Newscasts

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly moved forward with a plan Wednesday that — if approved by voters — could add up to $10 million to the city’s debt. It would fund critical repairs and upgrades to Juneau’s schools after years of deferred maintenance. The Assembly decided to prioritize funding repairs to schools over the city’s water and sewer systems, which are also in need of some TLC. That means utility rate hikes are likely on the way; Some immigrants living in Juneau have left the United States after an email from the Department of Homeland Security told them they had to leave. But some people who got the email haven’t left; Alaska’s public schools may get a long-sought increase in state funding this year. A bill that would boost funding and make changes to education policy passed the state House and Senate Wednesday and will soon head to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s desk.

In this newscast: Today marks Juneau International Airport Manager Patty Wahto’s final day on the job after a nearly three-decade-long career; Immigrants and refugees across the country are getting emails from the Trump administration that say they have to leave the United States or face prosecution. In Juneau, that’s already split one family apart; Skagway held its international folk festival earlier this month, but there was a lack of Canadian participants

In this newscast: One of Alaska’s most prolific climate communicators could lose his job if the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to NOAA go through; Yesterday, the City and Borough of Juneau’s clerk’s office certified three ballot petitions aimed at lowering local taxes; Millions of dollars slated for child care funding were among the many budget cuts Alaska state Senators made last week, but advocates on the Capitol steps said those funds are vital to support families across the state; While the loss of hundreds of federal jobs in Alaska is hitting home for some Alaskans now, it’ll be months before we can quantify that impact

In this newscast: Black bears are emerging from hibernation and roaming around Juneau in search of food; The Alaska Senate passed a bill today that would substantially boost long-term funding for public schools; Juneau’s firefighter union sent out a statement Thursday warning residents that emergency response times may be delayed due to major staffing concerns; The Juneau School District and its largest union are more than two months into contract negotiations; The U.S. Interior Department says it’s going to fast-track permits for oil, gas and mining, cutting a process that normally takes years down to no more than 28 days; Alaska residents have less than a week to apply to get on a rental assistance program waitlist with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation

In this newscast: There have been more than a dozen political protests at the Alaska State Capitol since President Donald Trump took office in January. But members of an anti-abortion group called Alaskans for Life who gathered on Thursday said they didn’t have specific demands for legislators; Alaska could lose several research institutions and a pipeline into science for budding researchers in the state – that’s if the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget become a reality; The Trump administration is planning an Alaska summit with leaders from Japan and South Korea in early June; A state legislator from Palmer is proposing to enshrine Alaska’s giant cabbages in state law as the official state vegetable.

In this newscast: A cruise line representative dodged questions form the Juneau Assembly this afternoon about the company’s plans to develop a new cruise ship port on the backside of Douglas Island; The Alaska Senate is planning to vote soon on a new education funding bill, even as Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he opposes it; A $38 million federal grant meant to help Alaskans lower their energy bills and planet-warming emissions has been in limbo for months; New cases of HIV in Alaska over the past five years were highly preventable, according to a recent bulletin from the state’s section of epidemiology; Small businesses in Alaska are already feeling the impacts of President Trump’s sweeping tariff polices