Alaska Air Group (ALK) has issued an upbeat profit outlook for the third quarter, driven by robust summer travel demand and lower than expected fuel costs.

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This post was written by Angel Smith

The United States scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft were detected near Alaska.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said Wednesday that it detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, NORAD said U.S. fighter jets had conducted the intercept.

“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” it said. “This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ is not seen as a threat, and NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence.”

The Context

NORAD, which is made up of U.S. and Canadian forces, has intercepted Russian aircraft flying near Alaska multiple times since President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

For example, it said in July 2023 that Russian aircraft had made at least four incursions into airspace close to Alaska since the beginning of that year.

What We Know

NORAD didn’t elaborate on which type of Russian aircraft were detected on Wednesday or what U.S. fighter jets were used in the intercept.

An ADIZ is a defined stretch of international airspace but “requires the ready identification, location and control of all aircraft in the interest of national security,” NORAD previously said.

The aerospace defense command said it employs a “layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to track aircraft and inform appropriate actions.”

“NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America,” it said.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

In July, the Pentagon said Russian and Chinese bombers—two Russian Tu-95 and two Chinese H-6 military aircraft—were detected flying near Alaska, marking the first time the two nations had been observed operating together in that manner.

Wednesday’s intercept near Alaska comes as Russia and China conduct joint large-scale military exercises in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean, Caspian and Baltic Seas, through September 16.

What’s Next?

NORAD is likely to intercept more Russian aircraft operating in the ADIZ in the future, given that such incursions are not uncommon.

A U.S. Defense Department spokesperson told Newsweek in July 2023 that Russian activity in the ADIZ “occurs regularly, and we do not view this activity as a threat.” A NORAD spokesperson also told Newsweek there is “nothing associated with this and/or previous events that would indicate there are any ties to global activity.”

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.

The Alaska Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday morning in a lawsuit seeking to remove Eric Hafner, an imprisoned, out-of-state Democrat, from the state’s November election ballot. 

Under Alaska’s elections system, the top four finishers in the August primary election advance to the general election ballot. Hafner, who finished sixth, was promoted to the top four by the Alaska Division of Elections after two higher-finishing Republicans withdrew.

The Alaska Democratic Party challenged the division’s decision in court, and on Tuesday, a Superior Court judge dismissed the case, ruling strongly in favor of the Division of Elections.

Judge Ian Wheeles found that removing Hafner would require the division to redesign the election ballot, possibly delaying the federally mandated mailing of ballots to international voters.

That potential harm is greater than any harm caused by Hafner’s presence on the ballot, Wheeles said.

Wheeles concluded that Hafner, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for threatening to kill public officials in New Jersey, has the Constitutional right to run for office, even if he is ineligible to serve.

For U.S. House candidates, the U.S. Constitution requires that a candidate be an inhabitant of the relevant state. Attorneys representing the Alaska Democratic Party argued that Hafner, who is not scheduled for release until 2036, cannot be an inhabitant as required.

After losing in lower court, the party filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court, which granted it Wednesday.

The Alaska Department of Law, representing the Division of Elections, is ready to defend the state again, a spokesperson said.

“The Superior Court found the Division of Elections correctly applied Alaska law and the U.S. Constitution. The Department of Law is preparing to defend this decision in the emergency appeal to prevent any disruption to the general election,” said spokesperson Patty Sullivan.

Alaska Democratic Party executive director Lindsay Kavanaugh said the party is pleased that the Alaska Supreme Court is acting quickly.

“Hafner is not our candidate and as a non-Alaskan incarcerated until 2036, he has no business being on Alaska’s ballot,” she said.

She said the state’s decision to print ballots with the issue unresolved is “another nonsensical decision made, and it’s a tired defense.”

“Election integrity also includes having candidates on the ballot that can actually take office and serve Alaskans,” she said.

The Alaska Republican Party intervened in the case on the side of the state. ARP chair Carmela Warfield did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday.

Hafner received less than 1% of the vote in the August primary, but some Democrats have expressed concerns that Hafner’s presence on the ballot could divert votes from incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska. Peltola is believed to be in a close race against Republican challenger Nick Begich. Alaskan Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe is also on the November ballot.