Corinne Smith

This year, whether lawmakers will allocate more funding for public education remains uncertain amid early budget negotiations.

Alaska’s Republican congressional delegation said they support the state’s appeal, and are urging FEMA and the Trump administration to fund the disaster relief effort.

Chronic absenteeism has remained high since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the reasons for why students are missing class are difficult to define and vary widely across the state.

Roughly half of Alaska’s school districts qualified for the five year grant program, which is managed by the state’s education department.

Lawmakers introduced new bills related to education ahead of the 2026 legislative session, and will continue debating bills from last year.

Advocates and lawmakers are calling for the reinstatement of an independent oversight body to investigate and help prevent deaths, as well as changes to medical and geriatric parole.

The FBI reports Alaskans lost over $26.2 million to internet-based scams in 2024, with $1.3 million of those losses due to government impersonation scams.

The National Guard said five service members will assist with administrative support; lawmakers and civil rights advocates worry that the move signals a ramping up of immigration enforcement operations in Alaska.

Some work on critical infrastructure projects will continue, but the state’s focus will transition to supporting storm-impacted communities and evacuated residents through the winter, officials said.

Officials with the National Guard told state legislators about the decision just days before a federal judge temporarily ordered an end to deployments in the nation’s capital.