Economy

Various Giftshops in downtown Anchorage

Anchorage small businesses see a strong holiday season, despite winter storm challenges

An industry advocate sees encouraging signs from holiday shopping, but says local businesses are still recovering from November’s snow storm closures.
villagers

Key findings released in Kenya universal basic income experiment

Money given to villagers in Kenya has stronger benefits delivered as a lump sum, similar to Alaska PFDs, than it does as monthly payments.
a woman

Juneau leaders consider whether – and how – to limit cruise ship visitors

Tourism Manager Alexandra Pierce says the cruise industry may be willing to discuss ship-free days, ship size limits or a daily visitor cap.

Resources for startup businesses | Talk of Alaska

e discuss what it takes to launch a successful startup, and how to keep it growing, on this Talk of Alaska.
a lecture

Persily perforates Alaska natural gas line’s prospects in ‘Gasonomics’ talk

Longtime energy observer Larry Persily thinks Alaska will import natural gas to meet its needs, rather than building an in-state gas pipeline.
a state ferry

Alaska ferry system awarded $132M in federal grants

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the funds, largely intended to replace the ferry Tustumena, represent “a big, fat deal” for Alaskan ferry riders.
several colorful posters with dollar figures hang on a large bulletin board

Ripping open the world of pull-tabs, Alaska’s most popular form of charitable gaming

All legal gaming in Alaska benefits nonprofits, and the most popular form, pull-tabs, is played at more than 1,000 locations statewide.
planes

Alaska-Hawaiian merger tests Biden administration’s resolve to preserve competition

The deal is smaller than mergers a decade ago. But regulators are already fighting another small merger — JetBlue’s proposal to buy Spirit Airlines.
a Cook Inlet oil platform

Cook Inlet natural gas producer says it’s sitting on large deposit, but nobody wants in

Natural gas extraction in the Cook Inlet region has become more difficult, and utilities are considering importing it from outside Alaska.

Alaska tribe’s members say corruption, self-serving deals brought Manh Choh gold mine to their land

A former tribal chief for the Native Village of Tetlin greenlit the mine and leased mineral exploration rights to a mining venture, now led by Kinross Alaska.
an airliner

Alaska Airlines to buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9B

The combined airlines will be based in Seattle, after a deal nearly a year in the making. Hawaiian Airlines will retain its corporate branding.
kelp

Federally funded project will search for rare earth elements in Southeast Alaska seaweed

The University of Alaska Fairbanks-led project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a push for domestic rare earth elements.
a grocery store

Peltola hosts online town hall on Albertsons-Kroger merger

In the tele-town hall Tuesday night, Rep. Mary Peltola said she was nervous about what the merger could mean for grocery options in Alaska communities.

Peltola flips script on long-running congressional drama over Arctic drilling

Room 1324 has seen this Alaska controversy play out for decades. This time, new characters changed the vibe.
a drilling rig

There’s lots of gas in Cook Inlet — here’s why some companies aren’t drilling

Leaders of Alaska’s biggest utilities say they don’t want to risk investing in drilling, when imported LNG appears reliable and competitive.
A road with cars

Alaska’s rising minimum wage means more to salaries than you might think

Many hourly employees already make more than minimum wage. But exempt salaried employees must be paid double that rate in Alaska.
a Wells Fargo bank

Wells Fargo branch in Bethel files for unprecedented union elections

Employees at Bethel’s Wells Fargo, along with a branch in Albuquerque, N.M., filed paperwork to form a new union on Nov. 20.
earrings

Western Alaska crafters prepare for gift-giving season

For artists with small businesses, including two from Western Alaska, the holiday season kicks off well before the temperature starts to change.

Food Bank of Alaska sees record demand and a decline in donations amid the holiday season

"This year, we've really seen record levels of need at our partners. Many of them have said they are serving more people than ever before," said Cara Durr with the Food Bank of Alaska.
shoppers

Black Friday deals start early and seem endless. Are there actually any good deals?

Retailers have begun rolling out deals days or even weeks ahead of one of the biggest shopping day of the year, enticing customers with early offers.
A man in a suit speaks at a white podium.

Anchorage mayor says downtown in a renaissance, but departing cafe’s fans disagree

Assembly Chair Chris Constant, who is often politically at odds with the mayor, agreed with Bronson’s optimism about downtown Anchorage.
an ambulance crew

Tourism, aging create ‘a lot of challenges’ for Ketchikan’s first responders

Ketchikan's fire chief, Rick Hines, says off-duty crew members are being paged to answer calls, with up to seven happening simultaneously last year.
A cannabis plant grows indoors.

Alaska hemp producers sue state, saying new ban on products is illegal

Alaska recently banned hemp products with intoxicating THC. The hemp industry says its products are protected under federal law.
a map

Environmental groups ask federal appeals court to halt Willow oil project

The plaintiffs argue that Judge Sharon Gleason made a mistake when she allowed work to proceed on ConocoPhillips' Willow project.
Nikiski, AK.

Alaska gets $200M from feds for Railbelt energy project, Cook Inlet undersea cable

Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks discussed the project, and the flexibility it could create for energy security on the Kenai Peninsula and beyond.

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