Immigrant Explains Difficulty Assimilating To Culture That Constantly Reboots Film Franchises

Latest in the newsletter from me: Big-ticket contributions — the kind that'd be banned under the campaign finance limits voters will be asked to enact in this primary election — accounted for just 2% of all contributions but more than 52% of all the cash. #akleg #akelect

With no limits, deep-pocketed donors play an outsized role in shaping Alaska's elections

Just 2% of all contributions made to non-congressional candidates account for 52% of all the money they've raised.

akmemo.com

🧵 Friends, #Alaska our community lost the one and only Diva Dog Revna’s human @arcticvelocipedist.bsky.social His silence is loud, many of us have been in incredible grief at the loss of such a unique, vibrant man. Sharing stories about the vast and varied impact he had on us is a testament (1/3)

🫡

Chris W 64.9N@borealchrys.bsky.social · 2w ago

It was a lot of fun to read. I not saying every piece should be novella length, but occasionally it’s fine!

More great reporting

Matt Acuña Buxton@matt.akmemo.com · 2w ago

Whew! Between the weather, it being summertime and a few other things, I've been busy — not that productive, but busy. Anyway, there's a LOAD to catch up on in Alaska, including the Division of Elections' nuttiness, the AKLNG project facing AKLNG odds, and a change-up in the House race. #akleg

Whew! Between the weather, it being summertime and a few other things, I've been busy — not that productive, but busy. Anyway, there's a LOAD to catch up on in Alaska, including the Division of Elections' nuttiness, the AKLNG project facing AKLNG odds, and a change-up in the House race. #akleg

What's the Alaska Division of Elections even doing anymore?

It's like it's being run by an election denier or something.

akmemo.com

Alaska Division of Elections director Carol Beecher appears before lawmakers to testify on the division's decision to declare Dan J Sullivan of Petersburg ineligible, and after the AK Supreme Court ruling overturning it, put him on the ballot without a party affiliation www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/...

APOC is currently hearing the latest complaint alleging the latest effort to repeal RCV contains misleading and inaccurate campaign disclaimers (essentially hiding the fact they're primarily funded by billionaire Jeff Yass), and Craig Richards just gave the squeakiest: "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" #akelect

Happy Fourth of July. My menace of a neighbor is on a tear today. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” “250” “The KENNEDYS” “No one gives you ANYTHING for free!” “Go buy a house!” (I think this was directed at my neighbor who takes care of his aging parents) “DONALD J. TRUMP’S birthday!” 🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Everything’s a learning opportunity…. … he tells himself after pulling up 30 minutes of video takes — that took an hour to do — to realize I didn’t record any audio whatsoever.

Older Cousin Demonstrates   New Pressure   Points Learned Since Last Visit https://theonion.com/older-cousin-demonstrates-new-pressure-points-learned-since-last-visit/

Alaska's U.S. Senate primary will have two Sullivans — but will it have two Dans? The latest from my newsletter: At no point did it seem like the state's case was a winning one, but the ruling doesn't quite close the book on the Division of Elections' meddling with the U.S. Senate race. #akelect

Alaska's U.S. Senate primary will have two Sullivans — but will it have two Dans?

At no point did it seem like the state's case was a winning one, but ruling doesn't quite close the book on the Division of Elections' efforts to minimize the perceived threat to GOP control of the U....

akmemo.com

🧵 The Alaska Supreme Court is delayed but should soon be getting underway with oral arguments on the Dan J. Sullivan ballot access lawsuit. Superior Court ruled on Friday that DoE was wrong to block the Petersburg man from challenging U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. The state appealed. #akleg

Here's how Judge Thomas Matthews viewed the amicus brief filed by perennial candidate Dustin Darden — who may have had to be reminded that amicus status does not let him interject. Darden warned "with no clear rule, every future candidate is at risk of the same treatment." #akelect

Matt Acuña Buxton@matt.akmemo.com · last mo.

Frankly looking forward to reading his amicus. Darden was at Monday's legislative hearing and seemed pretty interested in the case.

Coming exclusively to Alaska 2026 primary ballots this Aug. 18: Two Dans and a Mary (and 13 other candidates) #akelect

The Associated Press@apnews.com · last mo.

A man with the same name as Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible for state’s primary ballot, judge rules, overturning a decision by state election officials.

Fridays.

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that a lawsuit that sought to stop the state from handing over potentially sensitive voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice is moot and dismissed the appeal. From Juan Salinas II buff.ly/FeCZsvW

Nebraska Supreme Court rules voter data case is moot because feds already have records • Nebraska Examiner

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that a lawsuit that sought to stop the state from handing over voter data to the DOJ is moot.

nebraskaexaminer.com

Anchorage’s seagulls are BOLD this year. Alaska Public Media’s building has been inundated for the past couple weeks by divebombers. Just witnessed a seagull chase a baby moose into the woods.

all i want is the absolutely tiniest truck possible

bdonnelly@bdonnelly.bsky.social · last mo.

Sure, sure these Slate EV mini pickups are cool I guess, but they still don;t have the flair of a 1986 Suzuki Mighty Boy

pretty devastating dunk at the end of this paragraph

Washingtonian@washingtonian.com · last mo.

Opening day of the Great American State Fair drew light crowds, long walks, and mixed reactions from visitors. Here's what it was like inside the America 250 event. washingtonian.com/2026/06/26/i...

ICE in Anchorage. These guys were on par. Pulling up face mask when they eyed me filming. Unmarked cars and no visible ID. Not APD.

COMMENTARY: Rather than relying on Alaska's own attorneys, the Division of Elections turned to a lawyer from a conservative Lower 48 firm to defend its decision to keep Dan J. Sullivan off the ballot.

Alaska brought on a right-wing attorney to defend the decision to remove Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot - The Alaska Current

Accused of partisan meddling in the 2026 elections, Alaska officials turned to a conspicuous choice for legal representation.

buff.ly

The conference committee will also meet Saturday (wonderful, love it), Sen. Bert Stedman told me. He expects Saturday to be "eventful." "We'll have a pretty good idea by Saturday night where things lay," he said. He's hoping to finish next week, "but no guarantees in politics," he said. #akleg

Eric Stone@eriwinsto.bsky.social · last mo.

If, like me, you’ve been on pins and needles awaiting the conference committee on the #akleg gas pipeline bill, HB 381, you can expect the first meeting at 2 p.m. Friday, per chair Calvin Schrage. They’ll start with an organizational meeting and an overview of the Senate Finance version of HB 381.

Sen. Forrest Dunbar, who proposed naming ISER after Fischer, said the veto is "disrespectful to Vic Fischer's memory." The bill passed 48-12, but whether lawmakers can override the veto is, as always, unclear. Here's a story with all of the above and more. #akleg alaskapublic.org/news/politic...

Dunleavy plans to veto bill naming ISER and marine park after Vic Fischer, spokesman says

Fischer, who had a seven-decade career in politics and policy in Alaska, was the founding director of the University of Alaska's Institute for Social and Economic Research.

alaskapublic.org

Gov. Mike Dunleavy's spox called me to say Dunleavy would veto a bill naming the Institute of Social and Economic Research after founding director Vic Fischer. He told me it was a UA policy issue and volunteered that the veto was not linked to Fischer's work on the Recall Dunleavy campaign. #akleg

For whatever reason, my cell hotspot never had trouble with today's stream, but it sounds like plenty of others did. If you want to catch up, the court has uploaded the hearing (direct MP3 link): public.courts.alaska.gov/web/media/MR... All records here: courts.alaska.gov/media/case-f... #aksen

Matt Acuña Buxton@matt.akmemo.com · last mo.

🧵 Oral arguments in Dan J. Sullivan's lawsuit to get back on the ballot against U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan are getting underway. (And my request to create recordings has been approved by the court.) You can watch the stream here: stream.akcourts.gov #akelect #aksen

🧵 Oral arguments in Dan J. Sullivan's lawsuit to get back on the ballot against U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan are getting underway. (And my request to create recordings has been approved by the court.) You can watch the stream here: stream.akcourts.gov #akelect #aksen

Trump lashes out at Sen. Murkowski and 4 other Republicans at fiery luncheon. They'd helped Democrats pass a resolution to end hositlities with Iran. Hours later, 2 relented. Murkowski says Trump has been tossing bombs, derailing his own priorities. alaskapublic.org/news/politic...

Trump lashes out at Murkowski and other Republicans at fiery luncheon

The president was angry four Republicans voted to tell him to halt hostilities against Iran. Hours later, two relented and the Senate reversed course. Murkowski, though, held fast.

alaskapublic.org

We've really hit the "lawmakers are negotiating a compromise that could come as early as the first week of July and as late as never" phase of the #akleg session. Must-read reporting here from @alaska.bsky.social on the #AKLNG confidential document leak snafu:

Confidential document guided Alaska senators working on natural gas pipeline tax break | Alaska Beacon

A secret agreement provides the most detailed insight yet into one of the world’s largest prospective natural gas projects.

alaskabeacon.com

Gov. Mike "The Education Governor" Dunleavy's budget vetoes are out, and they're what you'd expect: Teacher incentive payments Teacher recruitment/retention More teacher retention Head Start Parents as Teachers Statewide library Children's services training Adolescent addiction treatment #akleg