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Good afternoon. It's Thursday, Jan. 29.

In today's newsletter:

The International Pacific Halibut Commission set the 2026 harvest at a historic low during a meeting that drew a Trump administration political appointee to lead tense U.S. negotiations with Canada over shares of a shrunken fishery.
Jalonni Marcel Blackshear, a former Alaska corrections officer accused of killing his wife and daughter in 2022, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder this week.
All Anchorage School District schools and support facilities are closed due to freezing rain that's created hazardous road conditions, district officials said early this morning.

For a family science experiment, gardening columnist Jeff Lowenfels suggests trying to sprout your mealtime leftovers. Starting seeds from things you might eat for breakfast — from citrus to stone fruits — is easy, educational and a lot of fun, he writes.

Anchorage weather

It's mostly cloudy today with a high near 34 degrees. Rain showers are likely this afternoon and evening, and the Anchorage area is under a winter weather advisory through 1 a.m. Friday that calls for freezing rain.

Here's what else is making headlines in Alaska today.

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

Commission again sets Pacific halibut harvest at rock-bottom levels amid U.S.-Canada tensions →

During the annual meeting, a Trump appointee threatened sanctions on Canadian halibut exports if the country's negotiators didn't accept a cut to the British Columbia catch, according to multiple sources. (via Northern Journal)

Former corrections officer pleads guilty in 2022 killings of his wife and daughter at their Anchorage home →

Jalonni Marcel Blackshear would be sentenced to 150 years in prison under a plea agreement with Alaska prosecutors.

All Anchorage schools closed due to freezing rain and icy roads →

District officials said only emergency staff should report for work. All after-school sports, activities, and community rentals are also cancelled.

State investigation confirms oil company wasted four months of natural gas on North Slope →

The state agency that protects Alaska's state-owned oil and gas from waste confirmed that a small North Slope company deliberately burned off natural gas for almost four months because reinjecting it was inconvenient for the company. (via Alaska Beacon)

Shot clock finally debuts in Alaska high school basketball →

The head coaches for the reigning 4A state champions said they're happy that the state is keeping up with the times and speeding up the game.

Trump administration solicits interest in seafloor mining off Alaska →

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management wants to gauge support for what would be the first Alaska Outer Continental Shelf minerals lease sale. (via Alaska Beacon)