Alaska
Alaska Museums brace for financial impact of President Trump’s latest executive order
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – In an effort to continue the downsizing of the federal government, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”
In the latest order Trump outlined the agencies he wants to see shuttered.
One of the organizations is the Institute for Museum and Library Services. The institute accounts for 250 million dollars in taxpayer funding that gets distributed throughout the United States.
According to the director of Museums Alaska, Dixie Clough, the impacts in Alaska will be felt by the dismantling of the institute.
“[The federal government] supports all of our museums, all of our libraries,” Clough said.
There are over 100 museums throughout the state — each one with unique needs. The agency handles reimbursable grants, meaning the museums spend the money they have on hand to complete projects and are reimbursed with funding through the agency.
“So, if someone currently has a grant that they’re working on, they are spending the money upfront, and then they have to ask ILMS for reimbursement, any museum with a grant currently will have already spent money,” Clough explained.
In Alaska there are two primary ways the funding is used. The first is through expanding access to the resources available through the museums, these include digitizing exhibits and creating new exhibits.
“The federal funding from ILMS really allowed museums to do impactful projects that would reach more people and tell more history for Alaska, to not only their own communities but communities further out that they probably won’t be able to do anymore,” Clough said.
The second way is by expanding training programs through the museums to keep talent in the state.
“Quite a few of our past IMLS grants in Alaska have been one museum applying for a grant and then providing training to a lot of smaller institutions,” she said. “So, quite a few of these smaller volunteer-run organizations who rely on maybe IMLS-funded training through other museums won’t be able to have access to that anymore,”.
Clough also explained the potential impact on Alaska’s tourism industry.
“Alaska has such almost like a fantasy world in a lot of people’s brains,” she said. “Museums are a really big part of the tourism industry. When you get off a cruise ship, you want to go to a museum, learn about the town you’re in.”
The goal of downsizing the federal government and reducing waste spending has been one of the President’s core messages. The order gives the agency seven days to fulfill the request of the White House or risk losing its funding. President Trump says this is necessary to help cut down on the waste in the federal government.
“These are people in many cases they don’t show up for work, nobody even knows if they exist,” President Trump said to press correspondents on Air Force One.
Clough says that when we get to the end of the week ILMS may not exist and the long-term damage has yet to be seen.
“The history and culture and art of Alaska is so important and having that federal funding allowed museums to share it more with more people in different ways, and with this executive order, that ability will be very much decimated,” she concluded.
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Alaska
National Native helpline for domestic violence and sexual assault to open Alaska-specific service
Alaska
Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Up to a foot of snow has fallen in areas across Southcentral as of Tuesday, with more expected into Wednesday morning.
All sports and after-school activities — except high school basketball and hockey activities — were canceled Tuesday for the Anchorage School District. The decision was made to allow crews to clear school parking lots and manage traffic for snow removal, district officials said.
“These efforts are critical to ensuring schools can safely remain open [Wednesday],” ASD said in a statement.
The Anchorage Police Department’s accident count for the past two days shows there have been 55 car accidents since Monday, as of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. In addition, there have been 86 vehicles in distress reported by the department.
The snowfall — which has brought up to 13 inches along areas of Turnagain Arm and 12 inches in Wasilla — is expected to continue Tuesday, according to latest forecast models. Numerous winter weather alerts are in effect, and inland areas of Southcentral could see winds up to 25 mph, with coastal areas potentially seeing winds over 45 mph.
Some areas of Southcentral could see more than 20 inches of snowfall by Wednesday, with the Anchorage and Eagle River Hillsides, as well as the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountain, among the areas seeing the most snowfall.
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Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
Alaska
Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt
On January 3, 2026, Districts 27 and 28 of the Alaska Republican Party received formal charges against Senator Rob Yundt pursuant to Article VII of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.
According to the Alaska Republican Party Rules: “Any candidate or elected official may be sanctioned or censured for any of the following
reasons:
(a) Failure to follow the Party Platform.
(b) Engagement in any activities prohibited by or contrary to these rules or RNC Rules.
(c) Failure to carry out or perform the duties of their office.
(d) Engaging in prohibited discrimination.
(e) Forming a majority caucus in which non-Republicans are at least 1/3 or more of the
coalition.
(f) Engaging in other activities that may be reasonably assessed as bringing dishonor to
the ARP, such as commission of a serious crime.”
Party Rules require the signatures of at least 3 registered Republican constituents for official charges to be filed. The formal charges were signed by registered Republican voters and District N constitutions Jerad McClure, Thomas W. Oels, Janice M. Norman, and Manda Gershon.
Yundt is charged with “failure to adhere and uphold the Alaska Republican Party Platform” and “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles and priorities of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.” The constituents request: “Senator Rob Yundt be provided proper notice of the charges and a full and fair opportunity to respond; and that, upon a finding by the required two-thirds (2/3) vote of the District Committees that the charges are valid, the Committees impose the maximum sanctions authorized under Article VII.”
If the Party finds Yundt guilty of the charges, Yundt may be disciplined with formal censure by the Alaska Republican Party, declaration of ineligibility for Party endorsement, withdrawal of political support, prohibition from participating in certain Party activities, and official and public declaration that Yundt’s conduct and voting record contradict the Party’s values and priorities.
Reasons for the charges are based on Yundt’s active support of House Bill 57, Senate Bill 113, and Senate Bill 92. Constituents who filed the charges argue that HB 57 opposes the Alaska Republican Party Platform by “expanding government surveillance and dramatically increasing education spending;” that SB 113 opposes the Party’s Platform by “impos[ing] new tax burdens on Alaskan consumers and small businesses;” and that SB 92 opposes the Party by “proposing a targeted 9.2% tax on major private-sector energy producer supplying natural gas to Southcentral Alaska.” Although the filed charges state that SB 92 proposes a 9.2% tax, the bill actually proposes a 9.4% tax on income from oil and gas production and transportation.
Many Alaskan conservatives have expressed frustration with Senator Yundt’s legislative decisions. Some, like Marcy Sowers, consider Yundt more like “a tax-loving social justice warrior” than a conservative.
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