Home2

People watch a broadcast of Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, delivering a speech at Times Square in New York, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Graham Dickie/The New York Times)

Opinion: The Democratic Party’s failure of imagination

Aside from not being a lifelong Republican like Peter Wehner, the sentiment he expressed in The Atlantic a few weeks ago perfectly captures how I… Continue reading

People watch a broadcast of Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, delivering a speech at Times Square in New York, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Graham Dickie/The New York Times)
A steady procession of vehicles and students arrives at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé before the start of the new school year on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Let’s consider tightening cell phones restrictions in Juneau schools

A recent uptick in student fights on and off campus has Juneau School District administrators looking for answers. It also has raised the issue of… Continue reading

A steady procession of vehicles and students arrives at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé before the start of the new school year on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
A pair of Petersburg wiener dogs. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Pure Sole: ‘Bread and Butter’

So, evidently, I now have a nickname in my hometown of Petersburg. “Bread and Butter.” I will let you stew on that while I finish… Continue reading

A pair of Petersburg wiener dogs. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
A short-eared owl pounced on something deep in the grass. (Photo by Greg Chaney)

On the Trails: Owls and voles and other observations

In the middle of October, bird watchers estimated about 40 short-eared owls were seen hunting on the wetlands — probably a record number. What was… Continue reading

A short-eared owl pounced on something deep in the grass. (Photo by Greg Chaney)
“Princess Sophia” stranded on Vanderbilt Reef, Oct. 24, 1918. (Alaska State Library Historical Collection, ASL-P87-1700)

Living and Growing: The storms of the Fall

Psalm 19 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. 2 One day tells its tale to another, and… Continue reading

“Princess Sophia” stranded on Vanderbilt Reef, Oct. 24, 1918. (Alaska State Library Historical Collection, ASL-P87-1700)
Fairbanks’ first real winter storm of October 2024 left behind an uncommon wet, slushy mess. (Photo by Bobby Bianco)

Alaska Science Forum: The numbers behind a weather forecast

A meteorologist from the National Weather Service’s local office recently told a newspaper reporter that heavy, wet, snow would materialize in a few days. He… Continue reading

Fairbanks’ first real winter storm of October 2024 left behind an uncommon wet, slushy mess. (Photo by Bobby Bianco)
A map shows state-by-state results of aggregate polls for U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump (red) and Kamala Harris (blue), with states too close to call in grey, as of Oct. 29. (Wikimedia Commons map)

Opinion: The silent Republican Party betrayal

On Monday night, Donald Trump reported that two Pennsylvania counties had received “THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications.” One was… Continue reading

A map shows state-by-state results of aggregate polls for U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump (red) and Kamala Harris (blue), with states too close to call in grey, as of Oct. 29. (Wikimedia Commons map)
(Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

10 reasons to put country above party labels in election

Like many of you I grew up during an era when people put country above party. The ‘60s were a time when we were asked… Continue reading

(Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
Be safe, stay together, be respectful, share your treats but not your tricks, have fun, and get outside on Halloween. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Pure Sole: Don’t Open The Door

A cowboy, a pirate and the pope walk into a bar… Nope, no joke here. Just reminding you of the horror approaching Thursday night. Remember… Continue reading

Be safe, stay together, be respectful, share your treats but not your tricks, have fun, and get outside on Halloween. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Tongass National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

My Turn: Why I oppose privatization of the Tongass rainforest

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been trying to privatize the Tongass for years. Her latest effort, the so-called “Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation… Continue reading

Tongass National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service photo)
(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: Election presents stark contrasts

This election, both at the state and federal level, presents a choice that couldn’t be more starkly defined. Do we want to live in a… Continue reading

(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Extremes of the colour gradient of the Eastern San Antonio frog (Hyla orientalis). On the left, a specimen captured in Chernobyl inside the high contamination zone; on the right, a specimen captured outside the Exclusion Zone. (Germán Orizaola/Pablo Burraco, republished under a Creative Commons license)

On the Trails: Evolution constantly ongoing among many populations in many places

Someone once asked me “Is evolution still happening?” My brief answer was “Of course, it’s always happening.” I would have gone on to explain a… Continue reading

Extremes of the colour gradient of the Eastern San Antonio frog (Hyla orientalis). On the left, a specimen captured in Chernobyl inside the high contamination zone; on the right, a specimen captured outside the Exclusion Zone. (Germán Orizaola/Pablo Burraco, republished under a Creative Commons license)
Former Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho discusses ranked choice voting at a Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce weekly luncheon on June 30, 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: Vote no Ballot Measure 2 and protect open primaries and protect our democracy

The focus of last week’s Juneau World Affairs Forum was the rise of authoritarianism in the 21st century. Our guest speakers noted the fertile ground… Continue reading

Former Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho discusses ranked choice voting at a Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce weekly luncheon on June 30, 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
Sheet pan tomato soup garnished and served. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Sheet pan tomato soup

Whenever I get my hair done at Salon Cedar, owner Brendan Sullivan and I talk about food nonstop. During my last visit he shared with… Continue reading

Sheet pan tomato soup garnished and served. (Photo by Patty Schied)
A short-tailed weasel pauses at the entrance to a building on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Weasels are cute, natural born killers

Weighing as much as a cup of walnuts and resembling a squeaky dog toy, the short-tailed weasel is easy to underestimate. The spunky little creature… Continue reading

A short-tailed weasel pauses at the entrance to a building on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Begich wants to join the herd of timid followers

On the very top of his campaign website, Nick Begich III claims he’s a “commonsense leader.” There aren’t many of those left in today’s Republican… Continue reading

(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Image by the New Jersey Division of Elections)

Gimme A Smile: Halloween/Election Day merger

We’ve got a couple of important holidays coming up: Halloween and Election Day. But the budget is tight with all this inflation, so I don’t… Continue reading

(Image by the New Jersey Division of Elections)
A blacktail buck approaches the author. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: ‘Are you going to regret that?’

Stealth was abandoned. Completely. The obvious game trail had betrayed me and disintegrated into the sloppily woven patchwork of salmonberry and blueberry bushes mixed with… Continue reading

A blacktail buck approaches the author. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
A voter receives his ballot for Alaska’s primary election at the Mendenhall Mall Annex on Aug. 17. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: Not voting for a Republican in general election for first time in more than 50 years

As a voter in Alaska for over 50 years, the 2024 general election will be my first in which I will not be supporting a… Continue reading

A voter receives his ballot for Alaska’s primary election at the Mendenhall Mall Annex on Aug. 17. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
Brent Merten is the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Juneau. (Courtesy photo)

Living and Growing: The eye of the needle

One day, a rich young man approached Jesus, asking him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. He was convinced that he could… Continue reading

Brent Merten is the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Juneau. (Courtesy photo)