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COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

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Statewide COVID case numbers remain steady

Cases have increased by just 1% from the week of April 20-26

Lawmakers held a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, to vote to confirm Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s appointments to state boards and commissions. All nominees were confirmed. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

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Lawmakers confirm Dunleavy appointees, work on PFD

Senate attempts to rework dividend formula

Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire File A Carnival Cruise Lines vessel similar to one due in Juneau following a COVID outbreak aboard steams past Douglas in 2021.

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City contacting ship on way to town following COVID outbreak

The ship, due to arrive here Saturday, experienced an outbreak enroute from Miami to Seattle.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issues a community alert about the relationship between fentanyl and fatal drug overdoses at a press conference at the True North Recovery and Wellness Center in Wasilla, Alaska, on May 4, 2022. (Screenshot)

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Dunleavy spotlights dangers of fentanyl

The governor calls for harsher punishments for dealers as overdose deaths rise

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Lisa Denny wears “The Handmaid’s Tale”-inspired garb while holding a sign stating “I stand with Planned Parenthood” during a protest held near the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday, May 3, following a leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision that would overturn the landmark case Roe v. Wade.

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What does the leaked Supreme Court draft mean for Alaska?

Abortion access would remain, but elections and appointments would be heated

The Senate Judiciary Committee moved a bill that would ban transgender student athletes from competing on teams of the sex they identify with on Monday, May 2, 2022. The bill could go to a floor vote sometime this week. (Screenshot)

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Transgender sports bill ready for Senate vote

Senate Bill was moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday

Alaska state Rep. David Eastman, a Wasilla Republican, is shown seated on the House floor on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Juneau, Alaska. Minority House Republicans removed Eastman from their caucus, with the minority leader citing a buildup of issues over time. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

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Alaska House Republicans remove Eastman from caucus

Eastman also was removed from two committees

A phone screen displays a message warning that a suspicious email may be an attempt at stealing personal information. Cybercrime rose to new heights in 2021, according to FBI data, but there are some steps people can take to be safe, according to local law enforcement. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

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Cybercrime on rise nationwide

A few good practices can neutralize common scams and crimes

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire From left to right: Willard Jackson, Dennis Jack and Bill Thomas, Alaska Native veterans from Southeast Alaska who met with lawmakers at the Alaska State Capitol on Friday, April 29, to discuss their issues getting land allotments from the federal government. Jackson and Thomas are veterans of the Vietnam War who are eligbile for land allotments, but no lands are available in Southeast Alaska, and veterans are frustrated by the lack of action.

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Haaland’s visit stirs optimism for Alaska Natives, but tensions remain

Access to lands remains a critical issue

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters during a news conference at the state Capitol on Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Juneau, Alaska. Dunleavy discussed issues he would like to see the Legislature act on in the remaining weeks of the legislative session. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

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Dunleavy urges lawmakers to focus on PFD, revenue surplus, public safety bills

The governor reiterated his ask for a $3,700 PFD

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

News

Alaska COVID-19 cases down; US sees increase

The state reported a total of 1,479 new COVID-19 cases for the prior week

Courtesy photo / Jeff Lowenfels Jeff Lowenfels, a former state Attorney General and avid garden writer is running for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He’s in a race with 48 other candidates but he says he has the unique experience that can serve all Alaska.

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From gardener to government: Jeff Lowenfels seeks House seat

Former lawyer and avid garden writer says he knows Alaska like no other

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference announcing legal action related to the state’s ownership of submerged lands on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Jeremy Cubas/Office of the Governor)

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Dunleavy pushes state ownership of submerged lands

Governor announces new legal action related to state navigable waters

This Feb. 9, 2016, photo shows ice forming on pipelines built near the Colville-Delta 5 field, or as it’s more commonly known, CD5, drilling site on Alaska’s North Slope. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)

News

US decides to limit leasing in Alaska petroleum reserve

The plan would prevent oil and gas development in areas considered important for sensitive bird populations, caribou herds

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Protesters critical of the cruise ship industry gathered Monday on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol, the same day the first large ship of the season arrived in Juneau. Demonstrators said the industry had a poor environmental record and called on the state to continue to Ocean Rangers program, a voter-approved initiative which put state monitors aboard ships to ensure compliance with state regulations.

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Protesters call for more enforcement of environmental regulations aboard ships

As cruise ships return, some residents remain wary.

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, right, laughs with Nelson Angapak Sr., Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. Angapak appeared at a news conference with Haaland, who was on a visit to Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

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Agency proposes more land options for Alaska Native veterans

Haaland visited with veterans this week during her ongoing trip to Alaska, her first to the state as…

Charlie Pierce stands in his home on Thursday, March 11, 2022, in Sterling, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Alaska Republican Party endorses Pierce/Grunwald ticket

The party has also endorsed incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Former state lawmaker from Fairbanks John Coghill was in Juneau on Friday, April 22, 2022, and is running for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, vacated recently by the death of Don Young. Coghill faces a crowded field but says he has the experience and pragmatism to get the job done.

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Former state lawmaker John Coghill says Congress needs his experience

Fairbanks lawmaker says record shows pragmatism, bipartisanship

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire The Alaska House of Representatives passed a bill reducing sentences for and clearing records for marijuana possession on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, a day adopted as an unofficial holiday by cannabis users. The maker of the bill said the timing was not intended.

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House passes marijuana bill on cannabis ‘holiday’

Bill reduces penalties and clears possession records

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland gestures while addressing reporters during a news conference Thursday, in Anchorage. Haaland is in the midst of a visit to the state that included a trip to King Cove, a community at the center of a long-running dispute over a proposed land exchange aimed at building a road through a national wildlife refuge. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

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Interior Secretary Haaland in midst of visit to Alaska

Haaland was in King Cove on Wednesday with Gov. Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski