Alaska
Peltola leads in Alaska’s US House race, followed by Palin and Begich
![Peltola leads in Alaska’s US House race, followed by Palin and Begich Peltola leads in Alaska’s US House race, followed by Palin and Begich](https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MG_8771-Edit-aspect-ratio-16-9-1536x864.jpg)
With greater than half the vote counted, Democrat Mary Peltola is main within the particular election for U.S Home, with Sarah Palin forward of fellow Republican Nick Begich.
With simply over 55% of precincts reporting, Peltola had 38% of first place votes, Palin had 33% and Begich had 29%.
Peltola was anticipated to complete forward on this three-way race, with solely first-choice votes counted on election night time. The 2 Republicans are splitting the conservative vote. Palin’s second-place standing is maybe extra consequential. If that holds, Begich can be eradicated. If sufficient of his voters ranked Palin as a second-choice, Palin may overtake Peltola’s lead and win the seat.
The last word results of the particular election received’t be clear till Aug. 31. That’s when the Division of Elections will decide who completed final and look at his or her ballots for second rankings.
Whoever wins the particular election could be sworn in subsequent month to serve the rest of the late Congressman Don Younger’s time period, till January.
In the meantime, the first election for the following full Home time period was additionally held Tuesday, with 22 candidates on the poll. With about half of the vote counted, the order was the identical as within the particular: Peltola was within the lead, however neck-and-neck with Palin, adopted by Begich.
The highest 4 vote-getters advance, and if the preliminary outcomes maintain, the fourth spot would go to Tara Sweeney, although she was nonetheless in single digits whereas the frontrunners had about 30% every.
Peltola, a salmon advocate from Bethel who served within the state Home for a decade, urged her supporters to remain in it for the lengthy haul.
“We’re all hopeful, in fact, however you hate to jinx something,” she mentioned at an election watch occasion at forty ninth State Brewing, a pub in downtown Anchorage. “And so I’m positively going to be ready for all of the districts to return in and all of the absentee ballots to return in persistence.”
The Begich and Palin campaigns didn’t reply to messages requesting interviews.
In an emailed assertion, Palin tore into ranked alternative voting, the system voters adopted in a 2020 poll initiative.
“Voters are confused and offended, and really feel disenfranchised by this cockamamie system that makes it inconceivable to belief that your vote will even be counted the best way you supposed,” she mentioned, with out offering proof that any ballots have been counted in a means the voter didn’t intend.
Advocates of ranked alternative voting say it higher displays the need of voters, partly as a result of like-minded candidates received’t break up the identical pool of voters. Voters have the choice of claiming whom they’d decide if their favourite finishes final.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Alaska
Ukrainian refugees in Alaska uncertain what to expect after Trump announces possible negotiations
![Ukrainian refugees in Alaska uncertain what to expect after Trump announces possible negotiations Ukrainian refugees in Alaska uncertain what to expect after Trump announces possible negotiations](https://gray-ktuu-prod.gtv-cdn.com/resizer/v2/2V4FV6ACABERLD6A5DKT32D6KY.jpg?auth=9fa07ea977bc90372d29d790e0fc78532b71599222b87c623aedd71adf7f31fc&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin prompted local refugees to consider what comes next for their home.
According to Trump the call between the leaders Wednesday struck an agreement to begin negotiations and end the Ukraine war; beginning with a prisoner swap.
Alaska hosts a number of Ukrainian refugees, according to Catholic Social Services Refugee Assistance Services — the only refugee resettlement agency in the state — it’s seen an influx of Ukrainians entering Alaska since 2022 when the war first broke out.
Based on Trump’s statements there is potential for negotiations, but Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said Wednesday that Ukraine should give up any NATO aspirations.
One Alaskan who came to the U.S. as a child in 1998 said many Ukrainians are simply overwhelmed.
“We don’t have the emotional capacity to have a big response,” said Zori Opanasevych, who now operates the Ukraine Relief Program.
“I think that when it happens there will be a relief,” said Opanasevych, but before there is more information about what might come out of the negotiations Opanasevych said there is both a lot of hope and a lot of uncertainty.
Opanasevych anticipates there will be many who question Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. about their immigration status, and worries there may be talks of deportation even for people who have obtained residency through all the proper channels.
If refugees who have sought safety in the U.S. were sent back to Ukraine, they would be stripped of everything they’ve built, according to Opanasevych.
“Their concern is that they don’t have a home to go to because a fifth of Ukraine is destroyed,” Opanasevych said. “The economy is nonexistent, almost, and they’ve built their lives here.”
According to Catholic Social Services, they currently serve 735 Ukrainians, but estimate there are more than 1,000 Ukrainians in the state. Not all of them are enrolled in the services CSS provides.
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Alaska
Alaska Senate leaders suggest new revenue measures to address looming budget deficit
Alaska Senate leaders signaled Tuesday that they were open to considering new revenue measures this year to help stabilize the state’s looming budget deficit.
“We haven’t addressed revenue for decades,” Sen. Lyman Hoffman, a Bethel Democrat, told reporters. “I think it’s high time the Legislature looks at raising new revenues if we want to accomplish the many things that we want to do. If not, I don’t see a clear path forward to balancing not only this year’s budget, but next year’s budget.”
Budget analysts predict that without additional revenue, the state could face a $500 million shortfall during the coming year, even without increasing the state’s education budget — a top priority for leaders of both the House and Senate.
Hoffman, who has served in the Legislature for more than 38 years, said “the state of Alaska is probably facing its largest fiscal problem in 30 years.”
He said the fiscal crisis is driven in part by the Legislature’s efforts this year to significantly increase education funding, a task lawmakers have not undertaken in more than a decade. A bill backed by House leaders would increase the state’s education budget by around $150 million in the coming fiscal year compared to the current one, and hundreds of millions more in the following two years.
Hoffman said the Senate majority had already discussed new revenue measures during a retreat before the beginning of the session.
“I’m glad to report that new revenues are on the Senate’s list of things that need to be addressed this year,” he said.
Rep. Andy Josephson, an Anchorage Democrat who co-chairs the House Finance Committee, said the House majority had not collectively discussed new revenue measures.
“I suppose we would entertain other revenue measures, but we’re also very aware that this governor vetoed a tobacco tax bill, he vetoed a Turo tax bill,” said Josephson. “So I think the 21 of us don’t want to just chase windmills and pursue things that simply aren’t going to happen.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy in December proposed a largely status quo budget with a projected deficit of $1.5 billion. He has not introduced new revenue measures this year.
In 2023, Dunleavy introduced legislation to allow the state to bring in revenue from carbon sequestration. The law has yet to yield income for the state. He signaled two years ago that he would introduce a sales tax in the final weeks of the legislative session. But he never introduced the measure.
Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, said the Senate majority has not discussed a sales tax or an income tax. Instead, both Hoffman and Sen. Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, pointed to possible measures that could increase taxation of oil and gas companies in the state by hundreds of millions annually.
“I think there are things that can be done which would have very little impact on investment, very little impact on Alaskans, and would help us solve our budget deficit,” said Wielechowski.
Those include a reduction in the per-barrel tax credits given to oil companies, and an amendment to the state’s tax code to apply corporate income tax on certain private corporations, including Hilcorp Alaska.
Sen. Robert Yundt, a freshman Republican from Wasilla who serves in the minority, on Monday introduced legislation meant to ensure the state’s corporate income tax is applied equally to companies in the state.
Stevens said his caucus was “really pleased” to see that legislation introduced by Yundt and said the Senate would be “moving forward” with that bill.
A similar measure considered by the Senate — and ultimately abandoned — last year would have increased taxation on Hilcorp, one of Alaska’s top-producing oil companies, by over $100 million.
In a written statement, Yundt said he introduced his bill because he thinks all companies should be “treated and taxed exactly the same — which, unfortunately, is not currently happening.”
“This legislation has the ability to create the even playing field that will benefit both industry and residents alike,” Yundt said.
Sean Maguire reported from Juneau and Iris Samuels from Anchorage.
Alaska
Grammy-winner Sean Paul to perform at 2025 Alaska State Fair
![Grammy-winner Sean Paul to perform at 2025 Alaska State Fair Grammy-winner Sean Paul to perform at 2025 Alaska State Fair](https://www.adn.com/resizer/v2//-rKFSCrc51j8hmIGwd6xqUEVpOo=/1200x630/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/OYOI74GZ4MQNLKVERYNKGUHNJI.jpg)
Grammy-winning Jamaican singer Sean Paul will perform at the 2025 Alaska State Fair.
The platinum hitmaker with multiple chart-topping songs will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, the fair announced Tuesday.
Paul rose to prominence in the 1990s, collaborating with other artists until his solo debut, “Stage One,” in 2000.
A master of the Jamaican dancehall genre, he won a Grammy for his 2004 album “Dutty Rock,” which featured hit singles “Gimme the Light” and “Get Busy.”
Tickets for the show go on sale 10 a.m. Friday at alaskastatefair.org.
Paul joins “Weird Al” Yankovic, Foreigner, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Chris Tomlin, Billy Currington and 3 Doors Down on the fair’s performer lineup.
The fair runs from Aug. 15 to Sep. 1 at the state fairgrounds in Palmer.
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