Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill that would have capped payday loan interest rates at 36%, drawing widespread criticism. The legislation, Senate Bill 39, aimed to remove a longstanding exemption allowing payday lenders to bypass lending laws in Alaska. It passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support earlier this session. Supporters of the bill argued that it would protect consumers from predatory loans with interest rates as high as 521%. They emphasized how borrowers, often in financial distress, fall into cycles of debt due to exorbitant fees and short repayment windows. The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Ted Eischeid…

Researchers have identified natural hydrogen in Earth’s crust as a vast untapped energy source that could last millennia. A team from the University of Oxford Durham University and the University of Toronto has mapped out the conditions for locating natural hydrogen. Their study, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, outlines how specific rock formations and geological processes create and trap hydrogen deep underground. Hydrogen plays a vital role in making fertilizers and chemicals and is increasingly essential to future carbon-free energy systems. But today’s hydrogen production relies heavily on hydrocarbons, which release harmful carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.…

An Abu Dhabi company may acquire Santos, the Australian oil giant operating on Alaska’s North Slope, in a proposed $36 billion deal. Santo Ltd. confirmed that XRG PJSC, an Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. subsidiary, submitted a formal buyout offer this month. Company leaders emphasized that negotiations are ongoing, and terms have not yet been finalized or disclosed publicly. The deal would include Santos’s debt and shift control over Alaska’s Pikka oil prospects to the UAE-based consortium. If developed, Pikka could produce 80,000 barrels of oil daily and hold an estimated 400 million barrels of recoverable oil. Santos currently operates…

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed four bills into law on Tuesday, including two related to child care, one addressing big-game hunting, and one that updates the state’s insurance laws. Senate Bill 96 creates a tax credit program that rewards companies that offer childcare programs for their workers. Senate Bill 95 increases the income threshold for families to qualify for state childcare assistance, allowing more households to become eligible for support. It also allows the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to distribute grants to the highest-quality childcare centers in the state, as determined by whether a center is part…

Ecuadorian authorities recaptured drug kingpin Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, during a 10-hour operation in coastal Manta. Fito, head of Los Choneros, had escaped prison in January, which prompted riots and a national emergency across Ecuador.  A combined force of police and military surrounded a luxury three-story home in the Manta Monterey neighborhood early Wednesday morning. After covering the property, officers stormed the house and discovered a trap door disguised as part of the stone floor. The secret door led to an underground bunker with air conditioning, a bed, a refrigerator, and other living essentials. Officials confirmed Fito surrendered…

A 600-foot cargo ship carrying thousands of vehicles sank Monday in the North Pacific weeks after catching fire at sea. Officials confirmed that the Morning Midas cargo ship sank approximately 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, in waters over 16,000 feet deep.  The US Coast Guard said the vessel had been drifting since June 3 when a fire broke out mid-voyage. All 22 crew members safely evacuated into lifeboats and were rescued by a nearby merchant vessel responding to the distress call.  The ship, registered under a Librarian flag, was headed from Yantai, China, to a significant port in Mexico.…

Anchorage police are searching for 30-year-old Sterling Klippenstein, who reportedly left the Cordova Center without authorization on Wednesday morning. Officials say Klippenstein left the residential reentry facility in Anchorage around 8 am, triggering a felony warrant for his arrest.  He was last seen wearing a black shirt, pants, and a gray beanie while carrying a white bag. Anchorage police urge anyone with information to contact their dispatch center by dialing 3-1-1. Court documents show Klippenstein was initially arrested in 2022 for a violent incident in Palmer, Alaska.  Prosecutors initially charged him with two counts of attempted murder and three counts…

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla piloted the Ax-4 mission, becoming the first Indian astronaut aboard NASA’s ISS orbiting lab. India erupted joyfully on Wednesday as the astronaut lifted off successfully from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Shukla, 39, is now the second Indian to enter space and the first to reach the International Space Station (ISS). The mission launched at 02:31 EDT using a SpaceX crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket with global agencies collaborating. The Ax-4 flight, operated by Houston-based Axiom Space, includes NASA, ISRO, ESA, and SpaceX support. Shukla’s crew includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz…

President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill could significantly change healthcare, especially with Medicaid work requirements in Alaska. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects these changes could lead to 10.9 million more universal Americans by 2034. The bill includes a mandate that certain Medicaid recipients work, volunteer, or train for at least 80 hours each month. CBO estimates that 18.5 million people annually would need to meet the requirement, and 5.2 million would lose coverage by 2034. According to CBO, most losing Medicaid would not qualify for tax credits or employer coverage. Additionally, states would need to check eligibility every…

U.S. Senator Mike Lee revised his land sale proposal to comply with Senate rules governing the Republican tax and spending package. The Utah Republican who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee aims to ensure his measure qualifies for the budget reconciliation process. This fast-track method bypasses the 60-vote threshold and requires each provision to significantly affect spending or revenue. Lee posted that the new version would only apply to Bureau of Land Management lands within five miles of populated areas. He also announced that US Forest Service lands would be excluded entirely, responding to bipartisan backlash over his…

On Tuesday oil prices fell as markets responded to news of the Israel-Iran ceasefire, reducing fears of regional supply shocks. Brent crude dropped by $4.34, or 6.1%, settling at $67.14 per barrel, its lowest level since June 10. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined, falling $4.14 to $64.37 per barrel. Both benchmarks had surged in recent weeks due to escalating tensions, peaking near $81 after Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites on June 13. But the sudden truce, though fragile, reversed those gains as traders reassessed geopolitical risks. President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire was “now in effect,” though he…

United States President Donald Trump grew visibly angry at Israel over Iran ceasefire violations on Tuesday, hours after celebrating the truce. The agreement, brokered by the United States and Qatar, had aimed to stop two weeks of mutual air and drone attacks. Late Monday, the ceasefire took effect following days of intense missile exchanges. Israel’s final barrage hit Iranian military bases near Isfahan, triggering drone retaliation from Tehran. By Tuesday afternoon, both sides had paused military action, offering hope the truce might last. However, Trump accused both countries of breaching the deal, but he directed most of his outrage at…