Lisa Phu, Alaska Beacon

Lisa Phu, Alaska Beacon
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a photo collage of three portraits of woman and one gray box with a question mark

In Alaska U.S. Senate primary, a race to finish fourth

After Murkowski, Tshibaka and Chesbro, 16 candidates vie for last spot on general election ballot.
Wooden gavel and dollar banknotes

Cost estimates for constitutional convention in Alaska range widely

Issues include the length of the session and the amount of support delegates will need.
Interior: An empty classroom

Weeks from restarting, schools across Alaska are struggling to find teachers

The national teacher shortage, which pre-dates the pandemic, is uniquely felt in Alaska, which has historically relied on recruiting teachers from the Lower 48.
a blue sign on the side of a building says "State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services"

Seeking efficiency, Alaska breaks its health agency into two new departments

The Department of Health and Social Services has been split into separate organizations.
smoke over tundra

Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta wildfires, part of a new pattern, push Alaska to early season milestone

This year’s fires are the product of a combination of long-term climate change and short-term ignition forces.
soccer players on a field

Mat-Su schools’ ban on transgender girl athletes raises concern for ACLU, may violate federal law

Attempting to ban transgender girls from playing on girls’ teams constitutes illegal discrimination under the federal law known as Title IX, according to the ACLU of Alaska.
A bar graph showing excess deaths in Alaska by month

Large portion of unexpected Alaska deaths in 2020 and 2021 directly tied to COVID-19

Pandemic increased premature deaths among non-elderly adults, report says.
A man stands outside using a cell phone

Alaska Department of Corrections wants prisoners to have tablets to aid reentry

Alaska Legislature failed to pass bill at session’s close.
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Alaska attorney general recused himself from legal review of using public funds for private education

Treg Taylor’s wife, Jodi Taylor, is a major proponent of the concept and wrote in mid-May about her plan to seek up to $8,000 in reimbursement from public funding.
An empty hallway lined with red lockers.

Can public funds be used for private school classes? Education department isn’t sure

‘Any effort to divert public funds to private schools is a blatantly unconstitutional act’ says opponent to the practice.
A woman poses for a portrait outside

Legislature modernizes 40-year-old definition of consent in sexual assault cases

"Alaska took a gargantuan step forward in updating our laws," says deputy attorney general.