Commentary
How satellites revolutionized the way we see – and protect – the natural world
Fifty years ago, U.S. scientists launched a satellite that dramatically changed how we see the world. It captured images of Earth’s surface in minute detail, showing how wildfires burned landscapes, how farms erased forests, and many other ways humans were changing the face of the planet. The first satellite in the Landsat series launched on […]
Anchorage schools are ready to start the climb
Hello, Anchorage! I hope you are enjoying this last stretch of summer break. My name is Dr. Jharrett Bryantt. I am humbled and eager to work alongside you as your new superintendent. I’d like to thank the community for welcoming me to the Anchorage community. You’ve given me great advice on restaurants, challenged me to […]
The westward spread of zebra and quagga mussels shows how tiny invaders can cause big problems
The zebra mussel has been a poster child for invasive species ever since it unleashed economic and ecological havoc on the Great Lakes in the late 1980s. Yet despite intensive efforts to control it and its relative, the quagga mussel, these fingernail-sized mollusks are spreading through U.S. rivers, lakes and bays, clogging water supply pipes […]
What the Alaska primary election results will tell us
On Aug. 16, 2022, Alaska voters head to the polls to cast votes in two key elections. The first is the regular primary, which determines which candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, Alaska governor and some legislative races will move on to the general election in November. The second is the special general, which will […]
Historic investment in Alaska public safety will save lives
Since 2020, many states, cities and counties across the Lower 48 drastically cut law enforcement funding in their local jurisdictions – however in Alaska, Gov. Dunleavy and the Legislature have done the exact opposite and provided the Alaska Department of Public Safety with historic funding to combat crime and protect victims. In total, DPS saw […]
Marginalizing concerns on Alaska salmon bycatch and the Yukon-Kuskokwim subsistence fisheries
The past two seasons and now this 2022 season, Chinook and chum fisheries have crashed to historical low-abundance runs on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Yup’ik and Athabascan peoples, villages and communities have relied upon each fishery from time immemorial for putting healthy foods on the table. Many Canadian First Nations and communities also rely […]
West Susitna Access Project opens area for all
We support the proposed West Susitna Access Project. As full-time residents of the Mat-Su Borough, which stands to benefit directly, we believe opening the area to more Alaskans will provide real opportunities for recreation, jobs, and settlement. Currently, the area is hard to get to, and only a handful of people have the means to […]
Lives hang in the balance as time runs out for action on health insurance
Five years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Yet I’m the lucky one. I could afford to get treatment. Too many people in America don’t have the health care they need, even today. The 2021 American Rescue Plan included subsidies to make health insurance more affordable than ever, resulting in a record-breaking […]
Dunleavy declines to answer candidate questionnaire, later Walker also declines
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has declined to answer written questionnaires from the Alaska Beacon and the Anchorage Daily News that were intended to increase public understanding of candidates’ positions as they compete in November’s election. Dunleavy’s campaign invited a Beacon reporter to interview the governor. In response to Dunleavy’s decision, independent former Gov. Bill Walker […]
Human garbage is a plentiful but dangerous source of food for polar bears
More than 50 hungry polar bears invaded the Russian coastal village of Belushya Guba over a period of three months, attracted by the local dump. Some bears entered homes and businesses by ripping doors off hinges and climbing through windows. These invasions have been steadily increasing in Arctic settlements, though this case, in the winter […]
What happens when laws that suppress protests clash with our freedoms?
Americans have always held, as a matter of faith, that if they don’t like something, at least they have the freedom to raise hell about it. At a minimum, it makes them feel better – like they’ve done something. There’s even the possibility that it might lead to change. When it became clear that the […]
Alaska employers should include salaries in job descriptions
When I applied to be a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News in late 2020, there was no pay listed in the job description. The number on our paychecks decides if we can feed our families, pay medical bills and breathe easier at the end of the month. The ADN is not the only media […]