Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

This week, the mining sector made headlines after officials confirmed Iran’s lithium and antimony discoveries across multiple provinces. The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced it had discovered 7,000 metric tons of antimony after a decade of exploration.  The largest deposit lies in Sistan and Balochistan and could supply 10% of global antimony demand. Antimony is vital in producing flame retardants, solar panels, and military hardware, making these findings strategically important. As global demand increases and Chinese exports tighten, antimony prices are climbing, with projections hiring $30,000 per metric ton. Meanwhile, reports of high lithium…

Governor Mike Dunleavy signed legislation expanding Alaska Permanent Fund dividend eligibility for temporarily out-of-state residents. House Bill 75, introduced by Representative Jeremy Bynum of Ketchikan, was the first of his legislative efforts to become law.  Dunleavy signed the bill quietly without a formal announcement or signing ceremony last week. Although no press release followed the bill’s approval, official legislative notices confirmed its passage. Representative Bynum expressed satisfaction that the law will soon help more Alaskans retain their dividend eligibility. The newly enacted law clarifies and broadens what counts as allowable absences for Permanent Fund dividend (PFD) purposes. It includes training…

Vancouver’s mining industry is powering a new wave of Alaska mining projects even as trade tensions and falling mineral prices strain global markets- At January’s Roundup convention hosted by Vancouver’s Association for Mineral Exploration, geologists, executives, and investors spotlighted Alaska’s vast untapped mineral potential. The annual Alaska Night party at the Pan Pacific Hotel underscored the state’s growing importance to Vancouver-based junior mining companies. These firms, specializing in early-stage exploration, are leveraging Canada’s favorable tax and regulatory climate to fund operations across Alaska’s rugged landscape.  More than a dozen firms registered in Vancouver are eyeing Alaska’s mineral-rich terrain. Projects include…

The ACLU of Alaska has introduced a new online reporting form to document Alaska immigration enforcement actions across the state. This effort comes as the Trump administration increases arrest quotas for ICE and expands military involvement in immigration protests nationwide.  Cindy Woods, senior immigration fellow at the ACLU of Alaska, is managing the tool and helping coordinate legal support for impacted residents. The reporting form is available in English and Spanish, and more languages are planned soon. It asks users to provide details such as locations, agency involvement, and the nature of immigration enforcement incidents. Woods emphasized the form of…

Trump opens Alaska land for oil drilling by proposing to expand development across 7 million more acres in the state’s Arctic reserve. The US Bureau of Land Management released a draft that would open 82% of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska to leasing. That equates to 18.5 million acres, up from the current 11.7 million acres authorized under a 2013 Obama-era plan. The proposal mirrors a previously attempted Trump administration strategy that never advanced but now returns with fewer environmental safeguards. Acting Assistant Secretary Adam Suess said the plan would boost American jobs and reduce dependency on foreign energy imports.…

Amid the Israeli airstrikes, some businesses in Tehran continue with reports showing residents lining up for groceries and bread despite the mass departure of tens of thousands fleeing potential Israeli attacks.  Iran’s Press TV posted footage of everyday commerce still happening across some parts of the capital even as air raid sirens continue to echo. Many families in Tehran remain stranded due to medical issues or lack of transportation. Some residents are choosing not to leave despite growing concerns. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported Israel is running low on Arrow interceptor missiles, which are crucial to defending against Iranian…

More than 50 Palestinians died from Israeli gunfire at a Gaza aid site, according to rescue officials and eyewitness reports. Israeli drones allegedly fired missiles first, followed by tank shells hitting the crowd directly. The shells reportedly came from an Israeli tank positioned 400 to 500 meters away. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza´s civil defense, confirmed over 50 dead and at least 200 wounded. He stated that Israeli drones and tanks fired without provocation into a desperate crowd awaiting humanitarian supplies. The Israeli military acknowledged the incident and said it is reviewing the situation.  Troops reportedly observed a large…

Alaska is set to receive up to $12.2 million over the next 15 years as part of the national Purdue Pharma opioid settlement, state officials announced. Attorney General Treg Taylor confirmed that Alaska has joined the historic $7.4 billion agreement, which includes participation from all 55 eligible attorneys general. The deal ends the Sackler family’s control of Purdue Pharma and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. Under Sackler’s ownership, Purdue spent decades marketing opioids like OxyContin, intensifying the country’s worst-ever drug crisis. This latest settlement, the largest of its kind with individuals tied to the epidemic, aims to…

Governor Mike Dunleavy has vetoed Senate Bill 183, a bipartisan measure to enhance Alaska’s tax audit transparency. The bill would have required the Department of Revenue to share audit reports with the Legislature in the format lawmakers requested.  The Legislature created SB 183 after the Revenue Department under Dunleavy stopped sharing data related to oil and gas tax audits. These audits determine how much oil companies pay the state, which could involve billions in lost or gained revenue. Senator Elvi Gray Jackson, who chairs the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, criticized the veto and called it unprecedented. The bill passed…

Meta has begun a global rollout of new advertising tools on WhatsApp, introducing features that promise to avoid disrupting private chats. The company will not place ads inside users’ message inboxes or use encrypted conversations to shape the advertisements they see. Instead, WhatsApp ad changes rely on public user data like city, country, language, and behavior with existing channels and ads. Users who connect WhatsApp to Facebook or Instagram will receive more personalized ads based on Meta’s broader ecosystem data collection. These new ad formats will appear in a redesigned “Updates” section at the bottom of the app, away from…

The man behind one of Alaska’s most significant oil discoveries is confident he’s found another in uncharted territory. Bill Armstrong, the Colorado-based geologist who discovered the giant Pikka field in 2013, believes the Sockyey-2 oil discovery could reshape the eastern North Slope. The well lies roughly 100 miles east of Pikka near ExxonMobil’s Point Thomson field and close to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Armstrong’s company, Lagniappe Alaska, partnered with Apache and Santos to drill the Sockeye-2 well earlier this year. The 325,000-acre leasehold is on state land, meaning Alaska could fully benefit from future royalties if development proceeds—the well-produced…

The Alaska school funding crisis intensified after Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed over $50 million in education funds, blindsiding school districts statewide. This controversial move followed lawmakers’ override of his previous veto of a permanent school funding formula increase.  Superintendents and local officials now face a difficult choice of either slashing spending plans or gamble on a January override by the Legislature. Many fear waiting will leave schools in disarray. Kuspuk School District Superintendent Madeline Aguillard believes this is an emergency. Her district stands to lose $254,000 and is already $2 million short. She warned of potential teacher furloughs, reduced staff…