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Table of Contents
Permanent Fund Series
The Great Debate: The People vs. The Legislature Part VII
Part VII: The People’s Constitutional Covenant and the Quieting of Title
By Michael Tavoliero
The Alaska Constitution begins with a simple but foundational truth: all political power is inherent in the people. Government exists only because the people consent to it, and it remains legitimate only so long as it protects the rights that precede it. These rights, the ability to think, choose, act, work, and build a life, come not from the State, but are God-given. The Constitution does not grant them; it recognizes them.
Alaska Law and Order
Rising Tide of Transnational Crime: Mexican Cartels Fuel Drug Surge in Alaska
By Todd Lindley
Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), predominantly linked to Mexican cartels like Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation, are intensifying their grip on Alaska’s illicit drug trade, importing fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine from Mexico and the lower 48 states. Recent operations reveal a web of active networks according to official databases from the FBI, DHS, and Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS). For instance, Operation Take Back America led to charges against 39 defendants in 2025 for drug trafficking tied to transnational groups, while a 2024 bust indicted 54 individuals in a large-scale ring. Smaller operations, such as a 10-defendant group in 2023 and a seven-person network trafficking from California in 2025, underscore fragmented but persistent activity.
Alaska Politics
A Subtle Revolution: Anchorage School District Places “We Do Not Endorse” Disclaimer on U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence
By Natalie Spaulding
What does it mean when a government-funded institution refuses to endorse our country’s Supreme Law of the Land and the documents forming the basis of our national identity? Not only did Anchorage School District refuse to endorse the American Constitution and Declaration of Independence but took pains to sticker an “Anchorage School District does not endorse the materials or viewpoints expressed in them” disclaimer on the documents. Such a blatant attack on our most foundational documents…
Breaking News: DOE Receives Signatures from Over 48,000 Alaskans Fed Up with Ranked-Choice Voting
By Natalie Spaulding
Today, November 5, Repeal Now make a special delivery to the Division of Elections on behalf of Alaskans taking a stand against ranked-choice voting. Although initiative sponsors only needed to gather a minimum of 34,098 signatures, the number of signatures delivered to DOE exceed 48,000. This means approximately 12-13% of registered voters want Alaskans to reconsider rank-choice voting in the 2026 election.
Alaska is one of two states that operates rank-choice voting for state-wide elections.
The Definition of Insanity and the Gelding of Conservative Leadership Part 1
By Michael Tavoliero
We have lived the definition of insanity in Alaska politics. Again and again, conservatives send a governor to Juneau to protect the PFD, rebuild the economy, and shrink government and every time, that governor walks into a political Lindemann shredder built to pulverize an agenda before it can even start. The mandate is real. The votes are real. The chokehold is real.
This is not because the people changed their minds.
It is because a conservative public executive entering office is without the legislative and institutional power needed to implement the agenda the voters elected them to pursue.
Alaska Industry
Germany’s Costly Energy Transition: A Stark Warning for Alaska
By Todd Lindley
As Alaska grapples with high diesel costs in remote villages and eyes solar power to diversify its oil-dependent economy, experts are urging caution by pointing to Germany’s energy transition (Energiewende) as a multi-billion-dollar cautionary tale. A 2015 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report once touted Germany’s solar success as a benchmark for Alaska, highlighting comparable insolation levels to argue for viability despite harsh latitudes. But a decade later, Germany’s transition has ballooned into a multi-trillion-euro burden, raising alarms for cash-strapped Alaska.
Keith Dobson: AI Datacenters in Alaska – A New Frontier for Economic Growth
By Keith Dobson
Alaska’s economy has long depended on extracting resources and tourism, with over 90% of our food arriving by barge and truck from thousands of miles away—a precarious balance leaving communities vulnerable to boom-and-bust cycles.
What if Alaska could develop a tech sector reaching beyond Anchorage into rural communities? What if our cold climate, abundant energy, and strategic location between Asia and North America became advantages in the AI revolution? This is already happening. In Cordova, a small AI datacenter is online, creating high-paying jobs, reducing energy bills, and advancing technology education.
Alaska Elections
Mat-Su Borough Election Results: More Republican Leadership, Less Taxation
By Natalie Spaulding
Preliminary election results for the Mat-Su Borough are in! On Tuesday, Mat-Su voters decided who would fill 2 assembly seats and 4 school board seats. 5 candidates ran as Republican (1 won assembly, 4 won school board), 2 candidates ran as Nonpartisan (1 won assembly, 1 lost school board), and 3 candidates ran as Undeclared (2 lost assembly, 1 lost school board). No candidates ran as Democrat.
Additionally, Mat-Su residents voted on four propositions. 89% of voters supported lowering property tax burdens for seniors and disabled veterans. 70% of voters rejected the addition of a 7 cent per gallon tax on fuel. A close majority of voters (56%) agreed to the annexation of existing properties in the service area to Meadow Lakes Road Service No. 27. Proposition No. 4 received zero votes either yes or no.
Here are the candidates who won and what they stand for:
Dates and Data
Meetings and Meet-Ups
None this week
Key Industry Numbers
Alaska Oil: $61 per barrel
Henry Hub Gas: $4.36 per mmBTU
Alaska North Slope Production: ~479,685 barrels per day
Permanent Fund (Principal + Earnings Reserve): ~$86.24 billion
Must Read Alaska Show
Coming soon: sortable audio-files of all our stories for easy listening!
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Thank you for reading! Until next time,
The MRAK Team
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