slight edge on Sullivan - The Alaska Current
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola announced her plans to challenge right-wing Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan this week.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 14, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola announced her plans to challenge right-wing Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan this week, and polling suggests she has a slight edge heading into the high-stakes campaign. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/14/p...
In the run-up to the 2026 Alaska legislative session, lawmakers pre-filed bills targeting masked police officers, AI impersonation and deepfakes, tougher hit-and-run penalties and new testing rules for homeschool students. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/14/a...
A police mask ban, anti-bullying and homeschool testing among bills teed up for the 2026 legislative session - The Alaska Current
In the run-up to the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers previewed some of their priorities for the upcoming year.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:34 PM
In the run-up to the 2026 Alaska legislative session, lawmakers pre-filed bills targeting masked police officers, AI impersonation and deepfakes, tougher hit-and-run penalties and new testing rules for homeschool students. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/14/a...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a costly probe into a DigitalBridge investment tied to Trump allies and Stargate AI, but has avoided questions about his own role — including links to AK LNG. buff.ly/ANpuXtr
Gov. Dunleavy Working with DigitalBridge to Build Data Centers in Alaska - The Alaska Current
Alaska’s former revenue commissioner and current gubernatorial candidate, Adam Crum, is under fire from lawmakers for committing up to $75 million of the state’s primary rainy day fund to a risky and…
thealaskacurrent.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a costly probe into a DigitalBridge investment tied to Trump allies and Stargate AI, but has avoided questions about his own role — including links to AK LNG. buff.ly/ANpuXtr
From Tiny Art Galleries to permanent sound murals, Mat-Su artist Addie Studebaker is building spaces for curiosity and play — and she’s just getting started. Learn more about her work in this week's Creative Currents.
Creative Currents: Addie Studebaker - The Alaska Current
It was a busy 2025 for Addie Studebaker.
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January 14, 2026 at 12:00 AM
From Tiny Art Galleries to permanent sound murals, Mat-Su artist Addie Studebaker is building spaces for curiosity and play — and she’s just getting started. Learn more about her work in this week's Creative Currents.
Declared “settled” more than a decade ago, the Katie John fight isn’t going away — but for now, subsistence fishing protections in Alaska remain intact after the Supreme Court said no. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/13/u...
U.S. Supreme Court rejects latest GOP attempt to overturn subsistence fishing rights, but the fight is far from over - The Alaska Current
Conservatives’ long-running effort to end the priority for subsistence fishing on much of Alaska’s waterways ran into a dead end.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Declared “settled” more than a decade ago, the Katie John fight isn’t going away — but for now, subsistence fishing protections in Alaska remain intact after the Supreme Court said no. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/13/u...
Peltola's message is that the delegation can, and should, do better for Alaskans. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/12/s...
She’s in. Mary Peltola will run for U.S. Senate, seeking to unseat Sullivan - The Alaska Current
Frmer U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola announced today she's running for U.S. Senate.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Peltola's message is that the delegation can, and should, do better for Alaskans. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/01/12/s...
In this week’s edition of The Great Indoors: “ARC Raiders” asks you to loot, survive, extract… and make peace with losing everything at the worst possible moment.
‘ARC Raiders’ is a game of moments. Terrible, tense and awesome moments. - The Alaska Current
“ARC Raiders” is one of those rare games that I love, hate and love to hate.
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January 10, 2026 at 1:00 AM
In this week’s edition of The Great Indoors: “ARC Raiders” asks you to loot, survive, extract… and make peace with losing everything at the worst possible moment.
President Trump’s move to seize control of Venezuela’s oil industry is a major geopolitical shock — but unlikely to impact Alaska oil anytime soon. Global markets have mostly shrugged, prices remain low, and Venezuela’s fields are costly, risky and years from payoff. buff.ly/hspUvqc
What does Trump’s vow to ‘indefinitely’ take over Venezuela’s oil mean for Alaska? Not much, at least for now - The Alaska Current
President Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela and his pledge to control the country's oil sales “indefinitely” raises massive geopolitical issues.
thealaskacurrent.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:41 PM
President Trump’s move to seize control of Venezuela’s oil industry is a major geopolitical shock — but unlikely to impact Alaska oil anytime soon. Global markets have mostly shrugged, prices remain low, and Venezuela’s fields are costly, risky and years from payoff. buff.ly/hspUvqc
Add another L to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s court record: a judge ruled his attempt to create a standalone Dept. of Agriculture by executive order violated the Alaska Constitution. The governor plans to appeal — but lawmakers say it’s a win for separation of powers.
Dunleavy’s legal losses continue to mount with judge’s ruling against Department of Agriculture - The Alaska Current
Add another L to Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s win-loss record in the courts.
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January 7, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Add another L to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s court record: a judge ruled his attempt to create a standalone Dept. of Agriculture by executive order violated the Alaska Constitution. The governor plans to appeal — but lawmakers say it’s a win for separation of powers.
From teenage graffiti to a creative career: Anchorage tattoo artist and muralist Arielo “Bisco” Taylor on navigating misconceptions around graffiti, evolving his style and turning street art into a living. His work is all over town — and his tattoo books are open.
Creative Currents: Arielo Taylor - The Alaska Current
When Arielo Taylor started doing graffiti at the age of 14, he didn’t know it would lead him into his eventual career path.
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January 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM
From teenage graffiti to a creative career: Anchorage tattoo artist and muralist Arielo “Bisco” Taylor on navigating misconceptions around graffiti, evolving his style and turning street art into a living. His work is all over town — and his tattoo books are open.
Once a star athlete in Anchorage, Derrick Moore lost everything to addiction and prison. Now six years sober, he’s turned to Alaska’s trails, recovery and public speaking to help young people build better futures through Hardaway Learning.
Trail Blazers: Derrick Moore - The Alaska Current
Derrick Moore was a star athlete during his youth in Anchorage, Alaska.
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January 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Once a star athlete in Anchorage, Derrick Moore lost everything to addiction and prison. Now six years sober, he’s turned to Alaska’s trails, recovery and public speaking to help young people build better futures through Hardaway Learning.
OPINION: Unless you're already fabulously wealthy, a mining company, or simply take pleasure in the suffering of others, it's hard to see how the first year of Trump's second term has made life better, more affordable or created new opportunities for those without.
Alaska Memo: The Enshittification Year - The Alaska Current
The word that keeps popping into my head to describe 2025 is "enshittification."
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December 31, 2025 at 8:30 PM
OPINION: Unless you're already fabulously wealthy, a mining company, or simply take pleasure in the suffering of others, it's hard to see how the first year of Trump's second term has made life better, more affordable or created new opportunities for those without.
2025 was a lot — thankfully, it was also a great year for video games. From Battlefield 6’s chaos to Donkey Kong Bananza’s charm and co-op scares in R.E.P.O., here are the games (and honorable mentions) that helped us escape the headlines.
The Great Indoors: My favorite distractions of 2025 - The Alaska Current
Whew, 2025 was a lot.
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December 31, 2025 at 12:00 AM
2025 was a lot — thankfully, it was also a great year for video games. From Battlefield 6’s chaos to Donkey Kong Bananza’s charm and co-op scares in R.E.P.O., here are the games (and honorable mentions) that helped us escape the headlines.
2025 gave Holly Todd plenty to draw: Trump’s return, an all-out education funding fight and Alaska’s congressional delegation falling short. Our roundup of her best political cartoons captures the chaos, the frustration and some glimmers of hope.
Reviewing 2025 in Comics - The Alaska Current
2025 was a busy year for The Alaska Current’s political cartoonist Holly Todd.
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December 30, 2025 at 11:30 PM
2025 gave Holly Todd plenty to draw: Trump’s return, an all-out education funding fight and Alaska’s congressional delegation falling short. Our roundup of her best political cartoons captures the chaos, the frustration and some glimmers of hope.
From a few cakes a month to a dozen a week: Anchorage baker Kimberly Michaca recently went full-time with Kimmy’s Cakes & Delicacies. Built by word of mouth, family help and a love of making people feel celebrated. Read more in this week's Creative Currents. buff.ly/5L015Z9
Creative Currents: Kimberly Michaca - The Alaska Current
When Kimberly Michaca started her own business, Kimmy’s Cakes & Delicacies three years ago, she was baking a couple of cakes each month.
thealaskacurrent.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:28 PM
From a few cakes a month to a dozen a week: Anchorage baker Kimberly Michaca recently went full-time with Kimmy’s Cakes & Delicacies. Built by word of mouth, family help and a love of making people feel celebrated. Read more in this week's Creative Currents. buff.ly/5L015Z9