In this news update:
- The recent swell in COVID-19 numbers is unlike other surges, say state epidemiologists;
- Alaska has crowded state election this year, so the primary will trim the list of candidates;
- A new whale identification program uses artificial intelligence to identify Alaska whales by their flukes;
- The Matanuska-Susitna Borough school board considers amending its athletic policy to exclude transgender girls from girls’ sports teams;
- An Alaska oil and gas company acquired two offshore leases in Cook Inlet during a state sale this week.
