Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Student Lunch Debt in Fairbanks, AK
Oct 22nd, 2024 the Fairbanks Daily News Miner reported that 800 of our district’s students struggled to pay for meals at school. Whether they have money or not, the Food service has committed to feeding them anyway.
https://www.newsminer.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/supporting-student-nutrition-and-reducing-meal-debt/article_dc8f9028-8d9d-11ef-819d-1341c488c344.html
That article said food debt was up to 14,000. Now it is over $32,000 and that debt may carry over to the next year for families. If you can, make a donation to the FNSBSD Nutrition Services and help pay off a child’s lunch debt.
Donate here:
 |
| Food service Donation QR code |
https://ak-fairbanksnorthstar-lite.intouchreceipting.com/NSCDonations
Follow them on FB:
Nutrition Services - Fairbanks School District
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Twenty Lessons, read by John Lithgow
Key selections from On Tyranny, for viewing and sharing
Mar 30, 2025
Here is my best guidance for action, rendered beautifully by the great John Lithgow. I first published these lessons more than eight years ago, in late 2016. They open the twenty chapters of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Millions of you, around the world, have put these lessons to good use; it has been humbling to learn how from courageous and creative dissenters, protestors, and oppositionists. I am delighted to have this special chance now to share the lessons again. I was honored when John, a wise advocate for civil discourse and civic engagement, volunteered to read them aloud.
Above is his film. Below is the text, excerpted from the book. Do share this.
(There are 20 points)
1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
2. Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about -- a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union -- and take its side.
3. Beware the one-party state. The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multiple-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office.
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world. The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away, and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.
5. Remember professional ethics. When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.
6. Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.
8. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
9. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books.
10. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
READ MORE:
On substack.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-lessons-read-by-john-lithgow
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Great News! State legislature overrides Education Veto!
Alaska Legislature overrides Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of public school funding bill
The override may be the first of several; two of the bill’s funding mechanisms could be vetoed by the governor
Alaska’s public schools may see the largest permanent funding boost in well over a decade, after the Alaska Legislature voted for the first time since 2002 to override a sitting governor’s veto.
With a 46-14 vote, lawmakers significantly increased Alaska’s per-student public funding formula, overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s decision to reject House Bill 57. Forty votes were needed for an override.
“This was a truly bipartisan vote reflective of everyone in Alaska,” said Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham.
...
The override means a permanent increase of $700 in the base student allocation, core of the state’s per-student funding formula.
READ MORE:
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Budget Bill gives a $7 trillion tax cut on the backs of the poor and does NOT cut deficit!
Write a letter to your congressman or a letter to the editor about the new budget bill!
And, as I suspected, the new budget bill slashes services to the poor while handing out a tax cut to the billionaires. The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services wrote this: "Not only will this bill hand billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg a massive $7 trillion tax cut, but it also slashes $880 billion in Medicaid and funding for food stamps. At a time when our nation is facing a worsening housing and climate crisis, this bill guts funding for affordable, climate-resilient housing."
The US House Committee also says it will "Drive U.S. Toward 2008-Style Recession"
And it says the bill will " These sweeping deregulatory measures defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which was created after the financial crisis of 2008 to protect working-class families from financial fraud and abuse and has saved consumers $21 billion since. It abolishes oversight bodies like the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, established to regulate auditors after two major accounting scandals and the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), and Office of Financial Research (OFR), leaving millions of American families vulnerable to a financial crash."
https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413304
Furthermore, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Government says that “The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimated that the bill as written would increase deficits by $3.8 trillion through 2034, or 1.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP); if all of its expiring policies are extended permanently, we estimate it would add $5.3 trillion to deficits, or 1.5 percent of GDP.”
https://www.crfb.org/blogs/permanent-ways-means-bill-could-add-53-trillion-deficits
So, they have made very harmful cuts that will impact the poorest of Americans and asked us all to sacrifice but they are NOT reducing the deficit or the debt, but raising it, while giving tax cuts to billionaires. I feel that this is sinister, and that we should all object to this bill.
Crushing dissent. A quote from the ACLU (May 13th) regarding the new budget bill:
“In an apparent effort to aid President Trump’s discriminatory clamp down on free speech, Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee have snuck a dangerous anti-dissent bill into their massive, new tax package.
“This provision, formerly known as H.R. 9495, would grant the executive branch the power to effectively shut down any non-profit organization — including news outlets, universities, and civil liberties groups — by accusing them of “supporting terrorism” and using that accusation to suspend their tax-exempt status without any real due process. It was defeated last year, yet extreme politicians are now trying to resurrect it once again.”
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-urges-house-committee-to-remove-dangerous-anti-dissent-provision-from-tax-bill
Allowing the government to curb our free speech in this manner is a dangerous road to go down, and smacks of totalitarianism.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Republican tax bill could slap ‘terrorism’ label on non-profits opposed to Trump
(From the Guardian, May 14th)
Fears sparked that Trump would wield law against groups that file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies
Chris Stein in Washington
Non-profit groups are sounding the alarm over an attempt by Republican lawmakers to insert a provision allowing the government to cancel the tax-exempt status of organizations it deems “terrorist supporting” in a massive bill under negotiation in the House of Representatives.
The provision’s potential inclusion in the spending and taxation legislation that Donald Trump and his allies refer to as “one big, beautiful bill” has sparked fears that the administration will wield it against groups who file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies.
Lia Holland, campaigns and communications director at tech policy non-profit Fight for the Future, described the provision as “a five-alarm fire for non-profits nationwide”.
“Any organization with goals that do not line up with Maga can be destroyed with a wink from Trump to the treasury”, likely those that oppose his policies towards Israel, or advocate for causes like racial justice and the environment, they said.
Trump had made plain his desire for revenge against his enemies, and since taking office has sought to deport foreign students who engaged in pro-Palestinian activism, blacklisted law firms who have worked for his political opponents and backed the arrest of a county judge on charges of obstructing immigration authorities.
“This provision has nothing to do with keeping Americans safe and instead is an attack on free speech, the security of our communities, and the work of non-profit organizations and charities,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which has repeatedly taken the White House to court over its policies.
READ MORE:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/14/tax-status-non-profits-terrorism-republicans
PROTECT ABORTION ACCESS AND TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE, IN AK
The state legislature is working on the budget, now is a good time to review ALL of it and express your concerns to your legislators. In particular, please see the attached regarding changes to state medicaid funding.
When you call/email please include:
Your full name, the city you live in,
and “please vote to remove all budget amendments that would limit Alaskan’s access to abortion or transgender healthcare!” or something similar
The amendments specifically make it so that Medicaid would not be allowed to cover abortion care or trans healthcare. If you want to say anything about why access to those services are important to you, please do!
Here are the emails of all the senators on the committee:Senator.James.Kaufman@akleg.gov, Senator.Lyman.Hoffman@akleg.gov, Senator.Bert.Stedman@akleg.gov, Representative.DeLena.Johnson@akleg.gov, Representative.Andy.Josephson@akleg.gov, Representative.Calvin.Schrage@akleg.gov
and the phone numbers:
Sen. Lyman Hoffman: 907-465-4453
Sen. James Kaufman: 907-465-4949
Sen. Bert Stedman, 907-465-3873
Rep. DeLena Johnson, 907-465-4958
Rep. Andy Josephson, 907-465-4939
Rep. Calvin Schrage, 907-465-4931
.
Alaska offers to help refugees from Afghanistan, Thanks Rep. Will Stapp
Alaska in Brief
As Trump tells some Afghan war allies to leave US, the Alaska Legislature is asking for more
James Comey is under investigation for his '8647' Instagram post.
What does it mean?
Heard on All Things Considered
By
Rachel Treisman
The Trump administration is investigating former FBI Director James Comey over a social media post that some government officials and supporters of President Trump are interpreting as a threat to the president.
On Thursday, Comey shared a picture on Instagram of seashells on a beach arranged into the numbers "8647." The caption read: "Cool shell formation on my beach walk."
"Eighty-six" is a slang term that means "get rid of," and Trump is the 47th (and 45th) president of the United States. According to Merriam-Webster, the most common meaning of 86 — which has its roots in the service industry — is to "throw out" or "refuse service to" a customer. The dictionary notes that the term has also come to mean "to kill." But the dictionary says it does not include this meaning in the official entry "due to its relative recency and sparseness of use."
The post sparked uproar among some Republicans, who suggested Comey was threatening the president. Donald Trump Jr. accused him of "calling for my dad to be murdered."
But Comey, who deleted the photo within hours, said he assumed the shells were a "political message," not a violent one. It's unclear who created the shell formation.
Comey has been an outspoken critic of Trump since he led the FBI during the president's first term. Trump fired Comey in 2017, four years into his ten-year term, as he was overseeing an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
"I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence," Comey wrote on Instagram. "It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down."
Several Republican politicians are calling for Comey to face consequences ranging from an investigation to an arrest. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced late Thursday that her department and the Secret Service are "investigating this threat and will respond appropriately." NPR has reached out to Comey for comment and did not receive a response before publication of this story.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told NPR on Friday that the agency is aware of Comey's post and takes "rhetoric like this very seriously."
"The Secret Service vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees," Guglielmi said.
Some Republicans, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, say they do not believe Comey was unaware of the term's violent connotations.
"I'm very concerned for the president's life; we've already seen assassination attempts," Gabbard told Fox News on Thursday. "I'm very concerned for his life and James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars for this."
Then-candidate Trump survived two assassination attempts while running for reelection last year.
He was wounded in a shooting during a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In September, a man trained his rifle on the president's security detail as he golfed in Florida, but fled after being spotted. The man, Ryan Routh, was charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate but has pleaded not guilty — and on Thursday asked a judge to dismiss some of the charges against him.
On Friday, Trump told Fox News that he thinks Comey "knew exactly what he meant."
"A child knows what that meant. If you're the FBI director and you don't know ... that meant 'assassination,'" Trump said in a clip of an interview scheduled to air Friday night. "And it says it loud and clear. He wasn't very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant."
READ MORE:
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/16/nx-s1-5400400/comey-trump-8647-investigation-instagram
Supreme Court Retains Block on Using Wartime Law to Deport Venezuelans
Supreme Court Retains Block on Using Wartime Law to Deport Venezuelans
The justices sent the case back to a lower court to consider whether the Alien Enemies Act can be used to deport immigrants accused of being members of the Venezuelan gang.
By Abbie VanSicklePublished May 16, 2025
The Trump administration will not be allowed to deport a group of Venezuelan detainees accused of being members of a violent gang under a rarely invoked wartime law while the matter is litigated in the courts, the Supreme Court said on Friday.
The justices sent the case back to a federal appeals court, directing it to examine claims by the migrants that they could not be legally deported under the Alien Enemies Act, the centuries-old wartime law invoked by the Trump administration. The justices said the appeals court should also examine what kind of notice the government should be required to provide that would allow migrants the opportunity to challenge their deportations.
The court said its order would remain in place until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled and the Supreme Court considered any appeal from that ruling.
...
President Trump reacted with fury to the ruling. “THE SUPREME COURT WON’T ALLOW US TO GET CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!” he said on social media. In a subsequent post, he wrote, “The Supreme Court of the United States is not allowing me to do what I was elected to do,” and called it “a bad and dangerous day for America.”
READ MORE
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/us/politics/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act-deportations.html
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Tell your Members of Congress to Protect AmeriCorps!
ANOTHER HELPFUL ORGANIZATION ATTACKED
For decades, AmeriCorps members have responded to our country's most immediate and critical needs. They are the “people power” that local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations rely on to deliver services and make a difference in local communities. While helping others, AmeriCorps members develop in-demand job skills, preparing a cohort of Americans to succeed in the workforce, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers experience a decrease in isolation and loneliness.
Despite being a model of efficient and effective government, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken steps to dismantle AmeriCorps. Since Wednesday, April 16th, DOGE has:
These actions will leave communities across the country without critical services and over 32,000 service members will be forced to exit the program, losing their AmeriCorps living allowances, benefits, and workforce development opportunities.
In an outline of the President's FY26 budget request, AmeriCorps was proposed for complete elimination - which would mean more cuts to the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs that Americans rely on.
AmeriCorps funds respond to local needs and are largely administered by states, not the federal government, to keep state and local priorities front and center. At a time when states are experiencing significant natural disasters, increasing costs stemming from increased social service needs, workforce gaps, and more, AmeriCorps delivers urgently needed resources to support communities across the country.
We need your help.
Use this form to send an email to your senators and representative asking them to protect AmeriCorps.
Follow this link to their webpage form to send an email!
https://voicesforservice.org/take-action/contact-congress/
On their website, they will supply you with this letter to digitally sign:
Protect AmeriCorps from Drastic Cuts
Dear [elected official],
As your constituent, I am writing to ask that you and your colleagues take every step possible to protect AmeriCorps, the national service program that brings people together to help communities tackle their toughest challenges. Each year, approximately 75,000 AmeriCorps members and 140,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations to respond to an array of challenges. These members are deployed in rural and urban areas across all 50 states and federal territories, addressing critical and urgent needs such as responding to natural disasters, connecting veterans and seniors to services, tutoring students, fighting the opioid epidemic, combatting hunger and homelessness, and much more. Despite its clear value, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken steps in recent weeks to dismantle AmeriCorps. DOGE ordered the AmeriCorps agency to terminate $400 million in grant funding, a sudden and severe move that will shutter more than 1,000 programs and prematurely end the service of over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. DOGE also issued stop work orders and abruptly sent home 750 AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps members – many serving in communities impacted by natural disasters like Hurricane Helene and the wildfires in Southern California. Finally, nearly 85% of the employees at AmeriCorps have been dismissed and key agency functions – such as program operations, member enrollment and deployment, and grant disbursement – are likely to slow to a halt. These actions will eliminate crucial resources and services in communities across the country, and will leave service members without their AmeriCorps living allowance, benefits, and workforce development opportunities. AmeriCorps is a small federal investment that has an outsized impact on our nation, providing community organizations with the people power they need to address urgent local challenges. AmeriCorps is also a public-private partnership, with federal grant dollars matched by private, philanthropic, and local sources, increasing the value of the taxpayer dollar. This public-private partnership yields more than $17 in benefits to the community for every $1 invested by Congress. National service leads to long-term benefits. While helping others, AmeriCorps members gain marketable job skills, increasing their employability and earning potential, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers experience a decrease in loneliness and isolation. AmeriCorps members also report strong personal attachment to the communities they serve in and often stay after their service term, continuing to work, volunteer, and give back. Communities like ours have faced an increase in new and complex challenges in recent years, and AmeriCorps is uniquely positioned to respond in a cost-effective, efficient manner. I strongly oppose the steps taken by DOGE to dismantle AmeriCorps through the sudden termination of grant funding, coupled with the drastic cuts to AmeriCorps agency staff and demobilization of AmeriCorps NCCC members. I hope the Administration will reverse these harmful decisions and Congress will ensure continuity of funding and operations. AmeriCorps is a powerful and cost-effective resource that our community cannot afford to lose. Thank you for your leadership and support for AmeriCorps.
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Feedback call for Ester Dome Mine Exploration Activity
Comment Deadline for Ester Dome Mine Exploration Activity is May 8
Felix Gold mining company has recently filed for a permit to start exploration operations near the base of Ester Dome. (KUAC has a story on this HERE, starting at 4:05.)
The activity will impact trails on Ester Dome in the St. Patrick Road area. According to one knowledgeable trails advocate: “All activity appears to be planned south of Happy Creek. While not affecting the Singletrack, it is close by and does affect the trails on Happy Ridge. They address that on page 23 of the APMA.”
You can see a map of the planned exploration and prominent trails in the area HERE. Please note that while both the Ester Dome Singletrack Trails and the Equinox Marathon Trail (maps here of upper and lower portions of that section) have some protections, the Happy Ridge Trail (an informal name), like most trails on Ester Dome, does not have special trail protections. And some laws that protect public access to trails, such as RS2477, allow for use by large motorized vehicles or for trails to be turned into roads. Happy Ridge Trail may have RS2477 protections. I don’t know for sure either way.
Several people have posted about this activity on different Facebook pages, such as Fairbanks Trail Users, Ester Dome Singletrack Trails, and Ester Dome Recreational Users. People are alarmed and concerned about how the activity will affect trails and roads. I don’t have time to research this, but according to one poster, the permit asks for activity to start this summer and last until 2035, “including up to 100 drilling sites and use of 20,000 gallons of water per day from Happy Creek and a nearby pond.”
To help put things into perspective, Ester Dome has historically been an active mining area. However, over the years mining has died down and recreation has become more popular. Also, more residential homes have been built in the area. Nonetheless, the area is still legally open to mining. On the plus side mines give us jobs and add pay some local property taxes. On the down side, mining activity can be noisy at times, can impact local roads and trails, and can impact water resources. One thing is clear: If the exploration activity ultimately results in a mine, that will have a larger impact in the area.
How you can act
Comments are due May 8. Written comments, questions concerning this activity or requests to view the full application packet should be directed to Michael Ladouceur, Telephone (907) 451-2784; Fax: (907) 451-2703 or e-mail: dnr.fbx.mining@alaska.gov.
You can see the full permit application notice:
http://notice.alaska.gov/219388
Also see the note below about the Felix Gold event at the Noel Wien Library running through May, which may give people another way to act.
Treasure Creek Area Mine Activity
Felix Gold is also looking into developing a mine in the Treasure Creek area, north of Old Murphy Dome Road. The Treasure Creek Trail runs along a ridge in that area.
The company has a survey about the project. You can access it HERE. If you like the Treasure Creek Trail, make sure to let Felix Gold know that want to keep access to it.
Felix Gold will be hosting open hours throughout May at the Noel Wien Library where you can ask questions, fill out their community survey, and share your thoughts on their proposed projects. Find out more HERE. This was advertised regarding the Treasure Creek project, but you might be able to address the Ester Dome project, too.
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