Anchorage restaurants and bars fear for their employees and their survival with another ‘hunker down’
Restaurant and bar owners said they are worried that their businesses may not survive the winter without substantial economic aid.
Business/Economy
Pebble mine critics say text messages reveal the state is helping the project. A state official says the texts have been misinterpreted.
Alaska officials provided information about state laws and procedures at Pebble’s request, as it would do with any potential project applicant, a state spokesman said.
Alaska Airlines adds more 737 Max jets, the first carrier to do so after FAA clearance
The transaction indicates that airlines willing to take new jets in the middle of a historic aviation downturn can get excellent discounted deals.
COVID-19 is spiking, but our employees are planning Thanksgiving get-togethers
Workplace advice: I reminded our team that one exposure could give any of us COVID, and that eating would require removing masks. I quoted the rising COVID numbers. I don’t think it made a difference.
Anchorage startup aims to get more seafood into the mouths of babies
Bambino’s is filling a void by America’s baby food makers who continue to completely snub seafood in their protein lines, despite its proven health benefits.
Barge shipping price hike expected to raise Alaska consumer prices
Alaska Marine Lines posted a notice to customers last week saying prices would rise 5% on all of its routes.
Pandemic has taken a bite out of seafood trade and consumption
The coronavirus pandemic has hurt the U.S. seafood industry due to a precipitous fall in imports and exports and a drop in catch of some species.
U.S. House committee seeks Pebble records, saying officials made misleading statements on mine’s size
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement “it seems as though Pebble was dealing with two sets of facts.”
Federal agency proposes rule aimed at blocking banks from not financing Arctic drilling
Some experts and activists said the rule’s impact, if it is finalized, could be muted if banks can show that opting to not finance Arctic oil projects is a financial decision, not a political one.
Anchorage restaurants brace for a hard winter and the possibility of another shutdown
Winter is difficult for businesses during a normal year, and now the city is facing its worst surge of the coronavirus pandemic so far.
Rat-infested dorms, contaminated drinking water and wage theft: Lawsuit alleges nightmare conditions at Alaska seafood processing plants
Hundreds of Alaska-based seafood employees were forced to endure filthy, unsafe working conditions — including rat-infested bunkhouses — and stiffed on wages daily, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle in October.
ConocoPhillips says it will resume drilling in December on Alaska’s North Slope
Drilling will bring back several hundred jobs amid reductions that began as the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a drop in oil prices.
Alaska Airlines says it’s stressing safety as it prepares to acquire Boeing 737 Max planes
The airline expects to acquire six of the Boeing 737 Max-9 planes this year. It has ordered 32 so far as it looks to upgrade its fleet.
FAA clears Boeing 737 Max to fly again, but passengers won’t see them right away
All existing 737 Max jets must first undergo maintenance and get modifications before they can fly. Pilots must also undergo simulator training.
Oil tax initiative fails, pushing question of where to look for new revenue sources back to Alaska Legislature
Republican lawmakers said it’s too early to discuss fiscal policies that might be considered next year.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration to stop ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil project
Two federal bureaus did not properly address impacts to wildlife, including polar bears, before approving the project, the groups assert.
Canadian company plans to resume exploration at Southeast Alaska mine site
Heatherdale Resources plans to resume work at the Niblack Project site this month following a reshuffling of debt and rising copper and gold prices.
Pandemic cut the Alaska salmon catch and fishermen’s paychecks - and will mean lower tax revenues for fishing towns
A summary of the preliminary harvests and values shows that Alaska’s total 2020 salmon catch came in at just under 117 million fish, a 44% decrease from last season’s haul and the 13th lowest on record.
Alaska loses 3,000 oil, gas jobs during pandemic, price drop
Experts said that because oil prices are now stagnant, it’s not clear when the jobs may return, Alaska Public Media reported last week.
Can a company require employees wear a contact-tracing app when they’re not at work?
Workplace advice: We worry that some employees don’t monitor physical distancing in their off time. All it would take is one employee getting COVID-19 and infecting others to shut us down.