Alaska
Alaska Department of Health cuts 30 positions, dissolves a public health program after federal funding cuts
The Alaska Department of Health is cutting 30 positions and shuttering a program meant to improve public health access across the state after the Trump administration cut more than $50 million in previously awarded federal funding.
A dozen federal grants to the Alaska Department of Health were terminated effective March 24 amid broad funding cuts, department spokesperson Shirley Sakaye confirmed Thursday, including funds awarded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that were set to expire by 2027.
“Funds were utilized for time-limited projects that increased public health infrastructure and capacity,” Sakaye said by email.
As a result of the cuts, the department is dissolving the Healthy and Equitable Communities unit, which was launched in 2021 in response to health access and outcome disparities across the state that came into sharp relief during the pandemic.
The unit focused on “creating partnerships across Alaska to ensure that the conditions in which Alaskans live, work and play support opportunities to lead healthy lives,” according to a department webpage that was removed earlier this week. The program had staff in Anchorage, the Mat-Su region, Fairbanks, Bethel, Nome, Homer, Kodiak, Juneau and Ketchikan.
Now, partnerships established by the department are set to be abruptly discontinued, leading to what could be significant impacts, including in rural communities where access to health services is limited.
The 12 canceled grants originally amounted to more than $185 million, of which $135 million had already been expended, according to a list of canceled grants maintained by the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The state lost out on $50 million in future funding, but because of the sudden cancellation of the grants, the state may also lose out on improvements it was planning to make through previous expenditures because projects will be abandoned midway.
Among the terminated grants was a $96 million award toward improving epidemiology and laboratory capacity for preventing and controlling emerging infectious diseases. More than $24 million from that grant had yet to be spent and was canceled.
The cancellation also impacted a $40 million award for immunization and vaccines for children, of which $16 million had not yet been spent when the grants were canceled.
Alaska has seen a drop in vaccination rates among children in recent years. For example, a decade ago, about 94% of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella. As of last year, that rate had dropped to 84%, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The grant cancellations also impacted more than $7 million for a “national initiative to address COVID-19 health disparities among populations at high-risk and underserved, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities,” administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than $1 million out of a $4.7 million grant to address substance use was canceled. Roughly $700,000 in mental health grant funding was canceled.
Julie Cleaton, policy committee chair for the Alaska Public Health Association, said the association opposes the cuts to public health funding.
“We’ve always been underfunded, and this will not help. The state is already feeling the impact of these federal cuts,” Cleaton said in an interview Thursday.
Cleaton works for the state Department of Health as a data analyst for the Alaska Cancer Registry but was not speaking on behalf of the state, she said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear to a lot of people in government that we weren’t well-prepared. We’re not working off of a healthy baseline population, and there are a lot of improvements to be made there. So there was some funding that went out because of COVID-19, but a lot of it was to prevent future outbreaks, to improve our systems and to get everyone healthier, not just specifically for COVID-19, but for everything,” Cleaton said.
Cleaton said that the Healthy and Equitable Communities unit — now disbanded — had been “positioned in several communities across the state to try and get to more rural locations that don’t usually see enough public services.”
“We’ve been trying to work to help everyone get on a more even footing, health-wise, and this will just be a setback to that,” she said.
Ingrid Stevens, former president of the Alaska Public Health Association, said that Alaska will also be impacted by other cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“A primary concern is the supply of data,” she said.
Stevens, who works in the Alaska tribal health system, said that Alaska could lose critical data that the federal government collects and shares with states through surveys, including ones pertaining to mental health and substance abuse.
“Those national bodies are the ones that give us guidance. They do all the research and they relay that down to the states so states can implement that research to help improve public health,” said Cleaton. “If we don’t have that national guidance, who’s going to do that research?”
Cleaton said that impacts of the loss of public health programming may not be felt immediately, but their long-term effects could be significant.
“We’ve been seeing declining vaccination rates for several years — and now we’re getting measles outbreaks. So it may take time to really feel the impact, but it will hurt what we do,” Cleaton said.
‘A general sense of anxiety’
Broad cuts to federal spending — led by tech billionaire Elon Musk — are set to have a disproportionate impact on Alaska, which receives a large share of federal funding per capita, economists, union leaders and nonprofit leaders have said.
Already, 230 Alaskans in the federal workforce had filed for unemployment insurance since February, when mass firings began, according to Alaska’s Director of Employment and Training Services Paloma Harbour.
But this is likely the first time that Alaska state employees have lost their jobs due to federal funding cuts under the current Trump administration, according to Heidi Drygas, director of the Alaska State Employees Association, a union representing most state employees, who said the terminations impacted both permanent and non-permanent positions.
Department of Health staff were laid off in communities including Anchorage, Juneau, Wasilla, Fairbanks, Homer, Valdez and Petersburg, she said.
Drygas said the Department of Health was proactive in involving the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to help impacted employees find other jobs with the state, which has a high vacancy rate across departments.
But Drygas said that state employees are anxious — not just about layoffs that occurred this week but about potential imminent impacts of federal funding cuts, including future layoffs.
“There is a general sense of anxiety,” said Drygas. “Especially with employees that work under federal grants or they have federal counterparts that they work with on a daily basis.”
“What we’re worried about is what comes next,” she added. “It’s just a really difficult time for state employees.”
Drygas said she anticipates future impacts, and hopes Alaska’s congressional delegation will do “whatever they can to protect our federal funding.”
Alaska’s two Republican U.S. senators said earlier this week that they were in touch with the Trump administration over the funding cuts to the Department of Health.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has been “working with state health officials to gather more information about how these reorganization efforts impact Alaska,” spokesperson Amanda Coyne said Wednesday.
Coyne said that Sullivan had “an extended phone call” with Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which “focused on extending some of the grants at issue, and on larger solutions as part of HHS’s reorganization efforts that would address Alaska’s unique health care needs and challenges.”
None of the canceled grants have since been reinstated, the Alaska Department of Health confirmed late Thursday.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is “tracking the grant funding cuts, and her office is engaging with the administration,” spokesperson Joe Plesha said. “The sudden loss of funding and the loss of these positions will make a real impact in Alaska, and the Senator is focused on finding solutions to continue the progress that has been made with these funds.”
The office of U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III “is monitoring these funding cuts and the direct impacts on Alaskans,” spokesperson Silver Prout said in a written statement.
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FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – Eielson Air Force Base officials confirmed that an “incident” occurred Tuesday on base involving a Republic of Korea F-16 jet, but did not specify any further as to what had happened.
Eielson officials said an investigation is currently underway, according to the base’s public affairs office.
The situation revolved around a Republic of Korea Air Force F-16D Fighting Falcon that took off around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Eielson officials said the incident occurred when the jet “departed the prepared surface and aircrew ejected,” within the fence line of the base.
Eielson officials did not say how many crew members were involved; only that the aircrew onboard were taken to Bassett Army Community Hospital for further evaluation and that emergency crews responded to the scene.
One witness described seeing what appeared to be a damaged aircraft.
Sarah Sioka was traveling southbound along the Richardson Highway around 5:26 p.m. with her husband Eldon driving when she said she saw what appeared to be a damaged aircraft on base sitting in the runway along the flight line.
At the time, Sioka said there was no fire or smoke, but she estimated 8-10 emergency vehicles nearby.
The aircraft appeared to Sioka to be an F-16.
“The nose was down on the runway, kind of looked smushed a little bit, and then the back end was … up on its wheels,” she described. “The front wasn’t on the front wheel.”
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
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Alaska stands as an American energy powerhouse, a vital gateway to energy dominance, economic prosperity and national security.
The 49th state holds half of U.S. coal resources, the country’s fourth-largest proved crude oil reserves, and the second-largest proved natural gas reserves behind Texas.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump recognized these untapped opportunities and issued an important executive order, Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order on American energy production after signing it during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on April 8, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He declared that developing Alaska’s energy resources would help deliver price relief for Americans and create high-quality jobs for our citizens while resolving trade imbalances and bolstering the nation’s exercise of global energy dominance.
ONE STATE’S NATURAL RESOURCES CAN FINALLY PUT AN END TO AMERICA’S RELIANCE ON CHINA
America should not have to rely on foreign energy sources to fuel our cars and heat our homes. It’s expensive, and those countries end up with leverage over the United States.
Anyone who lived through the 1973 Arab oil embargo marked by long gasoline lines and fuel shortages understands this vulnerability.
Producing more of our resources – oil, gas, coal – at home lowers the price of energy used for electricity and transportation fuel, which helps bring more affordable goods and services to Americans.
President Trump’s EO ended the assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and its ability to responsibly develop these resources for the benefit of the nation. He reversed punitive restrictions implemented by the previous administration that prevented the U.S. from producing American energy on both state and federal lands in Alaska, which can now help spark an energy and economic revival.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS PURSUING ENERGY DOMINANCE — CONGRESS SHOULDN’T GET IN THE WAY
Alaska’s Energy Goldmine
All of this settled in as I traversed the great state of Alaska last week with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Dan Sullivan and the state’s governor, Mike Dunleavy.
From the Arctic Coastal Plain to the North Slope, the potential held within Alaska’s bastion of natural resources was clear.
The U.S. Geological Survey says Alaska has at least 160 billion short tons, and possibly up to 5.5 trillion short tons. Yet only one surface coal mine – the Usibelli mine – is operational, supplying about 1.2 million tons annually to neighboring states and Asian allies.
Coal mines also contain critical minerals required for our modern life, a reality unearthed by President Trump during his first term. He has already taken steps to expand sourcing critical minerals for national security.
MY FAMILY TRIED LIVING EUROPEAN-STYLE AUSTERITY. ONE STATE’S INSANE ENERGY AGENDA WANTS THAT AS A MODEL
Alaska is rich in critical minerals including graphite, lithium, tin, tungsten, rare earth elements and platinum-group elements – essential to everyday products Americans demand. Flake graphite, a major component in lithium-ion battery anodes, is currently 100% imported, but Alaska could provide domestic supply.
The state is also an oil and gas titan, yet most of the natural gas produced is not brought to market because of lack of pipeline infrastructure.
During President Trump’s first term, the oil and gas industry in Alaska supported 47,300 total jobs, provided $4.6 billion in labor income to Alaska and contributed $19.4 billion to Alaska’s total gross domestic product, which was more than 35% of the state’s total GDP.
By contrast, the previous administration all but ended oil and gas drilling on the North Slope and canceled the seven remaining leases for drilling on the coastal plains, sacrificing economic growth, energy security, affordable reliable power generation and prosperity for all Alaskans.
AMERICA’S ENERGY CRISIS IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AND IT’S WORSE THAN YOU KNOW
President Trump’s vision for us to unleash oil, gas, coal and even critical minerals in Alaska could generate billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of high-paying jobs.
Producing this bounty would set us on a path to fulfill President Trump’s vision for U.S. energy dominance.
We can’t afford not to produce Alaskan energy.
Native Alaskans Have a Voice
I was fortunate to visit with the Chenega Regional Development Group, LLC and native Alaskans of the Chenega tribe on this trip. What struck me was their kindness, resilience and openness to energy development in their state.
While more than half of Alaskans live in Anchorage, Juneau or Fairbanks, most native Alaskans don’t – they inhabit much of the northern and southwestern regions.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Native Inupiat Eskimos in Northern Alaska have said they do not want to be suspended in the 19th century, and most of the 20th when they struggled with no electricity, running water, toilets or sewage management.
They have struggled to stay warm, and in many cases, have nearly died from hypothermia when they lived without adequate energy and home heating.
All Americans must have access to adequate electricity and home heating. Climate activism cannot stand in the way of access to critical energy resources.
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We can produce and deliver energy, grow the economy, create jobs and simultaneously protect the environment. It’s not a binary choice. It’s a matter of urgency, humanity and national security.
Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential will help to power the Great American Comeback and lead America into its Golden Age of success.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LEE ZELDIN
A conservationist from Kennebunk, Maine, died in a helicopter crash while conducting conservation work in Alaska.
The death of Shiloh Schulte, PhD,, who previously served as an elected official in Kennebunk, was announced by the Manomet Conservation Sciences. A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family, including his wife and two daughters.
He was 46.
“Shiloh was a lifelong birdwatcher, conservationist, and scientist whose passion for the natural world was infectious,” the GoFundMe, co-organized by Jonah Jill Schulte reads. “From a young age, he could be found exploring forests and wetlands with binoculars in hand, always eager to discover and share the wonders of the avian world. His dedication to protecting shorebirds and their habitats took him to some of the most remote and challenging environments on Earth, where he worked tirelessly to ensure a future for these vulnerable species.”
Schulte previously served on the Kennebunk Select Board. Schulte was elected chairman of the board in July 2022. At the time, his colleagues said he had a “really great way about him to move things forward, regardless of where he is on the spectrum of an issue.”
Schulte’s work with the Manomet Conservation Sciences included working as the coordinator for the American Oystercatcher Recovery Program. He is credited with rebuilding the American Oystercatcher, a large shorebird once believed to be locally extirpated, by 45%.
“Shiloh gave his life in the service of something greater than himself, dedicating himself to preserving the natural world for future generations,” the Manomet Conservation Sciences said.
His family said he will be remembered as more than a scientist.
“Shiloh was so much more than a scientist,” the GoFundMe page states. “He was a devoted husband and father, a loving son and brother, a generous neighbor, and a pillar of his community. Whether he was helping a neighbor with yard work, leading the town Select Board, running a marathon or inspiring others through his photography and storytelling, Shiloh gave his all—always with a warm heart and boundless energy.”
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