Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

Donlin Gold mine construction paused after a federal judge ruled that serious flaws in government-issued permits must be addressed. On Monday, US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ordered the US Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Land Management to reassess risks. She directed them to evaluate the possibility of a catastrophic failure of the mine’s proposed tailings dam. Gleason’s order follows a lawsuit filed by six tribal governments from the Kuskokwim region, which argues that the project threatens traditional lands. The tribes oppose Donlin Gold’s plan to build a 471-foot dam to contain toxic tailings waste from gold mining.…

An Air India 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad claimed the lives of all 242 passengers and An Air India 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad claimed the lives of all 242 passengers and crew members on Thursday. The London-bound aircraft exploded shortly after takeoff, slamming into a medical college hostel near the airport in Gujarat’s capital. Black smoke and flames engulfed the site as firefighters struggled to douse the wreckage and surrounding buildings with water. Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror with scattered fuselage parts and charred bodies visible across the crash zone. Indian army teams rushed to assist firefighters and local…

Alaska may soon double its space launch capabilities as officials pursue a Poker Flat spaceport license for commercial use. On Tuesday the University of Alaska´s Geophysical Institute signed a five year collaboration deal with the Alaska Aerospace Corporation. Though the document does not directly mention licensing state budget drafts reveal the university’s plans to obtain FAA approval. The license would transform Poker Flat Research Range from a research only site into a commercial orbital spaceport. Poker Flat has operated since 1969, launching sounding rockets to study the upper atmosphere and aurora phenomena near Fairbanks. This new license would authorize it…

Over the weekend, the federal immigration crackdown resulted in 42 men being sent to the Anchorage Correctional Complex by ICE. The Alaska Department of Corrections confirmed that these men were arrested outside Alaska and transported to the facility under a federal agreement. Two men, Ronaldo Alberto Calderson from El Salvador and Jose Gonzalez-Montes from Peru, were shifted to Washington state within 24 hours of arriving. Department spokesperson Betsy Holley stated that the remaining 40 detainees are expected to be held in Anchorage for about a month. The detainees, originating from 22 countries, including India, Mexico, Afghanistan, and Egypt, were not…

Officials confirmed that significant job cuts under the Trump administration have drastically reduced NOAA’s scientific capacity, putting Alaska seafood harvests at risk. Since January, NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska regional office has lost 28 employees, nearly a quarter of its staff, director Jon Kurland told a recent council meeting. Kurland explained that the cuts severely impact NOAA’s ability to manage fisheries sustainably, affecting permitting, data analysis, and quota oversight. He noted that their IT systems, crucial for tracking real-time seafood catches, now operate with less than a skeleton crew. Director Robert Foy said that NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, which supports research…

Anchorage police arrested a 27-year-old man on Monday in connection with a deadly stabbing at Chelsea Inn. Officers responded to a report of a stabbing late Saturday night at the Spenard Hotel, according to a police statement. Medics found 25-year-old Michael Kaskey suffering from a stab wound to the abdomen inside the lobby. Despite their efforts to save him, Kaskey was declared dead at the scene. Authorities later identified and arrested Mathew Alexie, 27, on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Court documents said Alexie arrived at the Chelsea Inn with three others, including a woman who allegedly…

A salvage team is set to reach the Morning Midas cargo ship fire scene early next week following a major blaze aboard the vessel. The 600-foot ship, which was carrying around 3000 vehicles to Mexico, ignited Tuesday in remote waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain.  Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s management company based in London, said a tug with salvage specialists and gear would arrive on Monday. Another tug with firefighting and towing capability is also being prepared to assist with recovery and safety operations at sea. Satellite-connected systems onboard the vessel have helped monitor conditions remotely as smoke continues rising…

Next week, tourists arriving in Alaska’s capital will witness a rare sight of emergency crews in hazmat suits near Juneau’s cruise docks and the State Capitol. The military exercise operations ORCA begins on June 9 and involves a large-scale simulation of a terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction. Lt. Col. Brett Haker, commander of the 103rd Civil Support Team, said this year marks the first time Juneau has hosted the exercise. Officials chose the city because of its political significance and its busy tourism season, which sees over a million cruise ship visitors annually. From June 9 through 12,…

Families of victims in two Boeing 737 Max crashes are outraged over a new settlement between the aerospace company and the US Justice Department. The agreement allows Boeing to avoid a criminal trial by paying $1.1 billion and implementing internal reforms.  Attorney Sanjiv Singh, who represents 16 families from the 2018 Indonesian crash, called the settlement morally repugnant and a way for Boeing to dodge full accountability. The deal includes $444.5 million to improve the company’s safety and compliance systems. The crashes which occurred in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people. Lion Air Flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea…

After intense public criticism, the Alaska State Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday to delay proposed school funding regulations. The new rules would have restricted how much financial support municipalities could offer school districts across Alaska.  Officials fast-tracked the regulation process, prompting concerns from educators, lawmakers, and parents about its legality and fairness. The Anchorage School District warned it would sue the state if the board approved the changes without proper public review. Attorney Mathew Singer, representing the district, said there was no real emergency to justify bypassing standard procedures. The regulations, which came from the Alaska Department of…

Federal investigators are travelling to the scene of a North Slope helicopter crash that killed two people near the Kuparuk oil field. Clint Johnson, Alaska chief for the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that a Robinson R-66 helicopter went down Wednesday afternoon. Search crews discovered wreckage about 30 miles west of Deadhorse after the aircraft was reported missing earlier in the day. Pollux Aviation, the Wasilla-based company operating the helicopter, confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in the crash, according to general manager Sam Maxwell. He stated that the company works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration and…

A cargo ship carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, caught fire off Alaska’s coast, forcing the crew to evacuate. The vessel Morning Midas burned 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, after smoke was seen coming from the EV deck. Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s operator, said the 22 crew members could not extinguish the flames and abandoned the ship. They escaped in lifeboats and transferred to a nearby merchant vessel with assistance from the US Coast Guard and other ships. According to the Coast Guard, three vessels were already in the area when the emergency response began to unfold.…