MONTANA ALASKA

Jun 03 2026POLITICS

Alaska’s Budget Battle: Tough Choices Ahead

Alaska’s money troubles didn’t appear overnight. Back in 2013, the state started spending more than it earned—using savings to cover the gap. That’s like a family dipping into their emergency fund every month just to pay bills. Oil prices then plummeted, dropping to $26 a barrel in 2014, making the

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Jun 02 2026POLITICS

Data Centers and Power Rules: A Fresh Look

Montana’s energy scene has a long history of watchdogs and reformers. A former state senator, who spent two decades in the legislature, played a key role in tightening how utilities bill customers. Back in 1975 he pushed for a bill that cut out the so‑called “fair value” clause, which had let power

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May 29 2026SPORTS

Weather forces fast changes to Montana’s big baseball finals

Montana’s high school baseball tournament just got squeezed by rain and wind. Organizers scrapped the original four-day plan and folded everything into Friday and Saturday at 3 Legends Stadium in Butte. The final championship game now starts at 7 p. m. Friday, just one day after most teams were supp

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May 29 2026OPINION

Alaska’s money troubles: more than just cash flow

Alaska is rich in natural resources but poor in leadership. Over half of its residents feel the state is heading in the wrong direction. Sky-high energy bills, climbing house prices, and crumbling roads are daily headaches, especially in Anchorage. Many young people pack up and leave because they do

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May 26 2026POLITICS

Electric Power Choices: Your Vote Shapes Alaska’s Future

Alaska’s biggest electric co‑op, Chugach Electric Association, is up for a new board this month. More than 88, 000 members will decide who leads the company that supplies power to Anchorage and beyond. Four people are running for two spots, so each vote matters. The board’s decisions will guide how

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May 26 2026POLITICS

Simple Choice: Why Alaska Should Drop Ranked Voting

Alaska voters face a decision next year about how to choose their leaders. A new proposal wants to end the system that lets voters rank multiple candidates. It says the old way—pick one person—is clearer and fairer. The current method is more complex. Candidates run in a “top‑four jungle

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May 24 2026POLITICS

Delays on Alaska’s big energy plan are making life harder for locals

Alaska keeps talking about building a major gas pipeline, yet every delay pushes the project further out of reach. People across the state see sky-high power costs every month, and the situation only gets worse when lawmakers argue instead of acting. In some areas, electricity bills have already jum

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May 20 2026ENVIRONMENT

Why Alaska should skip the gas pipeline dream

Alaska is spending weeks debating a pipeline that keeps changing shape. The project, now pushed by a private firm that took a majority stake last year, promises to carry gas 800 miles from the North Slope to a plant near Kenai. Supporters call it a jobs engine and a step toward energy security, but

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May 19 2026ENVIRONMENT

A Smarter Way to Cut Energy Costs in Alaska

Alaskans pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, largely because power companies rely on expensive natural gas. A new pipeline project promises to bring more gas to Southcentral Alaska, but it won’t solve the real problem—rising fuel costs. Instead of locking in higher prices for y

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May 17 2026ENVIRONMENT

Public Lands in Montana: Who Really Benefits?

Montana’s open spaces, forests, and wildlife belong to everyone—not just a few. Yet state leaders keep pushing to sell or lease these shared treasures to the highest bidder. These moves often favor short-term profits over long-term health, ignoring the fact that public lands support local jobs in to

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