Alaska voters have upheld the state’s open primary and ranked choice voting system by a narrow margin of 664 votes. Meanwhile, Republican Nick Begich has defeated Democratic Representative Mary Peltola in the U.S. House race, ending her historic tenure as Alaska's first Democratic House member since 1972. Begich secured over 164,000 votes, finishing more than 8,000 ahead of Peltola. Election results will be finalized after all hand-counted ballots are scanned, though significant changes are not expected. A powerful atmospheric river brought heavy rain, hurricane-force winds, and snow to the Pacific Northwest, causing widespread damage and at least two deaths. Washington state suffered the most, with trees downing power lines and over 460,000 outages at the peak. Flood watches extend to Northern California and southwestern Oregon, while mountain areas face blizzards with snowfall rates of up to three inches per hour.In Juneau, wind gusts of up to 60 mph disrupted power, ferry services, and schools. Cleanup and recovery efforts are underway as officials urge caution in affected areas. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is among those demanding the release of a House Ethics Committee report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz, now President-elect Trump’s attorney general nominee. The investigation probed allegations of misconduct, including claims of illicit drug use and payments for sex, with one accuser alleging Gaetz’s involvement with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz denies the allegations, as the controversy raises questions about his nomination. Alaska was among the states affected by misdirected ballots during the recent election, as mail ballots intended for voters in Wasilla were mistakenly sent to an election office in Cascade County, Montana. This issue, part of a broader pattern observed nationwide, raised concerns about the U.S. Postal Service's ability to manage election mail effectively.