Dear Alaskans,

As the state with more coastline than the rest of the country combined, Alaska has a direct stake in the health of our oceans, fisheries, marine ecosystems, and coastal communities. For this reason, I have supported numerous federal programs and legislative efforts that strengthen ocean research, improve marine debris response, protect coastal communities, and support the Alaskans whose livelihoods depend on healthy oceans.

A critical issue that has been a particular focus of my work in this space is marine debris. Marine debris—especially plastics and other forms of ocean pollution—poses a serious threat to coastal ecosystems, marine life, and our coastal communities that depend on healthy oceans. To address this challenge, I authored the Save Our Seas Act, signed into law in 2018, and the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, signed into law in 2020. SOS 2.0, which I worked closely on with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, is the most comprehensive ocean debris legislation ever passed by Congress. SOS 2.0 also established the congressionally chartered Marine Debris Foundation, which is now headquartered in Juneau.

Building on this work, my SOS 2.0 Amendments Act was signed into law in December 2025, strengthening the Marine Debris Foundation and reauthorizing NOAA’s Marine Debris Program. I am also working to pass my Save Our Seas 2.0 Marine Debris Infrastructure Programs Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize proven Environmental Protection Agency grant programs that combat plastic waste and microplastics. At the same time, I am developing SOS 3.0 to build on the success of the first two Save Our Seas laws.

Another serious threat to Alaska’s coastal resources is harmful algal blooms. HABs can endanger marine life, damage coastal ecosystems, threaten commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries, and put the health and well-being of Alaskans at risk. That is why I introduced the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act to reauthorize and strengthen the original 1998 law. This legislation will help ensure communities have access to HABs observation data, monitoring and mitigation training, and testing for HABs toxins. The bill passed the Senate in September 2025.

To build on these specific issues, as well as support additional oceanographic programs in our state, I continue to support the NOAA Sea Grant Program and the Integrated Ocean Observing System, two important programs that strengthen ocean research, coordination, and public-private partnerships. I am a cosponsor of legislation to reauthorize these programs, and I support robust funding for both programs every year.

There is more work to do to address plastic pollution, marine debris, and harmful algal blooms in Alaska and around the world. I will continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance practical, lasting solutions. The health of our oceans, fisheries, and marine life should never be a partisan issue—it is a responsibility we all share.

Sincerely,

Dan Sullivan
United States Senator 

An Arizona driver was pulled over for rushing home to watch a popular reality TV dating show.

A state trooper pulled over a vehicle going 108 miles per hour in Pinal County. The zone had a speed limit of 65 miles per hour along Arizona State Route 347.

The driver stated that she was trying to get home fast to see “Love Island.” Season 8 of the U.S. version premiered on June 2 on Peacock with new episodes airing daily except for Wednesdays.

She was arrested and booked for speeding and reckless driving; the vehicle was taken to “car jail” for 20 days, according to an Arizona Highway Patrol Facebook post.

Do you have a tip or a question you need answered? Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Instagram @dina_kaur.

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A California Republican senator says it is time to have a “serious discussion” about putting a measure on the ballot to potentially “reverse” legalization of marijuana in the state—also raising concerns about President Donald Trump’s move to reschedule cannabis at the federal level.

“I think it’s time to assess the effects, the significant unintended consequences of the legalization of marijuana, which has not just happened in California, but in other states too,” Sen. Roger Niello (R) said at a hearing of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee last week.

“Now we can’t change it without going back to the people, but I think we should have a serious discussion, a serious analysis of the obvious…unintended negative consequences I don’t think that the writers of the proposition cared about,” he said as first reported by State Affairs, referring to the cannabis legalization ballot initiative that California voters approved in 2016. “I think these could have been predicted. They just wanted recreational use to be legalized.”

Niello raised concerns that “we’re even seeing our current president now advocating that by downplaying the classification of marijuana at the federal level.”

“We have seen significant negative consequences of this legalization, both here as well as in other states,” the senator, who was speaking at a hearing at which lawmakers approved a bill to legalize marijuana dispensary drive-thru windows in California, said. “I think it’s time for us to have a serious analysis of that, and whether or not we want to develop a proposition to go back to the voters and either reverse it or somehow reform it so that we don’t continually deal with the problems that we do.”

“I oppose the legalization of marijuana,” he said, citing data about cannabis use by young people and an alleged link to mental health problems and claiming that the 2016 reform was “written to please everybody” which resulted in a “dysfunctional policy that is bound for unintended consequences.”

Elsewhere in the U.S., marijuana legalization opponents are currently collecting signatures to put measures to roll back the reform in Maine and Massachusetts—though those anti-cannabis campaigns have faced accusations of misleading petitioning tactics.

A separate anti-marijuana effort in Arizona for a similar measure was dropped after its lead organizer said his initial concerns about the legal cannabis industry were misplaced.

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Back in California, regulators recently adopted emergency rules changes for the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis.

They also separately launched a new AI tool to help businesses identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids in violation of state rules.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), meanwhile, recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis.

In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”

Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently engage in marijuana commerce with licensed cannabis businesses without first obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.