Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

The Alaska Supreme Court workers’ compensation ruling on June 27 placed Travelers fully liable after a key mailing certificate went missing. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America had issued Keluco and their insurance agent, Gretchen Santerre. However, Keluco reported never receiving the notice and believed coverage ended. More importantly, travelers failed to obtain a USPS certificate of mailing, which Alaska law requires. According to state law, insurers must send written non-renewal notices through first-class mail and obtain a certificate confirming that mailing. The original insurance policy included an endorsement that made these legal steps part of the contract. Without that…

The Alaska Highland Games welcomed their first professional thrower from the state this weekend, drawing hundreds to the Palmer fairgrounds. Danny Autery of Kenai stepped into the arena Sunday, representing Alaska at the 44th annual event with pride and strength. Autery, who competed across the country, called it an unforgettable experience to perform in front of local fans. During the professional throwing competition, athletes hurled stones, heavy weights, sandbags, and towing cabers to earn top scores. The competitors received points for distance and height, and each event tested their strength and technique. Amateur and junior throwers showcased their skills on…

Alaska’s top political leaders are divided over a massive federal budget bill that could deepen the  Medicaid and SNAP crisis. Bipartisan legislative leaders warn that the bill’s cuts will hurt thousands of residents, while Governor Mike Dunleavy supports it for its long-term oil and gas provisions. State House Speaker Bryce Edgmon and Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel published an op-ed calling the bill catastrophic. They said the proposed Medicaid and food assistance cuts would devastate public health and force the state into more profound economic distress. They also cited the bill’s rollback of renewable energy credits as a direct threat…

Thousands of people gathered in Tehran on Saturday for the funeral honoring 60 victims of the recent conflict. Iranian state media broadcast images of coffins draped in national flags moving slowly past crowds near Enghelab and Azadi squares. Authorities provided free buses and metro rides, urging citizens to attend and closing all government offices for the national event. Among the dead were top Iranian officials, including General Mohammad Bagheri and nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Bagheri’s wife and daughter, also killed in an Israeli airstrike, were buried alongside him during the emotionally charged ceremony. Commander Hossein Salami and missile program…

In response to growing food insecurity, Anchorage officials introduced a tax break to encourage local gardening and farming efforts across the city. Assembly Member George Martinez proposed AO 2025-62, an ordinance that offers property tax exemptions to residents growing and selling food locally. Martinez said Anchorage imports 95% of its food and experiences some of the worst food insecurity in the United States. He explained that residents deserve a way to feed their families without depending entirely on imports. Growing up in a food desert inspired his dedication to food justice. The proposed urban agriculture tax break would apply to…

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…