Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

Senator Lisa Murkowski has introduced new legislation to create an Alaska seafood visa exemption for international workers. This exemption would allow seafood processors to bypass the annual federal cap on H-2B visas, which limits companies nationwide to 66,000 workers annually. Each year, Alaska’s seafood industry attracts international workers from countries like Mexico, the Philippines, and Ukraine. These workers help fill processing jobs that local Alaskans often do not take, especially during the state’s peak fishing seasons. Companies must prove that American workers cannot fill the roles before hiring international help under the H-2B visa program. Non-agricultural sectors like landscaping, hospitality,…

Myanmar’s military government has announced a sweeping Nay Pyi Taw’s reconstruction plan following last month’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. General Min Aung Hlaing blamed soft soil during a high-level meeting for the collapse of many government buildings.  Engineers conduct soil tests before rebuilding, which begins with plans to reconstruct earthquake-resistant offices across the capital. The earthquake struck on March 28th and killed more than 3,500 people, injuring over 5000 others. The tremors were so powerful that they were felt in neighboring Thailand and parts of southwest China. Officials reported that nearly 70% of government buildings in Nay Pyi Taw, including…

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared an Easter truce on Saturday, ordering troops to halt operations from 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday. He framed the ceasefire as a humanitarian gesture and urged Ukraine to reciprocate, calling it a test for Kyiv’s leadership. During a televised meeting with military chief Valery Gerasimovas, Putin announced that air raid sirens had blared in Kyiv. Ukrainians immediately cast doubt on Russia’s sincerity, recalling repeated ceasefire violations since Moscow’s 2014 incursion into eastern Ukraine. Russia has refused to honour a US-proposed 30-day pause in fighting, though Ukraine expressed willingness to comply with such efforts. On Saturday,…

Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy visited Taiwan last month to promote Alaska’s multibillion-dollar liquified natural gas project to Asian partners. The LNG project has high geopolitical stakes.  On the same day Dunleavy landed in Taipei, China’s Vice Consulate in San Francisco contacted his office. The Chinese consulate requested a meeting with Dunleavy’s Chief of Staff and expressed disapproval of the governor’s stop in what they labelled as a province of China. China has long considered Taiwan its territory and regularly conducts military exercises near the island, including simulated blockades. The US does not formally recognize Taiwan’s independence but supports its defence…

Trump threatens to exit Ukraine talks if either Russia or Ukraine continues making the peace process very difficult, the US President warned Friday. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he wanted a ceasefire deal quickly but refused to name a timeline for its success. His comments came just hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed similar frustration, stating the US wouldn’t chase a dead-end deal. He told the reporters they would move on if this weren’t doable. i. Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and continues placing strict conditions on any potential ceasefire, complicating talks.…

Although Mount Spurr’s eruption risk has lowered in recent weeks, scientists say Alaska’s iconic Volcano still poses a potential threat. Mount Spurr, located 78 miles southwest of Anchorage, has shown elevated seismic activity and ground deformation since last October. Last month, the Alaska Volcano Observatory warned residents that an eruption could happen within weeks or months due to strong unrest signals. These included shallow earthquakes beneath the Volcano, visible snow melt at the summit, gas emissions, and mountain surface inflation.  Since then, earthquakes beneath the Volcano have decreased from January’s peak of 300 per week to about 70. Alaska Volcano…

The US airstrike on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port killed over 70 people and wounded more than 170, according to Houthi Sources. Massive explosions lit up the night sky as fuel trucks burned and storage tanks exploded at the key Houthi-controlled port. It marked the deadliest known strike in President Donald Trump’s new campaign targeting Houthi rebels in the Red Sea region. The port in the Hodeida governorate is a lifeline for fuel entering areas under Houthi control, including Sanaa. Before 2014, oil exports passed through Ras Isa from Marib, which now primarily handles imported gasoline and liquefied gas. US…

A deadly confrontation unfolded Wednesday evening after a car dispute in Anchorage, leaving one man dead and another behind bars. Anchorage police said they responded to a disturbance involving gunfire around 5 pm in a neighborhood near East 66th Avenue. Officers found a man on the scene suffering from severe upper body trauma, later confirmed to be a gunshot wound. Medics transported the injured man to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries shortly after arrival, according to the police reports. Authorities identified the alleged shooter as 24-year-old Mykal Nelson and charged him with both first-degree and second-degree…

In a strategic shift, Russia suspended the ban on the Taliban that had remained in place since 2003, allowing closer ties with Kabul’s rulers. The Russian Supreme Court lifted the terrorist organization designation on Thursday, acting swiftly on a request from the prosecutor general’s office. The move follows years of warming relations between Moscow and the Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan during the 2021 US withdrawal. According to the state-run Tass news agency, Judge Oleg Nefedov confirmed the ruling, declaring it effective immediately. President Vladimir Putin last year called the Taliban an ally in the fight against terrorism, a…

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected signs of possible life on K2-18 b, a distant exoplanet 124 light-years away in the constellation Leo. Scientists observed chemical footprints of two gases, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), in the Planet’s atmosphere.  These gases are only produced by biological organisms on Earth, particularly marine microbes like phytoplankton. Lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge emphasized caution. While these findings suggest potential biosignatures, they do not confirm the existence of life. The signals were detected with 99.7% confidence, still short of the scientific standard of 99.9999% (five sigma) needed…

A new effort to address Alaska’s budget deficit is gaining momentum, with the Senate passing Alaska corporate income tax reform on Tuesday. Lawmakers voted 16-4 in favor of Senate Bill 113, which seeks to capture revenue from online sales made by out-of-state companies to Alaskans.  The bill states that selling to Alaskans qualifies as a business activity within the state, subjecting those companies to corporate tax. Senator Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, sponsored the legislation and said the reform could generate up to $65 million annually for the state treasury. Wielechowski explained that current loopholes let companies claim transactions occur in out-of-state…

North American Aerospace Defense Command tracked Russian aircraft in Alaska ADIZ for nearly two and a half hours on Monday. NORAD reported that the flight involved two TU-95 Bear H bombers, one TU-142 reconnaissance plane, one A-50 Mainstay radar aircraft, and two Su-35 Flanker fighter jets. The incident occurred approximately 290 miles northeast of Shemya Island in the Bering Sea, near Alaska’s westernmost Aleutian point. According to Captain Rebecca Garand, NORAD did not disclose the exact flight path due to classified intelligence and national security concerns. NORAD scrambled fighter jets in response, though officials declined to name specific bases or…