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Federal employment and budget turmoil affects monitoring of Alaska’s Barry Arm landslide

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Federal employment and budget turmoil affects monitoring of Alaska’s Barry Arm landslide


Barry Arm, Barry Glacier and Cascade Glacier are seen in May 2020. Glacial retreat has destabilized the rocky slope. The slope is moving gradually, but it could collapse in a large landslide, causing a dangerous tsunami. (Christian Zimmerman / U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center)

The Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers and funding restrictions has affected the monitoring of a landslide-prone slope that could create a dangerous tsunami in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.

The Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, in a recent update, alerted the public about the problems affecting the multiagency team monitoring Barry Arm. The site is a fjord where an unstable rocky slope could collapse into the water, potentially creating a tsunami affecting the community of Whittier and a variety of Prince William Sound mariners and visitors.

Administrative changes affecting federal agencies that are part of the Barry Arm monitoring program “have resulted in delays in equipment repairs and service renewals essential to maintaining full operational readiness,” the Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys update said.

Those delays “may have temporary impacts on tsunami hazard awareness and response efforts in the region,” the update said.

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The slope at Barry Arm has been moving gradually, and its movements are recorded through an array of instruments at the site and elsewhere in the sound.

Barry Arm is one of dozens of sites in Prince William Sound where landslide risks have increased as glaciers that buttress mountain slopes retreat. The sound and surrounding parts of Southcentral Alaska are considered vulnerable because of rapid glacial loss.

Because of Barry Arm’s potential for a catastrophic collapse, the site has received special focus from agencies trying to track slope movement. A key goal is to provide early warnings to people in the area, if those become necessary.

U.S. Geological Survey scientist Brian Collins evaluates a rock ledge on June 15, 2021, as a possible site to install equipment for monitoring movement of the Barry Arm landslide in Prince William Sound. The landslide is shown in the background across the fjord. (Dennis Staley / U.S. Geological Survey)

Federal agencies involved in the Barry Arm program include the U.S. Geological Survey; the National Weather Service and its National Tsunami Warning Center; the U.S. Coast Guard; and the U.S. Forest Service. Nonfederal partners include the Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska Earthquake Center, and the cities of Whittier and Valdez.

Dennis Staley, of the USGS and Alaska Volcano Observatory, said that changes to federal agency priorities and protocols for travel, purchasing and contracting have affected the Barry Arm Landslide and Tsunami Hazard Monitoring System.

“These have resulted in some rather sizeable changes in the way we approach the logistics to conducting fieldwork in recent months. We also have to plan for and adapt to changes in workforce composition as our staff members are laid off, or offered, contemplate, and sometimes accept offers for early retirement, paid administrative leave, etc.,” he said by email.

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Weather conditions have also affected operations, team members said.

USGS scientists went to Barry Arm on April 2 and did maintenance work on radar equipment used to measure landslide movement and transmit that data, Staley said.

National Weather Service crews also got out to the area earlier this month and restored service at a Whittier site that was recording water-level data, said Dave Snider of the service’s Tsunami Warning Center. Crew members were able to restore service there, but more trips will be needed “as time, weather, and funds allow,” he said by email.

No more field work is planned for this month, Staley said. Annual spring maintenance is planned for May, he said.

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.

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Lavrov Challenges Rubio: Kremlin Says Trump-Putin Reached Deal as Moscow Questions Washington’s Neutrality

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Lavrov Challenges Rubio: Kremlin Says Trump-Putin Reached Deal as Moscow Questions Washington’s Neutrality


The Kremlin has pushed back against US claims that no agreement was reached between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the August 2025 Anchorage summit in Alaska.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Washington presented proposals to settle the war in Ukraine during the talks and that Moscow accepted them.

Lavrov was responding to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has publicly rejected Russian claims that Washington and Moscow reached an agreement on Ukraine during the Alaska summit, saying no deal was ever finalized.

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As reported by DRM News, Rubio said the summit produced only a proposal, not a binding agreement.

He added that the US remains ready to play a constructive role in bringing the parties together and helping end the war, but stressed that while proposals were discussed in Alaska, “there was no agreement.”

Lavrov struck back by calling the response “not very elegant.”

“When my colleague says that in Alaska there were only proposals and no agreement, I wonder what we mean by agreement,” Lavrov said.

“If one side, in this case the US, put proposals on the table, and the other side expressed agreement, then saying there was no agreement is somehow not very elegant,” he added.

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According to Lavrov, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow days before the summit and delivered the same US settlement plan.

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“Already in Anchorage, when the two presidents sat down for talks, Putin began listing the American proposals point by point. After each point, in the presence of Trump and Rubio, he asked Witkoff whether he had correctly described the ideas brought to Moscow. Witkoff answered affirmatively to each question,” Lavrov said.

He called for clarification from Washington, adding that recent US statements about playing a constructive role in ending the war sounded like an attempt to position itself as a mediator.

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Previous claims

In early June, Lavrov claimed Russia had accepted what he described as US proposals presented at the Alaska summit.

Lavrov alleged that Washington initially acted as a mediator but later stepped back from the process after failing to pressure Ukraine to accept the proposed terms.

This week, he also suggested that the Alaska summit may have been used to “buy time” for Ukraine to rearm itself, further arguing that Russia no longer views the West as a credible broker amid sanctions pressure.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also said Moscow remained committed to implementing the understandings reached in Alaska, while accusing Washington of “apparently [failing] to complete its part of the process.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that Washington cannot be considered fully neutral in the war because of its military support for Ukraine.

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“If we’re talking about absolute neutrality, then, of course, the term is probably inapplicable, because the United States supplies the majority of weapons to Ukraine and provides other forms of assistance,” Peskov said.

At the same time, he said Moscow highly values Washington’s willingness to help resolve the war, as well as its influence over European allies and Kyiv.

Peskov also dismissed remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently said at the G7 Summit that Washington had abandoned neutrality and was now openly backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, continued aid, and sanctions against Russia.

“Regarding President Macron’s statements, it is difficult to judge. I don’t think President Macron can in any way claim to be Washington’s lawyer or press secretary,” Peskov added.



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Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines expand free Wi-Fi on flights

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Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines expand free Wi-Fi on flights


HONOLULU (KHON2) — Free Wi-Fi is available on more Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines planes.

The company said that 150 aircraft are now equipped with Starlink.

“For years, T-Mobile has played a key role in keeping our guests connected, and we’re proud to now offer Starlink, the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky, to Atmos members for free, made possible through our work with T-Mobile,” said Shane Jones, Senior Vice President of Fleet, Products and Guest Experience. “We’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests, and we couldn’t have done it without T-Mobile as we continue to raise the bar for the experience across Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.”

Passengers must now be Atmos Rewards members to take advantage of the free service. The company said a new onboarding portal started in June, with the experience to become standard by mid-July.

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Existing Atmos Rewards members will connect automatically, and new guests can sign up in just a few steps.

“Our relationship with Alaska Airlines has helped redefine what travelers can expect from inflight connectivity, and today’s milestone is another important step forward, said Mike Belcher, Head of Partnerships and Business Development at T-Mobile. “Bringing complimentary inflight Wi-Fi to more travelers across both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines makes it easier to stay connected throughout their journey. The new, streamlined experience for accessing Wi-Fi reflects our shared commitment to delivering a better, more seamless travel experience.”

The airline expects to finish installing Starlink across its remaining mainline fleet by 2027.



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Pilot’s quick thinking averts disaster in Alaska emergency landing

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Pilot’s quick thinking averts disaster in Alaska emergency landing


A small plane made an emergency landing in Alaska after a loud noise was heard about 20 minutes into the flight, according to one of the nine passengers on board. The pilot reported engine trouble and began searching for a place to land. Helicopters later rescued everyone. Passengers praised the pilot’s experience and quick thinking, crediting him with saving their lives. The FAA and NTSB are investigating.



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