Business
RSSAlaska News covers Alaska business topics including federal wage updates, healthcare ventures, cannabis industry regulation, employment changes.
An Anchorage cannabis grower's license renewal turns on a $12,760 tax bill
Anchorage Assembly protested a marijuana grower's state license renewal over $12,760 in unpaid taxes and an incomplete inspection, but can lift the protest once the company settles the debt.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago1 min readAI
Starplex recruits Alaska State Fair seasonal staff Aug. 18 in Wasilla
Starplex is hiring seasonal staff for the Alaska State Fair at a job fair in Wasilla on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with flaggers earning $25 an hour, parking staff $16, and event staff $15.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readAI
Juneau's casino opened on shifting ground and now faces suits on two fronts
Juneau's tribal casino opened through a federal opening since rescinded, and now faces the state, a family lawsuit and doubt about whether it's even legal.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
SBA rule drops 8(a) disadvantage presumption for individual owners, leaves Native corporations untouched
Alaska Native corporation-owned firms keep federal 8(a) contracting eligibility unchanged, but individual applicants must now prove disadvantage starting Sept. 10.
by Alaska News3d ago2 min readAI
Alaska minimum wage rises to $14 in July, $15 in 2027
Alaska minimum wage rises to $14 per hour on July 1, then to $15 in 2027, with annual inflation adjustments after that under a voter-approved schedule.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Press plans return, with Northern Journal folding into revived paper
Nathaniel Herz and Veri di Suvero are reviving the Anchorage Press, an alternative weekly that closed years ago, by folding Northern Journal into it and launching a print edition this fall with arts, culture and Alaska politics coverage.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago4 min readAI
Coast Guard seeks contractor to clean Alex Haley waste tanks in Seward
Coast Guard is seeking a contractor to clean waste tanks aboard the cutter Alex Haley in Seward, with bids due Aug. 24 and work scheduled Sept. 4-7.
by Melinda Communities.News3d ago1 min readAI
AEDC report: Anchorage strained, the military its bright spot
A new AEDC report says Anchorage is getting squeezed: shrinking job share, high costs, low confidence. The military's the bright spot, but housing's the catch.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Assembly unanimously passes veteran-owned business preference ordinance
Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed a veteran-owned business preference for city contracts, letting qualifying vets match the lowest bid rather than automatically winning at higher cost.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
iHeart local cuts reach KGOT and KENI in Anchorage radio shakeup
iHeartMedia cut longtime Anchorage radio hosts Casey Bieber and Amy Demboski as the company shifts from local programming to national content, narrowing Alaska's local media landscape.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readAI
UIC just crossed $1 billion in revenue — a milestone almost no village corp reaches
UIC just crossed $1 billion in revenue. Almost no Alaska Native village corporation gets there.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Energy consultant tells House Finance that property tax makes Alaska LNG unfinanceable
Energy consultant says property tax costs $600 million yearly, making Alaska LNG unfinanceable.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min readAI
Peltola proposes corporate tax tied to worker pay in Senate race
New Peltola plan: companies with rich CEOs and broke workers pay more. Odds of passing: low. Odds of becoming a debate line: certain.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
A Spenard Pot Shop Changes Hands as Anchorage's Market Cools
A Spenard dispensary is rebranding under new owners — a small sign of a bigger shift, as Anchorage's pot tax take slips and the early gold-rush crowd thins out.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Tomodachi Daiko's Power of Drums concert lists $32 tickets despite early-bird label
Tomodachi Daiko's Power of Drums concert on Aug. 1 in Anchorage lists $32 tickets as an early-bird price that expired June 15, but at least one buyer paid that same price after the deadline.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
A small Petersburg timber sale is a marker of the Tongass's long turn away from old growth
A young-growth-only timber sale near Petersburg is a small marker of the Tongass's contested, decades-long turn from old-growth clearcuts to second-growth logging. Bids due Aug. 25.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAI
Alaska is auctioning 18 Fairbanks-area timber sales
Alaska is auctioning 18 timber sales near Fairbanks next month — more than double last fall's round — and the cash-up-front rules favor established outfits.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Federal and state cuts erase Alaska private-sector job gains in June
Federal and state government cuts eliminated 1,900 jobs in June, nearly wiping out 1,000 private-sector gains and leaving Alaska with fewer jobs than a year ago.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readAI
Trump administration stalls 8(a) applications for Alaska Native corporations
Trump administration stalls new 8(a) applications for Alaska Native corporations amid fraud review. • 2024 lawsuit challenges whether special contracting treatment for Alaska Native firms is constitutional. • Program generated 13.5 billion dollars in revenue in 2022 and employs roughly 50,000 people worldwide.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska makers can claim a free booth at November's holiday market
Alaska makers can grab a free booth at Anchorage's holiday market in November. Applications close Sept. 18, and spots go first-come.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
BLM's Campbell Tract replanting job is open only to women-owned firms
Want to grow 1,710 plants to heal a retired Campbell Tract trail? You'll need a women-owned firm — it's a federal set-aside. Quotes due July 24.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska's legal cannabis growers say tax-free synthetic THC is sinking them
Alaska's legal weed growers pay the nation's highest pot tax, then get undercut by tax-free THC from the mailbox. They'd like a word.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Homer reverses Copper River Seafoods building plan, keeps December deadline
Homer City Council voted to scrap redesigned plans for a Copper River Seafoods facility and revert to the original 2019 building design, keeping the December construction deadline in place.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
Alaska warns residents about BG Wealth cryptocurrency scheme flagged by eight other jurisdictions
Don't send your money to scammers...They're out to get you, and they're getting better at it.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Federal job cuts from 2025 continue to drag on Alaska employment
Alaska added only 100 jobs in April 2025 as federal cuts eliminated 1,900 positions. • Government losses across federal, state, and local levels totaled 2,700 jobs. • Private sector gains of 2,800 jobs barely offset government declines. • Alaska's unemployment rate held at 4.7 percent, above the national 4.3 percent.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
New Canada tariffs land Aug. 19 with a narrow Alaska bite
New 50% tariffs on select Canadian goods start Aug. 19. Alaska's exposure: cement and hockey gear, not fuel and fish — but check your subheadings.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2w ago1 min readAI
Ketchikan seeks bids for City Hall heating, civic center floors, fuel supply
Ketchikan is seeking bids for a new City Hall heating system, Ted Ferry Civic Center flooring replacement, and fuel supply for city vehicles, with two bid deadlines already passed and fuel bids still open.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaskans' debt falls to lowest level in a decade
Alaska adults carried an average of $68,900 in household debt in 2024, down roughly $1,900 from 2023 and the lowest level in a decade, though Alaskans still owe about $7,300 more per person than the national average.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage advances 5% bid preference for veteran-owned firms
Anchorage Assembly advanced an ordinance giving veteran-owned businesses a five percent preference on city contracts capped at $50,000, affecting a city where veterans make up 13 percent of the adult population.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Senate Finance hears corporate tax shift targeting online sales to Alaskans
The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on House Bill 280, which would shift Alaska's corporate income tax to market-based sourcing, a change expected to generate $15 million annually by taxing out-of-state companies based on where Alaska customers receive services.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAIAlaska House passes corporate income tax bill for digital-era businesses
Alaska House approved a bill updating corporate income tax rules for digital businesses, passing 28-11. The measure lets Alaska collect revenue from out-of-state companies that operate without physical locations in the state.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Bartlett Regional Hospital posts 39 job openings in one week
Bartlett Regional Hospital posted 40 job openings in one week, about half of all Juneau-area listings, spanning nurses, doctors, support staff, and administrative roles as the hospital works to fill vacancies and expand housing for employees.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Assembly set to approve transfer of three marijuana licenses to sole ownership at one address
Anchorage Assembly votes Monday to transfer three marijuana licenses at one address to sole owner Yotam Levi, meeting a July 28 state protest deadline.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago1 min readAI
Wasilla hiring event features employer with no listed openings
A nonprofit is recruiting at the Mat-Su Job Center on Wednesday. Its own careers page says every position is currently filled. Bring a resume anyway.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Alaska Officials Hail 'Night and Day' Shift Under Trump Energy Policies
Governor Dunleavy and Senator Sullivan said Trump reversed Biden restrictions on Alaska resource projects. • Willow and Pitcairn oil fields are now producing, generating 80,000 barrels per day. • State legislature must act on a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes proposal for the natural gas pipeline. • Federal government created a Western Alaska energy task force for rural diesel supply issues.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago5 min readAI
Alaska residents applying for a green card will, in most cases, now have to leave the country to complete the process.
Most Alaska green card applicants must now complete the process at a U.S. consulate abroad instead of in-country, a federal policy shift announced May 22 that will require travel, longer separations, and higher costs for families and employers.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska's Right-to-Repair Bill Navigates National Debate on Consumer Access
The House Community & Regional Affairs Committee advanced HB 162, a digital product repair bill, placing Alaska among states wrestling with how broadly to extend repair rights while protecting business models and intellectual property.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago5 min readAI
Juneau mining industry warns sales tax cap removal could cost $5M yearly
Juneau is considering removing a $15,000 cap on sales tax per purchase. The Kensington Mine says eliminating it would cost the company $5 million yearly, nearly tripling its tax bill, and the city hasn't yet said how much revenue it would actually gain.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
SBA freeze threatens Alaska Native corporations' $9B federal footprint
An SBA freeze on new subsidiary applications threatens Alaska Native corporations' $9 billion annual federal contracting footprint, which supports 50,000 jobs worldwide and returns $300 to $350 million yearly to Alaska Native shareholders.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Senate panel advances bill requiring humans in autonomous commercial vehicles
The Alaska Senate State Affairs Committee voted Saturday to advance a bill requiring human safety operators in autonomous commercial vehicles, despite warnings from industry representatives that the measure would effectively ban driverless technology in the state.
by Alaska News3mo ago4 min readAI
