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Remembering Alaska’s visit from the Pope, 40 years later Author: Tam Agosti-Gisler Published February 25 Share on Facebook Print article On Feb. 26, we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Anchorage. Here is an excerpt about that event from my mother’s 1981 Christmas letter: “ About the middle of January, I received a call from Archbishop Hurley asking me to be the program director for the anticipated visit of Pope John Paul II to Anchorage. I had work...

Our American history represents an unrelenting struggle to fulfill the promise of democracy.

The strength of coalition leadership in the Alaska State House Author: Matt Claman Published February 24 Share on Facebook Print article Earlier this month, the Alaska State House organized with a tri-partisan majority coalition to continue a tradition that began in 2017. While harsh partisanship all-too-often characterizes the political landscape in Washington, D.C., and the other 49 states, the Alaska House of Representatives is the only legislative body in the country that shares leade...

Print article The (mostly voluntary) lockdown accompanying the pandemic has provided plenty of time for reading. And re-reading. I have been reading and re-reading the plays, essays, sketches and commentary of David Mamet. Mamet’s plays include “American Buffalo,” “Oleanna” and, most famously, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” which was adapted into a widely acclaimed film. The film version has a cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and Kevin Space...

Say ‘no’ to voter suppression in Alaska Author: Jessica Cler Published February 21 Share on Facebook Print article Since 2005, millions of votes have been cast by people in Alaska on local, state and federal elections. Out of those votes, how many cases of confirmed voter fraud were found? According to the Heritage Foundation, the answer is three. You read that right, three. Despite the clear lack of any real voter fraud in Alaska, State Sen. Mike Shower — an appointee of Gov. B...

The University of Alaska is one of our state’s greatest assets Author: Bill Popp Published February 21 Share on Facebook Print article Nearly a year since the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in Alaska, the pandemic continues to shake the state’s communities and economy. Many Alaskans are still out of work and struggling financially. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports average job losses for 2020 were 12,400, an 8.3% loss in employment compared to 20...

ANCSA changed my life — and Alaska’s future Author: Anthony Drabek Published February 19 Photo shows Alaskans who traveled to Washington, D.C., for congressional hearings on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in December 1971. Standing from left are George Cardner, Roger Connor, Emil Notti, Flore Lekanof, Cliff Groh, Barry Jackson, congressional secretary Thoda Forslund and Morris Thompson. Seated are Alaska state Rep. Willie H...

A day without oil is a nightmare Author: Frank Baker Published February 20 Share on Facebook Print article I’ve heard it said that you usually dream at night about what you thought during the day. Amidst the ongoing debate about the use of fossil fuels, global warming and alternative energy, I’d been thinking a lot about how different the world would be if there weren’t any petroleum products. Maybe I thought about it too much: In my dream, I edged myself out of bed in the morning ...

Five myths about campaign finance Author: Matthew Leatherman Print article Matthew Leatherman, a financial analyst, was a Democratic candidate for North Carolina state treasurer in 2020. Generations of policymakers have tried to find the right approach to campaign finance. The 2002 McCain-Feingold law curbed “soft money” donations to political parties but left open the door to spending by outside groups. Among other things, disagreement over Citizens United v. Federal Election Commissio...

The change in direction from those opposing our present course is a retreat disguised as a path forward.