Local Elections; From Cruise Ships to Drug Busts
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With 23% of ballots counted, the "Ship-Free Saturdays" proposition is failing, while propositions one and three, regarding funding for city projects, are passing. The recall bids for Board of Education members are failing, and Mayor Beth Weldon is leading her re-election bid with 60% of the vote. Full results will be updated Friday. Investigators with the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs task force intercepted over $100,000 worth of drugs at the Juneau airport. Two women from Washington were arrested after authorities found thousands of fentanyl pills, cocaine, meth, and heroin in their possession. Both face multiple charges related to drug distribution. The U.S. Coast Guard spotted Russian and Chinese vessels operating together in the Bering Sea. This joint activity raises concerns in Washington as cooperation between the two nations increases, particularly following similar military actions near Alaska in July. The ACLU of Alaska uncovered a data breach by the Department of Corrections, where the health information of at least 74 inmates was publicly accessible on a training website. The ACLU has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and demanded immediate action to protect the privacy of affected individuals. A federal judge ruled that regulators did not adequately assess the risks of a major waste spill from the proposed Donlin Gold mine in Western Alaska. While the ruling is a partial victory for tribal governments opposing the project, the mine's permit remains valid pending further legal review.
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