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Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, Sept. 18.

In today's newsletter:

Leaders of two rural Alaska communities are urging federal transportation officials to award contracts to Aleutian Airways in a bid to restore reliable air service after months of uncertainty in the wake of Ravn Alaska’s abrupt departure.
The Anchorage Assembly could soon vote on a measure that would let residents add more taxes to companies like Airbnb that connect customers with short-term rental properties.
Officials at the University of Alaska said this week that previously announced cuts to federally funded programs for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students will be worse than initially thought.

The brawny bruins of Katmai National Park and Preserve are ready to fight it out to see which will win this year’s title of fattest bear in the wildly popular annual online voting contest known as Fat Bear Week. Here's what to know before casting your vote.

Anchorage weather

It's cloudy today with a high near 58 degrees and a chance of scattered showers. The forecast calls for a chance of rain on Friday as well, though we may see partly sunny skies heading into the weekend. Daytime highs will hover in the high 50s and low 60s for the next few days.

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

— Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com

Gaps in rural air service leave Western Alaska communities seeking stability →

The experiences of Unalakleet and St. Paul highlight the shifting air carrier landscape for some of Alaska’s most remote villages. The lack of dependable flights has profoundly disrupted daily life, snarling everything from people’s cancer treatment in Anchorage to summer construction projects.

Anchorage Assembly weighing ballot measure to tax short-term rentals →

If approved, voters would decide in April whether to add a 5% tax to Airbnb and other platforms, with revenues going into a housing fund.

Trump administration cuts to University of Alaska programs for Native students are worse than previously announced →

At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the canceled funding will amount to an estimated $8.8 million, and University of Alaska Southeast programs will also be affected but to a lesser degree. (via Alaska Beacon)

Man arrested in fatal weekend drive-by shooting near downtown Anchorage →

The 26-year-old woman was shot on North Post Road on Sunday. Her death is the 19th homicide in Anchorage so far this year.

Eagle River Assembly member Scott Myers won’t seek reelection →

A real estate agent who also owns a property management company, Myers said the time commitment required to responsibly represent constituents goes beyond a full-time job.

Western Aleutians under tsunami advisory after magnitude 7.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula →

A tsunami advisory is in effect for a portion of the Aleutian Islands in the wake of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Eastern Russia this morning.

More from the ADN

Cruise passenger from Texas dies in fall while hiking in Juneau →

Woman dies after being thrown from boat in Napakiak →

FBI Director Kash Patel clashes with House Democrats over Epstein files →

Whistleblower says U.S. organ transplant system is corrupted by greed and bias →

Finally, the era of free in-flight WiFi is near →

Trump administration’s mass deportations bring a new wave of family separations →

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