WASHINGTON (KTUU) – Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, warned Wednesday that Alaska faces some of the “most extremes of the extremes” when it comes to skyrocketing healthcare costs. Nearly 28,000 Alaskans could see their insurance premiums spike by as much as 295% if Congress fails to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies by the end of the month.
“My home state of Alaska appears to suffer some of the most extremes of the extremes when we’re talking about these high costs,” Murkowski said at the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Wednesday. “People are expecting us to come up with a solution.”
I’ve been ringing the alarm since last year about the expiration of tax credits that many Alaskans have relied on to afford their healthcare. As I see it, we have no choice but to modify and extend these tax credits to get us some time to find a permanent solution to this… pic.twitter.com/zXeoJkqKYy
The warning comes as Alaska ranks among the hardest-hit states in the nation for premium increases, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, after the crisis was highlighted during the 43-day government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—that ended in November when eight Senate Democrats broke ranks to reopen the government.
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As part of that deal, Republicans promised a vote on extending the enhanced premium tax credits by the middle of December. Alaska’s senators say they’re still working on extensions, but they only have until December 31.
Senate Democrats will be forcing a vote next week on a plan to extend enhanced premium tax credits, or the subsidies in question, for three years, NBC’s Sahil Kapur reports.
“Republicans have one week to decide where they stand: Vote for this bill and bring health care costs down, or block this bill and send premiums skyrocketing,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on the Senate floor Thursday. “That’s what’s at stake when we vote next week. It’s going to be one of the most important votes we take.”
Across the aisle, though, its chances to survive a filibuster seem unlikely.
“I haven’t seen yet what the Dems are proposing. I don’t think we’re close to a 60-vote threshold yet,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, told NBC News on Tuesday.
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In a statement to Alaska’s News Source, Murkowski, too, said she was dubious of its chances in the chamber.
“We have two problems in front of us that we need to resolve: the immediate spike in premiums Alaskans will face if we do not allow for some limited extension before the end of this year, and the need to address the ever-escalating cost of receiving basic health care,” she said.
“These are policy considerations that will take us more than a week to resolve. I’ve been working to bring my colleagues to the table to develop both short- and long-term solutions before Alaskans feel the impact of these premium increases in the new year.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said at an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce forum in November he supports “tapering down” the subsidies over time rather than an abrupt end.
“Senator Sullivan is working relentlessly with his Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle to extend ACA subsidies with necessary reforms before the end of the year,” spokesperson Amanda Coyne told Alaska’s News Source Thursday. “Senator Sullivan recognizes that because of the high cost of health care delivery in Alaska, thousands of small business owners, fishermen, entrepreneurs, and others across the state rely on those subsidies.”
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Coyne did not say whether Sullivan supports the Democrats’ three-year extension plan.
All the while, President Donald Trump has backed a plan to send funding to individuals instead of insurance companies.
“THE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHO HAVE MADE $TRILLIONS, AND RIPPED OFF AMERICA LONG ENOUGH,” Trump said in a social media post last week. “Congress, do not waste your time and energy on anything else.”
That plan, touted by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, proposes individuals receive credits, “directly to patients and empower them to manage their own health care decisions,” according to a press release from his office.
Alaska’s News Source contacted the entire delegation for comment Thursday. A spokesperson for Begich did not respond to multiple requests over several days.
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Alaska impact
Healthcare premiums for about 28,000 Alaskans, roughly 4% of the state, could skyrocket if the subsidies expire, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Alaska’s Division of Insurance.
Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows some families could pay more than half their income for coverage
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, told CNN Wednesday Alaska would be one of ten states hardest hit by the funding cut.
“We’re talking about tens of millions of people, including in many red states across the country,” Jeffries said. “In fact, the states that will be most impacted if the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire, are Republican run states. We’re talking about West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska…”
Alaska’s News Source reached out to Jeffries’s office for specifics on his claim, though the request was made after his office hours in D.C.
Jeffries statements align with data from a Nov. 24 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, showing that in many cases, Alaska, on average, has some of the highest percentage increases to how much premiums will cost if the subsidies expire.
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The study shows 60-year-old Alaskans earning just above 401% of the federal poverty line ($78,396 annually) could see their premiums increase by 295%. The average premium without these subsidies would become $2,192 monthly, consuming 34% of their yearly income.
In this age and income group, Alaska is the fourth highest increase, the first being Wyoming at 421%, West Virginia at 413% and Connecticut at 316%.
“I think we’re going to need to have a short-term extension‚” Murkowski said at the Wednesday committee meeting. “But I think we can put reasonable caps on it … But we’ve got to be looking longer term to how do we ultimately reduce these costs of care.”
The enhanced premium tax credits, which provide more generous subsidies than the original Affordable Care Act and extend eligibility, began during the pandemic and were extended in 2022. They are set to expire at the end of 2025 if Congress does not extend them again.
The subsidies were at the core of the recent 43-day government shutdown, with Senate Democrats forcing the closure to try and extend the credits. Alaska’s entire congressional delegation has publicly said they support extending the subsidies.
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Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president. Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29. (M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg)
Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president.
Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29, according to a news release Wednesday.
Tackett will continue leading the organization’s finance, fleet management, investor relations, supply chain, internal audit and information technology functions, according to the release. His new responsibilities as president include oversight of Alaska Airlines’ commercial division.
Tackett previously held positions in labor relations, e-commerce and financial planning at the company, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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“I started at Alaska more than 25 years ago, and over that time we’ve built a stronger, more resilient airline with a clear strategy for the future,” Tackett said in a statement.
He said he is excited to lead more of the organization in his new role and deliver to guests, employees and owners.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said Tackett has led the company through challenges and helped it grow over his 25-year tenure.
“Bringing commercial and finance leadership together under Shane will strengthen alignment and accelerate our priorities as we continue advancing our strategy and creating long-term value for our stakeholders, said Minicucci, who also serves as CEO and president of the airline’s parent company, Alaska Air Group.
Tackett’s promotion comes as the airline navigates challenging macroeconomic factors, including rising fuel costs and weakening consumer demand for travel.
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Alaska Air Group — which includes Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as regional carrier Horizon Air and ground support company McGee Air Services — saw its profits drop 70% in 2025 year over year. It continued to face financial woes in 2026.
The company lost $193 million in the first three months of 2026 as it dealt with skyrocketing jet fuel prices due to the war in Iran.
Alaska study sees mixed results on links between kelp farms and CO2 levels
Published 5:30 am Thursday, June 18, 2026
A study into the amount of CO2 absorbed at a pair of Alaska kelp farms is throwing some cold water on hopes that seaweed could be an answer to climate change.
Alaska kelp farms, which have been viewed as a potential boon for reducing local carbon-dioxide levels, have surprisingly murky effects on atmospheric CO2 removal, according to a new study.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led project measured the amount of CO2 that was emitted and absorbed at two kelp farms in the Gulf of Alaska during the 2023-2024 growing season. The outcome was mixed — one farm slightly reduced carbon dioxide in the local environment while the other added more to it.
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Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) has been touted as a potential strategy to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, with the ocean serving as a sink for human-produced CO2.
The study, which was recently published in the journal Ocean Science, is the first to measure mCDR in Alaska waters. It focused on kelp farms, which can draw down CO2 through the process of photosynthesis.
“It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon that seaweed is going to change the world, but ultimately we want to be honest to the public,” said Amanda Kelley, an associate professor at UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and a contributor to the study.
“Really, it’s very nuanced, and there are a lot of factors that affect kelp’s ability to do that.”
Josianne Haag, who led the project as a UAF doctoral student, installed sensors both inside and outside kelp farms in Windy Bay near Cordova and Kalsin Bay on Kodiak Island. From seeding to harvest, hourly data was collected on ocean chemistry, temperature, salinity and oxygen levels.
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The two sites had numerous differences, including the type of seaweed being planted, the timing of their growing seasons and the size of the farms. Also, Windy Bay’s tides are more extreme than Kalsin Bay’s.
The results were striking and varied. The farms flipped between absorbing and releasing carbon dioxide depending on the amount of sunlight and the time of day. Extreme low tides affected CO2 levels by flushing groundwater into the area, briefly raising carbon dioxide levels.
A film of marine fauna grew on some of the farm equipment in Kalsin Bay, leading to a burst of carbon dioxide production through their respiration.
Overall, the Windy Bay farm slightly reduced nearby atmospheric marine carbon dioxide levels while the Kalsin Bay farm boosted them. Measurements will continue at the farms for at least two more years, but the first season revealed that a kelp farm’s recipe for carbon intake and output is surprising and complex.
“It’s really not doing much in either direction,” Haag said. “The farms aren’t necessarily harming anything, but we shouldn’t be blowing out of proportion that they’re going to save us from climate change.”
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The study was part of the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium project, which is an ongoing effort to look at the impacts and benefits of mariculture in Alaska. Mar ReCon research is funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.
By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protectionon
At approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, a fire was reported off Healy Spur Road. The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, along with the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Anderson Fire Department, responded to the Gagnon Coal Seam Fire (#206).
Estimated at 3 acres, the fire was burning in grass with approximately 50% of the perimeter actively burning. A five person Initial Attack squad, helicopter, and engine responded. Light rain was reported at the incident upon arrival.
There are no structures threatened, and there are no evacuations in place. This will be the last update on this incident, unless conditions change.
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This map shows the location of the Gagnon Coal Seam Fire (#206) located on the Healy Spur Road east of Usibelli on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Click on the image to download a PDF type file to enlarge or print.
‹ DFFP is responding to the Bulchitna Fire in the Fish Lakes area of the Yentna River
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
Tags: 2026 Alaska Fire Season, coal seam, DFFP Northern Region, Gagnon Coal Seam Fire
