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Table of Contents
Giving Thanks
Good News and Gratitude
By Natalie Spaulding
In our modern digital age with 24/7 news and endless social media feeds full of complaints and dooms-day predictions, Thanksgiving offers a welcome break from the cloud of negativity. Today, Must Read Alaska takes a break from hunting down news stories, and instead reflects on the blessings we enjoy as Alaskans, as Americans, and as Christians.
Giving Thanks for the Gift of Life
By Jon Faulkner
On this Thanksgiving day, we are each tasked with finding meaning in our life first by identifying what we are thankful for receiving, and then by conveying our appreciation for the gift, and for the creator of the gift.
Gifts come from others, and Thanksgiving is a time to honor not only the gift, but the giver, and the selfless act of giving itself. For me, the list of these is long. But one gift—that of life and all the blessings that comprise it—rises to the top.
Hope and Thanksgiving
By Todd Lindley
Through the centuries Thanksgiving Day has been dedicated to remembering the many blessings in our lives. We see repeated in our country’s history the worship of God and the sharing of a meal, such as the Pilgrims in Massachusetts and the Spanish in Florida. These first settlers overcame incredible difficulties but never lost hope.
Despite the difficulties we may perceive in the world around us, families and friends gather to cherish this time together. Our relationships are what make us human and are the fabric of our communities. Alaskans know this all too well.
The Great Debate Continued
Part IX: The Constitutional Trust Relationship: The State as Trustee, The People as Beneficiaries
By Michael Tavoliero
Alaska’s Constitution establishes a public trust framework for natural resources and their proceeds. Article VIII, § 1 declares that natural resources “are to be utilized, developed, and maintained for the maximum benefit of the people.” The phrase “the people” is not rhetorical; it identifies the beneficiaries of the trust. The State, in turn, is assigned the role of trustee, obligated to manage resources and proceeds in the beneficiaries’ interest.
This fiduciary structure is affirmed in several constitutional mandates…
Alaska Industry
Chugach Electric Prepares for Gas Supply Risks in Board Update
By Todd Lindley
As Alaska’s largest electric utility, Chugach Electric Association is navigating challenges in its natural gas supply, a critical resource powering about 80% of its generation. During the November 19, 2025, Regular Board of Directors Meeting, officials provided a key update on gas operations, highlighting efforts to maintain reliability amid potential disruptions in the Cook Inlet region.
Fuel Supply Manager Kevin Skiba delivered a presentation on the gas scheduling and its importance to the usage and dispatching of gas across the system…
U.S. Economy Adds 119,000 Jobs in September Amid Private Sector Strength and Wage Gains
By Todd Lindley
The U.S. labor market demonstrated steady progress in September 2025, adding 119,000 nonfarm payroll jobs while the unemployment rate held firm at 4.4%, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This modest growth, though below earlier expectations, highlights a resilient private sector contributing nearly all the gains, with 97,000 new positions created there. Wages continued their upward trajectory, rising 3.8% over the year…
Update on Western Alaska Relief Efforts
FEMA Enumerates Western Alaska Relief Efforts
By Natalie Spaulding
Following the devastation wrecked by Typhoon Halong on Western Alaska, communities, non-profit organizations, and government entities stepped up to help the Alaskans harmed by the storm. A news release by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) states that State and Federal support for relief efforts exceeds $41 million. Here is what has been accomplished…
Alaska Politics
Anchorage Community Councils Continue Fight Against Federation’s Consolidation of Power
By Natalie Spaulding
An attempted rewrite of bylaws by the Federation of Community Councils (FCC) has raised alarm for Community Councils throughout Anchorage.
The contention centers around the proposed rewrite’s restructuring of the federation into a membership-based organization with a Board of Directors. Since its original adoption in 1976, the federation’s bylaws maintain, “there shall be no members of the Corporation.” The new proposed bylaws allow 37 members (one member from each Community Council) who will then elect a Board of Directors comprised of 7-11 members.
Juneau Assembly Rejects Ranked Choice Voting for Local Elections
By Natalie Spaulding
At the City and Borough of Juneau’s most recent Regular Assembly Meeting, assembly members rejected only one ordinance under consideration: the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for local elections.
The ordinance, proposed by Assemblymember Ella Adkison, asked for RCV to be applied to single-member races beginning with the October 6, 2026 municipal election. The ordinance went through several checkpoints over the past seven months before the final Assembly vote on November 17…
Facts and Figures
Alaska Has Highest Cybercrime in the Nation
According to a study by Click Insights analyzing 2024 data from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Alaska’s cybercrime rate of 915 complaints per 100,000 residents is nearly three times higher than second-ranked Indiana, which reported 342 complaints per 100,000 people. Nevada follows closely in third position with 328 complaints per 100,000 residents.
Key Industry Numbers
Alaska Oil: ~$61.8 per barrel
Henry Hub Gas: ~$4.56 per mmBTU
Alaska Residential Gas: $15.38 MCF
Alaska North Slope Production: ~480,128 barrels per day
Permanent Fund (Principal + Earnings Reserve): ~$86.9 billion
Community Meetings
Who? | What? | When? | Where? |
|---|---|---|---|
Anchorage | A) Regular Assembly Meeting B) School Board Meetings C) School Board Governance Committee Meeting D) School Board Finance Committee Meeting E) School Board Communications Committee Meeting | A) 12/2 @5pm B) 12/2 and 12/16 @6pm C) 12/18 @11am D) 12/18 @12:15pm E) 12/18 @1:30pm | A) Z.J. Loussac Library Assembly Chambers B-E) Anchorage School District/ Live Online |
Kenai Peninsula | Borough Assembly Meeting | 12/1 @6pm | Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers/ Zoom |
Mat-Su | A) Regular Assembly Meetings B) Joint Assembly and School Board Meeting | A) 12/2 and 12/16 @6pm B) 12/9 @6pm | Assembly Chambers |
Fairbanks | Regular Assembly Meetings | 12/2 and 12/16 @6pm | Not specified |
North Slope Borough | NSB Assembly Meeting | 12/2 @1pm-6pm | Not specified |
Nome | A) Planning Commission Meeting B) Common Council Regular Meeting C) Port Commission Meeting D) Common Council Regular Meeting | A) 12/2 @7pm B) 12/8 @7pm C) 12/18 @5:30pm D) 12/22 @7pm | Not specified |
Juneau | Assembly Public Works & Facilities Committee Meeting | 12/1 @12pm | Assembly Chambers/ Zoom |
Matanuska Electric | Regular Board of Directors Meeting | 12/8 @4pm | Palmer Headquarters/ Zoom |
Homer Electric | A) HEA Board Meeting B) AEEC Board Meeting | A) 12/9 @12pm B) 12/9 immediately following HEA meeting | Homer Headquarters/ Microsoft Teams |
No upcoming meetings found for Bethel, Sitka, Kodiak, Valdez, Seward, Tok, and Chugach Electric.
In Pursuit of Wisdom
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.
Must Read Alaska Show
We hope to get our podcast back up and running in the near future. Plus, we are continuing to develop our sortable audio-files for easy listening of our stories.
Submit Your Feedback
Do you have story ideas? Do you want to submit an op-ed for consideration? Or perhaps you have feedback for us on how we can improve your experience. If that’s you, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We love to hear from our readers!
Additionally, Natalie Spaulding wants to know your hard-hitting questions for her series “An Honest Conversation,” which will release while she is on maternity leave in the spring. This series will present different arguments surrounding core issues and promote rational dialogue about those issues. What should Natalie write about? Email her at [email protected] to let her know what matters most to you.
Thank you for reading! Until next time,
The MRAK Team
A Force for Good