Author: The Tundra Drums Staff
The State Department begins terminating more than 1,3000 employees this Friday under a sweeping reorganization sparked by Trump administration priorities. As part of its radical reorganization, the US State Department sent layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 domestically assigned foreign service officers. According to an internal memo, foreign service officers will be given 120 days of administrative leave before losing their jobs, and civil servants will receive 60-day separation notices. The reductions are intended to simplify operations and concentrate on essential diplomatic responsibilities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House officials have praised the reorganization for targeting…
Scientists and Native communities have discovered dangerous algal toxins in whales, revealing alarming signs of climate-driven changes in Arctic ecosystems. A long-term study has revealed alarming levels of algal toxins in Alaskan bowhead whales, pointing to a direct link between warming oceans and Arctic food chain disruption. Over 19 years, researchers collected fecal samples from 205 bowhead whales hunted by Alaska Native communities for subsistence. A recent study found that at least half of the whales sampled carried saxitoxin, a neurotoxin from harmful algal blooms. These toxins, which can cause deadly selfish poisoning in humans, are now present even in…
Agencies encourage Alaskans to comment on updated environmental protection strategies before the fast-approaching deadline. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the US Coast Guard are asking the public to weigh in on the updated Prince William Sound oil spill response plan. The comment period opened on July 2 and will close at 11:59 pm AKDT on August 2025. Officials say the plan helps regional and federal teams prepare for and respond to oil or hazardous substance releases. It includes updated strategies that reflect current environmental risks, modern equipment capabilities, and regional priorities. The DEC US Environmental Protection Agency…
Dr Barbara Knox resigned from a key role at the University of Florida after investigators confirmed severe staff mistreatment. She resigned from her position at the University of Florida following an internal report detailing a toxic and abusive environment. The university’s March investigation revealed that her leadership style created a hostile workplace, causing staff resignations and harming the clinic’s mission. Knox served as chief of forensic pediatrics and child protection, where she oversaw sensitive child abuse evaluations and supervised a specialized care team. According to investigators, she repeatedly asked subordinates to perform personal errands, such as driving her children or…
President Donald Trump signed the sweeping tax and budget bill into law on July 4, which included a critical extension. The legislation revives and strengthens the Aleutian nuclear test compensation program, allowing more time for victims to apply. Initially passed in 1990, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) provides one-time payments to people harmed by US nuclear testing. While most tests occurred in Nevada, the act also includes three underground atomic detonations on Amchitka Island in Alaska. Those occurred in 1965, 1969, and 1971, with the final test, Cannikin, remaining the most controversial in US nuclear history. It involved a…
Researchers from Yale University discovered a fungus called Pestalotiopsis microspora, which can break down polyurethane, a durable plastic widely used. This fungus does not require other nutrients and can survive on plastic as its only carbon source, even in places without oxygen. That’s significant because plastic waste mostly ends up in landfills where oxygen is scarce and decomposition nearly impossible. The fungus’s ability to convert plastic into harmless organic compounds makes this finding even more impressive. Digesting polyurethane, it secretes enzymes that break the plastic’s tough molecular bonds. This process, known as bioremediation, opens new possibilities for sustainable plastic disposal…
Alaska wildfire pilot car safety has become a top priority as agencies respond to growing fire activity and shifting emergency zones statewide. Officials from the Department of Natural Resources Public Safety and Transportation are working together to guide traffic through dangerous wildfire areas. They emphasize that these are not ordinary construction zones; drivers must remain alert, follow directions and avoid making risky decisions behind the wheel. Pilots’ cars lead vehicles safely through active wildfire zones where smoke, flames, and emergency crews can appear without warning at any moment. Responders from DNR, DPS, and DOT&PF work together to monitor fires and…
Ukraine experienced the biggest-ever aerial attack on Ukraine as 728 drones and 13 missiles struck cities across the country in coordinated waves. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the overnight assault a telling attack and said Russia is rejecting all peace efforts outright. Zelensky emphasized that the barrage conceded with global talks for a ceasefire and criticized Russia for continuing the violence without restraint. The attack came just hours after President Donald Trump reversed a suspension on aid and pledged more weapons for Kyiv. During a press briefing, Trump expressed apparent frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of manipulative and…
The Pentagon has chosen Alaska Eielson Air Force Base to host the military’s first nuclear micro-creator Air Force Base project. Defense officials announced the selection in June, citing the base’s isolation and history of power disruptions as key factors. The Department of Defense expects the microreactor to be operational by late 2028, supplying steady power in extreme Arctic conditions. Located near Fairbanks, Eielson frequently endures subzero winters and has experienced power outages in 2020 and 2024. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink explained that remote bases like Eielson rely heavily on secure, resilient energy to maintain operations. Once approved, California-based Oklo…
The European Green Crab invasion has officially spread north, and its presence is confirmed at Refuge Cove State Recreation Site near Ketchikan. Barbra Morgan, a University of Alaska Southeast instructor, discovered the crab carcasses while teaching a field class on species identification. Her students participated in an educational effort to monitor invasive species along Alaska’s southern coast. On the last beach they visited, small crabs less than an inch wide were discovered. This invasive crab, originally detected on Annette Island in July 2022, has steadily advanced north from the San Francisco Bay region. It has now reached the shores of…
A North Slope tundra wildfire has burned approximately 2000 acres of Arctic Alaska, making it the region’s largest blaze since 2017. Lightning ignited the fire, known as the Ikpikpuk Fire, on June 22 near the 195-mile-long river that flows into the Arctic Ocean. Despite its size, the fire remains unstaffed, and no suppression efforts are currently underway, according to the US Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Fire Service. Officials also reported three additional fires nearby, including the 618-acre Bronx Fire and two more minor tundra burns. Scientists say large wildfires like this are rare but increasing in frequency across the…
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has ordered the military to prepare a controversial relocation plan for Gaza, sparking global outrage. Katz announced that Israel intends to create a so-called humanitarian city on the ruins of Rafah designed to house Gaza’s entire population. Initially, 600,000 Palestinians, mostly already displaced in the al-Mawasi area, would be relocated. They would face strict Israeli security screenings before entering the fenced camp and, once inside, would not be permitted to leave. Katz said the ultimate goal is to move all 2.1 million Gaza residents into this enclosed area under Israeli control. Legal and human rights…